MGMT Exam 3

What are the steps of the employee recruitment and selection process?

-Receive a job order -Source candidates -Screen applicants -Shortlist candidates -Interview candidates -Conduct testing -Extend a job offer

What are interorganizational processes? What is a modular organization? A virtual organization? What are their advantages and disadvantages?

- A collection of activities that occur among companies to transform inputs into outputs that customers value. Modular organization: An organization that outsources noncore business activities to outside companies, suppliers, specialists, or consultants. Advantages - reduced costs Disadvantages - loss of control - noncore activities that are outsourced may become source of advantage - suppliers to whom work is outsourced can become competitors Virtual organization: An organization that is part of a network in which many companies share skills, costs, capabilities, markets, and customers to collectively solve customer problems or provide specific products or services. Advantages - shared costs - fast and flexible Disadvantages - difficult to control quality of work done by partners - requires tremendous managerial skills

Explain the following diversity training practices: awareness training, skills-based diversity training, diversity audits, diversity pairing.

- Awareness training is designed to raise employees' awareness of diversity issues, such as the big 5 personality dimensions and to get employees to challenge underlying assumptions or stereotypes they may have about others. - Skill-based diversity training By contrast, skills-based diversity training teaches employees the practical skills they need for managing a diverse work force, such as flexibility and adaptability, negotiation, problem solving, and conflict resolution. - Diversity audits formal assessments that measure employee and management attitudes, investigate the extent to which people are advantaged or disadvantaged with respect to hiring and promotions, and review companies' diversity-related policies and procedures. - Diversity pairing In diversity pairing, people of different cultural backgrounds, sexes, or races/ethnicities are paired for mentoring. - Minority experiences Finally, because top managers are still overwhelmingly white and male, a number of companies believe that it is worthwhile to have top executives experience what it is like to be in the minority.

What diversity principles can managers use to effectively manage diversity?

- Carefully and faithfully follow and enforce federal and state laws regarding equal opportunity employment. - Treat group differences as important but not special. - Find common ground. - Tailor opportunities to individuals, not groups. - Solicit negative as well as positive feedback. - Set high but realistic goals.

Why does diversity make good business sense?

- Decreases turnover - Decreases absenteeism - Helps companies avoid expensive lawsuits - Helps companies attract and retain talented workers - Drives business growth - Higher-quality problem solving

What is departmentalization?

A method of subdividing work and workers into separate organizational units that take responsibility for completing particular tasks.

Describe the differences between structured and unstructured interviews. Which types have more validity?

- In unstructured interviews, interviewers are free to ask applicants anything they want, and studies show that they do. - In structured interviews, standardized interview questions are prepared ahead of time so that all applicants are asked the same job-related questions. - Semistructured interviews are hybrids of structured and unstructured interviews. A major part of the semistructured interview (perhaps as much as 80 percent) is based on structured questions, but some time is set aside for unstructured interviewing to allow the interviewer to probe into ambiguous or missing information uncovered during the structured portion of the interview.

Distinguish between objective and subjective performance measures.

- Objective performance: measures of performance that are easily and directly counted or quantified (output, scrap, sales, etc) - Subjective performance measures: require that someone judge or assess a worker's performance

What is sexual harassment? Distinguish between quid pro quo sexual harassment and a hostile work environment.

A form of discrimination in which unwelcome sexual advances, request for sexual favors, or other verbal or physical conducts of a sexual nature occurs. Quid pro quo sexual harassment - occurs when employment outcomes, such as hiring, promotion, or simply keeping one's job, depend on whether an individual submits to being sexually harassed. Hostile work environment - By contrast, occurs when unwelcome and demeaning sexually related behavior creates an intimidating, hostile, and offensive work environment. In contrast to quid pro quo cases, a hostile work environment may not result in economic injury. However, it can lead to psychological injury from a stressful work environment.

Be able to describe the 80 percent (four-fifths) rule.

According to the four-fifths rule, adverse impact occurs if the decision rate for a protected group of people is less than 80% of the decision rate for a non-protected group.

