Fundamentals of Human Resource Management, 5e (Dessler)
Chapter 12 Maintaining Positive Employee Relations
1) Which activity involves establishing and maintaining positive employee-employer
relationships?
A) employee relations
B) succession planning
C) employee development
D) human resource management
2) The periodic administration of employee opinion surveys helps managers to ________.
A) implement training programs
B) collect downward feedback
C) quantify performance appraisals
D) build two-way communication
3) How can an employer use communication tools to improve employee relations?
4) All of the following have been linked to employees’ perceiving their employers as fair
EXCEPT ________.
A) improved compensation
B) increased job satisfaction
C) enhanced employee commitment
D) enhanced organizational citizenship behaviors
5) Which of the following terms refers to fair outcomes?
A) distributive justice
B) procedural justice
C) interactional justice
D) normative justice
6) Which term refers to fair processes?
A) distributive justice
B) procedural justice
C) interactional justice
D) normative justice
7) Health-Tech Materials is a firm that manufactures medical equipment purchased by hospitals
and clinics. The firm employs over 2,500 workers in its two manufacturing facilities located in
Texas and Arizona. Recently, Health-Tech dismissed a number of employees for ethics
violations ranging from improper Internet usage to stealing company funds. In addition, the firm
has been sued by two former employees for wrongful discharge. As a result, Health-Tech’s top
executives are evaluating the firm’s hiring process, ethics training system, reward system, and
disciplinary system to determine how to promote ethics and fair treatment.
Which of the following best supports the argument that Health-Tech should distribute an opinion
survey to employees?
A) Exit interviews at Health-Tech indicate that employees feel uncomfortable about raising
ethics concerns with managers.
B) Health-Tech managers have been reluctant to terminate unqualified employees for fear of
lawsuits and other forms of retaliation.
C) Unsatisfactory performance is the primary reason for the majority of employee dismissals at
Health-Tech.
D) Independent contractors working for Health-Tech are not allowed to work for the firm’s
competitors, which angers most contractors.
8) All of the following are areas in which employees currently have legal rights EXCEPT
________.
A) political and union activity
B) injury and illness
C) verbal abuse
D) defamation
9) What is the most likely result of unfair treatment and abusive supervision in the workplace?
A) reduced benefits
B) increased stress
C) reduced commissions
D) increased whistleblowing
10) According to employee surveys, fair treatment in the workplace is exemplified by managers
who ________.
A) treat employees respectfully
B) give employees challenging tasks
C) assign employees mentors or coaches
D) encourage employees to make career plans
11) An employee who perceives an employer as providing high distributive and procedural
justice will most likely experience ________.
A) employment-related stress
B) co-worker compatibility
C) organizational satisfaction
D) improved communication
12) Which term refers to singling out an individual for the purpose of harassment and
mistreatment?
A) social assault
B) victimization
C) dismissal
D) bullying
13) Which of the following is NOT considered a component of bullying?
A) intent to cause harm
B) power imbalance
C) actions done by accident
D) repetition
14) Which of the following actions would most likely reduce an employee’s chances of
becoming a bullying victim?
A) acting less intelligent
B) team-building training
C) joining social media websites
D) working on independent projects
15) Kareem belongs to a temporary work group that analyzes manufacturing productivity. The
group meets informally to brainstorm and develop ideas to raise productivity. Kareem most
likely belongs to a ________.
A) quality circle
B) suggestion team
C) self-directed work team
D) high-performance work team
16) Which of the following is a formal, semi-permanent work group that identifies and
researches work processes and develops solutions to work-related problems?
A) committee
B) suggestion team
C) problem-solving team
D) self-managing work team
17) A ________ is a special type of formal problem-solving team consisting of 6 to 12 specially
trained employees who meet weekly to solve problems affecting their work area.
A) self-managing work team
B) virtual focus group
C) suggestion team
D) quality circle
18) Marco belongs to a specially trained team of eight employees that performs assignments with
little or no oversight from managers. Marco most likely belongs to a ________.
