Deck 11: Work and Occupations

Question 1

At a fast-food burger joint, workers are exclusively assigned some of the following tasks: a chipper who fries potatoes, a flipper who grills meat patties, and a condiment person who puts garnish on buns. What is a common sociological term for the way this establishment is organized?

A) job title hierarchy
B) split duty assignments
C) job task ordering
D) division of labour

Answer 1

D

Question 2

What is deindustrialization?

A) a shift from a service economy to an information economy
B) a shift from a goods-based economy to a service-based economy
C) closing factories that are major polluters of the environment
D) closing up job ghettos and relocating industry to the country

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Terry worked at an auto-manufacturing plant for over 30 years. Imagine his shock when he and his coworkers were informed that the factory was closing down and relocating to Mexico. What underlying factor precipitated the unemployment of Terry and his coworkers?

A) rising corporate and personal taxes
B) a decreased demand for Canadian-manufactured automobiles
C) more skilled and professional workers in Mexico
D) free trade agreements with the United States and Mexico

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Basel Gupta is employed by a temporary employment agency and works at two separate job sites in order to get full-time hours. Which of the following terms best identifies the kind of employment Basel has?

A) nonstandard
B) flexible
C) full-time
D) part-time

Question 5

Which of the following characterized the Second Industrial Revolution?

A) The assembly line and other mass-production technologies proliferated.
B) Administrative tasks and record keeping were streamlined.
C) There was a great increase of smaller start-up companies.
D) Larger companies were split into smaller competing corporations.

Question 6

What is the largest category of the retail trade business in Canada?

A) milk marketing boards
B) women's clothing stores
C) food and beverage industry
D) cell phone sales businesses

Question 7

Jose, Salvador, and Manuel are three Mexican migrant farm workers who were legally employed as seasonal agricultural workers in Canada. The owner of the farm called them into the office midway through the season, fired them without explanation, and sent them back to Mexico the next day. This event is a demonstration of which of the following?

A) the unfair treatment of male workers
B) the ease with which immigrants get jobs
C) the unfair treatment of contract workers
D) the rising influence of unionized workers

Question 8

Veronica started her own business last year. While her business is growing, she still works part-time as a waitress to make ends meet. She hopes to quit waitressing by the end of the year. How would the text describe her current employment situation?

A) full-time, part-time employment
B) creative employment
C) nonstandard employment
D) temporary employment

Question 9

According to the text, what has happened to labour under capitalism?

A) The division of labour has shrunk with rising capitalism.
B) A work rhythm was established that was connected to the seasons.
C) The division of labour has expanded greatly.
D) An increasing number of skilled craftspeople are employed.

Question 10

Sam was a craftsman living in preindustrialized Europe. He had a weaving company where he spun the wool, wove the fabric, and took it to market. As industrialization was introduced, a factory was set up nearby where one person spun, another wove, and another went to market. What was the name given to these people doing only one job?

A) task experts
B) single craft workers
C) divided labour
D) semiskilled labour

Question 11

When Joaquim immigrated to Canada, he left a job as a top executive in a marketing firm. In Canada, he is unable to find work in his field. What is one of the primary reasons immigrants like Joaquim have trouble entering the Canadian workforce?

A) the language barrier
B) nonrecognition of educational credentials
C) misunderstood cultural differences
D) work ethic differences that impede productivity

Question 12

Neil dropped out of high school and worked in a canning factory until it closed last year. Now he is unable to get another job in manufacturing and may have to take work in the retail sector. According to the text, what economic factor is the primary factor contributing to this decline in the manufacturing job market?

A) an increased need for education
B) unions affecting the job market
C) deindustrialization
D) service-sector growth

Question 13

Rahminder works in real estate, selling homes and helping people find rental properties. He works long hours and often on the weekends. However, he is fortunate in that he has kept his job through the last two recessions. According to the text, why has his employment not been affected by the recessions in Canada?

A) People always need a home, regardless of the economic climate.
B) Service-sector jobs are more recession-proof.
C) Hard workers are less likely to lose their jobs.
D) Flexibility in work hours is valuable.

