IREM – CPM QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
The California Hills, a PUD outside of Riverside, Calif., has completed three off our
phases of development. There are currently 65 owned units. The final phase of the
development will build out 25 more units. What type of management would best serve
this community? - Answers- This community presents a complex management
challenge that may best be met with full agency management services. If this CID is still
under developer control they may be interested in keeping the financial
records/budgets.
A condominium association of detached new home construction in Milwaukee is located
in a former commercial district near downtown that has been the site of a great deal of
condominium conversion activity. This CID has eight units, a parking structure, and a
small recreational facility, which includes a fitness room and pool. What type of
management would best serve this community? - Answers- Financial-only management
or self management may work best for this community.
A small apartment building with six units in Washington, D.C., was converted to
condominiums five years ago. The first floor was intended to be leased as office space
but is currently vacant. The building was built in 1948.What type of management would
best serve this community? List the range of circumstances where you think this
community may potentially benefit from the services of a management company. -
Answers- While the small size of this condo conversion might be make it feasible for self
management or financial-only management, the age of the community indicates that
some maintenance challenges may be at work. To meet these challenges full service
management may benefit the community.
What are the potential advantages or disadvantages of a high degree of participation
among members of the association for the CID? - Answers- The benefits to having
highly active and vocal volunteer participation in the association is that in fostering the
belief in owners that their voice matters helps build strong community "buy in"
(participation, or a sense of "investment"),which in turn will create the best pool of
candidates from which Boards and committees are appointed. The disadvantage to
vocal participation is that it can bog down the ability of a CID to make decisions if
membership contests the decisions of the Board of Directors.
Explain why common areas are potentially one of the benefits of CID membership -
Answers- In residential property the CID allows individual investors to share in the
benefits of common elements such as swimming pools, tennis courts, or landscaped
common areas that an individual owner may not have been able to afford.
Describe the advantages of having a management agreement that spells out the
relationship between the Managing Agent and CID in as detailed a manner as possible.
- Answers- The benefit of a detailed management agreement lies in part in that it
clarifies to whom the Managing Agent reports.
,What is active listening? - Answers- The term active listening describes communication
in which the listener is as active in the process as the speaker. The goal of active
listening is for you to hear and understand other people, and to let them know you've
heard and understood them.
What percent of communications are nonverbal? - Answers- Around 55 percent of what
others hear us say is a direct result of what we communicate visually: dress, posture,
movements, facial expressions, and eye contact. The next 38 percent of the message
we send comes from the sound of the communication: tone of voice, accent, rate of
speech, volume, and timbre. So, a total of 93 percent of communications are nonverbal.
Which conflict resolution style believes "only the strong survive"? - Answers- The
adversarial style of conflict resolution believes "only the strong survive."
Which conflict resolution style believes "you must give a little to get a little"? - Answers-
The compromising style of conflict resolution believes "you must give a little to get a
little."
The Shangri-La is a 200 unit, detached home, planned unit development with attractive
yards and large above-median priced homes. The expansive common areas include a
par-3 and -4 golf course, water park, and game room. What type of management would
best serve this community? List the pros and cons of outside management for this type
of community. - Answers- Answers will vary.
Define the role of a member in the association (for example, the unit owner) in the
decisions of the Board of Directors. - Answers- The basic principle of a common
interest development is that no one owner can act in isolation from the group. This
means for one that they cannot break the terms of membership set out in the
documents of the CID. Members may be nominated to the Board of Directors. Part of
effective relationship management of the agent/board interaction is to understand that
debate within the community is a natural part of the member/board decision making
process.
What is the difference between Theory X and Theory Y styles of management? -
Answers- Autocratic, or Theory X, managers make the assumption that employees
inherently dislike work and prefer to be directed. These managers believe that because
of their dislike for work, most people must be controlled and threatened before they will
work hard enough and that the average human desires security above
everything.Participatory, or Theory Y, managers make the assumption that employees
are inherently trustworthy and can be self-directed. They motivate staff with rewards and
involvement in decision-making. Participatory managers believe that the average
employee learns, under proper conditions, not only to accept but to seek responsibility.
