Appendix A-1
| Appendix A – Critical Thinking Applications
CHAPTER 1 – CRITICAL THINKING APPLICATIONS
Critical Thinking Application 1-A
What Do You Know about HRM?1
1. Why is there such a discrepancy between what academic research finds (and
recommends) and what is actually practiced? How could this gap be closed more
quickly?
The lack of education and training in the HR field has been shown in several studies.
Most MBAs never even have to take a single HRM course. Even HR professionals that
were given a 35-item test that assessed the extent of their HR knowledge received an
2. Pick at least one question where you were (and perhaps still are) surprised by the
correct answer. Do a search of some of the research that was cited to justify the
correct answer and make a determination if more recent research either corroborates
the correct answer or disputes it. Write a short summary of this research and make
sure you record the entire citation for the research.
Item & Correct Answer
Supporting evidence
Questions Pertaining to Management Practices
1. F___ Leadership training is
ineffective because good leaders are
born, not made.
Studies show that leadership behaviors are only
weakly predicted by personality (Judge & Bono, 2000),
and that leadership behavior and effectiveness
increase after training (Barling, et al., 1996)
2. F___ The most important
requirement for an effective leader
is to have an outgoing, enthusiastic
personality.
While there is a moderate connection between
extraversion and leader effectiveness (Judge, et al.,
2002), there is an even better connection between
effective leadership and intelligence (Lord, et al.,
1986).
3. F___ Once employees have
mastered a task, they perform
better when they are told to “do
their best” than when they are given
specific, difficult performance goals.
People work best when given difficult but attainable
goals (Locke & Latham, 1990; 1986).
4. T___ Companies with vision
statements perform better than
those without them.
Companies that have clear vision statements tend to
be successful and have higher growth rates (Baum et
al, 1998; Hoch et al., 1999)
5. F___ Companies with very low rates
of professional turnover are less
profitable than those with moderate
turnover rates.
Evidence suggests that lower turnover results in
increased profitability (Bain & Company, in Reichheld,
1996), but this may be industry or company specific
(Rynes et al., 2002).
6. T___ If company feels it must
downsize employees, the most
profitable way to do it is through
targeted cuts rather that attrition.
Companies that downsized employees instead of
selling assets have been found to continue to have
similarly poor return on assets after 2 years (Morris,
Cascio, & Young, 1999)
7. T___ In order to be evaluated
favorably by line managers, the most
important competency for HR
managers is ability to manage
change.
Ulrich et al. (1995) found that line managers and
peers consider management of change to be 76%
more important than HR knowledge and delivery, as
well as 119% more important than knowledge of the
business, when evaluating the performance of HR
professionals.
8. T___ On average, encouraging
employees to participate in decision
making is more effective for
improving organizational
performance than setting
performance goals.
The effects of goal setting are considerably higher and
more stable than the effects of participation in
decision making (Locke et al., 1980; Locke & Latham,
1990).
Questions Pertaining to General Employment Practices
9. F___ Most managers give employees
lower performance appraisals than
they objectively deserve.
Leniency in appraisals, where ratings are significantly
higher than they should be, is considerably more
common than severity (Jawahar & Williams, 1997).
10. F___ Poor performers are generally
more realistic about their
performance than good performers
are.
Poor performers are less realistic (Kruger & Dunning,
1999).
11. T___ Teams with members from
different functional areas are likely
to reach better solutions to complex
problems than teams from a single
area.
Several studies have found that the use of cross-
functional teams results in positive outcomes (Keller,
2001; Lutz, 1994; Northcraft et al., 1995; Pelled et al.,
1999).
12. F___ Despite the popularity of drug
testing, there is no clear evidence
Individuals who test positive for drugs are significantly
higher levels of absenteeism and involuntary turnover
that applicants who score positive
on drug tests are any less reliable
(Normand, et al., 1990), as well as higher disciplinary
actions (Parish, 1989), vehicular accidents and
medical costs (Winkler & Sheridan, 1989).
13. T___ Most people over-evaluate
how well they perform on the job.
Self-ratings do have higher means than peer and
supervisor ratings (Brown, 1986; Harris & Shaubroek,
1988; Mabe & West, 1982; Thornton, 1980).
14. F___ Most errors in performance
appraisals can be eliminated by
providing training that describes the
kinds of errors managers tend to
make and suggesting ways to avoid
them.
