What is the primary role of a 'functional strategy' in the strategic planning process?

Correct answer: To identify what each department must do to help the business accomplish its competitive goals.

Explanation

Functional strategies are the most specific level of strategy, detailing the actions each department (like HR, marketing, finance) must take to support the business's overall competitive strategy.

Other questions

Question 1

What is the primary purpose of a strategic plan in human resource management?

Question 2

According to the text, what is the first step in the seven-step strategic management process?

Question 3

A SWOT chart is a strategic planning tool used to organize a company's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Which of the following would be an example of an 'Opportunity' for a company?

Question 4

Which type of strategy answers the question, 'How many and what kind of businesses should we be in?'

Question 5

What is the defining characteristic of a 'cost leadership' competitive strategy?

Question 6

What is the primary goal of strategic human resource management?

Question 7

Which strategic HRM tool summarizes how each department's performance contributes to achieving the company’s overall strategic goals and helps employees see their 'line of sight'?

Question 8

What is a digital dashboard in the context of strategic HRM?

Question 9

What does the term 'benchmarking' mean in the context of HR metrics?

Question 10

What is a high-performance work system (HPWS)?

Question 11

What is the key difference between a company's vision statement and its mission statement?

Question 13

According to the HR as a Profit Center feature about KeyBank, what was the estimated cost savings in teller turnover in one year after implementing a new candidate-assessment screening tool?

Question 14

What does a 'human resource metric' quantify?

Question 15

Based on the data in Table 1 on High-Performance Work Systems, what is the average number of qualified applicants per position for higher-performance companies?

Question 16

What is the key principle behind 'evidence-based human resource management'?

Question 17

According to the text, a company's 'business model' primarily describes its method for what?

Question 18

In the context of the HR Strategy Model shown in Figure 6, what is the direct outcome of implementing specific HR policies and practices like recruitment and training?

Question 19

What is the purpose of an HR audit?

Question 20

Which of these is NOT listed as a typical area audited in a human resource audit?

Question 21

According to the Southwest Airlines strategy map example, what is the direct requirement for achieving 'low fares' and 'on-time flights'?

Question 22

What type of corporate strategy involves a firm expanding by adding new product lines, as exemplified by PepsiCo adding Frito-Lay and Quaker Oats?

Question 23

When using computerized business planning software like CheckMATE, what common strategic planning tool does it often utilize?

Question 24

In the context of the basic managerial planning process, what is a plan?

Question 25

What is the primary difference between policies and procedures?

Question 26

How do strategy-based metrics differ from general HR benchmarking metrics?

Question 27

What is the purpose of using workforce or talent analytics?

Question 28

In the example of Google's talent analytics, what did the analysis identify as a factor likely to lead to an employee leaving?

Question 29

What is data mining in an HR context?

Question 30

In the Best Buy example cited in the 'HR as a Profit Center' feature, what was the financial impact of a 0.1 percent increase in employee engagement?

Question 31

What does being 'scientific' in the context of evidence-based HR require, besides objectivity?

Question 32

According to the study of high-performance work systems mentioned on page 71, what was a key difference in pay practices between high-performance plants and other plants?

Question 33

What is the primary function of the HR Scorecard?

Question 34

In the hierarchy of goals, where do strategic goals, such as 'double sales revenue to 16 million dollars in fiscal year 2012,' typically originate?

Question 35

What is the final step in the seven-step strategic management process?

Question 36

According to Table 1, what percentage of the workforce in Lower-Performance Companies is eligible for incentive pay?

Question 37

What is competitive advantage?

Question 38

What is a major advantage of using an HR Scorecard and digital dashboard for performance management?

Question 39

In the example of the Shanghai Portman Hotel, what was the first step management took in its strategic human resource management process?

Question 40

Which of these is NOT a characteristic of a high-performance work system according to Table 1?

Question 41

What is the manager's primary role in strategic planning?

Question 42

What is the primary objective of a 'vertical integration' corporate strategy?

Question 43

What does a budget represent in the context of business planning?

Question 44

What is the first step in the basic budgeting process described in the chapter's appendix?

Question 45

In the appendix, what is a 'profit center'?

Question 46

What is the primary role of a 'competitive intelligence' supply from the HR manager during strategic planning?

Question 47

What is the primary purpose of conducting a 'strategy execution' step in the strategic management process?

Question 48

What kind of information is found in a 'Personnel Salary Plan' as depicted in the appendix?

Question 49

Which of these is NOT a question answered by the Global Competencies Inventory (GCI) for testing assignments abroad?

Question 50

In the Patagonia video case synopsis, what is a key element of the company's mission?