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SPHR Questions - Part 19

Jenny Clarke

Tue, 04 Nov 2025

1. As a Senior HR Professional you often need to advice management on how best to communicate with employees. One approach you recommend for manager is to give employees access to decision makers to provide support, answer questions, and provide feedback. What communication model are you recommending in this instance?

A) Open-door policy
B) Management by walking around
C) Brown-bag lunches
D) Department staff meetings



2. There are four levels of evaluation according to Kirkpatrick's Theory. Which of the following is NOT one of the four levels of evaluation?

A) Behavior
B) Reaction
C) Confirmation
D) Learning



3. The ability of an employee to use multiple skill sets on the job represents which of the following job-enrichment activities?

A) Job rotation
B) Skill variety
C) Task identity
D) Task variety



4. Project management is a core activity in many organizations today. Which of the following statements best describes the process groups that comprise the project management lifecycle?

A) The project management lifecycle is comprised of forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning.
B) The project management lifecycle is comprised of initiating, planning, executing, monitoring and controlling, and closing.
C) The project management lifecycle is comprised of organizing, commanding, coordinating, and controlling.
D) The project management lifecycle is comprised of launching, planning, executing, monitoring and controlling, and closing.



5. As a HR Professional you must understand the laws and regulations, which affect employee compensation. Which of the following was the first to address sanitary working conditions?

A) Portal-to-Portal Act
B) Davis-Bacon Act
C) Walsh-Healey Public Contracts Act
D) Fair Labor Standards Act



1. Right Answer: A
Explanation: Answer option A is correct.The open-door policy invites employees to share their concerns, questions, and interact with decision makers.Answer option D is incorrect. Department staff meetings are good, but that's not the description in this instance.Answer option B is incorrect. Management by walking around was publicized by Tom Peters in his book, In Search of Excellence. It provides management interaction and support of employee's goals.Answer option C is incorrect. Brown-bag lunches are informal lunch meetings usually to learn about a topic, to hear from senior management, or to learn about a new company goal.Reference: Professional in Human Resources Certification Guide, Sybex, ISBN: 978-0-470-43096-5. Chapter 7: Employee and Labor Relations. Official PHR andSPHR Certification Guide, HR Certification Institute, ISBN: 978-1-586-44149-4, Section III, The US Body of Knowledge.Chapter: Employee and Labor RelationsObjective: Employee Relations

2. Right Answer: C
Explanation: Answer option C is correct.Confirmation is not one of the four levels of evaluation in Kirkpatrick's Theory of Evaluation. The four levels are reaction, learning, behavior, and results.Kirkpatrick's four levels of evaluation model are as follows: Reaction of student: This level of evolution measures the initial reaction of the participants. Learning: The learning evaluation method uses a test to measure whether the students have learned the presented information. Behavior: This level of evaluation uses a test to measure how well participants have learned the information presented in the training.Results: This level of evolution provides the feedback to the business whether the training have an impact on the business results or not.Answer option B is incorrect. Reaction is one of the four levels of evaluation in Kirkpatrick's Theory.Answer option D is incorrect. Learning is one of the four levels of evaluation in Kirkpatrick's Theory.Answer option A is incorrect. Behavior is one of the four levels of evaluation in Kirkpatrick's Theory.Reference: Professional in Human Resources Certification Guide, Sybex, ISBN: 978-0-470-43096-5. Chapter 5: Human Resource Development. Official PHR andSPHR Certification Guide, HR Certification Institute, ISBN: 978-1-586-44149-4, Section III, The US Body of Knowledge.Chapter: Human Resource DevelopmentObjective: Organization Development

3. Right Answer: B
Explanation: Answer option B is correct.Skill variety is one of many job-enrichment activities introduced by J.R. Hackman. Enriching the work of employees can lead to greater job satisfaction and retention. Task variety (D), task identity (C) and job rotation (A) are other job enrichment activities that allow employees to vary their job tasks, identify the whole of the work produced, and be cross-trained in multiple functions. See Chapter 5 for more information.Chapter: Human Resource DevelopmentObjective: Talent Management

4. Right Answer: B
Explanation: Answer option B is correct.The project management lifecycle is comprised of five process groups: initiating, planning, executing, monitoring and controlling, and closing.Answer option A is incorrect. This answer describes the five stages of team development.Answer option C is incorrect. This answer describes four of five components of management.Answer option D is incorrect. There is no launching process group in the project management lifecycle.Reference: Professional in Human Resources Certification Study Guide, Sybex, ISBN: 978-0-470-43096-5. Chapter Four: Workforce Planning and Employment.Chapter: Core Knowledge Requirements for HR ProfessionalsObjective: Project Management Concepts

5. Right Answer: C
Explanation: Answer option C is correct.The Walsh-Healey Public Contracts Act addressed contractors with the federal government that exceed $10,000, to pay an established minimum wage to workers employed through the contract. This act was passed in 1936. This act also addressed, however, the requirements of sanitary working conditions for employees.Answer option B is incorrect. In 1931 the Davis-Bacon Act was the first piece of legislation to actually establish a minimum wage. The act was, however, limited to the construction industry.Answer option D is incorrect. The Fair Labor Standards Act was passed in 1938. It addressed minimum wage, overtime pay, child labor, and record keeping.Answer option A is incorrect. The Portal-to-Portal Act of 1947 clarified the hours of working for the purpose of minimum wage and overtime pay.Certification Institute, ISBN: 978-1-586-44149-4, Section III, The US HR Body of Knowledge.Chapter: Compensation and BenefitsObjective: Compensation

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