Questions and Answers of Managing Human Resources

Emballages Prévost was founded in 1980 by its current president and CEO, Michel Prévost, who set himself the goal of always managing the company the way a good parent would manage a family. The
Supervisors report that discharging an employee is one of the toughest tasks they perform as managers. Termination for absenteeism can be particularly difficult because if the absenteeism is related
Unions, like business organizations, are dynamic and varied organizations. Some unions are very large, such as Unifor, and represent workers nationally. Others are smaller in size and represent only
There is a long-standing tradition of Canada’s federal government to promote free collective bargaining among employee groups. However, in 1994, the Conservative government in Ontario took steps
In 2006, Walmart was operating more than 6,500 stores with 1.8 million employees around the world. In the early 1990s, Walmart Stores Inc. expanded into Canada, with the purchase of 122 stores from
Fast Food High is a film produced by CTV and inspired by the real story about how a group of teenage workers tried to organize a union at McDonald’s in Orangeville, Ontario. Watch the film and
There is often a great deal of work involved in setting up expatriate assignments. The administrative requirements can be far ranging and extend beyond the employee to also include family issues.
Anna has enjoyed great success in the Toronto office of a global company. When she was offered an assignment in Tokyo, she approached the job with the full confidence of her employer that she could
Cambior, based in Longueil, Quebec, was one of Canada’s largest gold producers, employing 2,700 people at mines in Québec, Peru, French Guyana, and Surinam. Of these, over 1,000 were based outside
In recent years, we have observed an increase in foreign production throughout the world. What PEST factors would you consider to be most relevant to H&M’s HR managers when trying to figure out
Do you believe that codetermination will ever become popular in Canada? Explain your position.
Do you think that Titan is an isolated example or that many companies engage in similar behaviors overseas but are never caught? Do you think it is acceptable for a firm to take the risk and pay a
When a company operates in many different countries with widely diverse legal systems and ethical standards, how can it develop and enforce a global set of criteria as to what is right and wrong?
The class is divided into groups of five. Each team will provide Danjczek with a set of recommendations as to what he should do in his new job to improve the ethical climate at Titan. Depending on
One student will role-play Danjczek; five other students will role-play international agents of Titan at five different locations (Brazil, Bermuda, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, and Rumania). Danjczek is
Develop a set of policies to discourage corruption in an organization such as Titan. What are the major challenges in trying to enforce such a policy? What steps would you recommend to increase the
Students break into groups of five. One student roleplays a consultant who is conducting an exercise to uncover possible problems in uniform application of the company’s current policy. Each of the
Students are divided into groups of five. Using the Internet or any other sources each team will develop an outline of human resource practices that are most likely to succeed in each location based
Find some individuals (other students, friends, or relatives) who were either raised in and/or are familiar with a foreign country. Interview them and ask their opinions about how they perceive that
Your boss has stated that he wants the hiring program to hire the best workers and to be legally defensible. Are those two compatible? What would be your basic recommendations to your boss to achieve
If you were hired by a company such as Antle, would you feel comfortable working under the compensation system it has in place? Why or why not? Depending on your response, outline what features of
A company has a speak-up feedback program but unfortunately few employees use it. Managers learn about employee problems only during the exit interview when the employees are leaving to work for a
What factors are encouraging unions and management in the United States to adopt more cooperative strategies today?
This exercise sets up a situation in which a supervisor has reported to the HR director that there have been unionization efforts in her department. She describes what has happened, what employees
Assume that you are a self-employed management consultant and a friend tells you about the Freelancers Union. Your friend is a member and asks you to join. You are considering the advantages and
Are public-sector unions in the United States too powerful? What is the source of the power of public-sector unions? Do you agree with Governor Walker of Wisconsin, who believes that;(1)
Many public-sector employees decided to quit being union members in Wisconsin, as explained in the case. What alternative ways does a group of public-sector employees, such as nurses or teachers,
With a group of four or five students, assume that you are a group of high school teachers in Wisconsin and that the union that represented the teachers to the board of education in the school
The purpose of this experiential exercise is to reflect on the implications of t the Wisconsin law that weakens public-sector unions, as explained in this case, by thinking about how you would answer
Why do you think the striking public school teachers in all five states successfully obtained higher wages and better funding for their schools?
What are some alternative methods that teachers could use to obtain improvements in pay and working conditions without resorting to strikes and protest marches?