How does diversity differ from affirmative action?

Affirmative action refers to purposeful steps taken by an organization to create employment opportunities for minorities and women - One key difference is that affirmative action is more narrowly focused on demographics such as sex and race, while diversity has a broader focus that includes demographic, cultural, and personal differences. - A second difference is that affirmative action is a policy for actively creating diversity, but diversity can exist even if organizations don't take purposeful steps to create it. - A third important difference is that affirmative action is required by law for private employers with 50 or more employees, while diversity is not. - Fourth, affirmative action programs and diversity programs also have different purposes. The purpose of affirmative action programs is to compensate for past discrimination, which was widespread when legislation was introduced in the 1960s; to prevent ongoing discrimination; and to provide equal opportunities to all regardless of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.

Describe and explain the advantages and disadvantages of the major selection techniques: application forms/resumes, interviews, references/ letters of recommendation, background checks, selection tests.

Application Forms and Résumés - may only ask for valid, job-related information - Résumés pose a problem because of false data. Topics to Avoid in an Interview - Children, Age, Disabilities, Physical characteristics, Name, Citizenship, Lawsuits, Arrest records, Smoking, AIDS/HIV References and Background Checks - Employment references: contacting previous employers or coworkers to learn more about the candidate - Background checks: used to verify accuracy of information that applicants provide about themselves Getting Background Information - Conduct criminal record checks - Ask applicants to sign a waiver to check references, run a background check, or contact people with knowledge of work history - Ask applicants if there is anything they want the company to know - Consider hiring a private investigator Selection Tests - Specific ability tests - Cognitive ability tests - Biographical data (biodata) - Work sample tests (performance tests) Assessment centers - in-basket exercise - leaderless group discussion

Describe the subjective performance appraisal methods that were discussed in lecture and in the text (e.g., trait ratings, behavioral observation scale).

Behavior observation scales (BOSs): Rating scales that indicate the frequency with which workers perform specific behaviors that are representative of the job dimensions critical to successful job performance. Rater Training: performance appraisals raters in how to avoid rating errors and increase rating accuracy. Frame-of-reference training - a group of trainees learns how to do performance appraisals by watching a video of an employee at work and then evaluating the person's performance - a trainer shares his or her evaluations, and trainees' evaluations are compared with experts' - expert explains his or her evaluation - process repeated until the differences are minimized

Distinguish between centralized and decentralized authority.

Centralization of authority is the location of most authority at the upper levels of the organization. In a centralized organization, managers make most decisions, even the relatively small ones. Decentralization is the location of a significant amount of authority in the lower levels of the organization. An organization is decentralized if it has a high degree of delegation at all levels. In a decentralized organization, workers closest to problems are authorized to make the decisions necessary to solve the problems on their own.

Describe Chain of Command and Unity of Command. Distinguish between line and staff authority.

Chain of command: the vertical line of authority that clarifies who reports to whom throughout the organization Unity of command: workers should report to just one boss Line authority: is the right to command immediate subordinates in the chain of command. Staff authority: is the right to advise but not command others who are not subordinates in the chain of command.

How do the 5 core job dimensions of the Job Characteristics Model influence the 3 critical psychological states? What outcomes will result? How does employee need for growth influence this process?

Combining tasks - increases skill variety and task identity by joining separate, specialized tasks into larger work modules. Work can be formed into natural work units by arranging tasks according to logical or meaningful groups. Establishing client relationships - increases skill variety, autonomy, and feedback by giving employees direct contact with clients and customers. In some companies, truck drivers are expected to establish business relationships with their regular customers. When something goes wrong with a shipment, customers are told to call drivers directly. Vertical loading - means pushing some managerial authority down to workers, which means giving them the same authority as managers to resolve customer problems. The last job redesign technique offered by the model, opening feedback channels - means finding additional ways to give employees direct, frequent feedback about their job performance.

Describe the special kinds of teams described in your text (e.g., cross-function, virtual, project teams).