Question 14

What was life like for the average peasant under feudalism?

A) The peasantry had a significant division of labour.
B) Most peasants made tools and a variety of goods.
C) Work and leisure were not clearly separated.
D) People produced much more than they needed.

Question 15

Sandra secures a government office job that is scheduled to expire in 12 months. She is categorized as an "unclassified" government employee, working full-time hours, yet receiving no benefits, no pension and no job security compared to her "classified" coworkers. Which of the following would describe her employment situation?

A) service job
B) contract worker
C) unionized worker
D) standard employment

Question 16

According to the text, what factors best constitute a good job?

A) A good job is a job that satisfies the needs of an employee.
B) A good job is a job with both extrinsic and intrinsic rewards.
C) A good job is one with intrinsic rewards, but no extrinsic rewards.
D) A good job allows autonomy and self-direction.

Question 17

Peninah is chatting with her friend Suzanne and when asked about her new job, Peninah launches into a dialogue about her high salary, and the opportunity to work her way up the ladder. She also mentions the challenges of multiple projects and the freedom she has to set her own lunch hours and break times. What is Peninah describing?

A) a blue-collar job
B) self-employment
C) an entry-level position
D) the intrinsic and extrinsic rewards of her employment

Question 18

Tony was employed directly after leaving high school in a paper mill for 16 years, until it closed; today he works in a call centre. This story has been repeated throughout Canada's forest-related industries. Which of the following terms best defines Tony's experience?

A) deskilling
B) deindustrialization
C) downsizing
D) shrinkage

Question 19

In which of the following sectors do we find the jobs that are in the lower tier of the service sector?

A) utilities and health services
B) finance and business services
C) public and social services
D) retail trade and food services

Question 20

Joanna was giving a presentation on Canada's Industrial Revolution. When asked by a classmate to provide examples of the predominant industries at that time, which of the following would Joanna reply?

A) fishing and trapping
B) automotive and farm equipment production
C) logging and mining
D) textile and clothing manufacturing

Question 21

Michelle works in the education system. Unfortunately, full-time work in her field has disappeared with the onset of the latest recession, so she works from contract to contract. Why would employers in her profession prefer to offer contracts each year rather than full-time work?

A) That's the way things are done in the new economy.
B) They can pay contract employees less than full-time employees
C) More people apply because of the flexibility that contracts offer.
D) Contracts make flexible benefit packages possible.

Question 22

Georgina owns a widget manufacturing company that employs 120 people. As a result of the Canadian dollar being at par with the American dollar, she has been unable to competitively bid on a number of American contracts, which has adversely affected her gross sales. Consequently, she is considering the concept of nonstandard work for any new employees. What does this shift to nonstandard work represent from a business perspective?

A) functional or internal flexibility
B) numerical or external flexibility
C) downsizing the organization
D) right-sizing the organization

Question 23

Jacques, a recent university graduate, starts work as a civil engineer with the city of Calgary. He is gratified by the design challenges in making the city work, and the freedom he has implementing his ideas. Which term best identifies the aspects of work that are most pleasing to Jacques?

A) intrinsic rewards
B) extrinsic rewards
C) professional recognition
D) job autonomy

Question 24

Luana was unable to find work, and so she set up her own business after graduating from university. According to the text, what important characteristic does her job lack?

A) professional development
B) a retirement plan
C) vacation time
D) access to overtime work

Question 25

Osama works in three different areas of the company. For some projects she is in the marketing department, and for others she is in the business development department. She also helps out with client relations when the other departments do not need her. What kind of benefit does her movement between departments provide for the company?

A) opportunistic flexibility
B) constant flexibility
C) numerical flexibility
D) functional flexibility

Question 26

What do critics of postindustrialism, such as Braverman, claim?

A) Many job skills are being downgraded.
B) Job skill requirements are increasing.
C) The division of labour is decreasing.
D) There is now a split labour market.

Question 27

Which group participates most in temporary work?

A) It is most likely to be those between the ages of 15 and 24.
B) It is highest among French-speaking Canadians.
C) It mostly constitutes the upper tier in the service sector.
D) It is composed of the already-retired, returning to work.

