Alicia Midterm Chapter 5
Which of the following is a myth about retention? a. Achieving a good match between people and work environments can do a great deal to improve employee retention. b. If high performers want to leave, a company cannot hold them. c. Developing skills in employees makes them more marketable and tends to improve retention. d. Money is not the main reason people leave an organization.
b. If high performers want to leave, a company cannot hold them. This is a myth. Employees are "free agents," who can indeed leave when they choose. The key to keeping high-performing employees is to create an environment in which they want to stay, grow, and contribute. See 5-6 CORRECT ANSWERS: a. Achieving a good match between people and work environments can do a great deal to improve employee retention. c. Developing skills in employees makes them more marketable and tends to improve retention. d. Money is not the main reason people leave an organization.
Vacancy costs, separation costs, and replacement costs are all associated with a. organizational design b. employee turnover c. involuntary absenteeism d. employee tardiness.
b. employee turnover Employee turnover results in organizational costs related to vacancy, separation, replacement, and additional hidden or indirect costs. Although involuntary absenteeism, employee tardiness, and problems related to organizational design also have costs, they are of different types than those associated with turnover. See 5-5. 100 X (# of separations/number of employees at midyear) ALSO STUDY: Separation costs. HR staff and supervisory time, pay rates to prevent separations, exit interview time, unemployment expenses, legal fees for challenged separations, accrued vacation expenditures, continued health benefits, and others Vacancy costs. Temporary help, contract and consulting firm usage, existing employee overtime, and other costs until the person is replaced Replacement costs. Recruiting and advertising expenses, search fees, HR interviewer and staff time and salaries, employee referral fees, relocation and moving costs, supervisor and managerial time and salaries, employment testing costs, reference checking fees, preemployment medical expenses, relocation costs, and others Training costs for the new worker. Paid orientation time, training staff time and pay, costs of training materials, supervisor and manager time and salaries, coworker "coaching" time and pay, and others Hidden/indirect costs. Costs that are less obvious, such as reduced productivity, decreased customer service, lower quality, additional unexpected employee turnover, missed project deadlines, and others
Diego, the HR Manager of an organization, conducts an anonymous survey of the employees in the organization to analyze the levels of job satisfaction and organizational commitment. While reviewing the results of the survey, Diego notices many comments that indicate employees feel disconnected with the organization and are not satisfied with their jobs. The results of the survey show that approximately 43 percent of the employees disagree with some of the organization's overarching goals and that 35 percent of the employees would leave the organization if they get a better job opportunity. In the given scenario, the results of the survey demonstrate: a. high organizational citizenship behavior. b. low organizational commitment. c. low churn. d. high involuntary turnover.
b. low organizational commitment. In the given scenario, the results of the survey demonstrate low organizational commitment. Organizational commitment is defined as the degree to which employees believe in and accept organizational objectives and want to remain employed at a company. See 5-2
Which of the following scenarios is an example of involuntary absenteeism? a. Chinn going on a ten-day vacation with his wife without giving prior notice to his manager b. Adela missing a week of work to volunteer for a project that provides vaccines to people in third-world countries c. Polly missing two days of work when she is admitted to a hospital after experiencing sharp abdominal pain d. Holden missing one day of work to attend his friend's wedding
c. Polly missing two days of work when she is admitted to a hospital after experiencing sharp abdominal pain Polly missing two days of work when she is admitted to a hospital after experiencing sharp abdominal pain is an example of involuntary absenteeism. Absences such as these that are health related are unavoidable. Many employers have sick leave policies that allow employees a certain number of paid days each year for involuntary absences. See 5-3
To control absenteeism, some employers use a___________________________ that offers employees the most flexibility and management over their own attendance and absences, which allows them to use days from their leave accounts at their discretion for illness, personal time, or vacation. a. disciplinary approach b. no-fault policy c. paid-time-off program d. combination approach
c. paid-time-off program Paid-time-off (PTO) programs typically provide employees with more flexibility than disciplinary or positive reinforcement methods. Employees generally receive a PTO account with a certain number of paid days off, which they can take at their discretion for any reason ranging from illness to vacation. The other options are incorrect because they do not provide the employees flexibility and management over their own attendance and absences. See 5-3 INCORRECT: Disciplinary approach: People who are absent in excess of policy limits receive warnings and more severe discipline if their attendance does not improve. Positive reinforcement: Positive reinforcement includes actions such as giving bonuses, recognition, time off, and other rewards for meeting attendance standards. Combination approach: A combination approach ideally rewards desired behaviors and punishes undesired behaviors. This carrot-and-stick approach uses discipline to punish offenders and various rewards to recognize employees with outstanding attendance. For instance, employees with perfect attendance may receive incentives of travel and other rewards. Those with excessive absenteeism would be disciplined. No-fault policy: With a no-fault policy, the reasons for absences do not matter, and the employees must manage their own attendance unless they abuse that freedom. Once absenteeism exceeds normal limits, then disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment can occur.
