Chapter 9 Management
What employee contributions should be considered when seeking to meet a company's human resources needs?
(1) ability (2) education and experience (3) creativity (4) commitment (5) expertise and knowledge
What are some of the employee needs to be considered when offering company inducements to potential employees?
(1) stage of career (2) personal values (3) promotional aspirations (4) outside interests (5) family concerns
What factors should be considered when determining a company's human resource needs?
(1) strategic goals (2) current and future competencies (3) market changes (4) employee turnover (5) corporate culture
From the employee's perspective, what are some of the attributes of the new social contract between employees and employers?
(1)Employability; (2)personal responsibility (3)Partner in business improvement (4)Learning; (5)skill development
From the employee's perspective what were some of the attributes of the old social contract between employees and employers?
(1)Job security (2)A cog in the machine (3)Knowing
List some innovative approaches in recruiting
(1)Organizations look for ways to enhance their recruiting success, such as using Twitter, LinkedIn, and other social media, as just discussed. (2) One highly effective method is getting referrals from current employees. Many organizations offer cash awards to employees who submit names of people who subsequently accept employment, because referral by current employees is one of the cheapest and most reliable methods of external recruiting Social media has also enhanced this means of recruiting because people can search their networks for contacts with the right training or skills. Companies use a number of other approaches to find the right talent. (3) One technique is to search among the membership of relevant trade groups, such as at trade shows, meetings, and on the associations' Web sites. (4) Some organizations turn to nontraditional sources to find dedicated employees, particularly in a tight labor market or when the organization needs specific types of workers.
What is a corporate university?
A corporate university is an in-house training and education facility that offers broad-based learning opportunities for employees—and frequently for customers, suppliers, and strategic partners as well—throughout their careers.
What is a panel interview?
A panel interview is an interview in which the candidate meets with several interviewers who take turns asking questions.
What is a realistic job preview?
A realistic job preview (RJP) gives applicants all pertinent and realistic information—positive and negative—about the job and the organization. RJPs contribute to greater employee satisfaction and lower turnover because they facilitate matching individuals, jobs, and organizations. Individuals have a better basis on which to determine their suitability to the organization and "self-select" into or out of positions based on full information.
What is the technique of 360 degree feedback in performance appraisals?
A recent trend in performance appraisal is called 360-degree feedback, a process that uses multiple raters, including self-rating, as a way to increase awareness of strengths and weaknesses and guide employee development. Members of the appraisal group may include supervisors, coworkers, and customers, as well as the individual, thus providing appraisal of the employee from a variety of perspectives.
How does coaching work to develop an employee?
Coaching is a method of directing, instructing, and training a person, with the goal to develop specific management skills. Coaching usually applies to higher-level managers who want to develop their personal competencies. For instance, a coach might observe a senior executive in action and provide feedback about how the executive can improve his or her interaction skills. Managers can also discuss difficult situations as they arise, with the coach helping them work through various alternative scenarios for dealing with the situation.
Why are we seeing more broad work/life balance initiatives?
In addition, many companies have implemented broad work/life balance initiatives, partly in response to the shift in expectations among young employees. Generation Y workers, or Millennials, are a fast-growing segment of the workforce. Typically, Gen-Y employees work smart and work hard on the job, but they refuse to let work be their whole life. Unlike their parents, who placed a high priority on career, Gen-Y workers expect the job to accommodate their personal lives
What is on the job training?
In on-the-job training (OJT), an experienced employee is asked to take a new employee "under his or her wing" and show the newcomer how to perform job duties. OJT has many advantages, such as few out-of-pocket costs for training facilities, materials, or instructor fees and easy transfer of learning back to the job. When implemented well, OJT is considered the fastest and most effective means of facilitating learning in the workplace.
What does the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended in 1991 provide?
Provides for possible compensatory and punitive damages plus traditional back pay for cases of intentional discrimination brought under title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Shifts the burden of proof to the employer. EEO legislation attempts to balance the pay given to men and women; provide employment opportunities without regard to race, religion, national origin, and gender; ensure fair treatment for employees of all ages;
What is recruiting or talent acquisition?