Students form into groups of four to five members and examine the pros and cons of a teacher strike for the purpose of improved wages and working conditions. The team develops a list of pros and cons
In this experiential exercise, assume that you are a public school teacher and the education union that represents teachers in your school district has voted to strike over teacher pay because the
Opponents of "Big Government" claim that excessive regulation of workplace safety hurts productivity and increases costs. They argue that in a free market, employees should be responsible for their
Some feel that wellness and employee assistance programs should be evaluated on a cost–benefit basis and discontinued if these programs’ benefits do not exceed their costs. Others feel that
Do you think that OSHA standards for combustible dust are needed? Why or why not?
Some jobs involve hazards. Some employers pay a higher wage for those jobs, but safety and health regulations suggest that may not be enough. What other basic steps should an employer take to assure
Do you think social media is a useful way for offering a wellness program? Why or why not? What major characteristics do you think a social media– based wellness program should have?
Describe how social media can be used in employee wellness programs.
Describe why management should address violence in the workplace. Identify a couple of steps that management might take to reduce the threat of workplace violence.
An old business adage states that if you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it. Applying this simple but powerful logic to workplace bullying suggests that workplace bullying needs to be measured
Workplace bullying can take a variety of forms (see the partial list in the team exercise). With your teammates, identify an episode representing workplace bullying and prepare to role-play this
Mental health problems often have a negative stigma. What, if anything, do you think companies can do to reduce this stigma?
Expatriates frequently complain that when they accept an international assignment, they put their careers on hold while their peers in the home office continue to climb the corporate ladder. To what
This exercise forces students to think realistically about the compensation problems with expatriate employees. The rankings will vary, but students should be prepared to defend their rankings with
Despite the growth of airfreight, ships transport 90 percent of world trade. According to a recent report by the International Shipping Commission, “For thousands of today’s international
Assume you are the owner of a small business with 35 employees that produce shoes for the domestic market. Would you consider operating overseas to reduce labor costs and expand your market? What
Some people believe that the Internet is rewriting the rules of how to attract, motivate, and retain talent internationally. Consider Planet-Intra.com Ltd., a year-old software company that is
U.S. law does not prohibit selection decisions based on marital status, as long as they are applied equally to men and women. Why might a company have such a policy? Is it ethical? Is it in the best
In some areas of the world, business practices that are contrary to Western values such as child labor, payment of bribes to government officials, and sex or race discrimination in hiring and
Some people believe that cross-cultural training often reinforces stereotypes by discussing aspects of a culture (i.e., “Punctuality is not as important to Southern Italians. It is acceptable to
U.S. law does not prohibit selection decisions based on marital status, as long as they are applied equally to men and women. Why might a company have such a policy? Is it ethical? Is it in the best
In recent years many companies sent managers overseas on short-term assignments (for a couple of weeks or less) rather than on a long-term basis. What factors do you think explain this trend? What
Some experts believe that one way for a multinational firm to avoid political risks in a foreign country is to use local executives for key positions. Why do they reach that conclusion? Do you agree?
Based on the materials discussed in this chapter, which personal traits or characteristics would multinationals be looking for in a young candidate searching for an expatriate post? Explain.
Based on the materials discussed in this chapter, what courses, experiences, or training programs do you think are most likely to help Dan achieve his dream of a foreign assignment? Explain.
Would you be willing to follow Dan’s desired career path? Why or why not?
The class divides into teams of five. Each team is asked to develop a set of recommendations that would help a student such as Dan achieve his career goal. Each team will present its recommendations
Form an even number of teams with approximately five members each. Each team will identity resources available at the university, in the community, or in other accessible locations that might help a
Conduct a search of position announcements by companies that are recruiting expatriates for foreign subsidiaries. Based on your findings, what seem to be some of the shared features contained in
How much responsibility do multinationals have in ensuring that their locations overseas comply with safety regulations? Explain.
Should multinational firms utilize different safety standards overseas than they do in domestic locations? Explain.
Do you think it is appropriate for a company to transfer jobs overseas that may be perceived as too hazardous at home? Explain.
Students form pairs. One student plays Stevens, the other an HRM consultant. Role-play the initial meeting between these two, with Stevens explaining the problems at the Polish plant and the
The class divides into groups of five. Each group is asked to develop a set of recommendations on how multinational firms may ensure that work safety problems are avoided across foreign locations,
How would you account for the sharp differences in the perceptions of the Polish locals and U.S. expatriates?
