HRM Oops
Bizarre Excuses from Absences
One way employees withdraw from a job is through absenteeism. Surveys of employers and
employees in the U. S. and Europe have uncovered some very strange excuses for why an
employee needs to be absent from work. Some awkward excuses included: unsure of what to
wear to work, pants split on the way to work, disappointed that football team lost so needed a
day to recover, and too grouchy to work because of efforts to quit smoking. Some bizarre
excuses included: needed to stay home to report threatening phone calls to the FBI and
someone had glued the doors and windows shut so the employee was unable to leave the
house.
Discussion Questions with Possible Responses
1. Do you think a bizarre excuse signals a higher level of employee dissatisfaction than a
believable excuse? Why or why not?
2. How would you advise a supervisor to respond to one of the excuses described here?
Best Practices
Employees are Quicken Loans’ Most Valuable Asset
Quicken Loans, a lending company, keeps landing on Fortune’s list of the Best Companies to
Work For and Computerworld’s list of Best Places to Work in IT. Employees report one of the
main sources of satisfaction is the supportive work relationships and the culture that promotes
those relationships. One of the company’s principles for working together is “yes, before no”
which promotes an attitude of open-mindedness and helpfulness. Another principle is designing
jobs and feedback so employees can see the importance of what they do.
Discussion Questions with Possible Responses
1. What qualities of job relationships do Quicken Loans’ employees value? How does the
company promote such relationships?
2. How do tasks and roles contribute to job satisfaction at Quicken Loans?
ROADMAP: Review and Discussion Questions
1. Give an example of voluntary turnover and an example of involuntary turnover. Why
should organizations try to reduce both kinds of turnover?
2. A member of a restaurant’s serving staff is chronically late for work. From the
organization’s point of view, what fairness issues are involved in deciding how to handle
this situation? In what ways might the employees’ and other servers’ ideas of fairness
be different?
3. For the situation in Question 2, how would a formal discipline policy help the
organization address issues of fairness?
4. In what type of situation would an employer have a legitimate reason for learning about
an employee’s personal matters outside the workplace?
5. The progressive discipline process described in this chapter is meant to be fair and
understandable, but it tends to be slow. Try to think of two or three offenses that should
result in immediate discharge, rather than follow all the steps of progressive discipline.
Explain why you selected these offenses. If the dismissed employee sued, do you think
the organization would be able to defend the action in court?
6. A risk of disciplining employees is that some employees retaliate. To avoid this risk,
what organizational policies might encourage low-performing employees to leave while
encouraging high-performers to stay? (Consider the sources of employee satisfaction
and dissatisfaction discussed in the chapter.)
7. List forms of behavior that can signal job withdrawal. Choose one of the behaviors you
listed and describe how you would respond if an otherwise valuable employee whom
you supervised engaged in this kind of behavior.
8. What are the four factors that influence an employee’s job dissatisfaction (or
satisfaction)? Which of these do you think an employer can most easily change? Which
would be the most expensive to change?
9. Consider your current job or a job you recently held. Overall, were you satisfied or
dissatisfied with that job? How did your level of satisfaction or dissatisfaction affect your
behavior on the job? Is your own experience consistent with this chapter’s models of job
withdrawal and job satisfaction?
10. Suppose you are an HR professional who convinced your company’s management to
conduct a survey of employee satisfaction. Your budget was limited and you could not
afford a test that went into great detail. Rather, you investigated overall job satisfaction
and learned that it is low, especially among employees in three departments. You know
that management is concerned about spending a lot for HR programs because sales are
in a slump, but you want to address the issue of low job satisfaction. Suggest some
ways you might begin to make a difference, even with a small budget. How will you
convince management to try your ideas?
11. Why are exit interviews important? Should an organization care about the opinion of
people who are leaving? How are those opinions relevant to employee separation and
retention?
