Some firms swear by unorthodox interview methods. For example, Tech Planet, of Menlo Park, California, uses weekly lunches and “wacky follow-up sessions” as substitutes for first-round job interviews. During the informal meals, potential staffers are expected to mingle, and they’re then reviewed by the Tech Planet employees they meet at the luncheons. One Tech Planet employee asks candidates to ride a unicycle in her office to see if “they’ll bond with the corporate culture or not.” Toward the end of the screening process, the surviving group of interviewees has to solve brainteasers, and then openly evaluate their fellow candidates’ strengths and weaknesses. What do you think of a screening process like this? Specifically, what do you think are its pros and cons? Would you recommend a procedure like this? If so, what changes, if any, would you recommend?
> As noted in the chapter-opening vignette, Toyota ran into trouble for two reasons. One, was that the company centralized most decision making in its corporate headquarters. The second was that the CEO pressured top engineers to cut costs to improve profi
> It was argued in this chapter that an empowerment approach to improving safety could yield positive results. The operation of consultative safety teams including cleaning workers was used as an example. However, a participative approach to safety improve
> How can managers use the organization's reward system to encourage workplace safety?
> How could genetic testing be used to discriminate?
> If a worker has some weak areas that affect how well he or she performs aspects of the job, the traditional approach would be to provide evaluation and feedback to the worker to try to improve those deficiencies. How else could those deficiencies be impr
> If a job is potentially hazardous to the fetus of a pregnant employee, should it be legal for the company to restrict the job to men?
> What kind of policies do you think would work best to prevent workplace violence?
> Do you think social media is a useful way for offering a wellness program? Why or why not? What major characteristics do you think a social media– based wellness program should have?
> What is the difference between the objectives of workers’ compensation and the objectives of OSHA?
> Some experts in the field of labor relations believe that when a union can pose a credible threat of a strike to management in the collective bargaining process, both parties—union and management—are motivated to move in the direction of a settlement and
> Assume that a union has organized the faculty at the university or the college where you are a student. What impact would you expect the union to have on the faculty? Which faculty would you expect to support the union? To not support the union? How woul
> It is often said that "good pay and good management" are the keys to successful union avoidance. Spell out the kinds of policies and practices companies should develop if they want to keep their workers from unionizing. Do you think the employee relation
> How can management’s collective bargaining tactics be influenced by the company's labor relations strategy? Provide examples.
> Why have labor and management tended to treat each other as adversaries in the U.S. labor relations system?
> Can you think of a job-related reason why a company would decide to restrict dating between employees and enforce a no-dating policy? Do you think employers have a right to restrict any or all of the following off-duty conduct of their employees: (1) smo
> Motivating workers is an important goal for managers. Do you think that providing feedback on strengths helps accomplish this goal? Identify other purposes for performance appraisal. How well does a strength-based approach meet with those purposes?
> When a whistle-blower steps forward and discloses corruption or misconduct performed by a manager, how does a company benefit from this action? What can HR staff working with management do to reduce the fear and risk to employees from being a whistle-blo
> National Medical Enterprises, Inc., a $4 billion operator of hospitals and psychiatric treatment centers, faced criminal probes for practices such as widespread overbilling and fraudulent diagnoses to extend patients’ hospital stays. Investigators found
> Do employers have rights? If so, what are these rights?
> Why have managers needed to place greater emphasis on employee rights in recent years?
> A minority of employees are actually demotivated by being given public recognition in front of their coworkers. Why might some employees feel uncomfortable being recognized in a public ceremony? Do you think that this could be an issue related to diversi
> Some communication experts claim that men and women have different styles of communication that create barriers to decoding messages from a sender of the opposite sex. What do you think are the important differences between the way men and women communic
> Do you think most employees have reservations about using an appeals procedure such as an open-door policy? What can managers do to convince employees that the available procedures are fair and effective?
