Human Resource Management, 15e (Martocchio)
Chapter 12 Internal Employee Relations
1) Which of the following is NOT an exception to the at-will doctrine?
A) implied contract
B) favoritism
C) violations of public policy
D) implied covenant of good faith
2) Implied contracts can be formed through an employer’s representation of ________.
A) continued employment in writing or through oral statements
B) fair selection process
C) fair performance appraisal
D) fair compensation
3) Which term refers to an unwritten contract that is created when an employee agrees to work
for an employer but no agreement exists as to how long the parties expect the employment to
last?
A) temporary assignment
B) contract employment
C) employment at will
D) right–to-work law
4) The status of most workers in an organization is permanently fixed.
5) Why is it important for a firm to focus on internal employee relations? How does employment
at will relate to a firm’s internal employee relations?
6) The state of employee self-control and orderly conduct that indicates the extent of genuine
teamwork within an organization is referred to as ________.
A) ethics
B) discipline
C) punishment
D) internal employee relations
7) Discipline refers to the ________.
A) punishment provided by an organization
B) conditions which exist only in the military
C) threat of punishment made by managers
D) state of employee self-control present in an organization
8) What involves invoking a penalty against an employee who fails to meet established
standards?
A) metrics
B) probation
C) disciplinary action
D) internal employee relations
9) The most effective disciplinary action addresses the employee’s ________.
A) attitude
B) behavior
C) personality
D) conscience
10) The disciplinary action process deals largely with ________.
A) rule infractions
B) industry standards
C) strategic planning
D) procedural misunderstandings
11) What are specific guides to behavior on the job?
A) rules
B) ethics
C) morals
D) standards
12) In the disciplinary action process, what must occur immediately after management
establishes rules?
A) observe performance
B) set organizational goals
C) compare performance with rules
D) communicate rules to employees
13) The primary purpose of disciplinary action is to ________.
A) chastise employees for breaking rules
B) prevent unionized employees from striking
C) alter behavior that hinders organizational goals
D) initiate useful discussion and feedback from managers
14) The word “discipline” comes from the word “disciple,” and when translated from Latin, what
does it mean?
A) “to punish”
B) “to control”
C) “to teach”
D) “to restrain”
15) In order to be most effective, disciplinary action should be a ________ process.
A) learning
B) subjective
C) negative
D) painful
16) Parker Pharmaceuticals is a corporation that employs over 400 workers. As the firm
continues to grow, the need for discipline among employees has become more critical. The HR
department and top executives are planning to revamp the disciplinary action process that is
currently in place at Parker. Which of the following most likely undermines a decision to use the
hot stove rule approach to discipline?
A) Parker supervisors desire flexibility in any disciplinary system.
B) Some Parker employees belong to labor unions while others do not.
C) The Parker ombudsperson handles most grievance procedures.
D) Most disciplinary issues at Parker are related to insubordination.
17) Parker Pharmaceuticals is a corporation that employs over 400 workers. As the firm
continues to grow, the need for discipline among employees has become more critical. The HR
department and top executives are planning to revamp the disciplinary action process that is
currently in place at Parker. Which of the following best supports a decision to use the
progressive disciplinary action approach?
A) Major violations and terminations rarely occur at Parker.
B) Parker wants an informal procedure for disciplining employees.
C) Managers at Parker have been inconsistent with disciplining employees.
D) Chronic tardiness is the primary disciplinary issue among Parker employees.
18) Parker Pharmaceuticals is a corporation that employs over 400 workers. As the firm
continues to grow, the need for discipline among employees has become more critical. The HR
department and top executives are planning to revamp the disciplinary action process that is
currently in place at Parker. Which of the following questions is LEAST relevant to selecting a
new disciplinary action process for Parker?
A) Are managers applying discipline consistently and fairly?
B) Are managers able to apply discipline impersonally to all employees?
C) Does Parker want to use punishment or encouragement to create discipline?
D) Does Parker have similar discipline problems as other pharmaceutical firms?
19) According to the hot stove rule, disciplinary action should ________.
A) occur immediately and without warning
B) consider extended circumstances
C) provide consistent punishment
D) include personal comments
20) According to the hot stove rule, disciplinary action should most likely occur immediately, so
that the individual will ________.
A) receive appropriate training opportunities
B) have time to contact an HR manager
C) share the experience with coworkers
D) understand the reason for it
21) Which of the following is a drawback to the hot stove approach?
A) lacks timeliness
B) too impersonal
C) lacks flexibility
D) too subjective
22) What disciplinary action approach is intended to ensure that the minimum penalty
appropriate to the offense is imposed?
A) hot stove approach
B) performance discipline method
C) progressive disciplinary action
D) disciplinary action without punishment
23) The progressive disciplinary action model was developed in response to the ________.
A) Railway Labor Act
B) Davis–Bacon Act
C) Walsh–Healey Act
D) National Labor Relations Act
24) The goal of ________ is to formally communicate problem issues to employees in a direct
and timely manner so that they can improve their performance.
A) progressive disciplinary action
B) performance appraisals
C) succession planning
D) broadbanding
25) In which of the following does the manager ask a series of questions in sequence to
determine the best disciplinary action?
A) hot stove approach
B) progressive disciplinary action
C) disciplinary questionnaire approach
D) disciplinary action without punishment approach
26) Which of the following is NOT a question that would likely be asked when a manager uses
progressive disciplinary action?
A) Does this violation warrant more than a written warning?
