Deck 2: Theories of Industrial Relations

Question 1

Selig Perlman felt that unions should focus on creating economic security and opportunity to bring about what result?

A) The promotion of large-scale social change.
B) The creation of a stable, long-term basis for union existence.
C) A rejection of the principles of capitalism.
D) A greater practical understanding of union members by the middle class.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

In the factories of the Industrial Revolution, control of the business rested with the factory owner. Which of these was not a function performed at the discretion of the owner?

A) Designing the production process
B) Designing a payment schedule in conformity with the guidelines established by the craft guild
C) Deciding how the work was to be performed
D) Deciding who would perform the work

Answer 2

B

Question 3

According to Richard Chaykowski and Anil Verma, why will Canadian unions resist cooperative relationships with management?

A) Because they believe they will no longer be needed by workers
B) Because it could weaken their ability to oppose unwanted change in the future
C) Because it could weaken their ability to effect social and political change
D) All of the above

Answer 3

B

Question 4

A law was passed in Britain in 1819 that placed limits on child labour. These limits included which of the following?

A) A prohibition against the hiring of children younger than nine
B) A prohibition against older children working more than 10 hours per day
C) A prohibition against adults working more than 12 hours per day
D) All of the above

Question 5

Karl Marx and Freidrich Engels believed that the emergence of unions was a symptom of what?

A) The need to overthrow capitalism
B) An ongoing class struggle
C) The need for political action
D) The need to improve workers' standard of living

Question 6

When examining the system put forward by John Dunlop, we see that there are four contexts in which processes take place. Which of the following is not one of these contexts?

A) Technological
B) Market
C) Budgetary
D) Legislative

Question 7

According to the Webbs, what was the primary reason for the emergence of unions?

A) The need to improve working conditions
B) The separation between capital and labour
C) Dissatisfaction with capitalism
D) The increasing cost of living

Question 8

According to E. Wight Bakke, what is the worker's main reason for joining a union?

A) To counter the forces of capitalism
B) To achieve a specific standard of living
C) To improve their political power
D) To encourage the development of socialism

Question 9

According to John Dunlop, the 'web of rules' does what within an organization?

A) Avoids conflict
B) Ensures order
C) Governs the interactions between the parties
D) Ensures compliance with labour legislation

Question 10

In what aspect of trade unions were the Fabian Society, founded by Sidney and Beatrice Webb, interested?

A) The results of the prolonged exposer to unsafe working conditions
B) advocacy on behalf of working children
C) legal protection for injured adult workers
D) how trade unions emerged in response to industrialized work structures

Question 11

Which of the following is not a functional type of unionism identified by Robert Hoxie?

A) Business unionism
B) Friendly unionism
C) Wartime unionism
D) Predatory unionism

Question 12

Call centre jobs are not characterized by the following

A) Low paying
B) Unrewarding
C) Good pension plans
D) Little job security

Question 13

Which two elements did John Commons believe would provide opportunities for unions and lead to the development of national and international unions?

A) Publicity and improved communication
B) Transportation and communications
C) Competition in markets and geography
D) Skilled workers and transportation

Question 14

Which of the following was not a function served by craft guilds in North America?

A) Supplying insurance
B) Providing a replacement during the owner's absence
C) Education
D) Financial planning

Question 15

Which of the following is an example of a craft guild in 17th-century North America?

A) Weaving
B) Tool making
C) Carpentry
D) All of the above

Question 16

According to the Webbs, what two internal devices did unions use to ensure that unions themselves were democratic and representative of their members' interests?

A) Device of mutual insurance and legal enactment
B) Device of common rule and collective bargaining
C) Device of the common rule and restriction of numbers
D) Device of restriction of numbers and mutual insurance

Question 17

According to Karl Marx and Freidrich Engels, what was the ultimate goal of unions?

A) The overthrow of capitalism
B) To become a vehicle of class discontent
C) The development of a classless society
D) All of the above

Question 18

Thomas Kochan, Robert McKersie, and Peter Cappelli believed that employers have become active rather than reactive participants in industrial relations. Which of the following is not a phenomenon in support of this assertion?

A) Companies becoming part of employer associations
B) Companies lobbying for legislation to reduce the power of unions
C) The existence of strikebreaking firms
D) Non-unionized companies harassing employees attempting to organize unions

Question 19

According to Harry Braverman, what is the term used to describe a situation where work is subdivided to such a degree that dependence on highly skilled labour is reduced or eliminated?