Cross-functional teams - intentionally composed of employees from different functional areas of the organization. Virtual teams - are groups of geographically and/or organizationally dispersed coworkers who use a combination of telecommunications and information technologies to accomplish an organizational task. Project teams - are created to complete specific, one-time projects or tasks within a limited time.

Describe the following 3 paradigms for managing diversity: discrimination and fairness paradigm; access and legitimacy paradigm; and learning and effectiveness paradigm.

Discrimination and fairness paradigm: the most common method of approaching diversity, focuses on equal opportunity, fair treatment, recruitment of minorities, and strict compliance with the equal employment opportunity laws. The access and legitimacy paradigm: focuses on the acceptance and celebration of differences to ensure that the diversity within the company matches the diversity found among primary stakeholders such as customers, suppliers, and local communities. The learning and effectiveness paradigm: focuses on integrating deep-level diversity differences, such as personality, attitudes, beliefs, and values, into the actual work of the organization. The learning and effectiveness paradigm is consistent with achieving organizational plurality.

What is diversity? Why does it matter to organizations?

Diversity exists in an organization when there are a variety of demographic, cultural, and personal differences among the people who work there and the customers who do business there.

Describe the 5 major dimensions of personality explained in your textbook.

Extraversion is the degree to which someone is active, assertive, gregarious, sociable, talkative, and energized by others. Emotional stability is the degree to which someone is not angry, depressed, anxious, emotional, insecure, or excitable. Agreeableness is the degree to which someone is cooperative, polite, flexible, forgiving, good-natured, tolerant, and trusting. Conscientiousness is the degree to which someone is organized, hardworking, responsible, persevering, thorough, and achievement oriented. Openness to experience is the degree to which someone is curious, broad-minded, and open to new ideas, things, and experiences; is spontaneous; and has a high tolerance for ambiguity.

Describe the stage model of team development (e.g., forming, storming, ...)

FORMING is the initial stage of team development. This is the getting-acquainted stage in which team members first meet each other, form initial impressions, and try to get a sense of what it will be like to be part of the team. Conflicts and disagreements often characterize the second stage of team development, STORMING. As team members begin working together, different personalities and work styles may clash. During NORMING, the third stage of team development, team members begin to settle into their roles as team members. Positive team norms will have developed by this stage, and teammates should know what to expect from each other. In the last stage of team development, PERFORMING, performance improves because the team has finally matured into an effective, fully functioning team. At this point, members should be fully committed to the team and think of themselves as members of a team and not just employees.

Describe the 360 degree feedback approach to appraisal.

Feedback comes from four sources: the boss, subordinates, peers and coworkers, and the employees themselves - The advantage of 360-degree programs is that negative feedback ("You don't listen") is often more credible when it comes from several people. A word of caution, though: About half of the companies using the 360 for performance appraisal now use the feedback only for developmental purposes.

What are the most common bases of departmentalization in organizations (e.g., by function, product)?

Functional Departmentalization: organizes work and workers into separate units responsible for particular business functions or areas of expertise. Advantages - allows work done by highly qualified specialists - lowers costs by reducing duplication - makes communication and coordination easier Disadvantages - cross-department coordination can be difficult - may lead to slower decision making Product Departmentalization: organizes work and workers into separate units responsible for producing particular products or services. Advantages - allows people to specialize in one area of expertise - makes it easier to assess performance - makes decision making faster Disadvantages - duplication - coordination across different product departments Customer Departmentalization: organizes work and workers into separate units responsible for particular kinds of customers. Advantages - focuses organization on customer needs - allows companies to specialize products and services to customer needs Disadvantages - duplication of resources - workers might please customers but hurt business Geographic Departmentalization: organizes work and workers into separate units responsible for doing business in particular geographic areas. Advantages - helps companies respond to different markets - reduces costs by locating unique resources closer to customers Disadvantages - duplication of resources - difficult to coordinate departments Matrix Departmentalization: A hybrid structure in which two or more forms of departmentalization are used together. Advantages - allows companies to efficiently manage large, complex tasks - gives much more diverse set of expertise and experience Disadvantages - requires a high level of duplication - confusion and conflict between project bosses - requires much more management skill

Describe how federal employment laws affect human resource practices.

