978-0470639948 Chapter 3 Solution Manual Part 2

Unlock access to all the studying documents.

View Full Document

ADDITIONAL QUESTION 2: WHAT IS AFFIRMATIVE ACTION? ARE

AFFIRMATIVE ACTION PLANS ETHICAL?

AFFIRMATIVE ACTION

An organization may implement an affirmative action plan if its gender or racial profile

does not reflect the gender or racial profile of people living in the geographical region

qualified to perform the job task.

Affirmative action plans remedy past discriminatory behaviors by actively

seeking, hiring, and promoting minority group members and women to equalize

opportunities previously limited to white males.

ETHICAL ISSUES

oAffirmative action plans remain controversial.

oSome people claim that affirmative action plans are an unconstitutional form of

fireverse discrimination,” where white males are discriminated against based solely on

their race and gender.

oOthers oppose affirmative action plans on the grounds that they are no longer

necessary because historical forms of racial and gender discrimination have been

eliminated, or remediation for discrimination can be addressed through the justice

system.

oSome employers try to avoid litigation by instituting a protected class quota system.

For instance, an organization may need ten African Americans to meet the

community’s racial profile because qualified African Americans are applying for job

openings elsewhere. But employing ten unqualified African Americans sets protected

class quota recipients up for failure, reinforces negative stereotyping, and damages

employee morale.

DISCUSSION ACTIVITY

Many affirmative action plans state that fiif all else is equal” among job candidates the company

should hire the most qualified woman or African-American.

Take a poll as to whether students believe affirmative action plans are ethical or unethical. Then

put students in groups with like-minded people. Have them develop a list of reasons that supports

their position and are critical of the other position. Prioritize these reasons. Then facilitate a

debate between the two opposing viewpoints.

ADDITIONAL QUESTION 3: WHAT LEGAL OBLIGATIONS DO JOB CANDIDATES

HAVE WITH THE ORGANIZATIONS INTERVIEWING THEM?

The legal system is equally demanding about the obligations job candidates owe the employer.

Job candidates are legally required to respond truthfully to all job-related questions on

application forms and submitted materials, such as resumes. Highlight this obligation by

inserting a sentence directly above the job candidate’s signature line stating that:

DISCUSSION ACTIVITY

As noted in Exhibit 3.3, many college students admit to having exaggerated or lied during the job

application process. Take a poll to determine whether any students in class have made similar

misrepresentations about – positive attributes (51%), work experience (38%), previous pay

(27%), list of awards or distinctions (8%). Have they ever worded these accomplishments on a

resume in a way that may mislead the reader?

1. What did they make the misrepresentation? Why?

2. Was the item a determining factor in obtaining the job?

3. How could they have obtained the job without the misinformation?

CHAPTER QUESTION 3: WHAT ARE SIX SOURCES OF BEHAVIOR INFORMATION

ABOUT A JOB CANDIDATE’S ETHICS? WHAT ARE THE STRENGTHS AND

WEAKNESSES OF EACH INFORMATION SOURCE?

STEP 3: Behavioral Information

Behavioral information about a job candidate’s ethics is more reliable than attitudinal

survey results or responses to hypothetical dilemmas.

Review EXHIBIT 3.10, which summarizes the strengths and concerns for the six types of

behavioral information sources discussed in this chapter.

RESUMES

College Students:

 Executives:

oThe same problem is apparent among those applying for the highest-level job

openings.

oJude W. Werra, owner of a headhunting company, publishes a Liar’s Index

False information or inconsistencies on resumes and job applications suggests a lack

of ethics and trustworthiness.

REFERENCE CHECKS

The previous supervisor’s perspective of the job candidate’s strengths and weaknesses

is probably the most relevant information source. Behavioral indicators of the job

candidate’s ethics include the applicant’s attendance record, ability to follow

directions, assisting co-workers, timeliness, and disciplinary record.

If the previous supervisor is not listed among the references, ask the job candidate

why. Maybe the supervisor is upset the job candidate quit or the job candidate had

accused the supervisor of unethical behaviors.

For management positions, request the names of previous subordinates as references.

An excellent manager would welcome the opportunity to do so.

Ask the previous subordinate whether he or she would want to work for this manager

again. If it is not possible to contact the subordinate, ask the candidate how a previous

subordinate would classify the applicant’s strengths and weaknesses.

If a former employer or supervisor will only confirm dates of employment, then

quickly ask: fiWould you hire this person again?”

oSupervisors are usually willing to share positive information about a former

employee, even if their organization has a strict policy not to divulge anything

beyond the basic employment facts.

oIf the supervisor hesitates, or refuses to answer, then ask the candidate

follow-up questions during the interview session.