> Shelly Wexler tells her supervisor, Rob Levine, that having to care for her aging mother is forcing her to leave work early and is making her increasingly "stressed out." While Rob refers her to the company's EAP, he also tries to convince her to put her
> Employee privacy has been called “today’s most important workplace issue.” What kinds of dilemmas have the new technologies created regarding employee privacy? What other kinds of problems have the new technologies created in employee relations and commu
> Only a small percentage of part-time and temporary employees in the United States receive health insurance and retirement benefits compared to employees with full-time jobs. How serious a problem is this? Which people do you think are most likely to be a
> Not everyone can be good at everything about a job. Providing only positive performance feedback can give workers inaccurate pictures of their performance. What are the disadvantages of this inaccuracy?
> Why should younger employees (those in their 20s and 30s) care about retirement benefits?
> Paid time off (PTO) policies pool vacation, sick leave, personal days, and floating holidays into a bank of days that employees can have for personal use. Normally, the use of one of these days requires notification of the supervisor in advance. However,
> John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods, keeps his pay low to keep staff morale high and donates half of his pay to charity. Most of his pay is based on Whole Foods’ performance. Mackey has blogged that stratospheric CEO pay is bad for business because it create
> Reread the Manager’s Notebook “High-Priced CEOs: Are They Worth It?” Develop a list of arguments in favor of the position of Prof. Desai (that CEO pay is irrational) and a list of arguments in favor of consultant Popelka (that CEO pay is rational). Which
> Some critics of pay-for-performance programs warn that incentive pay may promote unethical behaviors among employees. Do you agree? Why or why not? What system would you put in place, if any, to prevent this from happening? Explain.
> Reread the Manager’s Notebook “Incentives Come to Medicine: Do They Promote Unethical Behaviors Among Doctors? ” Do you agree that it is a good idea to offer incentives to doctors for better patient care? What are the drawbacks? Can these problems be avo
> One observer notes that "the problem with using pay as an incentive is that it is such a powerful motivational weapon that management can easily lose control of the situation." Do you agree? Why or why not?
> This chapter identifies three assumptions underlying pay-for-performance plans. Do you believe these assumptions are valid?
> Some people believe that the recent trend toward giving employees nonmonetary rewards is simply a way to save money by using a cheaper method to retain, attract, and motivate employees. Do you agree? Do you think this is fair? Explain.
> Fixed or assured pay is much less prevalent than it used to be. What impact do you think this has on employees’ outlook? What, if any, are the negative and positive aspects of this trend? Explain.
> What rational and political disadvantages are associated with the use of electronic performance review?
> Go to any of the salary survey sources listed in the Manager’s Notebook “How Much Is a Position Worth in the Marketplace?” and research the salary ranges of four to five positions of your choice. Assume that you are planning to recruit five individuals i
> In a feisty response to critics who accuse Wal-Mart of providing poverty-level wages (around $9.68 an hour on average) and few benefits, Wal-Mart Chief Executive H. Lee Scott Jr. said Wal-Mart offered good, stable jobs, noting that when it opens a store,
> Companies use various tactics to encourage managers to make employee development a top priority. What do you think of this policy of tying financial rewards to people development? What are some other ways companies can hold managers accountable for devel
> People who adopt a careerist strategy focus on career advancement through political machinations rather than excellent performance. Experts have pointed out four ways in which workers try to influence their superiors' opinions of them: favor doing (doing
> What challenges do non-traditional family units pose to company career development plans? How can companies meet these challenges?
> Areas in need of performance improvement, such as better customer service and more sales, can be easily identified as training goals. What can be wrong with simply assigning these objectives as goals in a training program? How would you recommend a train
> Auto-Valve was an example in this chapter of an organization that used a simple spreadsheet to determine which skills were most critical and should be taught to employees first. Using the general spreadsheet approach, how could you determine which traini
> Simuflite, a Texas aviation training company, expected to whip the competition with FasTrak, its computer-based training (CBT) curriculum for corporate pilots. Instead, the new venture sent Simuflite into a nose dive. In traditional grounding-school trai
> How important is it that the effectiveness of a training program be measured in dollar terms? Why is it important to measure training effectiveness in the first place?