Training for performance appraisal errors generally
does not change the behavior (Lathan & Wexley,
1994), can introduce new errors (Bernardin & Pence,
1980), and may be irrelevant since most people are
aware of the errors they are making yet refuse to
change (Longenecker et al., 1987).
Questions Pertaining to Training & Employee Development
15. F___ Lecture-based training is
generally superior to other forms of
training delivery.
Active techniques, where learning occurs through
experiences, are generally more effective (Clark,
1983; Gagne & Medsker, 1996; Kulik & Kulik, 1991).
16. F___ Older adults learn more from
training than younger adults.
Age is negatively related to learning outcomes
(Colquitt et al., 2000).
17. F___ The most important
determinants of how much training
employees actually use on their jobs
is how much they learned during
training.
How much training is actually used on the job is more
strongly related to transfer of training climate, in an
organizational setting (Tracey et al., 1995).
18. F___ Training for simple skills will be
more effective if it is presented in
one concentrated session than if it is
presented in several sessions over
time.
Training for simple skills is more effective when
spread out over several sessions (Donovan &
Radosevich, 1999; Lee & Genovese, 1988).
Questions Pertaining to Staffing
19. F___ The most valid employment
interviews are designed around each
candidate’s unique background.
Structured interviews where all candidates receive
the same questions and more valid than unstructured
interviews (Schmidt & Hunter, 1998; Weisner &
Cronshaw, 1988).
20. F___ Although people use many
different terms to describe
personalities, there are really only
four basic dimensions of personality,
as captured by the Myers-Briggs
Type Indicator (MBTI).
There are five basic dimensions to personality
(Digman, 1990), which, with the exception of
extroversion, are not assessed by the MBTI.
21. T___ On average, applicants who
answer job advertisements are likely
to have higher turnover than those
referred by other employees.
Referrals tend to have lower turnover rates (Conard &
Ashworth, 1986).
Appendix A-4
| Appendix A – Critical Thinking Applications
22. F___ Being very intelligent is actually
is actually a disadvantage for
performing well on low-skilled job.
Intelligence predicts performance for all jobs, even
low-skilled ones (Hunter, 1986; Schmidt & Hunter,
1998).
23. F___ There is very little difference
among personality inventories in
terms of how well they predict an
applicant’s likely job performance.
This is dependent upon which “big five”
characteristics are measured in the personality
inventory (Gardner & Martinko, 1996).
24. F___ Although there are “integrity
tests” that try to predict whether
someone will steal, be absent, or
otherwise take advantage of an
employer, they don’t work well in
practice, because so many people lie
on them.
Even with distortion, integrity tests predict both
counterproductive behavior and performance well
(Ones et al., 1993; Ones et al., 1996).
25. F___ One problem with using
integrity tests is that they have high
degrees of adverse impact on racial
minorities.
Very small levels of adverse impact exist for these
assessments (Ones & Viswesvaran, 1998).
26. F___ On average, conscientiousness
is a better predictor of job
performance than is intelligence.
Intelligence is the best predictor of job performance
(Schmidt & Hunter 1998).
27. F___ Companies that screen job
applicants for values have higher
performance than those the screen
for intelligence.
Not only is intelligence the best predictor of job
performance (Schmidt & Hunter, 1998), but the
connection between values and performance is
unclear (Ravlin & Meglino, 1987)
Questions Pertaining to Compensation & Benefits
28. F___ When pay must be reduced or
frozen, there is little a company can
door say to reduce employee
dissatisfaction and dysfunctional.
Providing explanations for pay cuts that are
procedurally just can reduce dissatisfaction and
dysfunction (Greenberg, 1990; 1993).
29. T___ Most employees prefer to be
paid on the basis of individual
performance rather than on team or
organizational performance.
Many studies have found that individuals do not
prefer team-based pay (BNA, 1988; Cable & Judge,
1994).
30. F___ Merit pay systems cause so
many problems that companies
without them tend to have higher
performance then companies with
them.
Merit pay does increase organization-level
performance (Kopelman & Reinharth, 1982;
Kopelman, Rovenpor, & Cayer, 1991; Heneman,
1992).
31. T___ There is a positive relationship
between the proportion of managers
receiving organizationally based pay
incentives and company profitability.
Appendix A-5
| Appendix A – Critical Thinking Applications
32. T___ New companies have a better
chance of surviving if all the
employees receive incentives based
on organizational-wide performance.
