Chapter 10

What is the significance of a performance appraisal? How do managers appraise employees?

A performance appraisal is used to identify an individual's strengths and weaknesses. It provides both the employee and the managers organized feedback on how an individual is doing at work, and what they could improve on. It is also used to determine how rewards can be distributed. The appraisals may be objective or subjective, and the results are used to evaluate the employee.

What activities are involved in acquiring and maintaining the appropriate level of qualified human resources? Name the stages of the selection process.

Activities such as planning, forecasting, recruitment and selection, training and development, and determining compensation. Application, interview, testing and reference checking are all stages of the selection process.

What is the role of benefits? Name some examples of benefits.

Benefits are nonfinancial forms of compensation provided to employees such as pension plans for retirement; health, disability, and life insurance; holidays and paid days off for vacation or illness; credit union membership; health programs; child care; elder care; assistance with adoption and more.

Describe the negotiation process through which management and unions reach an agreement on a contract.

Collective bargaining is the negotiation process through which management and unions reach an agreement on a contract. The process for reaching an agreement is extensive. First, the union will prepare a list of demands to be met, and management does the same. Next, meetings are scheduled and terms are negotiated. After negotiation and compromise, the contract is either ratified or rejected. If the contract is rejected, both the union and management have different tactics to get what they want. The contract is then renegotiated until it is ratified.

Distinguish among job analysis, job descriptions, and job specifications. How do they relate to planning in human resources management?

Job analysis is the determination through observation and study, of pertinent information about a job—including specific tasks and necessary abilities, knowledge, and skills. A job description, on the other hand, is a formal, written explanation of a specific job, usually including job title, tasks, relationship with other jobs, physical and mental skills required, duties, responsibilities, and working conditions. The last, but still different piece to the puzzle, is job specification; this is a description of the qualifications necessary for a specific job, in terms of education, experience, and personal and physical characteristics. These are all important, because they allow for a manager to analyze the jobs within an organization and match the human resources available to the correct position.

What are the two types of training programs? Relate training to kinds of jobs.

The two types of training are on-the-job training and classroom training. McDonald's uses "Hamburger University" to educate employees on a variety of topics. This is different from PayPal, where customer service representatives are trained by taking real phone calls and servicing customers.

What are the benefits associated with a diverse workforce?

There are six different benefits associated with a diverse workforce. 1) More productive use of a company's resources, 2) reduced amount of conflict due to the increased respect for other people, 3) more productive working relationships, 4) increased commitment to and sharing of organizational goals, 5) increased innovation and creativity, and lastly, 6) increased ability to serve a diverse customer base.

Why does turnover occur? List the types of turnover. Why do businesses want to reduce turnover due to separations?

Turnover can happen for a couple different reasons. Employees that quit or are fired (separated), overworked employees, or individuals that are promoted or transferred. Businesses want to reduce turnover due to separation to avoid lawsuits and the expensive recruiting and training process.

Besides collective bargaining and grievance procedures, what other alternatives are available to labor and management to handle labor disputes?

When collective bargaining and grievance procedures do not work, more dramatic tactics may be used. The labor side will use things like picketing, strikes, or boycotts, while management might retaliate with a lockout or strikebreakers.