> Illiterate workers can suffer from embarrassment and fear that keep them from admitting their problem. Instead, they may cope by asking questions, observing others, and relying on informal assistance from others. If illiterate workers can effectively cop
> Can you devise an absolute rating system that would guarantee differentiation among workers? Why or why not?
> How effective do you think training can be in raising employee motivation?
> Performance problems seem all too common in your workplace. People don't seem to be putting forth the needed effort, and interpersonal conflict on the work teams seems to be a constant. Is training the answer? If so, what kind of training should be done?
> You're the owner of a 25-employee company that has just had a fantastic year. Everyone pulled together and worked hard to achieve the boost in company profits. Unfortunately, you need to sink most of those profits into paying your suppliers. All you can
> What criteria do you think should be used to measure team performance? What sources should be used for the appraisal? Should individual performance still be measured? Why or why not?
> Do you think performance appraisals should be done? Is it worth the cost?
> "Occasionally an employee comes along who needs to be reminded who the boss is, and the appraisal is an appropriate place for such a reminder." Would the manager quoted here be likely to use a rational or a political approach to appraisal? Contrast the r
> What is comparability? How can it be maximized in performance appraisal?
> How important are rating formats to the quality of performance ratings? What is the most important influence on rating quality?
> Your company is considering using relative ratings for its performance appraisal system. Are there potential problems with a relative system? What type of rating system, relative or absolute, would you recommend and why?
> One of the performance dimensions used in a certain organization is “communication”—specifically, “listens and observes attentively, allowing an exchange of information” and “speaks and writes clearly and concisely, with an appropriate awareness of the i
> As a manager, would you prefer to rely on an absolute performance rating system or a relative system, such as forced ranking? Why?
> Managing survivors in a layoff is important. As a manager, what concerns would you have about the surviving workforce after a layoff? How can the HR management staff be of assistance in providing support for the survivors of a layoff?
> Carrying out terminations usually is the responsibility of the manager. However, the manager may not always be involved in determining who should be let go. Do you think direct managers should have input into which of their workers should be laid off? Wh
> Under what set of conditions should a company lay off employees without giving them advance notice?
> Under what circumstances might a company's managers prefer to use layoffs instead of early retirements or voluntary severance plans as a way to downsize the workforce?
> In an age when more and more companies are downsizing, an increasingly trendy concept is the “virtual corporation." The idea is that a company should have a core of owners and managers, but that, to the greatest degree possible, workers should be conting
> Would an employer ever want to increase the rate of employee turnover in a company? Why or why not?
> The Manager’s Notebook “Volunteer Turnover in China” addressed the high rate at which workers in China have been choosing to quit their jobs. Do you think voluntary turnover is becoming more of an issue in the United States? If you are a manager, do you
> You have noticed that the overall turnover rate for your company is about average for your industry. Does this average rate mean their turnover isn’t a problem? Considering the sources and types of turnover discussed in Exhibit 6.1, describe how this ave
> The departure of senior workers through retirement can mean that years of experience and knowledge are walking out an organization’s doors. This “brain drain” can cripple an organization’s ability to remain competitive, particularly if it is difficult to
> After eight years as marketing assistant for the New York office of a large French bank, Sarah Schiffler was told that her job, in a non-revenue-producing department, was being eliminated. Her choices: She could either be laid off (with eight months of s
> How could these social media–driven issues be prevented? Are there steps that you, as a manager, could take that would prevent these issues from happening in the first place?
> You work for a medium-sized, high-tech firm that faces intense competition on a daily basis. Change seems to be the only constant in your workplace, and each worker's responsibilities shift from project to project. Suppose you have the major responsibili
> Interviewing unqualified applicants can be a frustrating experience and a waste of time for managers, peers, or whoever is responsible for interviewing. How can the HR department minimize or eliminate this problem?