Question 28

Which of the following people would be considered to be working a nonstandard job?

A) Tracey, a college professor who teaches two sociology classes and is hoping that she will be offered the position again the next time the courses are offered
B) Tom, a licensed practical nurse, who instead of working 8 hours a day,5 days a week, opted for 10 hour shifts over 4 days, so he could have 3-day weekends
C) Tim, who cleans pools for Pool Service One in the summer months and then works in the company's showroom in the off-season
D) Teena, a stockbroker working for Marsh & Mitchell Brokerage, until she can find a job closer to her family

Question 29

According to labour-market segmentation theory, what do a person's chances of getting a good job depend on?

A) They depend on where you live: a rural or urban locale.
B) They depend on where you enter the labour market.
C) They depend on the economic forecast when you are seeking employment.
D) They depend on the economic conditions at the time of your birth.

Question 30

According to the text, which statement best describes nonstandard jobs?

A) They are for nonstandard workers whose jobs are permanent and well paid.
B) They are manufacturing-type jobs that exist in a predominantly service economy.
C) They provide part-time, seasonal or temporary employment, and outsourcing jobs.
D) They are jobs that do not fit into the major categories of work, such as hang-glider.

Question 31

In a fast-paced business environment, a competitive employer often has to retool his shop quickly to meet client demands for various products. Consequently, the employer hires people who can do a variety of tasks. What kind of competitive advantage is this?

A) nonunion shop
B) numerical or external validity
C) multiskilled work
D) functional or internal flexibility

Question 32

An underground miner works a schedule that the company terms a "short-change-long-change" shift rotation: four nights straight, four days off; five days straight, three days off; seven afternoons and evenings straight, two days off. What term best describes this shift rotation?

A) time-off adjustment schedule
B) nonstandard work schedule
C) round-the-clock shift schedule
D) night-evening bias schedule

Question 33

According to the text, which factors influence a person's chances of getting a good job?

A) the structure of the labour market and a person's ability to network successfully
B) a person's level of education, and family members willing to hire him or her
C) a person's class and education levels, and the structure of the labour market
D) a person's work experience, coupled with a good résumé and interviewing skills

Question 34

What is the Canadian trend in nonstandard jobs?

A) They have become a central part of the economy.
B) These jobs are slowly disappearing.
C) They are paying more with an increasing number of benefits.
D) They provide employment to roughly 10 percent of the workforce.

Question 35

Rafal has his own business and loves the independence. He is able to make his own decisions and build a client base he enjoys working with, and he loves the challenge of being his own boss. What aspect of his business does Rafal enjoy the most?

A) the intrinsic rewards
B) the extrinsic rewards
C) the opportunities for advancement
D) the resulting income

Question 36

Brad, a recent university graduate, starts work as a civil engineer. He is satisfied with his pay, but even more pleased about the opportunities for promotion and the great benefits package. According to the text, which term best identifies the aspects of work that are pleasing to Brad?

A) employee retention plan
B) extrinsic rewards
C) collective bargaining agreement
D) intrinsic rewards

Question 37

Which of the following characteristics do core industries tend to have?

A) a large base of part-time employees
B) large businesses with unionized workers
C) a large base of contract employees
D) self-employed entrepreneurs

Question 38

Which of the following describes the polarization of working hours?
A) half the workers at OK Mart being expected to work an extra eight hours of overtime every week, while the remaining workers are getting two 7-hour shifts a week
B) Tony's server job, which requires him to work split shifts (four hours over the lunch rush and four hours over the dinner rush)
C) Natalia, a single mom, requesting work hours from 9:00

A)m.-3:30 p.m. so she can get her children off to school and be home for them when school is finished, but being assigned the 4 p.m.-10:30 p.m. shift
D) Brad and Joanne, a married couple who both work at AMC Electronics on opposite shifts

Question 39

Carlota, a registered nurse, has been applying for a nursing job at all the hospitals in the province. But her bank account is fast dwindling, so she accepts a position working weekends as a nurse-receptionist at a walk-in clinic while continuing her job search. Which of the following terms best identifies the kind of employment Carlota has?

