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47. INCIDENT: NEPOTISM
I. OVERVIEW:
This incident focuses on the topic of nepotism, the hiring or relatives within an organization.
While large companies in the U.S. get most of the media attention, small firm far outnumber large ones
and employ more workers. One of the problems that develop in some firm is the hiring of
sons/daughters/sisters/brothers/cousins/etc. This incident examines one of the many problems that may
develop when nepotism occurs-conflict over the hiring and employing of these relatives.
II. OBJECTIVES:
The primary purpose of this incident is to examine the advantages and disadvantages of hiring
and employing relatives. It also examines the issue of how to deal with a manager (Doris) who refuses to
supervise an employee (the daughter of the firm’s owner). As a minor issue, the incident raises the issue
of how a firm should deal with o9ce romances.
III. ANSWERS TO INCIDENT QUESTIONS:
1. What are the major problems in this case?
There are numerous problems that appear in this case. First, one of the firm’s partners has
thrust his daughter upon a branch of the firm without asking for anyone’s input first. He did not ask if
there was work for Ellen to do, or whether there was a work desk for her, or whether there would be any
problems that might result from her arrival. In addition, he did not suggest whether Ellen should be
Second, Doris’s behavior in this incident is unacceptable. She has become very de+ant and now
refuses to supervise Ellen or have anything to do with her. She has abdicated her responsibilities and
thrust them upon Jim. While we may understand why she is behaving this way, her behavior is still
problematic. Supervisors have a responsibility to perform all of the tasks assigned to them. They are not
Third, the architects in the o9ce are falling behind in their work as a result of talking with Ellen.
In addition, some o9ce workers are complaining about the fact that Ellen is not doing her share of the
work. These problems appear to be the result of Doris’s unwillingness to supervise Ellen and Jim’s
Finally, this incident raises the issue of potential romances at work. The incident states that Ellen
is very interested in one of the architects and vice versa. The firm may have a policy regarding dating of
2. If you were Jim Staples, what steps would you take to solve the problems
depicted in this case?
In this incident, Jim may want to meet with Doris to get the problems resolved. He may want to
tell Doris that, like it or not, she has the responsibility for supervising Ellen. No one likes to have a new
employee thrust upon him/her. However, this action does not excuse Doris from fulfilling her leadership
Alternately, Jim may want to take full responsibility for supervising Ellen. This approach has the
advantage of eliminating the need to talk with Doris and trying to overcome her defensiveness. In
3. What are the advantages and disadvantages of having a “no nepotism”
policy?
Most firm need to address the issue of whether they will permit the hiring of relatives. Some
have a “no hiring of relatives” policy while others allow relatives to be hired without restrictions. In
Allowing managers to hire relatives could be viewed as an important fringe benefit. Who
wouldn’t want the right to hire a member of the family? For many managers, this is an important job
Another potential advantage of nepotism is that relatives of present employees may actually
perform be*er on the job than non-relatives. These individuals may believe that they have an obligation
On the other hand, hiring relatives can lead to problems as we see in this incident. It may cause
morale problems among present employees and antagonize managers who must supervise someone
The hiring or relatives can also lead to friction between employees. If a firm has a large number
of relatives working in the same location, everyone needs to be extra careful about what they say about
One of the less obvious outcomes of nepotism is that it may result in a less diverse, more
homogenous, workforce. If the firm’s original employees were all the same race, ethnic background, or
As a final note, it may be helpful when discussing this incident to suggest how firm who allow
nepotism can minimize potential problems. One suggestion is for the firm to not grant relatives special
48. SKILL BUILDER: EVALUATING JOB APPLICATION FORMS
I. OBJECTIVES
1. To familiarize students with the criteria for selecting questions on an application
form.
2. To give students practice in evaluating the legality of questions on an application
form.
II. TIME REQUIRED TO COMPLETE: 2 hours
III. INSTRUCTIONS: See text
IV. POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS
This assignment can be discussed in class or students can simply be required to hand in their
reports. In the past I have found it helpful to have a brief discussion about the application and have
students identify potentially unlawful inquiries. If time permits, ask students how the questions could be
re-worded to be lawful. One issue that must be resolved is whether the questions about religious
Some of the pre-employment inquiries (See the Guide to Pre-Employment Inquiries developed
by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 1981) that may be unlawful and what constitutes
acceptable questions are:
Subject of Question Acceptable Question(s)
1. Name What is your name?
5. Gender, marital status
If you are a minor, provide the address of a parent or guardian.
6. Physical health Do you have any physical condition or handicap that may limit your
7. Citizenship If you are oFered and accept a job, can you submit proof of your legal
8. Military Service Please list any specific educational or job experiences you may have
9. Arrest and Conviction
Have you ever been convicted of a felony? (Courts have ruled
10. Hobbies, clubs, and
Please list any clubs or organizations in which you are a member that
Here are some of the questionable items on the application blank of United Holy Radio:
a. Sex
b. Age
c. Photo
d. Own Home (May have an adverse impact on minorities.)