References are legally protected from a defamation lawsuit as long as the information

being conveyed is truthful. A signed release statement by the job candidate provides

the reference with greater confidence of legal protection against a defamation lawsuit.

Review TIPS AND TECHNIQUES – LEGAL PROTECTIONS FOR CONTACTING

REFERENCES

BACKGROUND CHECKS

General Information

A background check is more objective than a reference check, integrity test, or

personality test.

Conduct background checks to verify a job candidate’s academic accomplishments,

prior work responsibilities, and other work-related issues.

Extensive background checks are legally required for certain high-security jobs, such

as those in the financial securities, law enforcement, or healthcare industries.

Background checks are also highly recommended when the job entails interacting

with the public.

Some online background check service providers are untrustworthy. A test of these

providers showed that many were unable to recognize that a job candidate had

criminal and civil records because their databases were out-dated or incorrect.

Academic Accomplishments

Academic accomplishments are a common resume problem.

A background check could reveal that a workshop attended at a local college or

university has been inflated to the status of coursework taken toward an advanced

degree, or whether the listed higher education institution is an unaccredited diploma

mill that provides credentials to people without taking courses.

Criminal Records

Other sources of information are criminal records, motor vehicle reports, Social

Security verification, and credit checks.

McDonald’s paid $200,000 in damages for hiring a janitor who sexually assaulted a

three-year old customer. The court ruled against McDonald’s because it would have

been relatively easy for the company to search a public criminal records database.

oAccess to a nationwide list of district court, circuit court, and bankruptcy court

Credit Records

Notify the job candidate that a credit check will be conducted, and provide an

opportunity for applicants to explain any information that raises questions about the

individual’s credibility.

oThe Fair Credit Reporting Act requires that job applicants be notified if their

rejection is based on credit report information.

Facebook

In 2010, after just six years of operation, more than 500 million people were active

Facebook users, one out of every fourteen people in the world.

Approximately half of human resource managers surveyed perform due diligence by

inserting a job candidate’s name in an Internet search engine. These searches can

result in a list of Web sites highlighting a potential employee’s ethical, or unethical,

activities.

DISCUSSION ACTIVITY

Meet in a computer lab or request that all students bring a laptop to class. Put students in pairs.

Tell Student 1 that s/he is applying for a job and Student 2 is an HR manager. Request that the

job applicant permit the HR manager access to the job applicant’s Facebook page. Then have the

HR manager highlight positive character items and fired flag” items on the Facebook page that

raises questions about the job applicant’s character.

Reverse the roles and have Student 1 explore Student 2’s Facebook page for positive character

items and fired flag” items.

Then have both students share their analysis from the perspective of an HR manager and make

recommendations for changes to the Facebook page.

INTEGRITY TESTS

Integrity tests, also referred to as honesty tests, typically gather information about

the job candidate’s behaviors and attitudes toward unethical workplace activities,

such as theft.

Three popular integrity tests are portions of the Reid Report, the Stanton Survey, and

the Personnel Selection Inventory (PSI).

 Integrity tests may take any of the following four approaches:

1. Direct admission of performing an illegal or questionable activity: fiI stole

money from my previous employer.”

2. Opinions regarding illegal or questionable behavior: fiIt is okay for people to

steal from employers.”

3. Personality traits related to dishonesty: fiI constantly think about stealing from

my employer.”

4. Reaction to a hypothetical situation featuring dishonest behavior: fiIf I saw an

employee steal money, I would ignore the situation and wait for the boss to

find out.”

In 1990, with more than 5,000 businesses using integrity tests, the federal

government’s Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) published a report

summarizing research on the validity (did the tests really measure integrity or

something other than integrity?) and reliability (would the same person taking the test

twice receive similar scores?) of integrity tests.

oThe findings noted that 94 to 99 percent of the individuals who passed an

integrity test (and thus classified as honest) did not later steal from their

employer.

oHowever, 73 to 97 percent of the individuals who were hired despite being

classified by test results as dishonest also did not steal.

oThe OTA report concluded that research neither proved nor disproved whether

integrity tests measured an individual’s propensity to steal.

More recent research, however, has found that individuals with low integrity test

scores at the time of employment, compared to those with higher scores, are more

likely to later engage in theft, have high absenteeism, break rules, cheat, and become

disciplinary problems.

