Question: You work for a medium-sized, high-

> 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?

> 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 exp

> 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?

> 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

> What set of management recommendations would you provide for keeping, changing, or adapting East Computer Company’s HR policies for the United States, Australia, Mexico, England, and Norway? In your recommendations, be sure to mention any risks associate

> How would you change or adapt each of the company’s current personnel policies to better fit the cultural environment of each international facility?

> Given East Computer Company’s present personnel policies, what problems is the company likely to face in each facility if it transports its domestic policies abroad?

> If you had a choice, would you rather be employed as an at-will employee or have some employment protection? Why?

> Shortly after Titan pleaded guilty to the bribery charges, it hired Daniel W. Danjczek under a new position title of “vice president for compliance and ethics.” Danjczek’s job is to “install ethical behavior at the company.” Do you think this is a wise a

> If you were hired as a consultant by Pressman Company, what steps would you recommend that Stevens take?

> Should multinational firms utilize different safety standards overseas than they do in domestic locations? Explain.

> How much responsibility do multinationals have in ensuring that their locations overseas comply with safety regulations? Explain.

> Based on the materials discussed in this chapter, which personal traits or characteristics would multinationals be looking for in a young candidate searching for an expatriate post? Explain.

> How could you develop a workplace culture that doesn’t tolerate bullying?

> Do you think legislation would be an effective tool for managing workplace bullying? Why or why not?

> How does the Freelancers Union differ from the unions described in this chapter?

> What are some alternative methods that teachers could use to obtain improvements in pay and working conditions without resorting to strikes and protest marches?

> How could an employer use the “employment-at-will” doctrine to defend against an allegation of retaliation from an employee who has been discharged after blowing the whistle on the company?

> Do you agree with the concept of employment-at-will? Why or why not?

> Why might an employee decide to blow the whistle on another person or practice in a company? What does an employee have to gain from blowing the whistle? What are the potential risks an employee could face by blowing the whistle on the employer?

> Under what conditions could it be considered acceptable to hire a relative of an employee or executive in a public organization, such as in federal government, or a publicly owned business, such as General Motors?

> Why do you think people are more accepting of the application of nepotism in the workplace in a privately owned business than in one that is publicly owned by many shareholders? Why is there little tolerance for nepotism in the government, such as when t

> Costco’s “good jobs strategy” allows it to have very high rates of employee retention in its stores compared with the retail industry average, which is much lower. Can you think of other factors besides better pay and benefits that influence Costco emplo

> Do you expect that Walmart’s new policy that extends paid parental leave to all full-time employees will have a positive effect on its ability to attract and retain employees in its retail stores and warehouses across the nation? Explain the reasons for

> By offering its employees one of the best 401(k) plans available, how does IBM benefit from this investment in its employees? How might employee behavior and performance be affected by the IBM 401(k) plan in its current form? What changes in employee beh

> The opt-out feature of the 401(k) plan is designed to increase the enrollment of employees in the plan because, without this feature, an average of 25 percent of employees are likely not to enroll in it. What do you think would happen if the IBM 401(k) p

> The enforcement of the wellness policies described in this case often falls into the domain of the HR staff, and they may be viewed by employees as the “wellness police.” How might this enforcer role undermine the credibility of HR staff in their work in