Management Chapter 10 Many Firms Often Conjunction With Their Unions Have Worked Out System Which

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PPT 10.46

e. Increased innovation and creativity as diverse employees bring

new, unique perspectives to decision-making and

customer base.

2. As work-force diversity becomes a valued organizational asset,

companies spend less time managing conflict and more time

accomplishing tasks and satisfying customers.

D. Affirmative Action

1. Many companies strive to improve their working environments

through affirmative action programs, which are legally mandated

plans that try to increase job opportunities for minority groups by

specific hiring and promotion goals to resolve the discrepancy.

2. Legislation reinforces affirmative action but prohibits organizations

from setting hiring quotas that might result in reverse

discrimination.

VIII. Trends in Management of the Workforce

A. The latest recession caused many businesses to lay off workers, increase

responsibilities of workers they retained, and cut benefits.

time.

C. It is important for managers to be aware of legal issues regarding

LO 10-8

Assess an organization’s efforts to reduce its workforce size and

manage the resulting effects.

Key Terms:

PPT 10.47

IX. Solve the Dilemma—Morale Among the Survivors

a. 1 additional month of work

c. Opportunity to sign up for classes to help with transitions

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PPT 10.48

3. Several months later, morale was at an all-time low for the company

although productivity had improved

B. Consultants suggestion:

1. Suggested that the leaner, flatter organizational structure would be

suitable for more team activity

2. Set up task forces and teams to deal with employee concerns

among team members

C. Discussion Questions

a. What did Medallion’s HRM department do right in dealing with the

employees who were laid off?

b. What are some of the potential problems that must be dealt with

after an organization experiences a major trauma such as massive

c. What can Medallion do to make the team approach work more

smoothly? What role do you think diversity training should play?

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B O X E D T E X T D I S C U S S I O N Q U E S T I O N S

ENTER THE WORLD OF BUSINESS—The Recruitment Process of Cirque du Soleil

Cirque du Soleil is known for its fanciful shows and for being the only circus that does not use animals. It uses

a blend of circus arts and street entertainment to entertain guests. The hiring process is based on the

1. Describe Cirque du Soleil’s recruitment and interview process.

The company holds recruiting events on different continents to recruit the best talent. Yet, the hiring

2. Why is creativity of new hires important to Cirque du Soleil?

3. What are some of the difficulties in hiring such a diverse group of performers?

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GOING GREEN—Sustainability Job Opportunities

1. Why are sustainability job opportunities increasing in the business field?

2. Why might a large organization want to adopt a sustainability position or department?

3. Describe the responsibilities for different jobs in sustainability.

Some positions in this field require strong leadership and communication skills over technical knowledge

in sustainability practices. People in this area generally create an atmosphere of sustainability as an

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CONSIDER ETHICS AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY—Employee Privacy or Employer Vulnerability: The Role of

Social Media in the Financial Industry

Since the advent of social media in the workplace, many states have begun passing legislation to prevent

employers from monitoring their employees’ social media activities. This is done to protect employee

1. What are advantages of laws forbidding employers from accessing employees’ social media activities?

2. What are disadvantages of laws forbidding employers from accessing employees’ social media

activities?

3. Is there anything firms can do to keep employees from releasing nonpublic information over social

media without infringing on their privacy?

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Instructor’s Manual – Chapter 10

S U P P L E M E N T A L L E C T U R E

Firing Employees

Chapter 10 deals with the topics of promotions, transfers, and separations. Firing an employee is one aspect

of management that most managers hate. Despite all the literature about effective management and

motivation, there are still times when an employer has to fire an employee.

Firing procedures vary from company to company, but here is a list of good suggestions gleaned from the

experiences of several firms and their employees.

1. Have adequate documentation before firing. If it is your contention that the employee is a troublemaker,

you should be able to back up that contention with written documentation. Many firms (often in

conjunction with their unions) have worked out a system in which an employee is given one or two oral

reprimands for improper conduct. Although an employee is told orally of his shortcomings, his personnel

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2. Have at least one very serious meeting with the person to be fired PRIOR TO the meeting for firing.

Several such meetings should take place. This will prevent a firing coming as a complete surprise to the

3. Do NOT handle a firing all by yourself. There is something courageous about handling your own firing

duties, but such a move is also foolish. Invite a colleague in management to sit with you as you tell the

4. Keep cool. Although there may have been times when you were so exasperated with the employee in

question that you wanted to shout and curse, the firing moment is not the time for your emotional

5. Be prepared for anything. Part of keeping cool is being prepared for all possible reactions. Don’t be

shocked if Frank starts to shout obscenities at you; expect that and more. If your colleague has never

1. What is the first step for the manager to take before the firing?

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2. What reactions may a manager find when firing an employee today?

