Test Prep Questions #3

generation y or millennials (1980-2000)

(1980-2000) raised by indulgent parents, used to many comforts like computers and cellphones Generation y in the workplace: -tend to be impatient, skeptical, blunt, and expressive -are tech-savy and able to grasp new concepts -able to multi-task and are efficient -highlight a strong sense of commitment -place a high value on work-life balance -fun and stimulation are key job requirements

Private sector labor unions

- 7.2 million of the 14.5 million workers in unions work in the public sector - taxpayers pay the cost of union workers wages and benefits -union membership in the public sector is 35% vs 6.6% in the private sector. -public sector membership has fallen by 120,000 since 2013

Flexible scheduling plans

-Flextime plan -core time -compressed work week

Using reinforcing theory

-Positive reinforcement; reward like praise -Punishment; reprimands, pay loss, fired -Negative reinforcement; when people work to escape the punishers -Extinction; stopping undesirable behavior by not responding to it

the 5 steps in the Human Resource Planning process

-Preparing a human resource inventory of the organizations employees -preparing a job analysis -assessing future human resource demands -accessing future labor supply -establishing a strategic plan

Taylors Four principles

-Replace guesswork methods with a scientific study of the tasks -Select, train, and develop each worker rather than leaving them to train themselves. -Ensure that the scientifically developed methods are being followed. -Make sure the managers apply scientific management principles to planning the work and the workers actually perform the tasks.

Fringe benefits

-Today, accounts for about 30% of payroll -Soft benefits; haircuts, breakfast and shoe repair

Why hire contingent workers?

-replacement for full-time employees in emergency situations -when in peak season demand; Christmas -when quick service to a customer is a priority -in an uncertain economy -no healthcare coverage needed -no vacation time -no pensions

Herzberg's Motivating factors

-work itself -achievement -recognition -responsibility -growth and advancement Factors receiving the most votes all clustered around job content 1) sense of achievement 2) earning recognition 3) the feeling that your job is important factors related to job environment and pay contributed the least to job satisfaction

Open shop agreement

Agreement in right-to-work states that gives workers the option to join or not join a union, if one exists in their workplace

Explain the distinction between what Herzberg called motivators and hygiene factors

As Herzberg studied the results of his research study, he concluded that motivators made employees productive and gave them satisfaction. These factors related to job content. Hygiene factors related to the job environment and could, if left unattended, cause employee dissatisfaction but would not provide long-term motivation. Hygiene factors include such things as pay and working conditions

Job enrichment

Based on Herzberg's higher motivators, such as responsibility, achievement, and recognition 5 types: -skill variety -task identity -task significance -autonomy -feedback

Motivating through open communication

Communication and information must flow freely throughout the organization when employees are empowered to make decisions-they cant make them in a vacuum -create and organizational culture that rewards listening -train supervisors and mangers to listen -use effective questioning techniques -remove barriers to open communication -avoid vague and ambiguous communication -make it easy to communicate -ask employees what is important to them

Who is considered a contingent workers? and why do companies hire such workers?

Contingent workers are workers that do not work full time and are often not entitled to the pay and benefits of full time employees. Theses employees can consist of college students, interns, seasonal workers and independent contractors. Some companies use these workers because they may be in an industry that has projects that last only a day or a couple of weeks or months but usually that is it. Many time employers will use these kinds of employees and if they are satisfied with what they do they may offer them a full time position.

Civil rights act of 1991

Expanded the remedies available to victims of discrimination by amending title VII of the civil rights act of 1964. Now victims of discrimination have the right to a jury trial and punitive damages.

What are the benefits and challenges of flextime? Telecommuting? Job Sharing?

Flextime gives the employees some freedom to choose when to work, as long as they work the required amount of hours per week. The most popular plans allow employees to come in between 7am and 9am and leave from 4pm to 6pm. There are some real disadvantages to flextime as well. Flextime is certainly not for all organizations. For example, it cannot be offered to certain industries like manufacturing when it is essential for all employees to be there at the same time. Another disadvantage to flextime is that managers need to work long hours many times between 6am and 6pm. Telecommuting has grown tremendously in recent years. Nearly 10 million U.S. workers now work at least several days per month at home. Telecommuting can be a cost saver for employers. Now that some of their employees work from home there is no need to have office space to house them. Job sharing is an arrangement whereby two part-time employees share on full-time job. This is good for employees who cannot or prefer not to work full-time, it usually permits a high level of enthusiasm, and there is also reduced absenteeism and tardiness.

What did Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 achieve?

For firms with 15 or more employees, outlawed discrimination in employment based on sex, race, color, religion, or national origin

certification

Formal process whereby a union is recognized by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) as the bargaining agent for a group of employees

What is human resource management?

Human resource management is the process of determining human resource needs and then recruiting, selecting, developing, motivating, evaluating, compensating and scheduling employees to achieve organizational goals

Theory Z

Hybrid approach between Theory X and Theory Y. -employees involvement is the key to increased productivity -employees control is implied and informal -employees prefer to share responsibility and decision making -employees perform better in environments that foster trust and cooperation -employees need guaranteed employment and will accept low evaluations and promotions

Equity Theory

Looks at how employees perceptions of fairness affect their willingness to perform. It assumes employees ask, "if I do a good job, will it be worth it?" and "What's fair?"

