Chapter 14 Building Positive Employee Relations
3) Employee relations involves managers establishing and maintaining positive employeeemployer relationships to contribute to satisfactory productivity and a productive work environment
TRUE
36) Many people in the new business development group at GRS&M feel that Blaine was promoted due to her personal friendship with the supervisor rather than a fair review of the qualified employees in the group. This attitude is the result of the employees' perceived procedural justice relative to the decision
TRUE
38) A quality circle is a type of formal problem-solving team, usually composed of 6 to 12 specially trained employees who meet weekly to solve problems affecting their work area
TRUE
39) Shared perceptions that organizational members have about the firm's psychological environment are called organizational climate
TRUE
4) Managing employee relations is usually assigned to HR.
TRUE
40) Self-managed teams are small (usually 8 to 10 members) groups of carefully selected, trained, and empowered employees who basically run themselves with little or no outside supervision, usually for the purpose of accomplishing a specific organizational task.
TRUE
41) Studies indicate that some people's traits and behaviors make them more susceptible to bullying
TRUE
42) Social responsibility refers to the extent to which companies should and do channel resources toward improving one or more segments of society other than the firm's owners or stockholders.
TRUE
68) What kind of company cultures tend to lead to more unethical choices? A) "everyone for him- or herself" culture B) manufacturing cultures C) ethical cultures D) well-being focused cultures
A) "everyone for him- or herself" culture
1) Joel is a manager who is doing an activity that involves establishing and maintaining the positive employee-employer relationships that contribute to satisfactory productivity and a cohesive work environment. This is defined as: A) employee relations B) organizational justice C) public policy D) ethics
A) employee relations
27) Which type of bullying involves name-calling and teasing? A) verbal B) social C) cyber bullying D) physical
A) verbal
2) ________ is the activity that involves establishing and maintaining the positive employee-employer relationship. A) Quality circles B) Employee relations C) Suggestion teams D) Focus groups
B) Employee relations
96) From the perspective of discipline, employees behaving "sensibly" means what? A) being engaged at work B) adhering to rules and regulations C) working extra hard D) reporting on rule breakers
B) adhering to rules and regulations
52) Which of the following best defines organizational culture? A) basic beliefs about what is right or wrong within a business or corporation B) characteristic values, traditions, and behaviors a firm's employees share C) principles of conduct governing an individual, group, or company D) standards used by an organization to determine proper conduct
B) characteristic values, traditions, and behaviors a firm's employees share
90) Which of the following is the primary element of properly developed disciplinary procedures? A) electronic employee monitoring B) clearly established rules C) legal representation D) severe penalties
B) clearly established rules
58) Which of the following is NOT one of the four types of privacy violations upheld by courts? A) intrusion B) drug testing C) disclosure of medical records D) publication of private matters
B) drug testing
61) The consent exception to the Electronic Communications Privacy Act permits ________. A) employees to access private employer documents if they have reason to suspect unethical behavior by company agents B) employers to monitor employee communications if the employees have given informed consent C) employers to monitor communications if they can show a legitimate business reason for doing so D) employers to listen to personal employee phone calls if the calls are made on employer time
B) employers to monitor employee communications if the employees have given informed consent
46) The principles of conduct governing an individual or a group are referred to as ________. A) judgments B) ethics C) laws D) virtues
B) ethics
69) Carlos, a marketing manager at Devon Consulting, is attending an ethics training program at his workplace. During the training, Carlos is LEAST likely to learn how to ________. A) identify ethical dilemmas B) role play employee dismissals C) use disciplinary practices ethically D) use codes of conduct to resolve problems
B) role play employee dismissals
21) A recent survey found approximately what percentage of organizations use social media tools to communicate with employees and to help develop a sense of community? A) 15% B) 25% C) 50% D) 80%
C) 50%
30) ________ is/are actions not done by accident but with a goal to cause harm. A) Repetition B) Imbalance of power C) Intent to cause harm D) Merit
C) Intent to cause harm
47) ________ means society's accepted standards of behavior and always involves basic questions of right and wrong. A) Society assessment B) Non-normative statement C) Morality D) Distributive assessment
C) Morality
13) The company Wilson works for believes it should (and it does) channel resources toward improving one or more segments of society other than the firm's owners or stockholders. This is known as: A) ethics B) quality circles C) procedural justice D) corporate social responsibility
C) procedural justice
63) A review of 30 years of ethics research concluded that there are three major factors that combine to determine the ethical choices we make. Which of the following is NOT one of them? A) Bad Barrels B) Bad Cases C) Bad Apples D) Bad Behaviors
D) Bad Behaviors
55) What is the most likely reason for more firms providing ethics training to employees? A) Employees seeking professional certification are tested on ethics. B) State laws require businesses to have written codes of conduct. C) Businesses fear being sued by customers for ethical misconduct. D) Federal laws encourage firms to comply with ethics training guidelines
D) Federal laws encourage firms to comply with ethics training guidelines.