A) polarized work hour schedule
B) standard work
C) involuntary part-time
D) functionally flexible

Question 40

Nicole went to ABC Temp Agency and was hired as a receptionist in a doctor's office. When the full-time receptionist returned from her maternity leave, the doctor then offered Nicole a full-time position doing the bookkeeping and payroll for his practice. When reviewing her bank statement, Nicole realized that she had not been paid for her last two weeks work as a receptionist. Who should she talk with in regards to her missing wages?

A) the doctor who is her present employer
B) Employment Canada
C) ABC Temp Agency
D) the full-time receptionist who may have been paid twice

Question 41

What is Fordism?

A) It is a nonrationalized method of manufacturing, emphasizing worker creativity.
B) It is a nonbureaucratic system of manufacturing and production based on tradition.
C) It is a type of management first used by supervisors in the Ford Motor Company.
D) It is the bureaucratically organized production of goods by the assembly-line method.

Question 42

According to the text, which of the following was a function of the assembly line?

A) It raised the wages of workers.
B) It restricted access to certain jobs.
C) It controlled the pace of work.
D) It intensified supervision of workers.

Question 43

According to the text, which of the following best describes "McDonaldization"?

A) human relations and employee management strategies from the fast-food business
B) the cheapening of the production of mass-produced goods that results in poorer quality
C) an adaptation of Weber's bureaucracy notions that is counterproductive to quality
D) a new form of rationalization based on the organizational template of the fast-food restaurant

Question 44

What does it take to professionalize an occupation?

A) removing all gender discrimination from the profession
B) securing legitimacy through public and government approval
C) getting a university degree from an accredited institution
D) competing with other services that have different qualifications

Question 45

An immigrant dentist found that he had to take some additional courses and pay the Canadian Dental Association $10,000 before he could practise in Canada. He had no problem with taking the courses, but he did not have $10,000 to pay the association. What was the intended effect of this payment requirement?

A) It created professional dominance for dentists.
B) It created intrinsic rewards for dentists.
C) It created a nonstandard job opportunity.
D) It created a labour-market shelter.

Question 46

Which of the following was a basic principle of Taylorism?

A) Encourage the deconstruction of work.
B) Respect the craftsperson.
C) Allow workers to exercise judgment.
D) Break complex jobs into their least complex components.

Question 47

A young female university dropout sells clothing at a retail outlet. After a year, she responds to a competition for a job as a teller at a bank that is looking for someone with a high-school diploma; however, she loses out to someone with a university degree. What term do sociologists use to describe this young woman's situation?

A) creeping credentialism
B) labour-market segmentation
C) credential amplification
D) labour-pool competition

Question 48

Sondra was outlining to the class Weber's views on bureaucracy. Which of the following would she NOT include in her discussion?

A) Bureaucracies allow workers to handle routine situations using their own discretion.
B) Bureaucracies are the most efficient and rational forms of organization.
C) Bureaucracies involve a very complex division of labour.
D) Bureaucracies involve a clear structure and hierarchy of authority.

Question 49

Which of the following can be technically classified as a professional occupation?

A) teacher
B) nurse
C) engineer
D) lawyer

Question 50

According to the text, which statement best reflects the relationship between the implementation of technology in the workplace and the quality of work?

A) Without technology, the quality of products would decline.
B) Technology eliminates the jobs of many troublesome employees, thereby increasing the quality of work done by others.
C) Technological innovation boosts profits and consequently employee morale, which increases the quality of work that they do.
D) Utilizing technology in order to increase efficiency and productivity has an adverse effect on the quality of work.

Question 51

In which of the following respects are unions and professional associations alike?

A) Both intervene with governments to promote secondary labour.
B) Both bargain for collective agreements for their members.
C) Both oppose the creation of nonstandard work.
D) Both act as labour-market shelters from loss of jobs and pay cuts.

Question 52

The hospital nurses were upset because they were not allowed to give advice to patients, but the doctors were often unavailable. The nurses had no recourse to protest, because the doctors held more power within the hospital administration. This situation highlights the drawbacks of which kind of jobs?