Go to the Web, and identify five or more major safety incidents involving multinationals overseas. Based on your analysis, how much responsibility did the multinational have in each of these
One student will role-play a Polish employee while another role-plays a U.S. expatriate. Each will present his or her perspective to the HR director of Pressman Company (role-played by another
You have been hired as a management consultant located in the United States to offer some suggestions as to how the situation should be handled. First diagnose the causes of the problem based on what
Conflict can be a precursor to violence in the workplace. However, supervisors can be reluctant to deal with this warning sign and opt to see whether things work themselves out. Why do you think
Recognizing the importance of mental health in the workplace seems like the only moral thing to do. Yet, employers face difficulties in effectively dealing with this area. For example, mental health
Mental health problems can be caused by many factors outside of the workplace. For example, genetics and family life may predispose or cause mental health difficulties. Nonetheless, these
The European model includes an audit as well as actions to improve mental health. Place yourselves in the position of a mental health task force for a company. As a team, develop steps to address
The increasing importance of mental health in the workplace can be attributed to the characteristics of modern work. Technology has brought about increased efficiency, but also more rapid change and
What outcomes might be associated with an incident of workplace violence? For example, a worker who experiences abuse and harassment might file a lawsuit against the employer. What other costs might
How could you develop a workplace culture that reduces the chances of violence in the workplace?
Protecting workers from violence requires proactive management. An initial step in managing workplace violence is often an assessment of risk. For example, have workers experienced incidents of
Abusive customers appear to be a frequent occurrence. Abuse from customers can take a variety of forms, including verbal abuse, threat of violence, sexual harassment, and physical attack. Such abuse
Consider the four categories of sources of workplace violence. As a team, generate additional examples of each source. How likely are each of the possible sources of workplace violence? How
What factors explain why unions in the United States have been losing more than 50 percent of all certification elections?
Individuals who are sympathetic to unions claim that currently in the United States, it is very difficult for unions to win certification elections, which is why union membership is in a period of
One strategy for suppressing union activity is to ask certain workers to report to management any union-organizing activities that are taking place at the company. Is this strategy legal? Is it
Suppose at a pre-bargaining meeting between the company's negotiating team and top management it is decided that the company will give up to a 4 percent raise. When negotiations start, however, the
What sources of power does the Freelancers Union use to provide services to its members?
What can traditional unions, such as those affiliated with the AFL-CIO learn from the organizing success of the Freelancers Union?
With four or five students, assume that you are a team of managers for a corporation that retains the services of freelance computer consultants to provide technical sup- port to company employees.
Consider the Manager’s Notebook “The Rise of the Older Worker.” Do you think that young employees are now appreciating the wisdom of older workers more than at earlier times? Why do you think
Do you think forced ranking is a good performance management system? Why or why not?
“Sexual harassment is a problem that occurs between two employees. The company should not be held liable for the actions of misbehaving employees.” Do you agree or disagree with this statement?
A company’s sales representative obtained a highly visible tattoo on her neck after being employed at that company. The company has a dress code policy Copyright 2020 Pearson Education, Inc 46 that
The purpose of this exercise is to reflect on the implications on a person’s career when planning on getting a tattoo. Assume that a friend of yours informed you that she is planning on getting a
Companies that have dress code policies should balance the company need for regulating the appearance of employees and how it reflects on the company image with the employees’ needs to appear in a
Many organizations have policies requiring that members of certain demographic groups (such as women and African Americans) sit on certain (or all) committees. Are there any dangers to such a policy?
With a team of four or five students, develop an HR plan to break down some of the glass-ceiling barriers in an organization that is male dominated at the upper ranks. Some examples of male-dominated
Some women avoid the glass ceiling by becoming entrepreneurs. Contact three female entrepreneurs or business owners and ask them some questions that pertain to owning their own business. Start with
Many managers and executives use golfing as an opportunity to combine business and pleasure. How could this practice damage an organization's diversity efforts? Are there any recreation activities
The European Parliament recently voted 504 to 110 to scold companies for “sexual stereotyping” in marketing their products. One reporter noted that “The lawmakers’ ire has many targets, from
Consider the Manager’s Notebook “Religious Differences Moving to the Forefront of Inclusiveness.” Do you think that the owners of a company, major shareholders, or top management have a right
What ethical problems might arise from giving preferential treatment to certain employees based on their group membership?
The United States is often viewed (by outsiders) as a litigious society, where everyone has a lawyer and is willing to sue someone else on the merest basis. Until recently, Europeans believed that

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