26) Which type of bullying involves hitting, punching, and shoving? A) verbal B) social C) cyber bullying D) physical
D) physical
32) Which type of bullying involves spreading rumors and purposely breaking up friendships in the workplace? A) physical bullying B) cyber bullying C) verbal bullying D) social bullying
D) social bullying
14) As a manager, all of the following would most likely encourage ethical behavior among subordinates EXCEPT ________. A) clarifying expectations B) serving as a role model C) rewarding honest work D) taking credit for others' work
D) taking credit for others' work
100) With a system of progressive penalties, the severity of the penalty depends on the offense and the employee's seniority level.
FALSE
102) Nonpunitive discipline attempts to gain short-term compliance from employees, while traditional discipline seeks long-term cooperation.
FALSE
103) The three factors that combine to determine the ethical choices we make are called "Bad Apples," "Bad Behaviors," and "Bad Barrels."
FALSE
110) In FedEx's Guaranteed Fair Treatment Process (GFTP), step three is the officer complaint, where the complainant submits a written complaint to an officer (VP or senior vice president) of the division
FALSE
34) Procedural justice refers to the fairness of the process by which a decision is made.
TRUE
35) Two components of organizational justice are distributive justice and procedural justice.
TRUE
37) Fair treatment reflects concrete actions such as "employees are treated with respect," and "employees are treated fairly."
TRUE
79) The fair treatment of job applicants by HR managers leads to applicants having favorable opinions about the selection procedure and the organization.
TRUE
82) Organizational culture is the characteristic values, traditions, and behaviors a company's employees share.
TRUE
83) Research indicates that individuals are more likely to make unethical choices when faced with minor dilemmas than with major problems
TRUE
75) A principal cause of ethical compromises is based on organizational pressure to meet a schedule or some other objective
TRUE
60) The business purpose exception to the Electronic Communications Privacy Act permits ________. A) employees to access private employer documents if they have reason to suspect unethical behavior by company agents B) employers to monitor communications if they can show a legitimate business reason for doing so C) employers to listen to personal employee phone calls if the calls are made on employer time D) employees to conduct personal business during work hours if they can show it is necessary
B) employers to monitor communications if they can show a legitimate business reason for doing so
78) When firms do not deal swiftly and fairly with the unethical behavior of employees, ethical employees feel penalized
TRUE
62) According to one study, what percentage of HR professionals have observed misconduct at work? A) 15% B) 33% C) 54% D) 74%
C) 54%
25) Self-managed teams typically have how many members? A) 1-2 B) 4-6 C) 8-10 D) 15-20
C) 8-10
64) In the model of 3 factors that combine to determine ethical choices, which factor involves company environments that foster unethical choices? A) Bad Apples B) Bad Results C) Bad Barrels D) Bad Cases
C) Bad Barrels
65) ________ refer to people who are inclined to make unethical choices. A) Bad bosses B) Bad cases C) Bad apples D) Bad barrels
C) Bad apples
53) Which of the following best defines values as they relate to organizational culture? A) shortcuts to get work done B) principles of conduct governing an individual or group C) basic beliefs about what is right or wrong D) standards of behavior accepted by society
C) basic beliefs about what is right or wrong
15) Johnson & Johnson has a corporate ethics code that states "We believe our first responsibility is to the doctors, nurses and patients, to mothers and fathers and all others who use our products and services." What is the most likely purpose of Johnson & Johnson's ethics code? A) establishing disciplinary procedures B) providing incentives for employees C) clarifying expectations for employees D) marketing to potential new customers