Recruiting is defined as "activities or practices that define the characteristics of applicants to whom selection procedures are ultimately applied." Today, recruiting is sometimes referred to as talent acquisition to reflect the importance of the human factor in the organization's success.
What is the third step in attracting an effective workforce?
The third step is to select from the applicants those persons believed to be the best potential contributors to the organization What type of applications, interviews or tests should be utilized?
Explain further the three elements of HRM as well as other important considerations. (Shorthand for answer to question #2 above)
The three main elements are (1) Finding the right people (2) Manage Talent (3) Maintain an Effective Workforce Also be cognizant of the HRM environment.
How does an HR Department develop human capital?
To build human capital, HRM develops strategies for finding the best talent, enhancing their skills and knowledge with training programs and opportunities for personal and professional development, and providing compensation and benefits that support the sharing of knowledge and appropriately reward people for their contributions to the organization.
What is the strategic role of Human Resources Management?
Today's best human resources departments not only support strategic objectives but also actively pursue an ongoing, integrated plan for furthering the organization's performance. Research has found that effective human resource management and the alignment of HR strategies with the organization's strategic direction has a positive impact on performance, including higher employee productivity and stronger financial results
Describe training and development programs
Training and development programs represent a planned effort by an organization to facilitate employees' learning of job-related skills and behaviors.
What are the major federal laws related to Human Resource Management?
(1) Civil Rights Act of 1964, amended in 1991 (2) Americans with Disabilities Act
What are the factors involving in HRM to find the right people?
(1) HRM Planning (2) Job Analysis (3) Forecasting (4) Recruiting (5) Selecting
What is affirmative action?
Affirmative action requires that an employer take positive steps to guarantee equal employment opportunities for people within protected groups.
What is an affirmative action plan?
An affirmative action plan is a formal document that can be reviewed by employees and enforcement agencies.
What is an assessment center?
An assessment center is used to select individuals with high managerial potential based on their performance on a series of simulated managerial tasks.
How can promotion from within operate as a development tool?
Another way to further employee development is through promotion from within, which helps companies retain and develop valuable people. Promotions provide more challenging assignments, prescribe new responsibilities, and help employees grow by expanding and developing their abilities.
What is a contingent worker?
Contingent workers are people who work for an organization, but not on a permanent or full-time basis Many companies depend on part-time or temporary employees to maintain flexibility and keep costs low.
How is training distinguished from development?
Development is sometimes distinguished from the general term training. Training is typically used to refer to teaching people how to perform tasks related to their present jobs, whereas development means teaching people broader skills that are not only useful in their present jobs but also prepare them for greater responsibilities in future jobs.
When does discrimination occur in an employment context?
Discrimination occurs when some applicants are hired or promoted based on criteria that are not job relevant; for example, refusing to hire a black applicant for a job he is qualified to fill or paying a woman a lower wage than a man for the same work are discriminatory acts.
What is e-cruiting?
E-cruiting, or recruiting job applicants online, dramatically extends the organization's recruiting reach, offering access to a wider pool of applicants and saving time and money. Besides posting job openings on company Web sites, many organizations use commercial recruiting sites where job seekers can post their résumés and companies can search for qualified applicants. In addition, new online services have emerged that help managers search for "passive candidates," people who are highly qualified and aren't looking for jobs but might be the best fit for a company's opening.
What is an employment test?
Employment tests assess candidates on various factors considered important for the job to be performed; they include cognitive ability tests, physical ability tests, and personality tests.
What are the three key elements in the strategic approach to Human Resources Management?
First, all managers are involved in human resource management. Second, employees are viewed as assets. No strategy can be effectively implemented without the right people to put it into action. Employees, not buildings and machinery, give a company its competitive edge. Third, human resource management is a matching process, integrating the organization's strategy and goals with the correct approach to managing human capital.
What two things do Human Resource professional concentrate on in order to make performance appraisal a positive force in their organization?
