CH 13 - What Should Labor Relations Do?

In the context of corporate governance, why do shareholder value maximization and financialization have important effects on employees and on labor relations?

Because corporate cash is used to fund financial transactions instead of capital investment

Perhaps the primary basis cited for needing to transform the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) system into something completely different is Blank 1 of 1, which is a culture of conflict.

Blank 1: adversarialism

True or false: Employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs) aid organized labor by ensuring employee representation in corporations' boards of directors.

F

True or false: The New Public Management movement views public-sector management and employees as partners in delivering effective public services and in assisting to nurture public values around inclusion, participation, and citizenship.

F

Which of the following are likely to be advocated by the proponents of solidarity unionism to strengthen the power of labor? (Check all that apply.)

Forming great solidarity linkages with other workers Mobilizing worker power through militant tactics when required

Identify the merits of employee empowerment unionism. (Check all that apply.)

It allows unions to give expertise and support to employees when required. It facilitates the inclusion of minimum standards and procedural safeguards in negotiated processes.

Identify the true statements about employee ownership unionism. (Check all that apply.)

It can let employees participate in business decision making at the highest levels of their company. It helps increase worker influence within a business.

In the context of the proposal to transform the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), identify the true statements about adversarialism in U.S. labor relations. (Check all that apply.)

It is attacked by business as inimical to building the level of cooperation required in a competitive environment. It is compared to traditional distributive negotiations that focus on a power struggle.

A compact

It is basically a cooperative document, providing for a mutual vision and a joint system for achieving common goals that foster the general well-being of all stakeholders in a given endeavor.

A contract

It is essentially adversarial in nature, representing a compromise between the separate interests of each party to an agreement.

Identify a true statement about the belief that U.S. labor law should be deregulated.

It is strongly based on neoliberal thinking and the closely related philosophy of libertarianism.

Identify a true statement about associational unionism, a possible direction for employee representation.

It merges the multiple-interest philosophy and services of professional associations with labor unions' power.

Navigator

A manager in this role guides the labor relations function in order to balance the competing internal and external concerns.

The model of unionism that seeks to represent workers by facilitating workers' ownership of companies is called

Blank 1: employee Blank 2: ownership Blank 3: unionism

Substantive reforms

Focus on providing equal access to employees by managers and labor unions during organizing drives Mandate arbitration of first contracts when bargaining is unsuccessful in producing a contract for a newly organized union

Remedial reforms

Focus on providing immediate reinstatement of illegally fired workers Set up strict schedules for unfair labor practice processing to avoid delay in restoring justice

Identify a feature of efficiency-enhancing unionism.

It embodies a cooperative approach in labor relations.

Identify the attributes of solidarity unionism. (Check all that apply.)

It focuses on strengthening collective bargaining. It is the closest alternative to the existing business unionism in U.S. labor relations. It views unions as a necessary force of worker power and protection.

Identify the challenge involved in the change partner role of a labor relations manager.

The manager must reconstruct the labor relations function to be responsive to external environment that requires flexibility and quality.

In the context of employee ownership unionism, identify a characteristic of employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs).

These plans often occur when a company is struggling and employees give up their wages and other benefits in return for stock ownership.

In the context of social movement unionism, identify the true statements about worker centers. (Check all that apply.)

They advocate for workers who earn low wages. They generally focus on street and legal activism.

Which of the following is true of the views held by proponents of the perspective that seeks to loosen the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA)?

They believe that the NLRA is outdated to some extent and does not combine well with the present-day global competition and flexibility.

To strengthen the power of labor, the proponents of solidarity unionism support _____.

aggressive methods of organizing and bargaining

In the context of social movement unionism, worker centers _____.

have typically been independent of labor unions

Proponents of the deregulation of U.S. labor law are most likely to believe that _____.

labor unions should not be covered by any special law

In the context of the roles of a human resources manager, a _____ continuously build organizational competencies and performance by balancing internal and external pressure.

navigator

In the context of corporate governance, shareholder value maximization and financialization have important effects on employees and on labor relations because _____.

employees are considered labor costs

Supporters of efficiency-enhancing unionism most likely advocate the _____.

replacement of the traditional detailed union contract with an enterprise compact