C) clarifying expectations for employees
28) Which type of bullying involves using the Internet, mobile phones, or other digital technologies to harm others? A) verbal B) social C) cyber bullying D) physical
C) cyber bullying
12) Which of the following best defines procedural justice? A) fairness of a decision's result B) manner in which firms conduct business C) fairness of the process used to make a decision D) manner in which managers treat subordinates
C) fairness of the process used to make a decision
59) Which of the following involves using fingerprints or iris scans to identify employees? A) electronic performance monitoring system B) location monitoring system C) digital dashboard D) biometrics
D) biometrics
49) Which of the following guides the most serious societal behaviors such as murder, stealing, and slander? A) normative judgments B) distributive justice C) human rights D) moral standards
D) moral standards
9) Which component of organizational justice refers to the fairness and justice of a decision's result? A) distributive justice B) procedural justice C) normative justice D) interpersonal justice
A) distributive justice
91) In which organizational document are an organization's rules and regulations usually stated? A) employee handbook B) federal code of ethics C) mission and vision statement D) human resource policy manual
A) employee handbook
11) Which component of organizational justice refers to the fairness of a process? A) distributive justice B) procedural justice C) interactional justice D) normative justice
B) procedural justice
73) The standards an individual uses to decide what his or her conduct should be are known as social responsibility.
FALSE
76) Unfortunately, employers have no tools for measuring the ethics of an individual during the applicant screening process, so employers do not realize they have hired an unethical person until it is too late.
FALSE
77) A firm's code of ethics outlines its mission, vision, appraisal system, and hiring policies.
FALSE
80) Most people view invasion of their privacy by employers as fair and ethical.
FALSE
81) If an employee conducts a personal phone call at work, the employer can legally eavesdrop and monitor the phone call.
FALSE
22) Julio is part of a team of 8 at work which runs itself with little supervision to accomplish a specific task. This is an example of what type of team? A) sales team B) self-managing work team C) suggestion team D) problem-solving team
B) self-managing work team
67) When examining ethical situations, what kind of ethical dilemmas prompt more bad choices? A) large dilemmas B) small dilemmas C) personal life dilemmas D) group-related dilemmas
B) small dilemmas
57) Health-Tech Materials is a firm that manufactures medical equipment purchased by hospitals and clinics. The firm employs over 2,500 workers in its two manufacturing facilities located in Texas and Arizona. Recently, Health-Tech dismissed a number of employees for ethics violations ranging from improper Internet usage to stealing company funds. In addition, the firm has been sued by two former employees for wrongful discharge. As a result, Health-Tech's top executives are evaluating the firm's hiring process, ethics training system, reward system, and disciplinary system to determine how to promote ethics and fair treatment. Which of the following, if true, best supports the argument that Health-Tech should utilize online ethics program software? A) Health-Tech executives want to quantify the types of ethical issues that are most common at the firm in order to provide the most relevant training to employees. B) Health-Tech managers are required to monitor the computer usage of subordinates to determine their levels of productivity. C) Health-Tech discusses its code of conduct during employee orientation and also provides new employees with the firm's handbook. D) The Health-Tech legal department requires the firm to post its ethics code and hiring procedures on the firm's Web site to prevent legal problems.
A) Health-Tech executives want to quantify the types of ethical issues that are most common at the firm in order to provide the most relevant training to employees.
