Section 7: Human Resources Management
QUESTION 11
A team member comes to you (the project manager) privately and informs you that an employee of your customer is making unwelcome advances. The team member has repeatedly requested that this person stop, but the advances continue. What is the BEST course of action?
A. Privately confront the customer employee and threaten legal action if the advances do not stop.
B. Suggest that the team member avoid contact with the customer employee.
C. Contact the employee’s manager to arrange a meeting to discuss the matter.
D. Facilitate a meeting with the team member, the customer employee, and yourself to allow the two to work it out amicably.
Answer: C
Explanation:
Contacting the employee’s manager and arranging a meeting is the best way to handle this discreetly and effectively. This situation does not involve project-related activities, so resolution of the issue is not within the jurisdiction of the project manager.
Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 328
QUESTION 12
You just found out that a major subcontractor for your project consistently delivers items late. You decide to postpone dealing with the issue until you have more time. What conflict resolution method are you using?
A. Ignoring
B. Compromise
C. Smoothing
D. Withdrawal
Answer: D
Explanation:
If you picked ignoring, you should reread the book PMP® Exam Prep. Ignoring is not a conflict resolution technique.
Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 329
QUESTION 13
You just found out that a major subcontractor for your project consistently provides deliverables late. The subcontractor approaches you and asks you to continue accepting late deliverables in exchange for a decrease in project costs. This offer is an example of:
A. Confronting.
B. Compromise.
C. Smoothing.
D. Forcing.
Answer: B
Explanation:
Both parties are giving up something. This is a compromise.
Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 329
QUESTION 14
You are working on a large construction project that is progressing within the baselines. Resource usage has remained steady, and your boss has just awarded you a prize for your performance. One of your team members returns from a meeting with the customer and tells you that the customer is not happy with the project progress. What is the FIRST thing you should do?
A. Tell your manager.
B. Complete a team building exercise and invite the customer’s representatives.
C. Change the schedule baseline.
D. Meet with the customer to uncover details.
Answer: D
Explanation:
You should look for a choice that solves the problem. Choice A is not assertive enough for a project manager.
Also, you need more information before talking to your manager. Choice B might be nice, but it does not address the customer’s concerns with the project. Changing the baseline (choice C) is not ethical under these circumstances. Problem solving begins with defining the causes of the problem. Therefore, choice D is the only answer.
QUESTION 15
Which of the following leadership traits is MOST important for a project manager?
A. Communication
B. Team building
C. Technical expertise
D. Project control
Answer: A
Explanation:
As project managers spend 90 percent of their time communicating, the correct choice must be A.
Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 311
QUESTION 16
For the last three months, a customer has been from two to four days late with her approvals on deliverables.
After analyzing the situation, the project manager decides withdrawal is the best conflict resolution technique to use. Which of the following reflects withdrawal?
A. Inform the customer that late approvals are not a problem, but ask him or her to try to get them in on time in the future.
B. Meet with the customer to determine a new due date for approvals.
C. Postpone a decision.
D. Call the customer and demand that you receive the approvals today.
Answer: C
Explanation:
Choice A is smoothing, choice B is problem solving, and choice D is forcing.
Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 329
QUESTION 17
A seller has withdrawn from a project midway through the project executing processes, and another seller is taking over. The project manager meets with the replacement seller and his crew. In this meeting, what should the project manager do FIRST?
A. Introduce the team members, and identify the roles and responsibilities.
B. Communicate the objectives of the project.
C. Review the schedule.
D. Create a communications management plan.
Answer: A
Explanation:
It is important that the new seller understand who is who on the project (choice A). Choices B and C would be included in the contract. Choice D might occur after choice A, but it is not first.
Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 305
QUESTION 18
Having to constantly push the team to perform is an example of a LACK of:
A. Project continuity.
B. Team buy-in.
C. Management support.
D. Team accord.
Answer: B
Explanation:
The most correct answer here is team buy-in. Without buy-in, the team is not motivated to perform.
Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 322
QUESTION 19
Your best programmer is an independent contractor. Recently, you learned that she is working on a project in
the evening for one of your competitors. Your BEST course of action is to:
A. Replace her.
B. Get her to sign a non-disclosure agreement.
C. Inform her that you do not allow your contractors to work with your competition, and ask her to choose.
D. Limit her access to sensitive data.
Answer: B
Explanation:
Generally, a contractor can work for whomever they choose, so choice C is not correct. However, it would not be ethical for them to divulge confidential information about the competitor or your company. B is the best choice. Choice A would be the second choice because you would lose the contractor’s skill on the project.
Choice D is not practical in most companies.
Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 486
QUESTION 20
Which of the following is NOT a factor in the project manager’s acquiring the best resources for the project?
A. Schedule model
B. Activity attributes
C. Quantified resource requirements by activity
D. Directive of the project manager
Answer: D
Explanation:
A project manager can rarely tell or direct that project resources be assigned. Most frequently on projects, the functional manager owns the resources.
Source: PMP® Exam Prep Page: 320