3. How many persons should be present during the actual firing of an employee?

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C O N T R O V E R S I A L I S S U E

How Easy Is It to Be an Arbitrator?

Unlike mediation and conciliation, arbitration leads to a binding decision that in most cases will settle the

issue permanently. As you can see, an arbitrator must take his or her role very seriously because his or her

Management

Dillon Haskill reported to work 30 minutes late on April 4. This is not the first time Haskill has been late, and

on previous occasions he has been warned that a repeat of this tardiness without a good excuse could mean

Labor

Dillon Haskill has never been given a written warning that tardiness will not be tolerated. His personnel

record in the human resources office will verify this. When Dillon reported for work on April 4, he was met at

the door by his supervisor, who began throwing curses at Dillon. When Dillon tried to respond quietly to

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1. What should the arbitrator’s decision be? Can there be a compromise in the dispute?

2. Could management avoid some of the problems brought out in this controversy by published policies

and rules?

Management could probably have avoided some of these problems by publishing policies and rules. Then

S O Y O U W A N T T O W O R K I N H U M A N R E S O U R C E S

What is the value of having a diverse workforce, and why does it present challenges to human resources

managers?

Diversity is an asset and can help a company keep from having blindspots or harmony in thought,

C H E C K Y O U R P R O G R E S S

1. Distinguish among job analysis, job descriptions, and job specifications. How do they relate to planning in

human resources management?

Job analysis is observing the specific tasks that make up a job; the skills, knowledge, and abilities needed to

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2. What activities are involved in acquiring and maintaining the appropriate level of qualified human

resources? Name the stages of the selection process.

3. What are the two types of training programs? Relate training to kinds of jobs.

4. What is the significance of a performance appraisal? How do managers appraise employees?

5. Why does turnover occur? List the types of turnover. Why do businesses want to reduce turnover due

to separations?

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6. Relate wages, salaries, bonuses, and benefits to Herzberg’s distinction between hygiene and

motivation factors. How does the form of compensation relate to the type of job?

7. What is the role of benefits? Name some examples of benefits.

8. Describe the negotiation process through which management and unions reach an agreement on a

contract.

Collective bargaining is the negotiation process through which management and unions reach an

agreement about issues such as compensation, working hours, and working conditions. The union

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9. Besides collective bargaining and grievance procedures, what other alternatives are available to labor

and management to handle labor disputes?

Both labor and management can use pressure tactics to resolve disputes. Although most labor disputes

are handled through collective bargaining or grievance procedures, sometimes management or labor

10. What are the benefits associated with a diverse workforce?

G E T I N V O L V E D

1. Although many companies screen applicants and test employees for illegal drug use, such testing is

somewhat controversial. Find some companies in your community that test applicants and/or

employees for drugs. Why do they have such a policy? How do the employees feel about it? Using this

information, debate the pros and cons of drug testing in the workplace.

2. If collective bargaining and the grievance procedures have not been able to settle a current labor

dispute, what tactics would you and other employees adopt? Which tactics would be best for which

situations? Give examples.

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3. Find some examples of companies that value their diverse workforces, perhaps some of the companies

mentioned in the chapter. In what ways have these firms derived benefits from promoting cultural

diversity? How have they dealt with the problems associated with cultural diversity?

Student answers will vary.

B U I L D Y O U R S K I L L S

Suggestions for Use

B U I L D Y O U R B U S I N E S S P L A N

Have students identify how they have learned about jobs they have applied for in the past. What sources

S E E F O R Y O U R S E L F V I D E O C A S E:

T H E I M P O R T A N C E O F H O L L Y W O O D L A B O R U N I O N S

Case Overview

Hollywood labor unions were, and continue to be, important players in the careers of Hollywood artists.

When actors first became mainstream in the early 20th century, working conditions for the industry included

long work weeks and low pay. Studios essentially “owned” their artists, which meant that rival studios would

not hire actors or actresses once their contracts ended. As individuals, screenwriters, actors, and radio stars

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1. Why are Hollywood labor unions considered necessary?

2. Why is striking often avoided if possible?

3. Why do you think unions in the entertainment industry are banding together?

By banding together, unions are able to increase their bargaining power and address challenges more

T E A M E X E R C I S E

Students will form groups and go to monster.com and look up job descriptions for positions in business

T E R M P A P E R O R P R O J E C T T O P I C S

These topics may be assigned as individual or collaborative projects:

1. The Advantages and Disadvantages of Piece-rate Compensation Plans

3. Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs)

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G U E S T S P E A K E R S U G G E S T I O N S

1. A human resources management representative from a business firm to speak about different aspects of

the selection process, compensation plans, and benefits plans.

3. A representative from a college or university office for students with disabilities to speak about providing

T E A C H I N G S U G G E S T I O N S

2. Have students select and complete an exercise from “Get Involved.” Then, at the next session, have them

give a brief presentation of their work to the class.