Deck 6: Positive Discipline

Question 1

Randy's supervisor has given him a written reprimand for a violation of workplace rules; by this we can infer that Randy's infraction was minor but repetitive or was a more serious infraction that has occurred for the first time.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

If the supervisor does not take appropriate action when required, some of the other employees may be inclined to follow the poor examples of behavior in the workplace.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Infractions of rules concerning time schedules, rest periods, procedures and safety are among some of the most common situations requiring supervisory action.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Because individuals do not always agree on what are acceptable standards of conduct, top-level managers must rely on employees to use their better judgement.

Question 5

A supervisor does not need to have "just cause" to take disciplinary action against an employee.

Question 6

If an employee violates a workplace policy after receiving a verbal warning, the next step would be to suspend the employee without pay.

Question 7

A supervisor should maintain self-control unless the employee's actions are severe.

Question 8

If the offense is relatively minor and the employee has no disciplinary record, a written warning is necessary to prove action has been taken.

Question 9

Under extreme circumstances it may be in the supervisor's best interest to take disciplinary action in public.

Question 10

If the supervisor does not take action when required the behavior will most likely continue, but only among those employees who previously misbehaved.

Question 11

It is best for upper management to create ethical codes and policies without input from employees and supervisors.

Question 12

Positive self-discipline is when employees regulate their behavior out of self-interest.

Question 13

Morale is a composite of the attitudes and feelings that people have toward their work, whereas discipline is primarily a state of mind.

Question 14

Regardless of the severity of the offense, a supervisor must maintain self-control when disciplining employees.

Question 15

When a situation arises, before doing anything else the supervisor should investigate what happened and why.

Question 16

The supervisor should always take quick action in disciplinary situations in order to make an example of the offender.

Question 17

In the case of insubordination, a supervisor might have a good reason to publicly discipline an employee.

Question 18

In addition to the employee involved, the supervisor's investigation of an alleged infraction may require questioning other employees who may have relevant information.

Question 19

Employees at the departmental level will take most of their cues for self-discipline from their supervisors and managers.

Question 20

Positive employee discipline requires company rules that are reasonable and well communicated.

Question 21

An employee who states, "I'll show them--they can take this job and shove it!" is demonstrating the flight approach to unfair treatment.

Question 22

All employees who commit the same or a similar offense should be penalized.

Question 23

Timothy arrives at work two hours late because his car wouldn't start. If his company has a no-fault attendance policy, he will not be disciplined for being late if he provides his supervisor with a note from his mechanic verifying his story.

Question 24

One of the drawbacks of the disciplinary layoff is that the loss of a trained worker may hurt production.

Question 25

The right to appeal gives employees the opportunity to request higher level management to review the supervisor's disciplinary action.

Question 26

Supervisors who do not discipline employees consistently often create doubts among employees as to what the rules really are.

Question 27

Transferring an employee to another department usually takes place when supervisors are looking for someone else to deal with the employee so they don't have to go through the termination process.

Question 28

A written warning is a formal document that becomes a permanent part of the employee's record.

Question 29

The hot stove rule does not believe in advance warning because immediate action must be taken when violations occur.

Question 30

For serious employee offenses, discharge is usually preferable to demotion.

Question 31

Organizations that have implemented a discipline without punishment approach have seen employee morale improve.

Question 32

Immediacy means that the supervisor should take disciplinary action as promptly as possible.

Question 33

When treated unfairly, employees either go with the flow or leave the organization.

Question 34

Unfortunately, if a rule has not been enforced in the past, it cannot be enforced in the future.

Question 35

No-fault attendance policies do not take into consideration any excuses for being absent to work.

Question 36

The supervisor who feels inclined to be lenient every now and then is doing the employees no favor.

Question 37

If an organization has an employee handbook that contains rules and regulations, there is little need for the supervisor to inform the employees about the rules.

Question 38

If an employee is transferred to another department as part of a disciplinary action, the employee's new supervisor should not be told of the circumstances surrounding the transfer so as not to unfairly bias the supervisor against the employee.

Question 39

Employment-at-will is the legal concept that employers can dismiss employees at any time and for any reason, except for unlawful discrimination and contractual or other restrictions.

Question 40

The right to appeal a disciplinary action is merely a formality and not a privilege.

Question 41

In the most basic sense, people react to unfair treatment in the following way(s):

A) Go with the flow.
B) Flight.
C) Both a and b.
D) Neither a or b.

Question 42

Antonio is a supervisor at Croton Industries and has noticed that one of his best employees has been tardy three times in the last month. He also knows that one of his average producers has also been tardy a few times this month. Antonio should:

A) Ignore the tardiness of both employees as it is such a minor problem.
B) Give both employees an informal talk to change the behavior.
C) Give the excellent worker an informal talk and the average worker a written warning.
D) Fire both workers and start advertising for workers who will show up on time each and every day.