A) nonstandard jobs
B) shift work
C) semiprofessions
D) professions

Question 53

A number of occupations in Canada have associations that license people working in the field, and only those in good standing with their associations may use the occupational title and perform work in that field. What term best describes the effect of these licensing practices?

A) job-restrictive associations
B) occupational havens
C) labour-market shelters
D) limited-access shelters

Question 54

Amy is a retail salesperson in a family-owned business. In a store expansion, Amy is promised a manager's job in another city; however, the opportunity never materializes because the store owner's niece gets the manager's job. What kind of job situation does Amy find herself in?

A) a nepotistic job site
B) a dead-end job
C) a familial promotion site
D) a job ghetto

Question 55

Which management strategy are time-and-motion studies most directly associated with?

A) Taylorism and scientific management
B) rationalism and farm management
C) modernism and technical management
D) the Marshall Plan and Japanese management

Question 56

Lawrence worked for a fisherman, heading out to sea at 5
A)m. each day. However, last week, he was sick and unable to go to work. When he was able to return to work, he found out that he had been replaced. In what sector of the economy is this job?

A) the core sector
B) the periphery sector
C) the flexible sector
D) the standard sector

Question 57

Which term describes parts of the labour market that prevent certain groups of workers from experiencing upward mobility?

A) primary-labour markets
B) job ghettos
C) secondary-labour markets
D) dead-end jobs

Question 58

Which of the following characteristics was defined by early studies of professions as being a hallmark of professionals?

A) clients who get to direct their work
B) work requiring limited knowledge
C) work requiring minimal supervision
D) an altruistic focus on helping clients

Question 59

On the sociology exam, students were asked to explain Taylorism in one sentence. Which of the following answers would Amit utilize to be awarded the mark for the question?

A) Taylorism was a management technique founded on notions that did not work.
B) Taylorism was an attempt by management to regain direct control over the labour process.
C) Taylorism was used to refine the craftsmanship of journeymen labourers and other skilled workers.
D) Taylorism was a method that was applied to only automated factories with few workers.

Question 60

Nancy has a position where she does not make decisions. There are procedures in place for handling routine situations and her job is to execute those procedures as necessary. She hates her job because there is no outlet for creativity or initiative. What kind of job does Nancy have?

A) bureaucratic
B) semi-professional
C) nonstandard
D) unionized

Question 61

Abimbola is in the enviable position of selecting from four job offers, and comes to you for advice on which one to choose. According to the text, which of the following should you advise she accept in order to maximize on the likelihood of job satisfaction?

A) a job offer to work for ABC-a midsized company with offices across Canada
B) a job offer to work for XYZ-a small and locally owned company
C) a job offer to work for LMP-a large multinational corporation
D) a job offer to work for JKL-a large national company

Question 62

An assembly-line factory worker finds no sense of fulfilment in the repetitive nature of his job, and feels powerless since he has no say in how his duties are assigned. What term best identifies his condition?

A) acculturation
B) alienation
C) exploitation
D) segmentation

Question 63

What objective was met by management through implementing Taylorism, or "scientific management"?

A) It gave more control of the labour process to workers.
B) It provided incentives to workers for higher wages.
C) It introduced paternalistic forms of control to the workplace.
D) It helped business regain direct control of the labour process.

Question 64

Heather, the owner of XYZ Company, has distributed a job satisfaction survey to her 120 employees. According to the text, which of the following findings is she most likely to see when she analyzes the completed survey data?

A) Extrinsic or material rewards are the number-one concern of her employees.
B) Her employees ranked respect on the job as being more important than the pay.
C) A number of her employees would like to quit their jobs to become self-employed.
D) Her employees will put up with anything, as long as their job is secure.

Question 65

Which of the following was an outcome of the human relations school of management?

A) the introduction of joint or cooperative business ownership
B) an emphasis on more efficient means of organizing work
C) the insight that workers are not motivated by wages alone
D) a push by managers to reintroduce scientific management

Question 66

To meet consumer demand, a company began to mass produce chickens of a standard size and then slaughter them, process them, and package them. First, the industry had to adopt most features of assembly-line production. What term best identifies the structuring of these chicken factories?