Perhaps the most difficult part of the application blank is the questions on religion and church
membership. According to Cihon & Castagnera (2005), Section 702 of Title VII permits religious societies
to grant hiring preference in favor of their religion. According to Section 703 (e) (2) and Section 702 (a)
Title VII shall not apply to a religious corporation, association, educational institution or society with
49. SKILL BUILDER: STAFFING FOR A TELECOMMUTING JOB
I. OBJECTIVES:
1. To give students practice in revising a job description for a telecommuting job.
2. To enhance student understanding of how to prepare a sta9ng plan for a
telecommuting job.
3. To familiarize students with some of the diFerences between sta9ng for
telecommuting job environments versus sta9ng for traditional job (o9ce)
environments.
II. TIME REQUIRED TO COMPLETE: 1 - 2 hours
III. INSTRUCTIONS: See Text
IV. ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS:
1. What method of job analysis do you recommend to determine the job requirements
and job specifications for a telecommuting job? Is the method you recommend
diFerent than the method you would use if the job was performed in a traditional
o9ce environment?
The purpose of this question is to require students to compare and contrast the diFerent
In this exercise, the goals of the job analysis pertain to both sta9ng and job re-design purposes.
By emphasizing the job re-design goals, students should be encouraged to focus on job requirements as
Job analysis information and data collection methods can be generally categorized as
task-oriented information (i.e., “what” is to be done) and person-oriented information (i.e., “how” the
job gets done). In the context of telecommuting, task-oriented data is important and is necessary in
order to specify any unique job requirements (e.g., materials and equipment responsibilities). The use of
task ratings should be discussed as a means of identifying not only the relative importance of job
activities, but also whether the telecommuting job contains tasks that diFer in importance as compared
An interesting topic for debate is the necessary level of specificity of job analysis. Given the
self-management nature of a telecommuting job, some people will argue that it’s not necessary to
develop a highly-detailed job analysis; the job is intended to be 2exible and will change depending on
2. What procedures do you recommend for recruiting and hiring a telecommuter? Are
the procedures you recommend diFerent than the procedures you would use if the
job was performed in a traditional o9ce environment?
Some of the recruitment issues to be discussed include the use of external and/or internal
candidates (sources of recruits), and the use of “non-traditional” and/or traditional recruitment methods
(channels of recruitment). Although there are certainly good arguments for restricting telecommuting
jobs to internal candidates (thus a type of “perk”), students should be encouraged to analyze this in
A discussion about selection issues can be framed around the use of paper/pencil methods (i.e.,
ability and personality tests), rater-based methods (i.e., interviews and references), and simulation
methods (i.e., work samples and performance tests). This discussion invariably leads to an analysis of
An interesting topic for debate here is the role that personality and traits play with respect to
selecting telecommuters. The emphasis on selecting “self-motivated” individuals leads to a lively debate
about the validity of personality as it relates to predicting job performance as opposed to predicting job
3. What changes would you make to the job description in Exhibit 2.15 to reflect the
telecommuting nature of the job?
The purpose of this question is to get students to consider how the job analysis is used for
Primary Job Duties/Responsibilities/Essential Job Functions:
a. Contacts - Describe necessary contacts with co-workers, customers, departments,
b. Product/Service Quality - Describe the quality expectations for this position, and identify the
c. Equipment Maintenance - Describe who is primarily responsible for what, and what aspects
Quali+cations/Education/Experience:
4. What other recommendations would you make in order to ensure the successful
implementation of a telecommuting work arrangement?
There are a variety of factors surrounding the successful implementation of a telecommuting
Job Environment/Home O9ce: discussion should consider this factor from both a QWL
Career Planning/Organizational Commitment: Consider problems and solutions concerning
“worker alienation” and detachment from the organization (both physical and psychological
Legal Issues: Consider problems relating to liability (accident/safety, workman’s comp claims)
Contributed by Diana Deadrick, Old Dominion University
50. SKILL BUILDER: TEST/INTERVIEW VALIDATION
I. OBJECTIVES
1. To enhance student understanding of the test/interview validation process.
2. To give students experience in calculating the validity of a test.
3. To give students experience in preparing a sca*er diagram (optional)
II. TIME REQUIRED TO COMPLETE: 1 hour
III. INSTRUCTIONS: SEE TEXT
IV. DISCUSSION
This skill builder is designed to familiarize students with the test/validation process. It requires
that they examine three diFerent correlation coefficient to determine if the firm would benefit from
adding an intelligence test to its selection process. An examination of these coefficient (.391 vs. .650 vs
.631) shows that there is no benefit (no incremental validity) to the hotel for adding a test to its current
selection interview process. Indeed, it would only cost the firm extra money ($40 per test plus the time
needed to administer the test), take time for the applicant to take the test, and antagonize those
applicants who resent being asked to take the test.