Question 43

An example of progressive discipline would be:

A) Written warning, discharge, demotion.
B) Written warning, oral warning, suspension.
C) Oral warning, written warning, suspension, discharge.
D) Oral warning, disciplinary layoff, written warning.

Question 44

At the end of the day, Jerrold sees that Mike has neglected to turn off the machine he operates. As Mike's supervisor, Jerrold knows that this is serious offense, and gives him an oral warning right away. Jerrold's action is an example of which element of the hot stove rule?

A) Advance warning
B) Impersonality
C) Immediacy
D) Consistency

Question 45

It is _____ acceptable to discipline an employee in public.

A) never
B) sometimes
C) usually
D) always

Question 46

When disciplining an employee who is a member of a labor union, the supervisor should:

A) Have representatives of both management and union present when disciplinary action is communicated to the employee.
B) Ensure that the union is notified after the disciplinary action has been communicated.
C) Communicate the disciplinary action through the union.
D) Discipline the employee in public to "show up" the union.

Question 47

Marcos works for an employer who is routinely dumping toxic waste into the nearby river. If he reports this first to the corporate ombudsman and nothing is done, and then to the local press, we would call him a:

A) Do-gooder
B) Whistle-blower
C) Stool pigeon
D) None of the above

Question 48

When conducting an investigation, the supervisor should interview:

A) Only the employee involved.
B) Only fellow supervisors.
C) Only the employees with relevant information pertaining to the situation.
D) None of the above.

Question 49

Employees learn about the rules of conduct that they will be expected to follow from a number of sources within the company. Which of the following usually is NOT one of these?

A) Weekly briefings by the shop steward and union representatives.
B) Rules and regulations included in the employee handbook.
C) Booklets on various safety rules and technical regulations.
D) Statements made by the supervisor and his/her application of rules.

Question 50

On average, how many hours per day do employees spend on non-work-related Internet abuse and misuse?

A) 1
B) 2
C) 4
D) 8

Question 51

Organizations that have implemented discipline without punishment have reported:

A) Improved employee morale.
B) Improved productivity.
C) Improved employee-supervisor relations.
D) Improved customer satisfaction.

Question 52

Where the need for disciplinary action is concerned, which of the following is an UNCOMMON situation?

A) Arriving to work late
B) Having a bad attitude
C) Calling in sick
D) Consuming illegal substances on the job

Question 53

Which of the following is NOT a form of disciplinary action?

A) Verbal counseling
B) Written Reprimand
C) Suspension
D) Relocation

Question 54

Which of the following violates the principle of just cause?

A) A company launches a criminal investigation into allegations that an employee has been intentionally making mistakes in his work to "get back at" his supervisor.
B) David is disciplined because a co-worker, Bonita, tells their supervisor that David has been making personal long-distance calls on company telephones.
C) Employees are notified by their supervisor that they will be disciplined if they leave work before an important job is finished that day.
D) Seth has been with his employer for two years and has a perfect service record. Today, however, his supervisor saw him use a tool unsafely on the shop floor. The supervisor briefly chats with Seth about proper use of tools.

Question 55

Employees at the department level will take most of their cues for self-discipline from:

A) No one.
B) Colleagues.
C) Supervisors.
D) Top management.

Question 56

Which of the following is generally considered to be the LEAST desirable form of disciplinary action?

A) Layoff (suspension)
B) Discharge
C) Transfer
D) Demotion

Question 57

The hot stove rule includes:

A) Advance warning.
B) Immediacy.
C) Impersonality.
D) All of the above.

Question 58

When confronted with disciplinary problems from employees, the supervisor should:

A) Take appropriate action to discourage borderline employees from attempting similar violations.
B) Ignore the problem employee and hope that the "silent treatment" is effective.
C) Handle the matter in public to set an example.
D) Avoid taking action quickly, since some disciplinary situations can and should be overlooked.

Question 59

Paolo has just resolved three different disciplinary cases involving tardiness issues with three different employees. Each employee was given a different disciplinary action. One employee received a written warning, one employee received an informal talk, and another received suspension or layoff. Which of the following circumstances would warrant such action on the part of Paolo?

A) Nothing would warrant such differences in treatment.
B) The employees got along differently with Paolo.
C) One worker was from a protected group, and Paolo didn't like one of the others.
D) The three employees had different records of previous offenses of the same nature.

Question 60

Which of the following statements regarding an employee's right to appeal is True?

A) An employee has the right to appeal only when the issue is termination.
B) The right to appeal is solely a union employee right.
C) The right to appeal is simply a formality that follows every disciplinary action.
D) Supervisors and upper-level management should develop and foster an open realistic procedure for an employee's right to appeal.

Question 61

Last week, Alfonso had a friendly talk with Ben about his tardiness at work. This morning, Ben arrived 30 minutes late. Which of the following would be the next step in the progressive discipline process for Alfonso to take on the matter?

