Managing-Human-Capital WGU Managing Human Capital C202, UXC2 Questions and Answers

A customary benefit refers to benefits that are traditionally offered by employers, though not legally required. Retirement plans, such as 401(k) plans or pension plans, are common examples of customary benefits. These plans provide financial security for employees in their post-working years and are often used by employers to attract and retain talent by offering long-term financial planning options.

References

Managing Human Capital Textbook

"Employee Benefits" by Joseph J. Martocchio

SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management) guidelines on customary benefits

Employee engagement reflects the degree to which employees are emotionally and psychologically committed to their work and organization. According toHuman Resource Management, 16th Editionby Gary Dessler, a key indicator of strong employee engagement is whenemployees feel recognized and valued for their contributions.

Dessler emphasizes that engaged employees go beyond simply meeting job requirements. They demonstrate enthusiasm, discretionary effort, and a sense of purpose because they believe their work matters. Recognition—whether through praise, feedback, or rewards—reinforces this connection and strengthens employees’ commitment to organizational goals.

Requirements such as performance evaluations or baseline job performance do not necessarily indicate engagement; they reflect compliance rather than emotional involvement. Similarly, employees who remain solely because of salary may be retained but not engaged. True engagement involves motivation, recognition, and alignment with organizational values.

Thus, an organization where employees feel appreciated for their contributions demonstrates strong employee engagement.

Source:

Gary Dessler,Human Resource Management, 16th Edition, Chapter on Employee Engagement and Performance

Disparate Treatment:This involves deliberate discrimination where an individual is treated differently based on a protected characteristic (e.g., race, gender, age).

Intentionality:The key aspect of disparate treatment is the intent to discriminate.

Adverse Impact:Also known as disparate impact, this occurs when a policy or practice that appears neutral results in a disproportionate negative effect on a protected group.

Unintentional Discrimination:Adverse impact does not require intent to discriminate, only that the outcome of a practice is discriminatory.

Legal Standards:Both concepts are critical in employment law and are evaluated under different standards of proof and remediation.

Employee benefits are commonly classified as mandatory, customary, or optional. According toHuman Resource Management, 16th Editionby Gary Dessler,customary benefitsare those that are not legally required but arecommonly provided by employersand therefore often expected by employees. Examples include retirement plans, paid vacations, and health insurance coverage. These benefits help organizations remain competitive in the labor market.

In contrast,optional benefits—often referred to as voluntary benefits—are offered entirely at the discretion of the employer and may be selected or declined by employees. Dessler explains that optional benefits typically allow employees to tailor their benefits package to their personal needs, such as additional life insurance, vision coverage, or supplemental disability insurance, often at the employee’s own cost.

The key difference lies in employee expectations and organizational norms. Customary benefits are widely anticipated as part of standard employment, while optional benefits provide flexibility and choice. Therefore, the correct distinction is thatoptional benefits are discretionary, while customary benefits are commonly provided and expected.

Source:

Gary Dessler,Human Resource Management, 16th Edition, Chapter on Employee Benefits and Total Rewards

Person-organization fit refers to the compatibility between an employee and the organization in terms of values, beliefs, and culture. An employee who demonstrates a strong person-organization fit shows deep commitment to the organization, aligning their personal values with the company’s mission and culture. This commitment often leads to higher job satisfaction, better performance, and lower turnover rates.

"Organizational Behavior" by Stephen P. Robbins and Timothy A. Judge

Articles on person-organization fit from the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)

Aculture of safetyexists when safety is deeply embedded into an organization’s values, beliefs, and everyday practices. According toHuman Resource Management, 16th Editionby Gary Dessler, organizations with a strong safety culture treat safety not as a short-term priority or a compliance requirement, but as acore organizational valuethat guides behavior at all levels.

In a true culture of safety, employees and managers alike understand that safety is non-negotiable and integral to how work is performed. Safety responsibilities are shared, openly discussed, and consistently reinforced through training, leadership behavior, and organizational policies. Dessler notes that safety cultures are strongest when top management visibly supports safety initiatives and integrates them into daily operations rather than treating them as secondary to productivity.