A) self-directed work team
B) problem-solving team
C) suggestion team
D) focus group
19) What would be the best tool for evaluating employee attitudes about workplace safety?
A) newsletter
B) exit interview
C) suggestion box
D) survey
20) Which term refers to the shared perceptions that organizational members have about their
organization and work environment?
A) organizational culture
B) organizational climate
C) employee relations
D) public relations
21) Every year, Johnson Technologies hosts a banquet during which employees are given various
awards, such as “safest driver” and “branch employee of the year.” What is Johnson
Technologies most likely trying to accomplish with this activity?
A) demonstrate ethical behavior
B) implement employee benefits
C) improve employee relations
D) gather organizational feedback
22) Why is employee involvement an effective employee relations strategy?
A) complies with employment laws
B) demonstrates the organizational culture
C) implements organizational development plans
D) shows employees that their opinions are valuable
23) Kyra, a data analyst, met recently with 10 other employees from different departments at
Cushing Communications. The employees were asked questions by a facilitator about the firm’s
incentive plans and were encouraged to share their opinions and attitudes. Kyra was most likely
involved in a ________.
A) focus group
B) joint committee
C) suggestion team
D) quality circle
24) What is the intended goal of most self-directed work teams?
A) analyzing and solving a problem in one work area
B) developing a well-defined segment of finished work
C) brainstorming ideas to solve a specific analytical task
D) discussing organization-wide issues and problems
25) Which of the following is LEAST relevant to an effective employee suggestion system?
A) focus on key organizational goals
B) simple submission process
C) monetary reward option
D) senior management support
26) Distributive justice refers to the manner in which managers conduct their interpersonal
dealings with employees.
27) Many people in the new business development group at GRS&M feel that Blaine was not
promoted due to her personal friendship with the supervisor but rather through a fair review of
the qualified employees in the group. This attitude is the result of the employees’ perceived
procedural justice relative to the decision.
28) A firm’s ethics code outlines its mission, vision, appraisal system, and hiring policies.
29) Morality (and therefore ethical decisions) always involves the most fundamental questions of
what is right and wrong, such as stealing, murder, and how to treat other people.
30) The principles of conduct governing an individual or a group are referred to as ________.
A) judgments
B) morals
C) ethics
D) laws
31) Ethics are best defined as the ________.
A) basic beliefs about what is right or wrong
B) values, traditions, and behaviors a company’s employees share
C) principles of conduct governing an individual or group
D) standards used by the organization to decide upon proper conduct
32) Morality is best defined as the ________.
A) basic beliefs about what is right or wrong
B) principles of conduct governing an individual or group
C) standards used by the organization to decide upon proper conduct
D) standards of behavior accepted by society
33) Which of the following leads to the majority of ethical compromises in the workplace?
A) meeting scheduling pressures
B) meeting financial objectives
C) feeling peer pressure
D) saving jobs
34) According to the ethics research presented in the text, “bad cases” are best described as
________.
A) managers who encourage unethical choices
B) people who are inclined to make unethical choices
C) ethical situations that are ripe for unethical choices
D) environments that foster or condone unethical choices
35) According to the ethics research presented in the text, “bad apples” are best described as
________.
A) pressures that encourage unethical choices
B) people who are inclined to make unethical choices
C) ethical situations that are ripe for unethical choices
D) environments that foster or condone unethical choices
36) According to the ethics research presented in the text, “bad barrels” are best described as
________.
A) pressures that lead to unethical choices
B) people who are inclined to make unethical choices
C) ethical situations that are ripe for unethical choices
D) environments that foster or condone unethical choices
37) According to research, most adults base their work-related ethical decisions on ________.
A) high-level ethical principles
B) expectations of co-workers
C) fears of being punished
D) upward feedback
38) Based on research into ethical behavior in the workplace, which of the following is a TRUE
statement?
A) Employees feel uncomfortable discussing ethics, so it should be avoided.
B) Punishing unethical behavior fails to alter the behavior of others in the workplace.