33. F___ Talking about salary issue
during performance appraisals tends
to hurt morale and future
performance.
34. F___ Most employees prefer variable
pay systems (e.g., incentive schemes,
gain sharing, stock options) to fixed
pay systems.
35. F___ Surveys that directly ask
employees how important pay is to
them are likely to overestimate pay’s
true importance in actual decisions.
References for correct answers.
1. Barling, J.E., Weber, T., & Kelloway, E.K. (1996). Effects of transformational leadership
2. Judge, T.A., Bono, J.E., Ilies, R., & Werner, M. (in press). Personality and leadership: A
qualitative and quantitative review. Journal of Applied Psychology. Lord, R.G., Devader, C.L.,
3. Locke, E.A., & Latham, G.P. (1990). A theory of goal-setting and task performance. Upper
4. Baum, J.R., Locke, E.A., & Kirkpatrick, S.A. (1998). A longitudinal study of the relation of vision
and vision communication to venture growth in entrepreneurial firms. Journal of Applied
5. Reichheld, F.F. (1996). The loyalty effect. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.
Appendix A-6
| Appendix A – Critical Thinking Applications
© 2013 by McGraw-Hill Education. This is proprietary material solely for authorized instructor use. Not authorized for sale or distribution in any
manner. This document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part.
7. Ulrich, D., Brockbank, W., Yeung, A.K., & Lake, D.G. (1995). Human resource competencies:
An empirical assessment. Human Resource Management, 34, 473-495.
8. Locke, E.A., Feren, D.B., McCaleb, V.M., Shaw, K.N., & Denny, A.T. (1980). The relative
effectiveness of four methods of motivating employee performance. In K.D. Duncan, M.M.
79. Wagner, J.A., III. (1994). Participation’s effect on performance and satisfaction: A
reconsideration of the research evidence. Academy of Management Review, 19, 312-330.
9. Jawahar, I.M., & Williams, C.R. (1997). Where all the children are above average: The
performance appraisal purpose effect. Personnel Psychology, 50, 905-926.
10. Kruger, J., & Dunning, D. (1999). Unskilled and unaware of it: How difficulties in recognizing
11. Keller, R.T. (2001). Cross-functional project groups in research and new product
development: Diversity, communications, job stress and outcomes. Academy of
Management Journal, 44, 547-555. Lutz, R.A. (1994). Implementing technological change
12. Normand, J., Salyards, S.D., & Mahoney, J.J. (1990). An evaluation of pre–employment drug
testing. Journal of Applied Psychology, 75, 629-639. Parish, D.C. (1989). Relation of the pre–
13. Brown, J.D. (1986). Evaluations of self and others: Self-enhancement biases in social
judgment. Social Cognition, 4, 353-376. Kruger & Dunning (1999), op. cit., note 10. Harris,
296. Thornton, G.C. (1980). Psychometric properties of self-appraisals of job performance.
Personnel Psychology, 33, 263-271.
14. Latham, G.P., & Wexley, K.N. (1994). Increasing productivity through performance appraisal.
15. Clark, R.E. (1983) Reconsidering research on learning from media. Review of Educational
Research, 53, 445-459. Kulik, C.C., & Kulik, J.A. (1991). Effectiveness of computer–based
instruction: An updated analysis. Computers in human behavior, 7, 75-94. Gagne, R.M., &
Appendix A-7
| Appendix A – Critical Thinking Applications
© 2013 by McGraw-Hill Education. This is proprietary material solely for authorized instructor use. Not authorized for sale or distribution in any
manner. This document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part.
Harcourt Brace. Simonson, M., Schlosser, C., & Hanson, D. (1999). Theory and distance
education: A new discussion. The American Journal of Distance Education, 13, 60–75.
16. Colquitt, J.A., LePine, J.A., & Noe, R.A. (2000). Toward an integrative theory of training
17. Tracey, J.B., Tannenbaum, S.I., & Kavanaugh, M.J. (1995). Applying trained skills to the job:
The importance of the work environment. Journal of Applied Psychology, 80, 239-252.