Options suggesting that safety is only important after productivity goals are met or merely a tool for profit generation contradict the definition of a safety culture. Similarly, while safety may influence performance evaluations, it is not the sole factor. The defining characteristic of a culture of safety is thatsafety is a core value understood and practiced throughout the organization, making option C the correct answer.

Source:

Gary Dessler,Human Resource Management, 16th Edition, Chapter on Employee Safety and Health

Labor Participation Programs:These programs encourage employee involvement in organizational decision-making, promoting better labor relations and a more engaged workforce.

Employee Surveys:These are tools used to gather feedback from employees about their job satisfaction, work environment, and overall experience within the company. The data collected helps HR identify areas of improvement and address any concerns.

Purpose in HRM:Both tools are crucial for understanding employee perspectives, improving communication, and fostering a positive work environment, which are central to effective employee relations.

Benefits:Improved employee relations can lead to higher job satisfaction, reduced turnover, and enhanced organizational performance.

Definition of Staffing:Staffing encompasses a series of activities aimed at ensuring the organization has the right people in the right jobs at the right time.

Components:

Planning:Assessing current and future staffing needs based on organizational goals.

Acquiring:Recruiting and selecting candidates who fit the organizational culture and job requirements.

Deploying:Placing employees in roles where they can be most effective.

Retaining:Implementing strategies to keep talented employees engaged and committed to the organization.

Importance:Effective staffing ensures that the organization has the human capital necessary to achieve its objectives and maintain a competitive edge.

Reducing voluntary turnover requires organizations to understand why employees leave and what factors influence their decision to stay. According toHuman Resource Management, 16th Editionby Gary Dessler, an effectiveretention strategyis toconduct employee satisfaction surveys. These surveys help management identify issues related to pay, supervision, workload, career development, and work environment before dissatisfaction leads to resignation.

Dessler explains that voluntary turnover is often avoidable when organizations proactively listen to employees and address concerns early. Satisfaction surveys provide actionable data that enable HR managers to implement targeted interventions such as improving leadership practices, adjusting compensation, or enhancing work–life balance initiatives.

In contrast, sourcing internal or external candidates focuses on staffing and replacement rather than retention. Monitoring performance trends for merit pay relates to compensation management but does not directly uncover reasons employees may leave. Therefore, the most effective retention-focused strategy listed isconducting employee satisfaction surveys.

Source:

Gary Dessler,Human Resource Management, 16th Edition, Chapter on Employee Retention and Turnover Management

Unions traditionally emphasize fairness, objectivity, and equal treatment when negotiating employment conditions. According toHuman Resource Management, 16th Editionby Gary Dessler,seniorityis the factor unions most strongly prefer when determining criteria for promotions, layoffs, recalls, and job security.

Seniority systems are favored because they are objective, easy to verify, and limit managerial discretion, which unions often view as a potential source of favoritism or discrimination. By basing decisions on length of service, unions help ensure predictability and transparency in employment decisions, protecting long-term members from arbitrary treatment.

Dessler notes that while employers may prefer performance- or skill-based systems to reward high performers, unions typically resist these approaches unless they are clearly defined and consistently applied. Education and experience may be considered in some agreements, but seniority remains the dominant standard in unionized settings. Age, while correlated with seniority, is not used directly due to legal and ethical concerns.

Therefore, the correct answer isseniority.

Source:

Gary Dessler,Human Resource Management, 16th Edition, Chapter on Labor Relations and Collective Bargaining

Situational interview questions are designed to assess how candidates would handle hypothetical scenarios related to the job. The question "How would you handle a scenario in which you are asked to do something that goes against company policy?" requires the candidate to demonstrate their problem-solving abilities, ethical judgment, and adherence to organizational rules. This type of question helps employers gauge a candidate's potential behavior and decision-making skills in challenging situations.

Apsychological contractrefers to the informal and unwritten set of expectations that exists between an employee and the employer. According toHuman Resource Management, 16th Editionby Gary Dessler, psychological contracts include beliefs about job security, career development, fairness, recognition, and mutual obligations that are not formally stated in employment contracts.

Dessler emphasizes that psychological contracts develop over time through communication, organizational culture, and managerial behavior. When employees believe these unwritten expectations are fulfilled, trust and commitment increase. When they are violated, employees may experience dissatisfaction, reduced engagement, or withdrawal behaviors.