Goal setting theory and types

MBO is most important in relatively stable situations when managers can make long-range plans and implement them with few changes. The central idea of MBO is that employees need to motivate themselves. -helping -coaching -employees input and expectations

Theory X

Management style based on assumptions that the average person dislikes work; must be forced, controlled or threatened; prefers to avoid responsibility, be directed, wants security; and the average person is motivated by fear and money.

Theory Y

Management style based on assumptions that the average person likes to work, likes to work towards goals, people seek responsibility, people can use a high degree of creativity to solve problems

Maslow's theory

Maslow believed that motivation arises from need; people are motivated to satisfy unmet needs. Maslow's Hierarchy of needs -Physiological needs; the need to feel secure at work and at home -Social needs; the need to feel loved, accepted , and part of the group -Esteem needs; the need for recognition and acknowledgment from others, as well as self-respect and a sense of status or importance -Self actualization needs; the need to develop to ones fullest potential

How di Mayo's findings influence scientific management?

Mayo found that not only was an efficient method needed to perform the job in the best way but also need to satisfy the employees in a certain manner. This cam through with the Hawthorne studies. He showed that people needed to feel valued and appreciated. No matter what the physical conditions were, the workers enjoyed the atmosphere of their special room and the additional pay they got for more productivity, and satisfaction increased substantially.

Draw a diagram of Maslow's hierarchy of needs. Label and describe the parts

Self actualization the top of the pyramid and is the need to develop ones self to the fullest potential. Esteem needs which is the next one down is the need for recognition and acknowledgment from others, as well as self respect and a sense of status or importance. Social needs which are the need to feel loved accepted and part of the group. Next comes Safety needs come next and are the needs to feel secure at work and at home. Finally the bottom but most important part of the pyramid Physiological needs, which contain the very basic of needs, such as shelter and the need for food and water.

The Hawthorne studies

Series of experiments conducted from 1924-1932 saw that production increased in relationship to psychological and social conditions rather than the environment

Briefly describe the managerial attitudes behind theories X, Y and Z

Some attitudes of Theory X management are as follows: Employees dislike work and will try to avoid it, Employees prefer to be controlled and directed, Employees seek security, not responsibility, employees must be intimidated by managers to perform and employees are motivated by financial rewards. Some theories from theory Y are as follows: Employees view work as a natural part of life, employees prefer limited control and direction, employees will seed responsibility under proper work conditions, employees perform better in work environments that are not intimidating and employees are motivated by many different needs not just money. Lastly some theories from Theory Y are as follows: Employees involvement is the key to increased productivity, employee control is implied and informal, employees prefer to share responsibility and decision making, employees perform better in environments that foster trust and cooperation and finally employees need guaranteed employment and will accept slow evaluations and promotions.

What are major laws that affected union growth, and what does each one cover?

Some major laws that affect union growth would be the Taft-Hartley Act of 1947 this amended the Wagner Act; permitted states to pass laws prohibiting compulsorily union membership (right to work laws); set up methods to deal with strikes that affect national health and security, prohibited secondary boycotts, closed-shop agreements and featherbedding (the requiring of wage payments for work not performed) by unions. This gave management a boost.

What factors make it difficult to recruit qualified employees?

Some organizations have policies that demand promotions from within, operate under union regulations, or offer low wages which all of these usually make it difficult to recruit well qualified employees, it can also be difficult to find the necessary people to fill jobs because of the team work that is required.

What problems may emerge when trying to implement participative management?

Some problems that may occur when trying to establish participative management are that the different generations may clash. It is common for the previous generation to think that the next generation is lazy and always breaks the rules. When in fact the new generation is just doing what they deem necessary to get the job done and is the best way for them to do it. Besides, employees react different to different styles of management. It is quite impossible to please all the people all of the time but it is possible to please some of the people most of the time and finding managers that can do this is not always easy.

What are several steps firms can take to increase internal communications and thus motivation?

Some steps that can help to increase communication and thus motivation are self directed teams and communications systems such as e-mail. Open communication helps both top managers and team members understand the objectives and work together to achieve them. Communication must flow freely through out the organization when teams are empowered to make decisions - they can't make these decisions in a vacuum. It is crucial for people to be able to access the knowledge they need when they need it, which is why we have seen the rise and growth of companies such as Google that take today's information and catalogue it for the world to see, and apply if needed. The need to create an organizational culture that rewards listening is also important. Manages must create places to talk and the must show employees that talking with superiors counts - by providing feedback, adopting employee suggestions and rewarding upward communication - even if the discussion is negative. Employees must feel free to say anything they deem appropriate.

Scientific management

Studying workers to find the most efficient ways of doing things and then teaching those techniques. Three elements were essential to Taylors approach -Time -Methods -Rules of work His most important rules of work were observation and the stop watch

What are the similarities and differences between Taylor's time-motion studies and Mayo's Hawthorne studies?

