Exam 8: Managing Human Resources and Labour Relations

Workforce diversity refers to the range of workers' attitudes, values, beliefs, and behaviours that differ by gender, race, ethnicity, age, and physical abilities.

Summarize the historical development of Canadian labour unions.

What is the main argument that opponents of comparable worth make?

Cindy Stevens has developed a database that contains information on each employee's education, skills, work experience, and career aspirations. She plans to use this database to identify employees to fill vacancies. This data base is a

Describe the different levels of union security that are possible.

When an older, more experienced manager sponsors and teaches a younger, less experienced manager, this is known as

Florabunda, a national wholesale plant supply company that caters to home gardeners, maintains greenhouses in several locations. These provide flower and vegetable seedlings for nurseries and garden centres nationwide and also pots of flowering plants, such as tulips and poinsettias, for other holidays. Relations with employees seemed smooth for some years, but over time the firm has come to rely on short-term contingent labour, especially in the spring when Florabunda fulfills large standing orders for bedding plants. At one of its largest greenhouse locations, employees invite the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) to represent them as a union. The Florabunda greenhouse engages in collective bargaining with the UFCW. A key issue involves workplace safety, as the greenhouses are often fumigated with pesticides to kill insects. Management claims that it takes customary and effective precautions to protect the health of its workers, whereas the union expresses concerns that the pesticides might cause long-term health problems. The impasse continues, and the UFCW threatens to call a strike during the high-demand period of spring. What would be the most prudent response that management could use to try to overcome the breakdown in negotiations?

The process of considering present employees as candidates for openings within the organization is referred to as

In spite of the abolishment of a mandatory age for retirement in most provinces, workers in Canada are actually retiring earlier than they used to.

How are mentoring and networking different? How are they similar?

A ________ helps the two sides in a labour dispute clarify the issues that are separating them, while a ________ advises the disputing parties about specific steps they might take to reach a settlement.

The informal interactions among managers for the purpose of discussing mutual problems, solutions, and opportunities is

What is the difference between instructional-based programs and work-based programs?

What three issues are typically most important to union negotiators?

What are workforce management systems?

A job description describes the skills, education, and experience required by a job.

Martin Appliances introduced a plan to reward employees for increasing their efficiency. This was an example of a gainsharing plan.

Mary's male co-workers routinely make off-colour jokes and display calendars of scantily clad women. This is an example of ________ harassment.

Traditionally, union members have been predominantly women.

What are knowledge workers?