B) Does this violation warrant more than an oral warning?
C) Does this violation warrant disciplinary action?
D) Does this violation warrant termination?
27) Mike, a manager at a distribution center, has learned that one of his subordinates assaulted a
coworker. Mike uses the progressive disciplinary action approach when dealing with employee
violations. Which of the following punishments will the subordinate most likely receive?
A) oral warning
B) written warning
C) suspension
D) termination
28) Maria is chronically tardy to work. In response, Maria’s manager has given Maria time off
with pay to think about whether she wants to follow the rules and continue working for the
company. Which disciplinary method is Maria’s manager most likely using?
A) progressive disciplinary action
B) hot stove approach
C) disciplinary action without punishment
D) punitive disciplinary action
29) Which of the following terms refers to a process in which a worker is given time off with pay
to consider whether he or she wants to follow the rules and continue working for the company?
A) disciplinary action without punishment
B) progressive disciplinary action
C) punitive discipline method
D) hot stove approach
30) Consider the following situation: When an employee violates a rule, the manager issues an
oral reminder. Repetition brings a written reminder, and the third violation results in the worker
having to take one, two, or three days off (with pay) to think about the situation. During the first
two steps, the manager tries to encourage the employee to solve the problem. If the third step is
taken, upon the worker’s return, the worker and the supervisor meet to agree that the employee
will not violate a rule again or the employee will leave the firm. What form of disciplinary action
is being taken?
A) disciplinary action without punishment
B) hot stove approach
C) progressive disciplinary action
D) progressive discipline
31) Renee was recently hired at Emerson Enterprises. During employee orientation, Renee was
told that repeated violations of different rules will be viewed in the same way as several
violations of the same rule. What type of disciplinary method is most likely used at Emerson?
A) progressive discipline
B) hot stove approach
C) disciplinary action without punishment
D) progressive disciplinary action
32) Which of the following is LEAST likely to help a firm protect itself against suits claiming
discriminatory disciplinary actions?
A) basing decisions solely on performance
B) disciplining in the presence of coworkers
C) training managers how to avoid bias claims
D) developing written policies barring unfair treatment
33) Disciplinary action should never be administered ________.
A) at the beginning of a shift
B) immediately before a lunch break
C) in the presence of others
D) immediately after the violation occurs
34) The disciplinary action process is relatively static.
35) The disciplinary action process deals largely with infractions of rules.
36) After management has established rules, it must communicate these rules to employees.
37) Feedback is an important aspect of the disciplinary action process.
38) If the circumstances surrounding all disciplinary action situations were the same, the hot
stove approach would be effective at all times.
39) Progressive disciplinary action is intended to ensure that the minimum penalty appropriate to
the offense is imposed.
40) The progressive disciplinary action model was developed in response to the National Labor
Relations Act of 1935.
41) The goal of progressive disciplinary action is to formally communicate problem issues to
employees in a direct and timely manner so that they can improve their performance.
42) The process of giving a worker time off with pay to think about whether he or she wants to
follow the rules and continue working for the company is called disciplinary action without
punishment.
43) The progressive discipline approach focuses on eliminating punitive disciplinary policies and
encouraging employees to take personal responsibility for their actions.
44) Disciplinary action without punishment is most effective when all rules are explicitly stated
in writing.
45) Documenting disciplinary actions is essential to protecting a firm’s interests.
46) Taking disciplinary action against a worker in the presence of others is essential to providing
the necessary legal documentation.
47) Disciplinary action is the state of employee self-control and orderly conduct and indicates the
extent of genuine teamwork within an organization.
48) Effective disciplinary action addresses the employee’s wrongful behavior, not the employee
as a person.
49) Why are discipline and disciplinary action essential at any organization? What methods do
firms use to ensure a disciplined workforce?
50) How would a manager use the progressive disciplinary action approach? How would the use
of this approach prevent employees from being surprised if they are terminated?
51) What are the consequences of the hot stove rule? When is the hot stove rule ineffective?
52) How can firms protect themselves against employment lawsuits when disciplining
employees?
53) What is the most severe penalty an organization can give to an employee?
A) suspension
B) transfer
C) termination
D) demotion
54) As an HR manager, you may be required to fire employees. According to experts, what is the
best time for you to fire an employee?
A) Monday morning
B) Monday afternoon
C) Friday morning
D) Friday afternoon
55) Nora, a line manager at an electronics firm, needs to fire one of her subordinates for
repeatedly failing to report to work. The subordinate previously received both oral and written
warnings about the violation. Which of the following would most likely help the termination
process proceed smoothly?
A) Nora answers questions about the decision.
B) Nora and the subordinate gather in her office.
C) Nora gives the subordinate the final paycheck.
D) Nora meets with the subordinate privately.
56) Companies possess the burden of establishing just cause in a(n) ________.
A) severance pay agreement
B) exit interview
C) employment contract
D) interpersonal employment–at-will document
57) Which of the following is NOT one of the tests to determine whether the just-cause standard
has been met?
A) Did the company give to the employee forewarning or foreknowledge of the possible or
probable disciplinary consequences of the employee’s conduct?
B) Did the company, before administering discipline to an employee, make an effort to discover
whether the employee did, in fact, violate or disobey a rule or order of management?
C) Did the company check references before hiring the employee whose performance is in
question?
D) Was the degree of discipline administered by the company in a particular case reasonably
related to (a) the seriousness of his employee’s proven offense and (b) the record of the employee
in his service with the company?