A) Taylorism
B) Fordism
C) scientific management
D) rationalization

Question 67

According to the text, what does playing games and socializing with coworkers, while they should be working, accomplish?

A) These behaviours are individually adaptive strategies that boost productivity.
B) These behaviours contribute to an increased sense of alienation.
C) These behaviours are atypical reactions to alienating work situations.
D) These behaviours momentarily increase workers' feelings of control.

Question 68

According to the text, when evaluating their job satisfaction, who do female workers tend to compare themselves to?

A) to friends and relatives
B) to men and women
C) to other women
D) to men

Question 69

A business person running a successful bakery wants to sell franchises, and creates a franchise business model based on a precise division of labour in the bakery, and a precise division of labour for storefront sales. What term best describes this production and sales model?

A) job fission
B) Fordism
C) job breakdown
D) Taylorism

Question 70

Which of the following represents a criticism of job satisfaction measures?

A) They are used inappropriately as measures of alienation.
B) They are used by management to weed out potential troublemakers.
C) Most workers don't want to admit that they don't like their jobs.
D) Management uses them to handle employee frustration.

Question 71

There were quality-control issues with one toaster model that was being made in the factory. As part of the problem-solving process, teams of employees were formed to discuss the challenge and suggest solutions. The toaster production problem was solved, but more important, what aspect of the workplace did this process help to improve?

A) increasing productivity
B) humanizing the workplace
C) standardizing the workplace
D) creating pride in the workplace

Question 72

Based on self-report surveys, which of the following would be true about Canadian jobs?

A) A majority of visible minority workers are dissatisfied with their jobs.
B) Downsizing and restructuring have positively affected job satisfaction.
C) Female employees have the highest rates of job dissatisfaction.
D) About 93 percent of Canadians are satisfied with their jobs.

Question 73

According to the text, what impact does occupational sex segregation have on workplace satisfaction?

A) Women report more job satisfaction than men in sex-segregated jobs.
B) Men and women generally report similar levels of job satisfaction.
C) When women compare themselves to men, they are more satisfied.
D) Men report more job satisfaction than women in all occupations.

Question 74

Which of the following is a predictor for job satisfaction?

A) repetition in work tasks
B) simplicity of one's job tasks
C) centralized decision making
D) more complexity in the work

Question 75

As a result of total quality management, what change has occurred in service industries?

A) Peer pressure becomes the technique of social control.
B) Workers with pro-union attitudes are weeded out.
C) Management control of work is increased.
D) Employees are given greater discretion in their work.

Question 76

Vidan worked in a factory with strict regulations outlining when workers could take breaks. He began to protest the system by getting back to work later than his coworkers. Unfortunately, it only got him in trouble. Which of the following would have had a greater chance of being a successful protest?

A) slowing his productivity down
B) bringing his unfinished lunch back to the factory floor
C) convincing everyone to get back late from breaks
D) calling in sick for a week at a time

Question 77

According to the text, which statement most accurately reflects the concept of alienation?

A) Alienation arises when control over the means of production is taken away from workers.
B) Alienation is workers' feelings about global economic forces affecting company profits.
C) Alienation decreases when there are more people working at the same task.
D) Alienation is reduced when new technology is introduced in the workplace.

Question 78

Which model of work organization typically has managers using suggestion boxes and workplace participation programs?

A) Hawthorne approach
B) bureaucratic approach
C) human relations
D) scientific management

Question 79

Which of the following is NOT true in reference to the concept of total quality management in the manufacturing industry?

A) It was promoted as the solution for the productivity and quality problems of management.
B) It emphasized quality control through communication and teamwork.
C) It was believed to have the potential for increased worker participation and workplace democracy.
D) Research showed that it was a valuable tool for enhancing workers' skills and participation.

Question 80

Which of the following phrases would best describe the "quality control" approach?

A) workplace democracy
B) management surveillance
C) worker ownership
D) worker participation