Despite these impressive findings, using self-report integrity tests as the sole criterion

for hiring people may deny organizations the services of some very honest

individuals.

oTutorials and coaches are available to help individuals score high on integrity

tests.

oThe fibest” integrity test answer is often obvious and, as a result, dishonest

individuals who lie by providing the answer an employer wants can score

higher than honest individuals.

PERSONALITY TESTS (See next question)

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS (See later question)

DRUG AND POLYGRAPH TESTS (See later questions)

CHAPTER QUESTION 4: WHICH OF THE fiBIG FIVE” PERSONALITY FACTORS

ARE THE MOST RELEVANT FOR UNDERSTANDING A JOB CANDIDATE’S

ETHICS?

STEP 4: Personality Traits and Related Characteristics

BIG FIVE PERSONALITY MODEL

Personality tests offer a much broad psychological understanding of the job candidate and

can identify characteristics associated with ethical or unethical behaviors.

Personality theorists and researchers have reached a general consensus on a fiBig Five

Model” consisting of five broad dimensions or factors that describe human personality:

Scores on three of the Big Five personality factors – (1) agreeableness, (2)

conscientiousness, and (3) emotional stability – correspond to integrity test scores.

CONSCIENTIOUSNESS

Review EXHIBIT 3.5 which lists survey statements used to measure conscientiousness.

DISCUSSION ACTIVITY

Have students independently complete the fiConscientiousness” survey (Exhibit 3.5). Then share

results in small groups and discuss strategies for increasing the occurrence of the positively

stated items and decrease the occurrence of negatively stated items.

ADDITIONAL QUESTION 4: WHAT IS ORGANIZATIONAL CITIZENSHIP

BEHAVIOR? WHAT DOES IT TELL US ABOUT JOB CANDIDATES?

Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB) refers to work-related helping behaviors that go

beyond normal job requirements, such as aiding others with job-related problems. Researchers

report that individuals who score high on OCB also score high for performance quantity,

performance quality, and customer service.

OCB is typically measured based on seven factors:

Researchers have developed shorter OCB scales that tap into some of these factors. Review

EXHIBIT 3.6 which provides a 5-item overall OCB scale.

Review EXHIBIT 3.7 which provides a 7-item fiHelping Behavior” scale, a prominent OCB

factor.

DISCUSSION ACTIVITY

Have students think about a part-time or full-time job or volunteer activity. Independently

complete the fiOrganizational Citizenship Behavior” survey (Exhibit 3.6) and/or the fiHelping

Behavior” survey (Exhibit 3.7) as a self-assessment or with another employee/volunteer in mind.

Then share results in small groups and discuss strategies for sincerely increasing the occurrence

of the positively stated items and sincerely decreasing the occurrence of negatively stated items.

ADDITIONAL QUESTION 5: WHAT TWO MEASURES SUGGEST THAT A JOB

APPLICANT MIGHT BE PRONE TO UNETHICAL BEHAVIOR?

SOCIAL DOMINANCE ORIENTATION

Ethics demands sincere, open-minded, respectful conversations with a wide variety of

people about alternative actions under consideration.

DISCUSSION ACTIVITY

Have students independently complete the fiSocial Dominance Orientation” survey (Exhibit 3.8)

as a self-assessment, Then share results in small groups and discuss the results, first for high

scores for fiweak social dominance items” and then high scores for fistrong social dominance

items.”

Encourage students to constructively and civilly discuss items where there is a large difference

among group members. Who influences these beliefs? What life circumstances led to these

beliefs?

BULLYING

A survey of U.S. workers found that approximately 30 percent were bullied by a boss or

co-worker. Researchers report that a predisposition to bullying others is associated with

racial and gender discrimination.

The two most common forms of bullying were (1) having information withheld that

affected job performance and (2) being exposed to an unmanageable workload.

Information about a person’s bullying tendencies can be obtained through a reference

check.

Researchers have developed a 22-item bullying scale, but it measures whether an

employee has been bullied rather than whether a job applicant has bullying tendencies.

Questions from the bullying scale that could be asked include has the job applicant:

Purposely withheld information from others that negatively affected their

performance

Assigned unmanageable workloads

Ordered subordinates to do work beyond their competence level

Given tasks with unreasonable/impossible targets/deadlines

Excessively monitored the work of subordinates

Humiliated and ridiculed subordinates

DISCUSSION ACTIVITY

Ask students if they have ever experienced any of the 6 bullying behaviors listed above at work,

in student organizations, or in group projects, and then ask:

1. Why did the bully behave that way?

2. How did the student respond to the bully?

3. What action should be taken to reduce the bully’s behaviors?