General effect of the laws - employers may not discriminate in employment decisions based on sex, age, religion, color, national origin, race, disability. Bona fide occupational qualification (BFOQ) "reasonably necessary to the normal operation of that particular business." The EEOC has investigatory, enforcement, and informational responsibilities. Therefore, it investigates charges of discrimination, enforces the employment discrimination laws in federal court, and publishes guidelines that organizations can use to ensure they are in compliance with the law.

What is "human resource management"?

Human resource management (HRM) is the process of finding, developing, and keeping the right people to form a qualified work force and is one of the most difficult and important of all management tasks.

Distinguish between internal and external recruiting.

Internal Recruiting: the process of developing a pool of qualified job applicants from people who already work within the company. - Job posting: is a procedure for advertising job openings within the company to existing employees. - Career path: is a planned sequence of jobs through which employees may advance within an organization. External Recruiting: Process of developing a pool of qualified job applicants from outside the company. - Advertising - Employee referrals - Walk-ins - Outside organizations - Employment services - Special events - Internet job sites

What types of team training are beneficial, and why?

Interpersonal skills - such as listening, communicating, questioning, and providing feedback, enable people to have effective working relationships with others. Decision making skills - Because of teams' autonomy and responsibility, many companies also give team members training in decision-making and problem-solving skills to help them do a better job of cutting costs and improving quality and customer service. Problem solving skills Conflict resolution skills - "Teams at Delta Faucet have specific protocols for addressing conflict. For example, if an employee's behavior is creating a problem within a team, the team is expected to work it out without involving the team leader. Two team members will meet with the problem team member and work toward a resolution. If this is unsuccessful, the whole team meets and confronts the issue. Technical training - Firms must also provide team members with the technical training they need to do their jobs, particularly if they are being cross-trained to perform all of the different jobs on the team. Cross-training is less appropriate for teams of highly skilled workers. For instance, it is unlikely that a group of engineers, computer programmers, and systems analysts would be cross-trained for each other's jobs.

Describe the intraorganizational processes of reengineering and empowerment.

Intraorganizational Processes -The collection of activities that take place within an organization to transform inputs into outputs that customers value. Reengineering -The fundamental rethinking and radical redesign of business processes to achieve dramatic improvements in critical, contemporary measures of performance, such as cost, quality, service and speed. Empowerment -Empowering workers means permanently passing decision-making authority and responsibility from managers to workers. For workers to be fully empowered, companies must give them the information and resources they need to make and carry out good decisions and then reward them for taking individual initiative. Empowerment is a feeling of intrinsic motivation, in which workers perceive their work to have meaning and perceive themselves to be competent, having an impact, and capable of self-determination

What is organizational plurality?

Is a work environment where (1) all members are empowered to contribute in a way that maximizes the benefits to the organization, customers, and themselves, and (2) the individuality of each member is respected by not segmenting or polarizing people on the basis of their membership in a particular group.

Explain what job analysis is. How is it used by organizations?

It is a purposeful, systematic process for collecting information on the important work-related aspects of a job. -Work activities -Tools and equipment used to do to the job -Context in which the job is performed -The personnel requirements for performing the job Results of Job Anaysis: - Job description: a written description of the basic tasks, duties, and responsibilities required of an employee holding a particular job - Job specification: a summary of the qualifications needed to successfully perform a job Using Job Analysis, Descriptions, Specifications - Used throughout the staffing process to ensure that selection devices and decisions are job-related. - Job analysis, descriptions, and specifications help companies meet legal requirements that HR decisions be job-related.

What is job specialization? What are some examples of specialized jobs? How can job rotation, enlargement, and enrichment be used to improve specialized jobs?

Job Specialization is a job composed of a small part of a larger task or process. - Job comprises a smaller part of a larger task. - Easy to learn. - Low variety. - High repetition. Job rotation - attempts to overcome the disadvantages of job specialization by periodically moving workers from one specialized job to another to give them more variety and the opportunity to use different skills. Job enlargement - increases the number of different tasks that a worker performs within one particular job. Instead of being assigned just one task, workers with enlarged jobs are given several tasks to perform. Job enrichment - attempts to overcome the deficiencies in specialized work by increasing the number of tasks and by giving workers the authority and control to make meaningful decisions about their work.