Taking Responsibility
General Motors Tries to Steer in a New Direction
When Mary Barra became the first CEO of a major automobile company, she said business
would remain as usual. However after a short time into her appointment, the company went
public with an ignition switch problem on many GM cars which was linked to accidents and
deaths. GM did an internal investigation and suspended two engineers involved with the
department at fault. Some key employees decided to leave the company. It was later found
that some engineers looked the other way when they noticed problems with the switch. In the
end, GM dismissed 15 employees associated with the incident including executives and
engineers. Barra announced that these actions marked the beginning of a new corporate
culture from one of incompetence to one with a commitment to taking responsibility.
Discussion Questions with Possible Responses
1. Within months of Barra’s appointment as CEO and during the time of the internal
investigation, several executives departed the company. Does this suggest that GM was
managing turnover effectively? Explain.
2. What disciplinary steps did GM say it took with regard to the engineer responsible for its
ignition switch? How consistent are these steps with the principles of progressive discipline?
GM dismissed the engineer once they found out the situation. This did not follow the steps of
progressive discipline but because of the gross misconduct (incompetence of this severity) they
didn’t need to progressive discipline.
Managing Talent
What Makes Genentech So Great for Scientists?
Genentech’s 12,000 employees use human genetic information to develop and make medicines
for treating patients with serious and lif-threatening conditions. The scientists at Genentech
rank the company high for being an innovative leader in the industry with clear vision, and
doing important, high-quality research. Employee state they stay at Genentech because
they make a difference in people’s lives. HR gets involved in maintaining a healthy culture
by inviting patients who have benefited from the company’s products to speak with
employees. HR also has fun activities like the annual Give Back concert and offers a six
month paid sabbatical. The company was recently acquired by Roche Group and the
employees were concerned how the culture would change. To date they are pleased with
how the culture has been maintained.
Discussion Questions with Possible Responses
1. What contributors to job satisfaction does this case describe at Genentech?
2. How else could Genentech retain its qualified employees?
HRM DVD Vol 3 Suggested Video with Discussion Questions and Possible Responses
Managers Hot Seat: Work-Life Balance (10:48)
Video Summary
The video begins with a real life situation where a manager needs her staff to determine how
they will get a revision completed on a current project. The employees state it is not possible to
do in the time frame allotted. The group reviews what other projects they have on their plates
that could be delayed in order to make time for the project revision.
The group brainstormed ways that they could complete the project, as well as things they would
need in the future in order to maintain a work-life balance that has been missing in their jobs.
Discussion Questions with Possible Responses
1. What are some of the company benefits to offering work-life balance plans?
2. Was the project revision the main problem for this group? If not, what was?
ROADMAP: End of Chapter Case
HR In Small Business
Learning to Show Appreciation at Datotel
Case Summary:
This case examines the practices of David Brown, founder of a St. Louis company that is in the
data storage business. Brown and his managers recognize extraordinary employee
performance through handwritten notes, and through in person thank-you’s.
Discussion Questions with Possible Responses
1. Based on the information given, which sources of job satisfaction has Datotel
addressed? What other sources might the company address, and how?
2. Suggest several measures Datotel could use to evaluate the success of its employee
retention efforts. Be sure these are practical for a company of a few dozens employees.
3. In a company as small as Datotel, losing one employee can present real difficulties.
Suppose one of Datotel’s managers begins to have performance problems and seems
unwilling or unable to improve. Suggest how you, as an HR consultant, could help David
Brown resolve this problem in a way that is fair to everyone involved and that keeps the
company moving forward.
Thinking Ethically
Is it Ethical to Fire by Email and Text?
George Zimmerman, chief executive at Men’s Wearhouse, found out he was getting terminated
from an “extremely harsh and man-spirited” email. The public showed sympathy for
Zimmerman on social media because many could relate to the experience. Employees at
Barducci’s Italian Bistro in Winter Park, Florida found out they no longer had jobs when the
owner sent a text to all the employees saying he was forced to close the restaurant
immediately. Employees who have been terminated via text and email say it is hurtful and
impersonal. Some employers feel they are saving the employees from an awkward
conversation.
Discussion Questions with Possible Responses
1. How well does employment termination by e-mail or text message meet the principles of
justice described in the chapter?
2. How well does it respect the basic human rights described in Chapter 1?