23) The definition of a ________ is a temporary team whose members work on specific analytical assignments, such as how to cut costs or raise productivity. A) quality circle B) suggestion team C) self-managed team D) work team
B) suggestion team
7) According to surveys, at work, fair treatment reflects concrete actions such as, "Employees are treated with respect and ________." A) properly served B) treated fairly C) terminated D) not abused
B) treated fairly
94) Health-Tech Materials is a firm that manufactures medical equipment purchased by hospitals and clinics. The firm employs over 2,500 workers in its two manufacturing facilities located in Texas and Arizona. Recently, Health-Tech dismissed a number of employees for ethics violations ranging from improper Internet usage to stealing company funds. In addition, the firm has been sued by two former employees for wrongful discharge. As a result, Health-Tech's top executives are evaluating the firm's hiring process, ethics training system, reward system, and disciplinary system to determine how to promote ethics and fair treatment. Which of the following undermines the argument that Health-Tech should shift from a traditional discipline system to a non-punitive discipline system? A) The most common employee discipline situations at Health-Tech involve theft or physical altercations. B) Health-Tech has already modified its hiring process to include ethics tests when screening job applicants. C) A court ruled in a wrongful discharge case against Health-Tech that the employee handbook served as an implied contract. D) Frequent tardiness is the primary infraction among Health-Tech employees who receive decision-making leave
A) The most common employee discipline situations at Health-Tech involve theft or physical altercations
71) What is the main purpose of the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA)? A) help restrict interception and monitoring of oral and wire communications B) allow organization to monitor employees with no restrictions C) support ethical worker actions in organizations D) offer protection for whistleblowers
A) help restrict interception and monitoring of oral and wire communications
6) Which of the following is NOT an effect of an abusive supervisor? A) more likely to stay with the company B) higher stress C) low job satisfaction D) more likely to quit
A) more likely to stay with the company
51) Which of the following terms refers to the characteristic values, traditions, and behaviors a company's employees share? A) organizational culture B) organizational ethics C) corporate climate D) corporate mission
A) organizational culture
16) When a company rewards employees who behave ethically using the firm's incentive plan and appraisal system, they are ________ to encourage ethical behavior. A) providing physical support B) organizing ceremonies C) clarifying expectations D) using symbols
A) providing physical support
19) Which of the following is NOT an element of bullying? A) submission B) repetition C) intent to harm D) imbalance of power
A) submission
95) The main purpose of discipline in organizations is to: A) uphold legal obligations B) encourage employees to behave sensibly at work C) increase employee engagement D) punish wrong-doers
B) encourage employees to behave sensibly at work
10) The distributive justice component of organizational justice is best defined as the ________. A) fairness of the decision process B) fairness of the decision's outcomes C) degree to which the decision is moral D) extent to which the decision is good or bad
B) fairness of the decision's outcomes
54) The applicant screening process would most likely be considered unfair if an HR manager ________. A) encouraged two-way communication B) focused mostly on personality issues C) included an appeals process D) provided useful feedback
B) focused mostly on personality issues
29) Which element of bullying involves the use of power to control or harm and the people being bullied may have a hard time defending themselves? A) repetition B) imbalance of power C) name-calling D) intent to cause harm
B) imbalance of power
109) Which of the following is the first step in FedEx's guaranteed fair treatment program? A) officer complaint B) management review C) executive appeals review D) EEO laws
B) management review
17) According to surveys, which of the following is the primary cause of ethical compromises in the workplace? A) feeling peer pressure B) meeting schedule pressures C) advancing a boss' career interests D) advancing personal career interests
B) meeting schedule pressures
92) Which of the following terms refers to discipline without punishment? A) democratic punishment B) nonpunitive discipline C) corporal punishment D) positive discipline
B) nonpunitive discipline
66) Researchers surveyed CEOs to study the CEOs' intentions to engage in two questionable practices: soliciting a competitor's technological secrets, and making illegal payments to foreign officials. What did they find most strongly affected such decisions? A) outside pressures B) personal predispositions C) firms' characteristics D) number of subordinates
B) personal predispositions
48) Ethics refers to the ________. A) basic beliefs about what is right or wrong B) principles of conduct governing an individual or group C) standards used by the organization to decide upon proper conduct D) standards of behavior accepted by society
B) principles of conduct governing an individual or group
8) What are the two main components of organizational justice? A) distributive justice and normative judgments B) procedural justice and distributive justice C) normative justice and ethical treatment D) interactional justice and ethical justice
B) procedural justice and distributive justice
98) In major league baseball the first time a player tests positive for steroids they receive an 80- game ban. The 2nd time they test positive for steroids they get a 162-game ban. A 3rd positive test leads to a lifetime ban from major league baseball. This increasing punishment is an example of which element of discipline? A) clear rules B) progressive discipline C) an appeals process D) consistent harsh punishment
B) progressive discipline
105) A fair discipline process is based on three pillars: rules and regulations, a system of progressive penalties, and an appeals process.