Distinguish between mechanistic and organic organizations.

Mechanistic organizations are characterized by specialized jobs and responsibilities, precisely defined, unchanging roles, and a rigid chain of command based on centralized authority and vertical communication. This type of organization works best in stable, unchanging business environments. On the contrast... Organic organizations are characterized by broadly defined jobs and responsibility, loosely defined, frequently changing roles, and decentralized authority and horizontal communication based on task knowledge. This type of organization works best in dynamic, changing business environments.

Be able to describe and discuss the main characteristics of work teams that were discussed in class: norms, size, cohesiveness, conflict.

Norms: Informally agreed-on standards that regulate team behavior. - Regulate the everyday actions that allow teams to function effectively - Teams with negative norms influence team member to engage in negative behaviors Cohesiveness: The extent to which team members are attracted to a team and motivated to remain in it. - Make sure that all team members are present at team activities. - Create additional opportunities for teammates to work together. - Engage in non-work activities. - Make employees feel they are part of a special organization Size: In very large teams, members find it difficult to get to know one another, and team can splinter into subgroups. - Very small groups may lack diversity and knowledge found in large teams. - For most teams, the right size is between 6 to 9 people. Team Conflict Cognitive conflict - members disagree because of different experiences and expertise Affective conflict - results in hostility, anger, resentment, distrust, cynicism, apathy Emphasizing c-type conflict is not enough

Discuss the different types of training methods described in the textbook (e.g., on-the-job training, role playing, case studies)

On the Job training: New employees are assigned to experienced employees. role playing: Trainees assume job-related roles and practice new behaviors by acting out what they would do in job-related situations. case studies: Cases are analyzed and discussed in small groups. The cases present a specific problem or decision, and trainees develop methods for solving the problem or making the decision.

Distinguish between organizational structure and process.

Organizational structure is the vertical and horizontal configuration of departments, authority, and jobs within a company. Organizational process is the collection of activities that transform inputs into outputs that customers value.

What are the 3 basic types of compensation decisions?

Pay-level decisions: - Decisions about whether to pay workers at a level above, below, or at current market wages. - Job evaluation: determines the worth of each job by determining market value of skills required to perform it Pay-variability decisions - The extent to which employees' pay varies with individual and company performance - Piecework - Commission - Profit sharing - Employee stock ownership plans (ESOP) - Stock options Pay-structure decisions - Concerned with internal pay distribution - Hierarchical pay structures - Compressed pay structures

What are the reasons for conducting a performance appraisal? How can this information be used?

Performance appraisals are used for four broad purposes: - Making administrative decisions (e.g., pay increase, promotion, retention) - Providing feedback for employee development (e.g., performance feedback, developing career plans) - Evaluating human resource programs (e.g., validating selection systems) - Documentation purposes (e.g., documenting performance ratings and decisions based on those ratings).

Describe how personality differences contribute to deep level diversity.

Personality: the relatively stable set of behaviors, attitudes, and emotions displayed over time that make people different from each other Deep-level diversity is reflected in differences that can be recognized only through extended interaction with others. Examples include differences in personality, attitudes, beliefs, and values. In short, recognizing deep-level diversity requires getting to know and understand co-workers better. And that matters because it can result in less prejudice, discrimination, and conflict in the workplace. These changes can then lead to better social integration, the degree to which organizational or group members are psychologically attracted to working with each other to accomplish a common objective.

What factors should be considered when selecting team members?

Selecting People Individualists - put their own welfare and interests first Collectivists - put group interests ahead of self Team level - the average level of ability, experience, personality, or any other factor on a team Team diversity - variances or differences in ability, personality, or any other factor on a team

Explain why it is beneficial to set team goals and priorities.