Generally, HRM professionals concentrate on two things to make performance appraisal a positive force in their organizations: The accurate assessment of performance through the development and application of assessment systems such as rating scales, and training managers to effectively use the performance appraisal interview so managers can provide feedback that will reinforce good performance and motivate employee development.
What is human capital?
Human capital refers to the economic value of the combined knowledge, experience, skills, and capabilities of employees.
What is Human Resource Management?
Human resource management (HRM) refers to the design and application of formal systems to ensure the effective and efficient use of human talent to accomplish organizational goals. HRM includes activities undertaken to attract, select, develop, and maintain an effective workforce.
What is human resource planning?
Human resource planning is the forecasting of human resource needs and the projected matching of individuals with expected vacancies. Human resource planning begins with several questions: What new technologies are emerging, and how will these affect the work system? What is the volume of the business likely to be in the next five to ten years? What is the turnover rate, and how much, if any, is avoidable?
What is a forced ranking performance review system?
In a forced ranking performance review as most commonly used, a manager evaluates his or her direct reports relative to one another and categorizes each on a scale, such as A = outstanding performance (20%), B = high-middle performance (70%), or C = in need of improvement (10%). Some companies routinely fire those managers falling in the bottom 10 percent of the ranking. This method is increasingly coming under fire because it essentially evaluates employees by pitting them against one another. Proponents say the technique provides an effective way to assess performance and offer guidance for employee development.
What are job specifications?
Job specifications outline the knowledge, skills, education, physical abilities, and other characteristics needed to adequately perform the job.
What are two common performance evaluation errors?
One of the most dangerous is (1)stereotyping, which occurs when a rater places an employee into a class or category based on one or a few traits or characteristics—for example, stereotyping an older worker as slower and more difficult to train. Another rating error is (2) the halo effect, in which a manager gives an employee the same rating on all dimensions, even if his or her performance is good on some dimensions and poor on others.
What is a performance appraisal?
Performance appraisal comprises the steps of (1)observing and assessing employee performance, (2)recording the assessment, and (3) providing feedback to the employee. During performance appraisal, skillful managers give feedback and praise concerning the acceptable elements of the employee's performance. They also describe performance areas that need improvement. Employees can use this information to change their job performance.
What is selection in the process of recruiting?
Selection is the process of assessing the skills, abilities, and other attributes of applicants in an attempt to determine the fit between the job and each applicant's characteristics.
What are some current strategic issues of particular concern to HR and other business managers?
Some current strategic issues of particular concern to managers include the following: Right people to become more competitive on a global basis Right people for improving quality, innovation, and customer service Right people to retain during mergers and acquisitions Right people to apply new information technology for e-business
What is telecommuting?
Telecommuting means using computers and telecommunications equipment to do work without going to an office.
What is the application form?
The application form is a selection device that collects information about the applicant's education, previous work experience, and other background characteristics.
What is the goal of organizational affirmative action?
The goal of organizational affirmative action is to reduce or eliminate internal inequities among affected employee groups.
What is a structured interview?
A structured interview uses a set of standardized questions that are asked of every applicant, so comparisons can easily be made.
How do the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission guidelines explain what constitutes sexual harassment?
The EEOC guidelines specify that behavior such as unwelcome advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal and physical conduct of a sexual nature becomes sexual harassment when submission to the conduct is tied to continued employment or advancement or when the behavior creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work environment.
What is the behaviorally anchored rating scale?
The behaviorally anchored rating scale (BARS) is (1)developed from critical incidents pertaining to job performance. (2)Each job performance scale is anchored with specific behavioral statements that describe varying degrees of performance. (3)By relating employee performance to specific incidents, raters can more accurately evaluate an employee's performance
What are some of the elements of the new social contract between employees and employers?
The new contract is based on the concept of employability rather than lifetime employment. Individuals are responsible for developing their own skills and abilities, understanding their employer's business needs, and demonstrating their value to the organization. The employer, in turn, invests in creative training and development opportunities so that people will be more employable when the company no longer needs their services. This means offering challenging work assignments, opportunities to participate in decision making, and access to information and resources. In addition, an important challenge for HRM is revising performance evaluation, compensation, and other practices to be compatible with the new social contract.