A) Industrial engineering
B) Scientific management
C) Deskilling
D) Statistical process control

Question 20

In the factory-based economy, who provides the capital?

A) The government
B) Craft guilds
C) Investor groups
D) None of the above

Question 21

What is the percentage of the unionized workforce in Canada?

A) 40
B) 33
C) 12
D) 30

Question 22

Selig Perlman believed that unions needed the support of the middle class and that they should respect some of the bases of capitalism in order to effectively represent the interests of workers.

Question 23

The 18^th century new economy focus on production resulted in all but the following

A) Increased production
B) Goods produced at lower cost
C) Wage reduction by 50%
D) Families being a part of the work life

Question 24

Craft guilds tended to control the supply of labour by overseeing apprenticeships and other forms of education.

Question 25

Hoxie was fundamentally interested in

A) How unions served their members
B) Why people joined unions
C) How unions emerged
D) 'Class consciousness' in union formation

Question 26

The 14^th century craft guilds were like unions in what regard?

A) Provided employment protection to guild members
B) Provided incentives to members to join
C) Encouraged members to work on only one aspect of the final product
D) Acted on behalf of the members with facility owners

Question 27

John Commons suggested that unions could best serve the needs of their members by confining their activities to a certain geographic area and avoiding the temptation to create international unions.

Question 28

The relatively high rate of unionization in Canada is due to the private sector being primarily unionized

Question 29

E. Wight Bakke stated that the main reason workers joined a union was to allow them to use concerted political action as a means to achieve a higher standard of living.

Question 30

The Wool Guild inspired which of the changes to the functioning of the 14^th century guilds?

A) Encouraged craftspeople to sell directly to the consumer
B) Structuring the price of the products to include the labour and materials
C) Reduced the need for a middleman
D) The way craftspeople were paid

Question 31

Robert Hoxie believed that unions could serve more than one of the four basic functional types of unionism concurrently and that they could move from one form of unionism to another as needed.

Question 32

Kochan, McKersie, and Cappelli suggest that unions must not focus too narrowly on workplace rules and regulations.

Question 33

The Webbs were of what ideological persuasion?

A) Communists
B) Socialists
C) Democrats
D) Capitalists

Question 34

Which of the following is one of Bakke's five factors of the standards of successful living?

A) Social status
B) Integrity
C) Control
D) All of the above

Question 35

List at least three of the important functions performed by craft guilds in the 17^th century.

Question 36

What may ultimately reduce the percentage of unionized workforces in Canada?

A) Large scale closures of manufacturing plants
B) Economic collapse
C) Public sector shrinkage
D) Private sector union malaise

Question 37

Success within the guild required all but the following attributes

A) Good health
B) Good support system
C) Skill
D) Good work ethic

Question 38

John Dunlop espoused which of the following theory of industrial relations?

A) 'Web of rules'
B) Union functioning theory
C) Systems theory
D) Input, output and process theory

Question 39

In John Dunlop's framework, unions are one of two main actors in the industrial relations system, the other being management.

Question 40

In 17th-century North America, craftspeople rarely owned their own businesses.

Question 41

Discuss the Industrial Revolution's impact on the development and the philosophy of the labour movement.

Question 42

Describe the process of "deskilling" as defined by Harry Braverman.

Question 43

Discuss how Dunlop took the principles of systems theory and used them to explain how industrial relations operates.

Question 44

During the Industrial Revolution, the use of child labour was commonplace in many factories. What was the effect of laws passed in Britain in 1819?

Question 45

Using the elements of Work Location, Work Division and Work Training, compare and contrast the pre and post industrial work structure?

Question 46

What were some of the changes brought about by the industrialization and mechanization of the Industrial Revolution?

Question 47

What were the four functional types of unionism identified by Robert Hoxie? Briefly explain each type.

Question 48

E. Wight Bakke details how unions help workers to attain five standards of successful living. What are the five factors that support these standards?

Question 49

According to the Webbs, what was the primary reason for the emergence of unions? Explain.

Question 50

According to Marx and Engels, what is the reason for the existence of unions and what is their ultimate objective?

Question 51

What are the unique features of the 14^th Century craft guilds?

Question 52

What were the three instruments identified by the Webbs that unions employed to achieve their purposes and objectives?

Question 53

How do some theorists define the role of unions as we head into the 21st century and how do theorists suggest they adapt in order to survive sweeping changes to the economic structure?

Question 54

Describe some of the horrors and benefits of the Industrial Revolution for workers.