Setting Team Goals and Priorities - Increasing a team's performance is inherently more complex than just increasing one person's performance. - Challenging team goals affect how hard team members work. Stretch Goals: Extremely ambitious goals that workers don't know how to reach. - Teams must have a high degree of autonomy - Teams must be empowered with control over resources - Structural accommodation - Bureaucratic immunity

What are the 5 core job dimensions of the Job Characteristics Model?

Skill variety: the number of different activities performed in a job. Task identity: the degree to which a job, from beginning to end, requires completion of a whole and identifiable piece of work. Task significance: the degree to which a job is perceived to have a substantial impact on others inside or outside the organization. Autonomy: the degree to which a job gives workers the discretion, freedom, and independence to decide how and when to accomplish the work. Feedback: the amount of information the job provides to workers about their work performance.

How should compensation and reward systems be modified in order to better fit organizations that use a "team" structure?

Skill-based pay - pay employees for learning additional skills or knowledge Gainsharing - companies share the financial value of performance gains with their workers Non-financial rewards - vacations, T-shirts, awards, certificates When people first get put into team-based organizations, they really hesitate at being paid for how well the team does. It sounds like their individuality and their sense of self-worth are being threatened. Consequently, companies need to carefully choose a team compensation plan and then fully explain how teams will be rewarded.

What is a work team?

Small number of individuals with complementary skills who are accountable for: - Pursuing a common purpose - Achieving performance goals - Improving interdependent work processes

Explain why groupthink and social loafing can be problems that teams face.

Social loafing: - Occurs when workers withhold their efforts and fail to perform their share of the work - From a team-based class projects, most students already know about social loafers or "slackers," who contribute poor, little or no work whatsoever. - 250 student teams found that the most talented students are typically the least satisfied with teamwork because having to carry slackers and do a disproportionate share of their team's work. Groupthink: - Members of highly cohesive groups feel intense pressure not to disagree with each other so that the group can approve a proposed solution. - Because groupthink restricts discussion and leads to consideration of a limited number of alternative solutions, it usually results in poor decisions. - Team decision making takes considerable time, and team meetings can often be unproductive and inefficient.

Distinguish between surface and deep level diversity? What are some examples of each?

Surface level: what you only see on the surface ex: Age, sex, disability, ethic, race, and social differences, amongst others. Deep-level: External; more valuable, more important. ex: differences in personality and moral values; knowing someone better.

Why are work teams popular? What are the advantages and disadvantages of using teams in organizations? When should work teams be used? When should they not be used?

Teams first emerged in 80's and are now used in 91% of organizations! Teams: - Better utilize employee talents - Are more flexible and responsive to change - Motivate employees The Advantages of Teams Teams improve... - Customer satisfaction - Product and service quality - Product development speed and efficiency - Employee job satisfaction - Cross-training - Decision making The Disadvantages of Teams - Initially high turnover - Social loafing - Groupthink - Minority domination - Lack of accountability for team decisions

Discuss the ways in which employees may separate from an organization: termination, downsizing, retirement, and functional/dysfunctional turnover.

Terminating Employees - In most situations, firing should not be the first option. - Employees should be fired only for a good reason (wrongful discharge). - Employees should always be fired in private. Downsizing - The planned elimination of jobs in a company. - May actually decrease productivity and lead to loss of skilled workers. Retirement - Early retirement incentive program (ERIP) (offer financial benefits to employees to encourage them to retire early.) (reduces number of employees, lowers costs, creates new openings) - Phased retirement (employees transition to retirement by working reduced hours before completely retiring) Functional turnover - gives the organization a chance to replace poor performers with better workers. Dysfunctional turnover - the loss of high performers who choose to leave, is a costly loss to the organization.

Describe the different types of work teams discussed in class and in the textbook. Be able to describe differences in autonomy that occur across these groups.