18. Donovan, J.J., & Radosevich, D.J. (1999). A meta-analytic review of the distribution of
19. McDaniel, M.A., Whetzel, D.L., Schmidt, F.L., & Maurer, S.D. (1994). The validity of
employment interviews: A comprehensive review. Journal of Applied Psychology, 79, 599–
616. Wiesner, W.H., & Cronshaw, S.F. (1988). The moderating impact of interview format
20. Digman, J.M. (1990). Personality structure: Emergence of the five-factor model. Annual
83.
21. Conard, M.A., & Ashworth, S.D. (1986). Recruiting source effectiveness: A meta-analysis and
reexamination of two rival hypotheses. SIOP annual meeting.
22. Hunter, J.E. (1986). Cognitive ability, cognitive aptitudes, job knowledge, and job
274.
23.Barrick, M.R., &Mount, M.K. (1991). The big five personality dimensions and job
24. Ones, D.S., Viswesvaran, C., & Schmidt, F.L. (1993). Comprehensive meta-analysis of
integrity test validities: Findings and implications for personnel selection and theories of job
25. Ones, D.S., & Viswesvaran, C. (1998). Gender, age, and race differences on overt integrity
26. Schmidt, F.L. & Hunter, J.E. (1998). The validity and utility of selection methods in personnel
psychology: Practical and theoretical implications of 85 years of research findings.
Appendix A-8
| Appendix A – Critical Thinking Applications
© 2013 by McGraw-Hill Education. This is proprietary material solely for authorized instructor use. Not authorized for sale or distribution in any
manner. This document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part.
27. Ibid. Adkins, C.L., Ravlin, E.C., & Meglino, B.M. (1996). Value congruence between co–
workers and its relationship to work outcomes. Group and Organization Management, 21,
439-460. Meglino, B.M., & Ravlin, E.C. (1998). Individual values in organizations: Concepts,
28. Greenberg, J. (1990). Employee theft as a reaction to under-payment inequity: The hidden
103.
29. Cable, D.M., & Judge, T.A. (1994). Pay preferences and job search decisions: A person-
organization fit perspective. Personnel Psychology, 47, 317-348.
30. Kopelman, R.E., & Reinharth, L. (1982). Research results: The effect of merit-pay practices
on white collar performance. Compensation Review, 14 (4), 30-40. Heneman, R.L. (1992).
31. Gerhart, B., & Milkovich, G.T. (1990). Organizational differences in managerial
compensation and firm performance. Academy of Management Journal, 33, 663-691.
32. Welbourne & Andrews (1996), op. cit., note 31.
33. Prince, J.B., & Lawler, E.E., III. (1986). Does salary discussion hurt the developmental
performance appraisal? Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 37, 357-
375.
34. Bureau of National Affairs. (1988). Changing pay practices: New developments in employee
compensation. Washington, DC: Author. Cable, D.M., & Judge, T.A. (1994), op. cit., note 29.
35. Feldman, D.C., & Arnold, H.J. (1978). Position choice: Comparing the importance of
267-276. Rynes, S.L., Schwab, D.P., & Heneman, H.G., III. (1983). The role of pay and market
pay variability in job application decisions. Organizational Behavior and Human
Performance, 31, 353-364. Slovic, P., & Lichtenstein, S. (1971). Comparison of Bayesian and
Appendix A-9
| Appendix A – Critical Thinking Applications
Critical Thinking Application 1-B
Corporate Social Responsibility and Human Resource Management
*Contributed by Richard Peters.
1. Most people regard corporate social responsibility in the straight business sense; that
is, CSR must be linked to the “bottom line” or corporate financial performance. Do you
agree with this position? Explain your answer.
As potential and existing stockholders, most people regard the social responsibility issue
with straight business sense; it must be linked to the bottom line. If it makes fiscal
sense to do then do it, if not, don’t. Wal-Mart, for example, is visible with its socially
CEOs are now increasingly looking for ways in which social performance and reputation
can benefit the organization financially , either through lowered costs and/or increased
sales revenue. For example, firms use their rankings on lists like Forbes’s annual “100
Best Companies to Work For” to attract and retain great employees. CSR has also
Appendix A-10
| Appendix A – Critical Thinking Applications
2. Conduct research related to CSR and corporate performance since Orlitzky, Schmidt,
and Rynes (2003). Does the new research support the conclusions of their meta–
analysis?