TRUE
108) Health-Tech Materials is a firm that manufactures medical equipment purchased by hospitals and clinics. The firm employs over 2,500 workers in its two manufacturing facilities located in Texas and Arizona. Recently, Health-Tech dismissed a number of employees for ethics violations ranging from improper Internet usage to stealing company funds. In addition, the firm has been sued by two former employees for wrongful discharge. As a result, HealthTech's top executives are evaluating the firm's hiring process, ethics training system, reward system, and disciplinary system to determine how to promote ethics and fair treatment. Which of the following best supports the argument that Health-Tech should distribute an anonymous survey to gather information about employee attitudes about management? A) Health-Tech monitors its employees' phone calls and Internet usage to protect itself from lawsuits and ethical violations. B) Independent contractors working for Health-Tech are not allowed to work for the firm's competitors, which angers most contractors. C) Exit interviews at Health-Tech indicate that employees feel uncomfortable about raising ethics concerns with managers. D) Health-Tech managers have been reluctant to terminate disruptive employees for fear of lawsuits.
C) Exit interviews at Health-Tech indicate that employees feel uncomfortable about raising ethics concerns with managers
50) Based on research into ethical behavior in the workplace, which of the following is a true statement? A) Offering rewards for ethical behavior supports the intrinsic nature of personal ethics. B) Punishing unethical behavior fails to alter the behavior of others in the workplace. C) Managers significantly influence the ethical behavior of their subordinates. D) Employees feel uncomfortable discussing ethics, so it should be avoided.
C) Managers significantly influence the ethical behavior of their subordinates.
56) Health-Tech Materials is a firm that manufactures medical equipment purchased by hospitals and clinics. The firm employs over 2,500 workers in its two manufacturing facilities located in Texas and Arizona. Recently, Health-Tech dismissed a number of employees for ethics violations ranging from improper Internet usage to stealing company funds. In addition, the firm has been sued by two former employees for wrongful discharge. As a result, Health-Tech's top executives are evaluating the firm's hiring process, ethics training system, reward system, and disciplinary system to determine how to promote ethics and fair treatment. Health-Tech's HR department has devised a brief ethics test for employees to use when determining if their actions match Health-Tech's code of conduct. Which of the following questions is LEAST likely to be included on the ethics test? A) What Health-Tech employees will be affected by my actions? B) Will my actions reflect negatively on the image of Health-Tech? C) Would I perform this action if I worked for a Health-Tech competitor? D) Is the action I am about to perform on behalf of Health-Tech a legal one?
C) Would I perform this action if I worked for a Health-Tech competitor?