A) Written reprimand
B) Suspension
C) Transfer
D) Oral counseling

Question 62

Which disciplinary approach uses counseling and coaching as preliminary steps to correct employees' behavior?

A) Discipline without punishment
B) Progressive discipline
C) Hot stove discipline
D) Proactive discipline

Question 63

What is positive discipline? Positive self-discipline?

Question 64

Providing advance warning to employees who may require disciplinary action is a key component of which of these?

A) Just cause
B) Fight-or-flight
C) Mitigation
D) Discipline without punishment

Question 65

Harold has recently been experiencing difficulty working with his colleague Jeff. Whenever the two are working on group projects, Harold refuses to participate. However no other employees experience similar problems when working with Harold. Which of the following would be the most appropriate disciplinary action?

A) Transfer
B) Demotion
C) Suspension
D) Termination

Question 66

At World Zenia Inc., workers earn a point for every unexcused incident of tardiness or absenteeism. If they earn seven points, they are discharged, but points are also removed from their records after several months of acceptable attendance This example illustrates which disciplinary process?

A) Just cause
B) Employment-at-will
C) The disciplinary time element
D) Progressive discipline

Question 67

The most drastic form of disciplinary action is:

A) Transfer
B) Suspension
C) Demotion
D) Termination or discharge

Question 68

When disciplining employees for mild infractions, Rita begins with formal discussion with the worker about the infraction. However, if the problem continues, Rita resorts to more serious forms of discipline, such as oral or written warnings. In the most serious of cases or for serious repeat offenders, Rita utilizes disciplinary layoff or discharge. The discipline process that Rita follows is referred to as:

A) The hot stove rule
B) Progressive discipline
C) Proactive discipline
D) Discipline without punishment

Question 69

Samantha rarely needs to use discipline with her workers. Members of her team regulate themselves out of self-interest, and they understand that they must follow rules and instructions. Samantha's workers can be described as possessing:

A) Positive image
B) Positive self-image
C) Positive discipline
D) Positive self-discipline

Question 70

If an offense is relatively minor and an employee has no disciplinary record, which of the following forms of progressive discipline would be most appropriate?

A) Informal talk
B) Oral warning
C) Written warning
D) Disciplinary layoff

Question 71

K-1 Credit Union has a statement in its employee handbook that reads, "Employees may resign from the credit union if they choose to do so. Similarly, the credit union may discharge an employee at any time, for any reason, with or without notice." This is an example of what type of statement?

A) Conflict of interest statement
B) No-fault-attendance statement
C) Hot stove statement
D) Employment-at-will statement

Question 72

If an employee has offended repeatedly and previous warnings were of no avail, a ________ is the most likely next step.

A) Transfer
B) Demotion
C) Disciplinary layoff
D) Informal talk

Question 73

List the six steps of progressive disciplinary action cited in the text, in order of increasing severity. Which of these action is an organization LEAST likely to take against an employee? Why?

Question 74

For weeks, Bart has felt that he was being unfairly treated by his boss. When he could finally take no more, he decided to go to his boss's boss to inform him of the issue and request that disciplinary action be taken. Bart reacted to the unfair treatment through which of the following?

A) Flight
B) Fight
C) Go with the flow
D) Backpeddle

Question 75

Simone is a supervisor at Bales Machinery. According to the employee handbook, smoking is prohibited everywhere on company property, but this rule has not been enforced in years. Three of Simone's employees like to gather at break time in front of the loading dock and smoke. Today, Simone noticed these employees smoking at break time and immediately gave them each a written warning for violating company policy. None of the three had ever been a disciplinary problem before. Comment on Simone's actions.

Question 76

When Rose got caught doing something she shouldn't have done at work, her boss talked to her about her actions and asked her to go home for the rest of the day to think about what happened. She told Rose that she was free to return back to work the next day if she was ready to improve her behavior. Which form of discipline did Rose's boss use?

A) Progressive discipline
B) Proactive discipline
C) Discipline without punishment
D) Discipline without consequence

Question 77

Standards shared by most employees for how one should act and be treated in the organization are referred to as:

A) Norms
B) Rules
C) Objectives
D) Attributes

Question 78

What is the purpose of a statement of ethical codes?

Question 79

At ArkEast industries, employees tend to follow organizational rules reluctantly. They regularly disobey regulations and violate prescribed standards of acceptable behavior. What level of discipline exists at ArkEast?

A) Unwarranted discipline
B) Negative discipline
C) Conflictual discipline
D) Neutral discipline

Question 80

Alyssa, a financial planner for a large company, has recently been approached by a competing company. The competitor asked Alyssa to moonlight for a few weeks as a part-time financial consultant for an upcoming project. Upon review of her company's policy guidebook, Alyssa politely refuses the offer. Which of the following is the most likely reason for Alyssa's refusal?

A) Conflict of interest
B) Socially irresponsible
C) Too demanding on her time
D) Not ethical