From the employer's perspective, what are some of the attributes of the new social contract between employees and employers?
(1) Creative development opportunities (2)Lateral career moves; (3) incentive compensation (4) Challenging assignments (5) Information and resources; (6) decision-making authority
What elements should managers be aware of in the HRM environment?
(1) Legislation (2) Trends in Society (3) International Events (4) Changing Technology
From the employer's perspective what were some of the attributes of the old social contract between employees and employers?
(1) Standard training programs (2) Traditional compensation package (3) Routine jobs (4) Limited information
What are the factors involved in HRM to manage a company's talent?
(1) Training (2) Development (3) Appraisal
What are the factors involved in HRM to maintain an effective workforce?
(1) Wages and Salaries (2) Benefits (3) Labor Relations (4) Terminations
What are some company inducements that might meet employee needs?
(1) pay and benefits (2) meaningful work (3) advancement (4) training (5) challenge
What is a job description?
A job description is a clear and concise summary of the specific tasks, duties, and responsibilities of a particular job.
What does it mean for a company to be an employer of choice?
An employer of choice is a company that is highly attractive to potential employees because of human resources practices that focus not just on tangible benefits such as pay and profit sharing, but also on intangibles (such as work/life balance, a trust-based work climate, and a healthy corporate culture), and that embrace a long-term view to solving problems. To engage people and spur high commitment and performance, an employer of choice chooses a carefully balanced set of HR strategies, policies, and practices that are tailored to the organization's own unique goals and needs.
What is a nondirective interview?
In a nondirective interview, the interviewer asks broad, open-ended questions and permits the applicant to talk freely with minimal interruption, in an attempt to bring to light information, attitudes, and behavioral characteristics that might be concealed when answering structured questions.
What are the two major advantages of internal recruiting?
Internal recruiting has two major advantages: (1) It is less costly than an external search, and (2)it generates higher employee commitment, development, and satisfaction because it offers opportunities for career advancement to employees rather than outsiders.
What is job analysis?
Job analysis is a systematic process of gathering and interpreting information about the essential duties, tasks, and responsibilities of a job, as well as about the context within which the job is performed To perform job analysis, managers or specialists ask about work activities and work flow, the degree of supervision given and received in the job, knowledge and skills needed, performance standards, working conditions, and so forth.
What is a work sample test?
Managers may administer work sample tests to applicants for front-line positions to evaluate their performance in completing simulated tasks that are a part of the job.
Describe cross training as one type of on the job training
One type of on-the-job training involves moving people to various types of jobs within the organization, where they work with experienced employees to learn different tasks. This cross-training may place an employee in a new position for as short a time as a few hours or for as long as a year, enabling the individual to develop new skills and giving the organization greater flexibility.
What does the Americans with Disability Act provide?
Prohibits discrimination against qualified individuals by employers on the basis of disability and demands that "reasonable accommodations" be provided for the disabled to allow performance of duties.
What is the first step in finding the right people?
The first step in finding the right people is human resource planning, in which managers or HRM professionals predict the need for new employees based on the types of vacancies that exist, Take into account retirements, growth and resignations.
What are some of the challenges being faced in Human Resource Management?
The rapid change and uncertainty in today's business environment bring significant new challenges for human resource management. Some important issues are (1) becoming an employer of choice, (2)addressing the needs of temporary employees and part-time workers, and (3) acknowledging growing employee demands for work/life balance.
What is the second step in attracting an effective workforce?
The second step is to use recruiting procedures to communicate with potential applicants. Choose what recruiting sources you want to use such as want ads; headhunters; and the internet.
How does mentoring work to develop an employee?
With mentoring, an experienced employee guides and supports a newcomer or less-experienced employee. Mentors typically offer counsel regarding how to network and advance in the company in addition to guiding the employee in developing his or her skills and abilities.
How does the matching model for attracting an effective workforce work?
With the matching model, the organization and the individual attempt to match the needs, interests, and values that they offer each other.
