MAX Computers Manufactures Affordable Laptops and Desktops at Its Factory

question 56

Multiple Choice

MAX Computers manufactures affordable laptops and desktops at its factory in Arizona.MAX has experienced a moderate amount of financial success,but upper management wants the firm to grow at a faster rate and become a bigger player in the highly competitive computer market.The firm's greatest problems relate to its employees.Employee turnover is high-most employees at MAX leave within two years or less of being hired.In addition,the rate of productivity among employees is not as high as executives would like.The vice president of human resources is considering moving MAX towards a high-performance work system. Which of the following best supports the argument that MAX should move towards a high-performance work system?

• A) MAX competitors regularly use benchmarking to compare their employees to those in other firms.
• B) MAX customers purchase new computers every two years according to online customer surveys.
• C) Outsourcing clerical tasks would enable MAX to raise employee salaries and increase productivity.
• D) Using advanced recruitment and hiring practices will allow MAX to improve employee productivity.

Recognize the need for updating job descriptions to reflect changes in job demands and environments.

Understand the concept of competency matrices and their application in job analysis and performance assessment.

Understand the role and importance of job descriptions in meeting new hires’ expectations.

Recognize the disadvantages and limitations of different job data collection methods, like focus groups and observation.

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Definitions:

Unit Price

The cost assigned to a single unit of a product or service, facilitating price comparisons across different quantities.

Direct Labor Variance

The difference between the actual labor costs incurred and the standard labor costs expected for the actual production level, reflecting efficiency and cost control in production.

Per-unit Standards

Predetermined costs to produce a single unit of product, used in budgeting and cost control.

Direct Labor Hours

The total hours worked by employees directly involved in manufacturing products or providing services.