Free Practice Questions for HRCI GPHR Exam

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation:

Transfer of learningrefers to the extent to which participantsapply trainingin their actual job environment. It is theultimate goalof any learning program — knowledge that isn’t used has no business value.

This concept ensures that:

Behavioral changesoccur

Productivity and performanceimprove

ROI on training investments is measurable

GPHR Study Guide Extract – Talent and Organizational Development / Learning Transfer and Effectiveness:

“Effective training must go beyond content delivery. Transfer of learning — applying acquired skills to real-world tasks — is critical for measuring success and business impact.”

Understanding a concept or asking questions is part of the learning process, but not its application.

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation:

TheOECDdoes not enforce legal mandates. Instead, it issuesvoluntary guidelinesthatmember countries are encouraged to adopt. These recommendations covercorporate responsibility,employment standards, andethical labor practices.

GPHR Study Guide Extract – Workforce Relations and Risk Management / International Employment Standards:

“OECD guidelines are voluntary principles and standards for responsible business conduct addressed to multinational enterprises. They are non-binding and are designed to complement existing labor laws and ILO conventions.”

This makes OECD guidelinesadvisory, unlikeILO conventions, which can beratifiedandlegally binding.

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation:

Ahardship allowanceis provided to compensate for difficult living conditions in the host country. Ongoing transportation interruptions are considered a form of hardship, as they can disrupt daily life and employee productivity.

GPHR Topic Reference:

Global Talent Acquisition and Mobility – Assignment Allowances and Incentives:

“Hardship allowances are provided when the living conditions in the host country are significantly more difficult than those in the home country.”

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation:

This describes anethnocentric organizational culture, where loyalty to the home country and hierarchy leads to aprescriptive and role-bound approach. In such cultures:

Leadership is often exclusive to nationals of the home country

Systems and functions are formalized, rigid, and top-down

Adaptation to local contexts is limited

GPHR Study Guide Extract – Strategic Global Human Resources / Cultural Dimensions and Global Mindsets:

“Ethnocentric staffing and leadership practices often reflect rigid role expectations and centralized control, especially when senior positions are reserved for home-country nationals.”

This behavior aligns with Hofstede’shigh power distanceanduncertainty avoidancedimensions, where roles are clearly defined and deviations are discouraged.

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation:

The correct visas for anintra-company transfer of a professional employeeare theL-1 (for the employee)andL-2 (for the spouse/dependent). TheL-1 visais specifically designed for employees of multinational companies being transferred to a U.S. parent, subsidiary, or affiliate for along-term assignment.

L-1A: for executives and managers

L-1B: for employees with specialized knowledge

L-2: for spouses and dependents of L-1 visa holders, often with work authorization

GPHR Study Guide Extract – Global Talent Acquisition and Mobility / International Assignment Legal Compliance:

“The L-1 visa is commonly used for intra-company transfers of managers, executives, or those with specialized knowledge to a U.S. office. The L-2 visa allows accompanying family members to reside and, in many cases, work in the U.S.”

Other visas listed (B-1/B-2, F-1/F-2, J-1/J-2) are for temporary business, students, or exchange visitors—not suitable for work relocation.

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation:

Organizational cultureis along-term influencerof employee behavior. It shapes:

Norms

Decision-making styles

Expectations for how people interact

It evolves slowly and is reinforced throughrituals, leadership behavior, and peer expectations, not just documents.

GPHR Study Guide Extract – Strategic Global Human Resources / Organizational Culture:

“Culture reflects shared values and behaviors that guide how people work and make decisions. It is deeply embedded and not easily changed by formal communication alone.”

Culture cannot be rapidly changed or fully defined through policies.

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation:

Training costis adirect costassociated with turnover. When new hires leave early, the investment made in:

Orientation

Job-specific training

Shadowing or mentorship

…is lost and must be reinvested for each replacement. This is measurable and directly linked to turnover.

GPHR Study Guide Extract – Talent and Organizational Development / Turnover Metrics and Cost Analysis:

“Direct turnover costs include recruitment, onboarding, and training expenses. These are tangible, measurable costs that recur with each new hire and should be tracked to assess hiring effectiveness.”

Severanceis typically associated with layoffs, not voluntary attrition.Absenteeismandinsuranceareindirect or unrelatedcosts.

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation:

Competency developmentis theprimary strategic reasonfor sending employees on long-term, learning-based assignments. These assignments are intended to:

Build global leadership capability

Enhancecross-cultural competence

Provide exposure to complex business environments

This creates apipeline of future global leaders, aligning with talent and succession strategy.

GPHR Study Guide Extract – Talent and Organizational Development / International Assignments for Development:

“Organizations increasingly view international assignments as leadership development tools. Long-term placements help high-potential employees gain strategic insights, develop cultural awareness, and expand their organizational influence.”

Retentionis a benefit, not the goal.Cost controlis a concern but not a motivator for development-driven assignments.

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation:

When an organization prepares forglobal expansion, HR’s most strategic contribution is tobuild a global leadership pipeline. This includes:

Identifying high-potential employees

Creating development plans tied to future roles

Ensuring talent is aligned with global strategy

This approach providessustainable internal leadership capacityrather than relying solely on external hires.

GPHR Study Guide Extract – Talent and Organizational Development / Succession Planning and Leadership Pipeline:

“HR plays a critical role in building the leadership pipeline necessary for global expansion. Identifying and developing internal talent ensures continuity and alignment with business strategy.”

Sending employees to training or outsourcing recruitment are tactical, but not sufficient for long-term global success.

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation:

In most European countries, theindividual employment contractis a legally binding document that governs the employee-employer relationship. These contracts define:

Pay and benefits

Notice periods

Work hours

Termination conditions

This is acore difference from U.S. at-will employment, where terms are often less formalized and can be unilaterally changed or terminated.

GPHR Study Guide Extract – Workforce Relations and Risk Management / Regional Legal Differences:

“In Europe, employment contracts are standard and enforceable under national labor law. They define the terms and conditions of employment, ensuring clarity and legal protection for both parties.”

TheData Protection Directiveregulates personal data, not employment contracts.