In the context of the options for strengthening the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), the substantive issue that receives the most attention is _____.

representation elections

The proposed TEAM Act was a proposal to loosen the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). Though it was never enacted, the TEAM Act sought to _____.

revise Section 8(a)(2) to permit labor-management committees that do not seek to negotiate collective bargaining agreements

The model of unionism that relies on increasing labor power through solidarity within and across workplaces is known as

solidarity Unionism

Proponents of associational unionism, which is a possible direction for employee representation, state that _____.

the typical sharp distinction between labor and management no longer aligns with large numbers of today's knowledge, professional, and semiprofessional workers

According to the proponents of solidarity unionism, the growth of solidarity among rank-and file members within unions emphasizes _____.

the utilization of an organizing model of representation

Builder

A manager in this role builds processes for labor relations functions that have high organizational coherence.

The model of unionism that views labor unions as strategic business partners that can help advance productivity, quality, and competitiveness is called

Blank 1: efficiency Blank 2: enhancing Blank 3: unionism

Unions negotiate processes rather than outcomes and thus provide the framework for greater employee autonomy, discretion, and empowerment in

Blank 1: employee Blank 2: empowerment Blank 3: unionism

In the context of solidarity unionism, a labor union that only represents workers who join the union is known as a(n)

Blank 1: members Blank 2: only Blank 3: union

The model of unionism that rejects the business unionism focus on collective bargaining and instead sees labor unions as representatives of the entire working class and as part of a broader social movement of community, social, and political activist groups is known as

Blank 1: social Blank 2: movement Blank 3: unionism

The Blank 1 of 2 Blank 2 of 2 of corporate governance is rooted in a belief that employees, customers, suppliers, local communities, and others in addition to shareholders or owners are sufficiently affected by corporate actions to deserve consideration in corporate decision making.

Blank 1: stakeholder Blank 2: model

Builder

Compiles the basic elements of a firm's human resource management function in a coherent way

Identify the responsibilities of a union leader in the strategic role of a navigator. (Check all that apply.)

Creating an equilibrium between solidarity across workplaces and concern for individuality Striking a balance between centralized control and democratic involvement Creating an equilibrium between centralized power and decentralized responsiveness to local circumstances

What are the characteristics of social movement unionism? (Check all that apply.)

It helps revive unions as organizations, thereby strengthening union bargaining power. It involves building strong coalitions with other community groups to achieve social change through social and political channels. It entails forming alliances with various groups to integrate workers' concerns about workplace, family, and community through a "whole worker" view.

Which of the following are true of a stakeholder model of corporate governance? (Check all that apply.)

It necessitates legal changes in corporate governance to increase employee voice in organizational decision making. It emphasizes that a corporation should function to benefit all who have a vested interest in it.

In the context of corporate governance, what is the primary mission of U.S. corporations?

Maximizing shareholder value

Chanbge Partner

Redesigns the human resource functions with regard to changes in the external environment, often in partnership with others in the firm

In the context of the future directions of U.S. labor law, the proposal to loosen the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) concentrates on the NLRA's _____.

Section 8(a)(2) restriction on company dominated labor organizations

True or false: An example of a labor law reform proposal that would loosen the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) is to modify the NLRA to allow for employee committees that monitor employer compliance with employment laws.

T

How is the view that supports the transformation of the National labor Relations Act (NLRA) different from that of the deregulation camp?

The former perspective acknowledges that new institutions should be formed to place checks and balances on free markets.

Which of the following views on corporate social responsibility forms the foundation for the U.S. approach to corporate governance called the shareholder value model?

The role of business in society is to make money.

Remedial changes

They focus on strengthening the redresses in case of an NLRA violation, especially imposing monetary penalties, stronger redressal directives such as bargaining orders, and perhaps even criminal penalties.

Which of the following is true of the perspective held by those who propose the transformation of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA)?

They hold that the NLRA framework based on the New Deal industrial relations system is not compatible with today's global, competitive environment.

Substantive changes

They involve expanding NLRA coverage to include low-level supervisors and independent contractors such as gig workers, prohibiting permanent strike replacements, and withdrawing restrictions on secondary boycotts.

Identify the objective of the New Public Management movement in the United States.

To introduce free market principles and private-sector management tools to the public sector