The smallest amount of autonomy is found in traditional work groups, where two or more people work together to achieve a shared goal. Employee involvement teams, which have somewhat more autonomy, meet on company time on a weekly or monthly basis to provide advice or make suggestions to management concerning specific issues such as plant safety, customer relations, or product quality. Semi-autonomous work groups not only provide advice and suggestions to management but also have the authority to make decisions and solve problems related to the major tasks required to produce a product or service. Self-managing teams differ from semi-autonomous work groups in that team members manage and control all of the major tasks directly related to production of a product or service without first getting approval from management. This includes managing and controlling the acquisition of materials, making a product or providing a service, and ensuring timely delivery. Self-designing teams have all the characteristics of self-managing teams, but they can also control and change the design of the teams themselves, the tasks they do and how and when they do them, and the membership of the teams.

What is training? What is a "needs assessment"? Why is it conducted?

Training - providing opportunities for employees to develop the job-specific skills, experience, and knowledge they need to do their jobs or improve their performance. Needs assessment - the process of identifying and prioritizing the learning needs of employees

How do organizations evaluate training?

Training can be evaluated in four ways: - on reactions (how satisfied trainees were with the program) - on learning (how much employees improved their knowledge or skills) - on behavior (how much employees actually changed their on-the-job behavior because of training) - on results (how much training improved job performance, such as increased sales or quality, or decreased costs).

What are the transfers involved in delegation of authority?

When a manager delegates work, three transfers occur. First, the manager transfers full responsibility for the assignment to the subordinate. The second transfer is that the manager gives the subordinate full authority over the budget, resources, and personnel needed to do the job. To do the job effectively, subordinates must have the same tools and information at their disposal that managers had when they were responsible for the same task. In other words, for delegation to work, delegated authority must be commensurate with delegated responsibility. The third is the transfer of accountability. The subordinate now has the authority and responsibility to do the job and in return is accountable for getting the job done. In other words, managers delegate their managerial authority and responsibility to subordinates in exchange for results.

What is disability discrimination? How can companies avoid it?

When people are treated differently because of their disabilities. Managers should: - Educate - Workplace accommodations - Actively work to find jobs for qualified people with disabilities

What is racial and ethnic discrimination? How can companies avoid it?

When people are treated differently because of their race or ethnicity. Managers should: - Start by looking at the numbers (hiring rates, promotion rates) - Survey employees' level of satisfaction - Eliminate unclear selection and promotion criteria - Train those who make hiring and personnel decisions

What is sex discrimination? What can companies do to avoid it?

When people are treated differently because of their sex. Managers should: - Mentoring - Make sure that male-dominated social activities don't unintentionally exclude women - Designate a go-to person that women can talk to if they believe they are being held back

Who are typical sources of feedback for performance appraisals? How do ratings from these different sources compare?

When receiving feedback, employees become defensive and dislike hearing any negative assessments of their work, no matter how small. Managers become defensive, too, and dislike giving appraisal feedback as much as employees dislike receiving it. What can be done to overcome the inherent difficulties in performance appraisal feedback sessions? - Since performance appraisal ratings have traditionally been the judgments of just one person, the boss, one possibility is to use 360-degree feedback.

What is performance appraisal?

is the process of assessing how well employees are doing their jobs.

What is age discrimination? What can companies do to avoid it?

it is treating people differently in hiring, firing, promotions, or compensation because of their age. Managers should - Recognize that age discrimination is much more pervasive than they think - Make hiring and promotion decisions based on qualifications, not age - Monitor the extent to which older employees receive training - Ensure that younger and older workers interact with each other

What is disparate treatment?

it, which is intentional discrimination, occurs when people, despite being qualified, are intentionally not given the same hiring, promotion, or membership opportunities as other employees because of their race, color, age, sex, ethnic group, national origin, or religious beliefs.

What is adverse impact?

it, which is unintentional discrimination, occurs when members of a particular race, sex, or ethnic group are unintentionally harmed or disadvantaged because they are hired, promoted, or trained (or any other employment decision) at substantially lower rates than others

What is a "glass ceiling"?

the invisible barrier that prevents women and minorities from advancing to the top jobs in organizations.

What is job design?

the number, kind, and variety of tasks that individual workers perform in doing their jobs.

What is organizational authority?

the right to give commands, take action, and make decisions to achieve organizational objectives.