D they are not expected to be technically efficient

D. They are not expected to be technically efficient and are only involved in direct
interactions with customers.
E. They do not have a lot of job opportunities because employers can simply order
these employees to perform tasks.
Knowledge workers are in a position of power, because they own the knowledge
that the company needs in order to produce its products and services, and they
must share their knowledge and collaborate with others in order for their employer
to succeed. Replacing these employees is difficult and time consuming. They have
many job opportunities even in a slow economy.

44. Oliver works at Tate Corp., an apparel manufacturing company. He primarily
focuses on the tastes and needs of the firm's customers. He achieves this by
managing a team that regularly interacts with customers through various
promotional activities and events. He also provides insights on how to produce
eco-friendly outfits through cost-efficient manufacturing processes. This implies
that Oliver:
A. is an HR
professional.
B. encourages centralized decision
making.
C. is a knowledge
worker.
D. encourages a narrow business
focus.
E. belongs to the external labor
market.
Knowledge workers are employees whose main contribution to the organization is
specialized knowledge, such as knowledge of customers, a process, or a
profession. In this case, Oliver is a knowledge worker because he primarily focuses
on providing his expertise on the tastes and needs of the firm's customers. He
achieves this by managing a team that regularly interacts with customers through
various promotional activities.

45. Rhea is an employee at Diaz Inc. She specializes in graphic and web design, user
interface design, and search engine optimization. She also knows how to interact
with customers by asking them about their preferences and providing them with
products that meet their needs. Which of the following statements is true about
Rhea?
A. She specializes in
outsourcing.
B. She is a part of the external labor
market.
C. She bases her work on the terms of a psychological
contract.
D. She is an on-call
worker.
E. She is a knowledge
worker.
Knowledge workers are employees whose main contribution to the organization is
specialized knowledge, such as knowledge of customers, a process, or a
profession. In this case, Rhea is a knowledge worker.

46. Which of the following statements is true of employee empowerment?
A. Proper training must be provided only to supervisors so that they can exert
their wider authority.
B. Managers should ensure that employees are not linked to resources outside the
organization, such as customers.
C. Employee empowerment shifts the recruiting focus away from cognitive and
interpersonal skills toward general technical skills.
D. Employee empowerment prevents holding employees accountable for the
products and services they developed.