C) Having ethical leaders in an organization reduces the number of unethical decisions.
D) A code of conduct significantly decreases the number of unethical choices in the workplace.
39) According to research, which of the following has the greatest impact on work-related ethical
decisions?
A) organizational characteristics
B) environmental pressures
C) corporate procedures
D) personal inclinations
40) According to ethics surveys, which of the following is the underlying factor behind most
ethical lapses in the workplace?
A) unclear standards
B) company pressures
C) distrust of co-workers
D) personal financial problems
41) ________ is the characteristic values, traditions, and behaviors a company’s employees
share.
A) Organizational culture
B) Organizational climate
C) Organizational ethics
D) National culture
42) Ethics audits monitor all of the following EXCEPT ________.
A) conflicts of interest
B) core competencies
C) giving and received gifts
D) employee discrimination
43) Which of the following best defines values as they relate to organizational culture?
A) a basic belief about what is right or wrong
B) characteristic values, traditions, and behaviors a company’s employees share
C) principles of conduct governing an individual or group
D) standards of behavior accepted by society
44) As a manager, all of the following are methods that you should use to shape the ethical
behavior of subordinates EXCEPT ________.
A) clarifying expectations
B) serving as a role model
C) rewarding honest work
D) taking credit for others’ work
45) Which of the following is LEAST likely to convey signals to employees regarding ethical
behavior?
A) benefits plans
B) incentive plans
C) appraisal systems
D) disciplinary procedures
46) Which of the following has the most impact on creating and sustaining an ethical
organizational culture?
A) performance appraisals
B) managerial actions
C) compensation packages
D) business policies
47) Johnson & Johnson has a corporate ethics code that states “We believe our first responsibility
is to the doctors, nurses and patients, mothers and fathers, and all others who use our products
and services.” What is the most likely purpose of Johnson & Johnson’s ethics code?
A) providing physical support for managers
B) establishing disciplinary policies for managers
C) providing incentives for employees
D) clarifying expectations for employees
48) The CEO of Southwest Airlines can sometimes be seen helping out at a gate, handling
luggage, and assisting cabin attendants while in flight. This is an example of ________ to create
and sustain the company’s culture.
A) providing physical support
B) organizing ceremonies
C) clarifying expectations
D) using signs and symbols
49) When a company rewards employees who behave ethically using the firm’s incentive plan
and appraisal system, they are ________ to encourage ethical behavior.
A) providing physical support
B) using stories
C) organizing ceremonies
D) using symbols
50) According to experts, ethical behavior in the workplace begins with ________.
A) fraudulent deeds
B) organizational fit
C) moral awareness
D) reward systems
51) Which of the following is a TRUE statement regarding ethical behavior in the workplace?
A) Discussions in the workplace about ethics lead to more ethically problematic behavior.
B) Significantly challenging goals that are pursued blindly may increase unethical behavior.
C) Punishing unethical behavior leads to problems with employee morale.
D) Joining an organization does not alter people’s moral compasses.
52) Health-Tech Materials is a firm that manufactures medical equipment purchased by hospitals
and clinics. The firm employs over 2,500 workers in its two manufacturing facilities located in
Texas and Arizona. Recently, Health-Tech dismissed a number of employees for ethics
violations ranging from improper Internet usage to stealing company funds. In addition, the firm
has been sued by two former employees for wrongful discharge. As a result, Health-Tech’s top
executives are evaluating the firm’s hiring process, ethics training system, reward system, and
disciplinary system to determine how to promote ethics and fair treatment.
Health-Tech’s HR department has devised a brief ethics test for employees to use when
determining if their actions match Health-Tech’s code of conduct. Which of the following
questions is LEAST likely to be included on the ethics test?
A) What Health-Tech employees will be affected by my actions?
B) Will my actions reflect negatively on the image of Health-Tech?
C) Would I perform this action if I worked for a Health-Tech competitor?
D) Is the action I am about to perform on behalf of Health-Tech a legal one?