Psychological contracts are not formal legal agreements, nor are they created through counseling sessions. While shared values and positive environments may influence them, their defining characteristic is that they areunwritten expectationsgoverning the employment relationship. Therefore, the correct answer isthey consist of the unwritten expectations of the employment relationship.

Source:

Gary Dessler,Human Resource Management, 16th Edition, Chapter on Employee Engagement and Organizational Culture

Effective performance management requires clear communication of job expectations, performance standards, and goals before evaluating employee performance. According toHuman Resource Management, 16th Editionby Gary Dessler, one of the most critical steps in performance management isjointly developing a performance planthat specifies what the employee is expected to accomplish and how performance will be measured. When this step is skipped, performance appraisals often appear unfair and unexpected to employees.

In this scenario, the employee received low ratings based on goals that were never discussed or clarified. This reflects a failure in the planning phase of performance management, not a rating error such as leniency or bias. Dessler emphasizes that employees must clearly understand expectations at the start of the appraisal period; otherwise, evaluations lose credibility and can damage trust, motivation, and engagement.

Performance planning aligns employee efforts with organizational objectives and provides a standard against which performance can be fairly assessed. When managers fail to develop and communicate a performance plan, employees cannot reasonably be held accountable for unmet goals. Therefore, the obstacle illustrated here isfailing to develop a performance plan with the employee.

Source:

Gary Dessler,Human Resource Management, 16th Edition, Chapter on Performance Management and Appraisal

Progressive discipline is a structured and systematic approach used by managers to address employee misconduct or performance issues by applying increasingly severe penalties for repeated offenses. According toHuman Resource Management, 16th Editionby Gary Dessler, progressive discipline is designed to give employees clear notice of unacceptable behavior and a fair opportunity to correct it before more serious action is taken.

The typical sequence of progressive discipline begins with averbal warning, followed by awritten warning, thensuspension, and finallyterminationif the behavior continues. In this case, the employee has already received a verbal warning for tardiness. When the employee arrives late again the following week, the manager must move to the next formal step in the disciplinary process. That step is issuing awritten warning, which formally documents the problem, specifies expectations for improvement, and warns the employee of possible future consequences if the behavior persists.

Skipping directly to harsher penalties such as suspension, demotion, or termination would violate the principles of fairness and due process emphasized in effective human resource management. Progressive discipline ensures consistency, legal defensibility, and transparency, while reinforcing organizational standards. Thus, based on established HRM practices, the correct next step after a verbal warning is awritten warning.

Source:

Gary Dessler,Human Resource Management, 16th Edition, Chapter on Employee Discipline and Employee Relations

Unionized workers typically enjoy more secure benefits compared to nonunionized workers, with guaranteed pensions being one of the most secure. Unions negotiate defined benefit pension plans that promise a specified monthly benefit at retirement, which is often based on factors such as salary history and years of service. These plans provide financial security for employees upon retirement and are less common in nonunionized workplaces, where defined contribution plans like 401(k)s are more prevalent.

Procedural fairness in the hiring process can be increased by implementing validated selection methods that are directly related to the job requirements. This includes using standardized tests, structured interviews, and job simulations that have been scientifically proven to predict job performance. These methods ensure that all candidates are evaluated consistently and objectively based on their qualifications and abilities relevant to the job, thereby reducing biases and enhancing the perceived fairness of the selection process.

Inclusion in the workplace refers to creating an environment where all employees feel valued, respected, and have equal access to opportunities and resources. An inclusive scenario is one where team members collaborate, and everyone's ideas and contributions are considered. This encourages a sense of belonging and leverages the diverse perspectives of the entire team, leading to enhanced innovation and team performance. The given example demonstrates this by showing a department where collaboration and open sharing of ideas are practiced.

Job analysis is a systematic process that involves identifying and documenting the essential tasks, responsibilities, and behaviors required for a job. It also assesses the qualifications, skills, and knowledge needed to perform those tasks effectively. The outcome of a job analysis includes detailed job descriptions and specifications, which are used for various HR functions such as recruitment, selection, training, performance appraisal, and compensation.

"Job and Work Analysis: Methods, Research, and Applications for Human Resource Management" by Michael T. Brannick, Edward L. Levine, and Frederick P. Morgeson

Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) guidelines on job analysis