Q1. A major complaint one often hears is that the human resource function still remains as one of the weakest and less prestigious functions in many organizations, with the stereotype that it is a paper shuffling unit with little impact on the bottom line. Why do you think this is the case? What can the HR manager do to change this real or perceived state of affairs? Explain.

Q2. A recent trend more and more companies are embracing is to outsource all or most of their human resource management activities. Do you agree or disagree with this trend? What risks is a company taking when it decides to outsource its entire set of human resource management activities? Try to describe a situation where it is most beneficial to retain most of the human resource management activities within a company so that HR is provided by the human resource management department.