Mackey, A.; Mackey, T.m Barney, J. (2007). Corporate Social Responsibility and Firm
Performance: Investor Preferences and Corporate Strategies .The Academy of
• The theory shows that managers in publicly traded firms might fund socially
responsible activities that do not maximize the present value of their firm’s
future cash flows yet still maximize the market value of the firm
Callan, S. & Thomas, J. (2009). Corporate financial performance and corporate social
performance: an update and reinvestigation. Corporate Social responsibility and
Environmental Management. p 61-78.
• We also determine that empirical models specifying two CSP component
measures are stronger than those using a fully aggregated measure.
3. Did your responses to the questionnaire approximate the mean data from other
students? If there were significant differences (about 2 points higher or lower), in
what areas were these differences? Do you have any theories
These data were compiled from business undergraduates and graduate students
Appendix A-11
| Appendix A – Critical Thinking Applications
The means and standard deviations from items 1-15 are as follows:
Item
Mean
SD
1.
4.7
1.7
2.
5.3
1.8
3.
5.0
1.9
4.
2.4
2.2
5.
5.4
1.4
6.
3.8
1.7
7.
6.0
1.1
8.
4.2
2.3
9.
5.6
1.5
10.
3.2
2.0
11.
4.2
1.9
12.
5.3
1.6
13.
5.1
1.8
14.
5.9
1.9
15.
5.2
1.5
Appendix A-12
| Appendix A – Critical Thinking Applications
Critical Thinking Application 1-C
Resolution: Close Down the Human Resources Department
Generate a list of reasons why there may be another side to this story. What key questions
would you want to ask Mr. Stewart and Mr. Hammonds regarding outsourcing? Compile a
list of advantages and disadvantages to outsourcing that could help a company make
thoughtful decisions regarding HR.
Some of the reasons listed will include:
Outsourcing will not be as personal as in-house services.
Key questions to ask Mr. Stewart:
What are the individual per unit costs associated with outsourcing each function?
What are the individual per unit costs associated with providing services in-house?
What are the total costs associated with outsourcing each function?
Advantages to outsourcing HR functions Disadvantages to outsourcing HR functions
More objective Less personal – “boiler–plate approach”
Do PEOs Save Time, Hassles, and Money?*
The use of PEOs (Professional Employer Organizations) has increased dramatically. PEOs help
companies by outsourcing HRM functions. Since the industry began in the early 1980s annual
Appendix A-13
| Appendix A – Critical Thinking Applications
Administration. While better known now than a few years ago, they are used by just 2 percent
to 3 percent of companies with 100 or fewer workers, says National Association of Professional
Employer Organizations (NAPEO) executive vice president Milan P. Yager.1
While most clients believe that using a PEO is a cost savings in both time and money, there is
little in the way of valid metrics in assessing the actual value of their offered services. In a
recent survey sponsored by NAPEO and SHRM, more than 500 clients were polled from 52
1*Note contributed by Mary E. Wilson
Hirschman, Carolyn. (2000). For PEOs, Business Is Booming. HR Magazine, 45-2, 42-47.
2 Industry Facts section of the NAPEO website, http://www.napeo.org/peoindustry/industryfacts.cfm
3 See note 1.
4 McClendon, J., Gainey, T., and Klaas, B. (2002). HR Outsourcing and the PEO Industry: A Survey of Client
Reactions. http://www.napeo.org/insider/specialreport.pdf.
Appendix A-14
| Appendix A – Critical Thinking Applications
CHAPTER 2 – CRITICAL THINKING APPLICATIONS
Critical Thinking Application 2-A
What is the Origin of Your University Apparel?
* Contributed by Mike Ryan
Take a position on whether FSU should have joined the WRC. Conduct a web search to
determine the current state of the controversy.
Assuming your instructor doesn’t provide the information, conduct research on your campus
to find out where most of your campus paraphernalia is produced and what companies have
the licensing agreements.
Find out whether the supplier is cleared by the FLA and/or the WRC.
Is your school affiliated with either the FLA or the WRC?
Is there a USAS chapter active on your campus?
Go into the web sites of the USAS and the WRC and review their mission statements
and past accomplishments.
What is your opinion about the intervention of such organizations as the FLA, WRC,
and USAS?
Would you consider joining the USAS?
Do you think your university should join the WRC if it doesn’t belong already?
Answers will vary according to information received from various sources:
Relevant organizations with web addresses:
USAS: www.usasnet.org
WRC: www.workersrights.org
Appendix A-15
| Appendix A – Critical Thinking Applications
Critical Thinking Application 2-B
International HR: How about a Cuppa?