70) All of the following would most likely be addressed in an ethics audit EXCEPT ________. A) employee discrimination B) conflicts of interest C) intranet usage D) gift giving
C) intranet usage
24) Semi-permanent teams that identify and research work processes and develop solutions to work-related problems are called: A) suggestion teams B) orientation teams C) problem-solving teams D) self-managed teams
C) problem-solving teams
72) Which of the following is NOT a major way HR managers can create more ethical organizational environments? A) enforce the rules B) increase organizational support C) punish whistleblowers D) institute ethics policies
C) punish whistleblowers
5) Unfair treatment of employees in the workplace causes all the following EXCEPT ________. A) demoralization B) negative performance C) reduced stress D) reduced morale
C) reduced stress
99) Tracy is frequently absent from work and almost always late, so her manager has decided to fire her. Which of the following grounds for dismissal will her manager most likely use? A) misconduct B) insubordination C) unsatisfactory performance D) lack of qualifications for the job
C) unsatisfactory performance
31) All of the following are common elements of bullying EXCEPT ________. A) power imbalance B) harmful intentions C) verbal name-calling D) repetitive incidents
C) verbal name-calling
97) Several researchers have found evidence for what they call the "Evil Woman Thesis," which is: A) women in leadership positions tend to see ethics in more concrete black and white terms B) men who do not advance in an organizational hierarchy are likely to blame female managers they have had C) when a woman doesn't act the way other men and women expect she should act, people tend to treat her more harshly than they might if a man acted unexpectedly D) when a team is created, women are more likely to be the scapegoat in the case of failure
C) when a woman doesn't act the way other men and women expect she should act, people tend to treat her more harshly than they might if a man acted unexpectedly
89) Health-Tech Materials is a firm that manufactures medical equipment purchased by hospitals and clinics. The firm employs over 2,500 workers in its two manufacturing facilities located in Texas and Arizona. Recently, Health-Tech dismissed a number of employees for ethics violations ranging from improper Internet usage to stealing company funds. In addition, the firm has been sued by two former employees for wrongful discharge. As a result, Health-Tech's top executives are evaluating the firm's hiring process, ethics training system, reward system, and disciplinary system to determine how to promote ethics and fair treatment. Which of the following best supports the argument that Health-Tech should make significant changes to its disciplinary process? A) According to surveys, Health-Tech employees feel that managers do not listen to their concerns or take their opinions seriously. B) Health-Tech requires employees to receive annual ethics training to ensure that they understand the firm's latest policies. C) Health-Tech's main competitor uses fictional scenarios to test applicants' morality and has fewer ethics problems than Health-Tech. D) Historically, arbitrators have overturned the dismissal decisions of Health-Tech's managers because of unclear company rules.
D) Historically, arbitrators have overturned the dismissal decisions of Health-Tech's managers because of unclear company rules
93) Employees at R&R Carpet and Tile are allowed to take one-hour lunch breaks. Todd's assistant, Suzanne, took a two-hour lunch break today without prior approval. Suzanne has never broken any other rules since being employed by the company. R&R has a nonpunitive discipline policy. Which of the following will most likely be Todd's response to Suzanne's violation? A) issuing a formal written reminder to Suzanne B) giving Suzanne a one-day leave with pay C) telling Suzanne that she is dismissed D) issuing an oral reminder to Suzanne
D) issuing an oral reminder to Suzanne
20) What is defined as the perceptions a company's employees share about the firm's psychological environment? A) bullying B) ethics C) social responsibility D) organizational climate
D) organizational climate
18) A(n) ________ is a type of formal problem-solving team, usually composed of 6 to 12 specially trained employees who meet weekly to solve problems affecting their work area. A) action team B) organizational culture C) suggestion team D) quality circle
D) quality circle
33) Distributive justice refers to the manner in which managers conduct their interpersonal dealings with employees.
FALSE
104) Discipline without punishment aims to avoid these drawbacks of normal discipline by reducing its punitive nature.
TRUE
101) Nonpunitive discipline is discipline involving oral warnings and paid "decision-making leaves of absence."
TRUE
74) The president of University National Bank in Palo Alto, California has his office on the main floor of the bank just off the lobby, and his door is always open unless he is in a private meeting. This represents a physical manifestation of the company's culture.
TRUE