> A company has come up with a new selection test and decides to try it out on some of its current workers before giving it to job applicants. A group of its current workers volunteered to take the test and 84 percent were male and 7 percent were over the
> Recent economic difficulties, restructuring, and plant closings have left many people without jobs and looking for new career paths. A hiring employer can now enjoy being able to select from among far more applicants than was typical. Unfortunately, many
> Doug Dokolosky, a former IBM executive who specializes in coaching women, argues that "to reach the top requires sacrifice and long hours. If that is your ambition, forget things like balancing work and family...." Do you think most U.S. firms just pay l
> Many U.S. computer companies fear that if they do not hire foreign talent, then competitors in other countries will. What is your position on this? Explain.
> Consider the Manager’s Notebook “The Rise of the Older Worker.” Do you think that young employees are now appreciating the wisdom of older workers more than at earlier times? Why do you think the United States has traditionally held older workers at a di
> Consider the Manager’s Notebook “Religious Differences Moving to the Forefront of Inclusiveness.” Do you think that the owners of a company, major shareholders, or top management have a right to use their religious beliefs as a basis for establishing HR
> The European Parliament recently voted 504 to 110 to scold companies for “sexual stereotyping” in marketing their products. One reporter noted that “The lawmakers’ ire has many targets, from a print ad for Dolce & Gabbana (which has a woman in spike heel
> Recently, the movie The Class was shown at the New York Film Festival, to the displeasure of many French. The actors were young Parisians. According to one movie critic: With their cell phones and pouts, these bored, restless junior high school students
> Assume that the employees or managers in each of the scenarios perform at an above-average level. Should that matter in the decision to terminate or not terminate? Why or why not?
> How can an individual show prima facie evidence for adverse impact discrimination? How would an employer defend itself from this evidence?
> What is adverse impact? How does it differ from adverse treatment?
> You own a small construction business. One of your workers is 55 years old and had heart bypass surgery about six months ago. He wants to come back to work, but you are concerned that he will not be able to handle the job's physical tasks. What should yo
> Explain why HR decisions are heavily regulated. Based on your analysis of current social forces, what new laws or regulations do you think will be passed or issued in the next few years?
> Are job descriptions really necessary? Provide several of the advantages (at least three) to a company that decides to avoid using job descriptions. Next, briefly describe some situations that would be most favorable for a company that decides to avoid u
> A recent trend is that 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 o
> Some management experts do not agree that a virtual team is really a team at all. Based on the definition of a team, what properties of a virtual team satisfy the definition of a team? Do any aspects of a virtual team give rise to doubts over whether it
> What are the drawbacks to using flexible work hours from the organization's perspective? Compressed workweeks? Telecommuting? How should the HR department deal with these challenges?
> Are managers likely to question the work commitment of their contingent workers? What might be the consequences for management when the majority of a company's workforce consists of temporary employees and contract workers?
> Large U.S. companies such as Accenture, AOL, and Dell have outsourced customer service call centers to India. Customers use these call centers for help when they are having difficulty using the services provided by these companies. Many of the outsourced
> Do you think terminations for the type of incidents presented here are fair? Why or why not?
> Companies are currently attempting to develop policies that offer more flexible work arrangements that allow employees to achieve better work–life balance. Briefly describe several popular approaches that could be considered for helping employees achieve
> Is it possible to use quantitative assessments of the organization’s human resources to better link human resource management to firm strategy? Explain.
> What do you think are the main reasons for the trend toward “managing by the numbers,” as discussed in the case? Do you believe that this is happening in many organizations, or is it an isolated phenomenon? Will this trend grow in the future, or is it an
> Do you think that it is feasible to boil down human behavior to numbers? What are the potential advantages and disadvantages of doing so? Explain.
> Do you agree that normally it is in the best interest of the company to make early interventions when there is an alleged instance of sexual harassment so that more costly and disruptive outcomes are avoided? Is it possible that the situation that Carlso
> Does the university have a responsibility to ensure that a student’s unpaid internship will be a legitimate learning experience that earns college credits toward graduation? How can the university ensure that a company provides the unpaid intern a legiti
> Although it is illegal for profit-based companies to create unpaid internships that require college interns to perform primarily menial tasks, unfortunately this is happening with increasing regularity. What can students do to avoid the experience of hav
