chapter 1: dynamic environment of hrm

ethics

A set of rules or principles that define right and wrong conduct

labor union

Acts on behalf of its members to secure wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment.

core employees

An organization's full‐time employee population.

Businesses must weigh all of these factors when determining whether a worker is an employee or an independent contractor:

Behavioral: Does the company control or have the right to control what the worker does and how the worker does his or her job? Financial: Are the business aspects of the worker's job controlled by the payer? These include things such as how the worker is paid, whether expenses are reimbursed, who provides tools, supplies, or other materials. Type of relationship: Are there written contracts or employee‐type benefits such as a pension plan, insurance, or vacation pay? Will the relationship continue, and is the work performed a key aspect of the business?

multinational corporations (MNCs)

Corporations with significant opereations in more than one country.

baby boom generation

Individuals born between 1946 and 1965.

mergers

Joining ownership of two organizations.

rightsizing

Linking employee needs to organi- zational strategy.

sustainability

Living, doing business, and employing individuals in a respon- sible and ethical way

legal compliance

Making sure that all legal requirements involved in employment are met

transnational corporation

Organization with extensive interna- tional operations and subsidiaries in many countries, no longer identi- fying with a single "home" country.

continuous improvement (kaizen)

Organizational commitment to constantly improving quality of products or services. 1. Intense focus on the customer.The customer includes not only outsiders who buy the organization's products or services, but also internal customers (such as shipping or accounts payable personnel) who interact with and serve others in the organization. 2. Concern for continuous improvement. Continuous improvement is a commit- ment to never being satisfied. "Very good" is not good enough. Quality can always be improved. 3. Improvement in the quality of everything the organization does. Continuous improvement uses a broad definition of quality. It relates not only to the final product but also to how the organization handles deliveries, how rapidly it responds to complaints, how politely the phones are answered, and so on. 4. Accurate measurement. Continuous improvement uses statistical techniques to measure every critical variable in the organization's operations.These are compared against standards, or benchmarks, to identify problems, trace them to their roots, and eliminate their causes. 5. Empowerment of employees. Continuous improvement involves the people on the line in the improvement process.Teams are widely used in continuous improvement programs as empowerment vehicles for finding and solving problems.

quality management

Organizational commitment to continuous process of improve- ment that expands the definition of customer to include everyone involved in the organization.

Part‐time employees

Part‐time employees are those who work fewer than 40hours a week. Generally, part‐timers receive few employee benefits. Part‐time employees allow organizations to supplement their staff during peak hours.

outsourcing

Sending work "outside" the organi- zation to be done by individuals not employed full time with the organization.

Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS

Systems used to gather, store, and analyze information regarding an organization's human resources. -allowing HRM professionals to better facilitate pay- roll, benefits administration, applicant tracking, training, performance management, and many other important HR functions

codes of ethics

States an organizations's primary values and the ethical rules it expects members to follow.

contingent workforce

The part‐time, temporary, and contract workers used by organi- zations to fill peak staffing needs or perform work not done by core employees

reshoring

The process of bringing jobs back to the home country.

globalization

The process of making transactions across international borders is called

offshoring

The process of moving jobs out of one country and into another country.

acquisitions

The transfer of ownership and control of one organization to another.

workforce diversity

The varied personal characteris- tics that make the workforce heterogeneous -recognizing that we are all unique individuals who want to be recognized for our uniqueness rather than our similarity to others.31 Employees who are able to be open about all aspects of their spirituality, politics, sexual orientation, disabilities, socioeco- nomic status, family, cultural influences, and many other beliefs and characteristics, in addition to traditionally recognized and legally protected personal attributes, are hap- pier, more engaged, and more productive.

inclusion

Valuing the contribution of everyone.

HRM is a subset of the study of management that focuses on how to

attract, hire, train, motivate, and maintain emplyees

downsizing

cut costs in the face of financial pressures or a downturn in the economy

Work process engineering

goes beyond incremental change and requires an organization to face the possibility that what the organization may really need is radical change. Work process engi- neering is more radical than continuous improvement and may be a response to game‐changing developments in technology, compe- tition, or the economy.

Culture is defined as

patterns or thought and behavior that distinguish one group of people from another.

Sarbanes-Oxley Act

was signed into law in July 2002. Sarbanes-Oxley established procedures for public companies regarding how they handle and report their financial picture. The legislation also established penalties for noncom- pliance