Taylor's time-motion studies dealt with the time it took to perform a task. Taylor proceeded to invent a wide variety of sizes and shapes of shovels and, with stopwatch in hand, measured output over time in what became known as time-motion studies - studies of the tasks performed to complete a job and th3e time needed to do each task. Sure enough, an average person could shovel more (in fact, form 25 to 35 tons more per day) using the most efficient and effective methods and tools. Taylor's scientific management came to dominate the 1900's. With Hawthorne it seemed people would perform better when they know they are being studied. Both forms produced better productivity but in different ways. With Hawthorne's study people felt that they were in a social group, the atmosphere was informal and they could talk freely and they interacted regularly with their supervisors and the experimenters. The workers were involved in the planning of the experiments. For example, they rejected one kind of pay schedule and recommended another, which was used and made them feel like their opinions were valued

What is the EEOC, and what was the intention of affirmative action?

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is a division of the Department of Justice responsible for enforcing most of the EEO laws. Its purpose is to Investigate and resolve discrimination complaints, gather information, and Issue guidelines Affirmative action is employment activities designed to "right past wrongs" by increasing opportunities for minorities and woman.

OFCCP

The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs ensures that employers comply with nondiscrimination and affirmative action laws and regulations when doing business with the federal government

collective bargaining

The process whereby union and management representatives form a labor-management agreement, or contract, for workers

Compensating teams

The two most common was of compensating teams: -skill based pay; rewards the growth of both the individual and the team. Drawbacks of skill-based pay are two-fold: the system is complex, and it is difficult to relate the acquisition of skills directly to profit gains -gain sharing; base bonuses on improvements over previous performance

Herzberg's hygiene factors

These factors can cause dissatisfaction, but changing them will have little motivational effect -company policy and administration -supervision -working conditions -interpersonal relations (co-workers) -salary, status, and job security

Why is it important today to adjust motivational styles to individual employees? Are there any general principles of motivation that today's mangers should follow?

Today it is important to adjust to different motivational styles to help individual employees stay motivated not only because of the cost associated with loosing one and retraining another but it could also reflect on the company's reputation. By loosing one employee you may loose the productivity of many employees because of the social bond between them that has since been broken. There are of course many general principals that can be followed by today's managers. Many of them are mentioned earlier in the chapter. By making employees feel needed and taking them seriously you not only make them feel appreciated but you empower them at the same time. The way that they become empowered is that now they know you value their opinion and they will do what it takes to get that feeling over and over again. It makes them feel like not just employees but partners with you on the project that is being worked on for the company.

What does accommodations mean in the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990?

Treating people according to their specific needs. That includes putting up barriers to isolate people readily distracted by noise, reassigning workers to new task, and making changes in supervisors management style

Erbligh

US engineers Frank and Lillian Gilbreth used Taylors ideas in a three-year study of bricklaying. They developed the principle of motion economy, showing how every job could be broken down into a series of elementary motions called a therbling (Gilbreth spelled backward with the t and h transposed)

Expectancy theory in motivation

Victor Vroom contends that employees ask three questions before committing their maximum effort to a task: (1) Can I accomplish the task (2) If I do accomplish it, what's my reward? (3) Is the reward worth the effort.

Evaluate expectancy theory. When could expectancy theory apply to your efforts or lack of effort?

Victor Vroom stated that the amount of effort employees exert on a specific task depends on their expectations of the outcome. I find this to be true in many places. For example at my last job I was a supervisor, but my boss was a Theory X type of manager and wanted the employees treated in a certain manner. Now I deliberately chose to treat the employees in a different manner. I liked to treat them in the Theory of Y. For me it seemed to work, I was able to gain the respect and trust of the crew that I was supervising and was able to get the job done every night and usually ahead of schedule. By taking the employees out of the prison like environment I made them feel like they were human beings and actually made a difference in what happened around the job.

Civil rights act of 1964

Was expected to stamp out discrimination in the workplace, but specific language in it made enforcement quite difficult. The Equal employment opportunity act of 1972 by strengthening the EEOC, which was created by the Civil rights act

Agency shop agreement

clause in a labor-management agreement that says employers may hire nonunion workers; employees are not required to join the union by must pay a union

closed-shop agreement

clause in a labor-management agreement that specified workers had to be members of a union before being hired (was outlawed by the Taft-Hartley ACT in 1947

baby boomers (1946-1964)

experienced great economic prosperity, job security, optimistic about the future

Laws Affecting human resources

https://quizlet.com/32488535/laws-affecting-human-resource-management-flash-cards/

360-degree review

management gathers opinions from all around the employees, to get an accurate, comprehensive idea of the workers abilities

Laws and disabilities

pg 304

generation x (1965-1980)

raised in dual career families, attended day-care, feeling of insecurity about jobs Generation x in the workplace: -desire economic security but focus more on career security more than job security -good motivators as managers due to emphasis on results rather than work hours -tend to be flexible and good collaboration and consensus building -very effective at giving employee feedback and praise

The first union?

the cordwainers (shoemakers) organized a craft union of skilled specialist in 1792. The knights of labor, formed by Uriah Smith Stephens in 1869 was the first national labor organization

Decertification

the process by which workers take away a union's right to represent them