Theory Z combines approaches from what two cultures? - Answers- Theory Z combines
approaches from American and Japanese cultures.
,What is the common equation used to understand employee performance? - Answers-
A common equation used to understand employee performance is: Ability x Motivation =
Performance
What are the five stages of Maslow's hierarchy of needs? - Answers- Maslow's five
stages are:
- Physiological/Basic
- Safety/Security
- Belonging/Social
- Esteem/Ego/Status
- Self-Actualization or Self-Fulfillment
What is a job analysis? - Answers- A job analysis is the systematic gathering of
information about a job to identify all job responsibilities. These essential job functions
will then determine the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) the jobholder needs in
order to perform the job.
What does KSA stand for? - Answers- KSA stands for Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
List methods of external recruiting. - Answers- Methods of external recruiting may
include: internet recruiting, newspaper advertisements, career fairs, employee referrals,
and employment agencies.
Explain the differences between a full-time employee and a contractor. - Answers- Full-
Time Employees
• Work on an indefinite basis
• Report to work each day
• Have fixed work hours
• Have one employer
• Have a salary
• Have a supervisor who is a company employee
Contractors
• Work for a defined time
• Work as needed
• Do not have fixed work hours
• Work for multiple clients, not necessarily at the same time
• Receive a flat fee for all work or hourly or daily pay
• Work independently or report to another firm, a company employee coordinates the
work
Washington v. Davis (1976)
In this case, applicants for the Washington, D.C., police department took a reading
comprehension and aptitude test that included material they would have to learn during
their training program. The city could show a relationship between success in the
, training program and success as a police officer. However, a much higher percentage of
women and African-Americans failed the test than Caucasian men.
You be the judge—is the test legal? - Answers- In this case, the Court ruled that even
though a test has an adverse impact against a protected class, the test is legal if it is
job-related.
Oncale v. Sundowner Offshore Service, Inc. (1998)
The plaintiff in this case was a heterosexual male employed on an offshore oil rig run by
Sundowner Offshore Service, Inc. Oncale claimed that his male supervisor and two
male coworkers sexually harassed and threatened him. He reported the harassment,
resigned from the company, and sued Sundowner, the supervisor, and the coworkers,
claiming both quid pro quo and hostile environment harassment.
You be the judge—was Oncale a victim of sexual harassment under Title VII based on
the fact that the case involved a male-to-male harassment claim? - Answers- In this
case, a district court ruled that same-gender harassment was not actionable under Title
VII. The Supreme Court then reversed the lower court ruling, stating that the
harassment was "sexual" and therefore actionable,regardless of sexual orientation.
Class-Action Lawsuit against Coca-Cola (2000)In 1999, four past and current African-
American employees of Coca-Cola Company filed a class-action lawsuit in federal court
charging the company with discrimination.The claimants, representing more than 2,200
former and current African-American employees who had held salaried positions since
1985, accused the company of paying African-Americans less, offering them fewer
promotions, and giving them lower performance evaluation scores than Caucasians. In
fact, African-American employees were paid an average of $26,000 a year less than
their white counterparts holding similar jobs.
You be the judge—how would you address the discrepancies between how Caucasian
and African-American employees were treated at Coca-Cola? - Answers- The U.S.
District Court in Atlanta approved a $192.5 million agreement to settle the class-action
lawsuit. This provided an average of $38,000 to each of 2,200 current and former
African-American employees. The agreement also established several policies and
procedures to improve Coca-Cola's diversity efforts
Determine whether each interview question below is legal. Circle any question you think
should NOT be asked in an interview.
1. What year were you born?
2. How do you intend to get to work?
3. What were your reasons for leaving your last job?
4. This job requires the ability to lift 30 lbs. Are you able to perform that job function?
5. Can you work evenings and weekends?
6. Have you ever been arrested?
7. What clubs or church do you belong to?
8. Is your last name Spanish or Italian?
9. How would your last boss rate your performance?
10. What was your salary at your last job?