Vineeta works for a reputable company headquartered in San Francisco. There is mutual understanding between the company's management and Vineeta about her functions in the company and her compensation. Vineeta clearly understands her roles and responsibilities in the company and the expectations of her superiors. She is also aware of the rewards she will receive from the company in return for her services. The given scenario most likely illustrates the concept of _____. a. continuance commitment b. organizational citizenship behavior c. psychological contract d. job enrichment
c. psychological contract The given scenario illustrates the concept of psychological contract. A psychological contract refers to the unwritten expectations that employees and employers have about the nature of their work relationships. In the given scenario, there is mutual understanding between Vineeta and the company's management about their respective roles and expectations in their employee-employer relationship. See 5-2 INCORRECT: organizational citizenship behavior occurs when an employee voluntarily acts in a way that goes above and beyond the written job description to contribute to an organization's success. Examples of coworker-directed OCBs include helping a coworker complete a work activity so that a deadline is reached. See 5-2
When Kelly McGuire, a nurse, announced that she was quitting her job at the hospital and relocating to another state, her coworkers felt somewhat relieved. Kelly was known for trying to pass off her work to other nurses and spreading rumors about employees and patients. Which type of turnover best describes Kelly's departure from the hospital? a. Controllable turnover b. Negative turnover c. Dysfunctional turnover d. Functional turnover
d. Functional turnover Kelly's departure from the hospital is an example of functional turnover. Turnover is considered functional in cases where poor performers or disruptive employees leave an organization. See 5-4 INCORRECT: Dysfunctional Turnover: Key individuals and high performers leave Uncontrollable Turnover: Employees leave for reasons outside the control of the employer (moving, at home care for, spouse transfer) Controllable Turnover: Employees leave for reasons that could be influenced by the employer Churn: Hiring new workers while laying off others Involuntary turnover: terminations for policy violations, absences or performance voluntary turnover: resign by choice
Imagine a firm that offers flextime, pays good salaries, has an open-door policy, and offers free lunch and snacks to its employees. The jobs in the firm, however, are monotonous, and there is little scope for advancement. Based on Frederick Herzberg's two-factor theory, which of the following statements is most likely to be accurate of the firm's employees? a. They will be highly motivated. b. They will express high job dissatisfaction as hygiene factors are not met. c. They will be unhappy because the firm does not address hygiene factors. d. They will not exert effort to improve their performance.
d. They will not exert effort to improve their performance. Based on Herzberg's two-factor theory, the firm's employees will not exert effort to improve their performance. This is because the firm does not offer motivators, such as responsibility, work, and advancement, to its employees. The two-factor theory suggests that only motivators cause employees to exert more effort and thereby enhance employee performance. See 5-1
Abraham Maslow's needs theory of motivation assumes that: a. there are only four types of human needs. b. individuals are first motivated by self-actualization needs and then by other needs. c. individuals descend from higher needs to lower needs in a definite order. d. only unsatisfied needs motivate individuals.
d. only unsatisfied needs motivate individuals. Abraham Maslow's need theory of motivation assumes that only UNSATISFIED NEEDS motivate individuals. See 5-1 hierarchy: (1) physiological needs, (2) safety and security needs, (3) belonging and love needs, (4) esteem needs, and (5) self-actualization needs. INCORRECT: McCllelland: achievement, affiliation and power Herzberg: motivators (motivation) and hygiene (dissatisfied)
Fiona, an employee at a company, always helps her colleagues with their work. If she finishes her work before schedule, she helps her colleagues with their tasks to ensure that the company's projects get completed on time. This scenario exemplifies _____. a. job embeddedness b. job enrichment c. functional employee turnover d. organizational citizenship behavior
d. organizational citizenship behavior The given scenario exemplifies organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). OCB occurs when an employee voluntarily acts in a way that goes above and beyond the written job description to contribute to an organization's success. Examples of coworker-directed OCBs include helping a coworker complete a work activity so that a deadline is reached. See 5-2
