Exam 13: Developing Employee Relations

Additional Case 13.2 Starline is a small children's clothing manufacturer and retailer that has seen rapid growth in the last twelve months and a significant increase in employees. At a meeting of managers, a number of issues are raised. One manager suggests establishing an EAP because of the increase in troubled employees at the firm. However, other managers state that such programs are costly and would not provide Starline with significant benefits. Another manager states that Starline needs to develop an employee handbook to address issues related to the growing staff. Some managers express concern about the potential legal issues surrounding the use of an employee handbook. Numerous managers state that there has been a noticeable decrease in productivity since every office worker was provided Internet access along with e-mail accounts. Managers discuss methods for increasing productivity and preventing misuse of the system. One manager suggests that the company perform employee attitude surveys in order to help monitor the state of employee relations and make hiring and firing decisions during the next hiring cycle. This manager proposes that a third party perform the surveys and that employees not be told the purpose of the survey. -Refer to Additional Case 13.2. Which of the following actions would LEAST likely improve productivity at Starline?

The primary purpose of employee relations is to minimize union grievance procedures.

Tom is the HR manager of a publishing company. The firm needs to hire several new employees, and Tom's assistant suggests that the new employees be telecommuters. Tom likes the idea but is not sure about the best way to manage telecommuters. Which of the following is the best suggestion for Tom?

Jake needs a communication tool that will allow the integration of voice, text, and video. His best choice of tool would be:

A manager can increase the productive use of e-mail by:

Which of the following terms refers to an employee who transforms information into a product or service at a firm?

A(n)________ is a procedure that allows employees to voice their reactions to management practices and to challenge management decisions.

Kegan and Corazon often take coffee breaks together in the mid-morning and chat about the happenings in their lives and their respective departments. This is an example of:

Which of the following topics would LEAST likely be addressed in an employee handbook?

A form of electronic communication that integrates voice, video, and text, all of which can be encoded digitally and transported on fiber optic networks, is referred to as ________.

A(n)________ is a worker who transforms information into a product or service.

Public recognition rewards are most effective and fair when a recipient's direct supervisor is a member of the rewards committee.

E-mail has helped bridge the gap between lower-level and upper-level employees in organizations.

A manager is explaining a project to his staff. The employees ask questions about the details of the project, and they request a delivery date change. The manager agrees to the new deadline. This meeting is most likely an example of:

A firm has poor employee relations because of its highly charged, fast-paced work environment. The CEO wants to get people working together and thinking creatively as they prepare for the new year. Which of the following would be the CEO's best choice?

Florence plans to ask her employees their feeling about working overtime during the next Christmas season. The best communication channel for this discussion would be:

A legitimate use of employee attitude survey data is to:

Additional Case 13.2 Starline is a small children's clothing manufacturer and retailer that has seen rapid growth in the last twelve months and a significant increase in employees. At a meeting of managers, a number of issues are raised. One manager suggests establishing an EAP because of the increase in troubled employees at the firm. However, other managers state that such programs are costly and would not provide Starline with significant benefits. Another manager states that Starline needs to develop an employee handbook to address issues related to the growing staff. Some managers express concern about the potential legal issues surrounding the use of an employee handbook. Numerous managers state that there has been a noticeable decrease in productivity since every office worker was provided Internet access along with e-mail accounts. Managers discuss methods for increasing productivity and preventing misuse of the system. One manager suggests that the company perform employee attitude surveys in order to help monitor the state of employee relations and make hiring and firing decisions during the next hiring cycle. This manager proposes that a third party perform the surveys and that employees not be told the purpose of the survey. -Refer to Additional Case 13.2. What is the primary problem with the comments about employee attitude surveys?

Which of the following is a problem associated with employee handbooks?

Despotism is the practice of favoring relatives over other members in the workplace.