* Contributed by Mary E. Wilson
So what are the critical HR issues with regard to Starbucks’ international goals?
Critical HR issues include:
The host country’s employment regulations.
Knowledge of how decisions are made in country both formally and informally.
What are the key questions that must be asked once research has determined the market is
going to be profitable in a particular country?
Key questions:
How will the Starbucks be staffed? Will the line workers be locals? Will the managers be
locals? Will there be partnership opportunities in the country?
What are the employment regulations? Are there special taxes employees must pay because
they are working?
Appendix A-16
| Appendix A – Critical Thinking Applications
In terms of the eight HR domains discussed in Chapter 1, what answers are required before
getting too far along in plans to open another location?
Note: Many more questions will be derived from listing them in terms of the eight HR domains.
Organizational design:
Needs to answer who will perform which tasks.
Staffing:
Needs to answer how the employees identified by the OD will be hired.
Needs to answer how employees will be oriented to the Starbucks philosophy, to their specific
job and to the local restaurant.
Performance Appraisal and Management:
Reward Systems and Benefits:
Needs to answer who will be paid what.
Needs to answer how merit increases will be determined.
Employee Training and Organizational Development:
Needs to answer what skills are needed to do which jobs.
Appendix A-17
| Appendix A – Critical Thinking Applications
© 2013 by McGraw-Hill Education. This is proprietary material solely for authorized instructor use. Not authorized for sale or distribution in any
manner. This document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part.
Needs to answer who receives what training.
Needs to assess what knowledge and skills are necessary for managers.
Needs to answer how managers will learn the necessary skills.
Employee/Employer Relations:
Needs to answer the questions regarding labor relations (legal, contractual, and customary).
Productivity Improvement Programs:
Need to answer the customer quality concerns.
Health and Safety:
Write down what you regard as the top five most important questions for which you need
answers.
Top Five Questions(Assuming there is no market potential):
What are the customs, culture, and regulations regarding this business and its workers in this
country that are or will become important?
Select a country that you believe would be a good opportunity for a Starbucks location. Then
think about the variables you considered in selecting that country. Write down those
variables
Answers will vary.
Appendix A-18
| Appendix A – Critical Thinking Applications
Possible recommendations are
Appendix A-19
| Appendix A – Critical Thinking Applications
CHAPTER 3 – CRITICAL THINKING APPLICATIONS
Critical Thinking Application 3-A
Are Dreadlocks Protected under Title VII?
Should Mr. Polk and others be allowed to violate a grooming policy on the basis of a religious
proclamation on the sanctity of dreadlocks? Why or why not? If you answer “yes,” is there
any point where you would draw the line in terms of company policy regarding appearance
and the religious implications of dress? Does FedEx have a right to impose a reasonable
grooming policy based on customer reactions to personnel appearances?
As of June 3, 2002, a Maryland court upheld the employer’s right to require the dreadlocks cut.
In Booth v. Maryland, the district judge determined that guards “with dreadlocks might be
confused with prisoners during an uprising or attempted breakout.” Because of the safety
argument, the court deemed that good grooming was job-related. There have been no more
recent or contradictory decisions.
his hat.
Charles Eastman sued UPS in 1995 because he failed to keep his dreadlocks under wraps. Mr.
Eastman lost because he could not prove that UPS’s business-like manner hair policy
intentionally discriminated against African Americans. He could not claim religious reasons
since he admitted that the dreadlocks were a personal choice.
Appendix A-20
| Appendix A – Critical Thinking Applications
New York State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer joined the EEOC suit citing inadequate laws for all
religious practices.
Since the attacks of September 11, 2001, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
(EEOC) and state and local fair employment practices agencies have recorded a significant
increase in the number of charges alleging discrimination based on religion and/or national
origin. Many of the charges have been filed by individuals who are or are perceived to be
Muslim, Arab, South Asian, or Sikh. These charges most commonly allege harassment and
discharge.
Consider the four scenarios below and answer the questions after each one.
Scenario 1: Muhammad, who is Arab American, works for XYZ Motors, a large used car
business. Muhammad meets with his manager and complains that Bill, one of his co-workers,
regularly calls him names like “camel jockey,” “the local terrorist,” and “the ayatollah,” and
has intentionally embarrassed him in front of customers by claiming that he is incompetent.
How should the superior respond?