Deck 12: Work and Occupations

Question 1

Hiring people with disabilities is usually very costly to employers.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

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.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

A union is one example of a labour-market shelter.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Workers have organized unions because they want to reduce the amount of work they must do.

Question 5

People with disabilities face barriers to good jobs.

Question 6

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 7

McDonaldization is a term attributed to Max Weber.

Question 8

Self-employment is categorized as a nonstandard job.

Question 9

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 Joanna include in her reply?

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

Question 10

According to the text,management can design computer-based jobs to either enhance or be detrimental to the quality of work.

Question 11

According to Max Weber,bureaucracies are the least efficient and most irrational type of organization that people have created.

Question 12

A job that features high pay,ample holidays,and opportunities for advancement is regarded as being intrinsically rewarding.

Question 13

Aboriginal workers are especially susceptible to the "bad work syndrome," which makes it an extreme challenge for them to get better jobs.

Question 14

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 15

The Industrial Revolution occurred in Canada at roughly the same time as in the United States and Western Europe.

Question 16

Free trade agreements with the United States and Mexico have facilitated the migration of manufacturing jobs out of Canada over the last three decades.

Question 17

Among professional,technical,and managerial workers in a Boston suburb,57 percent got jobs through personal contacts.How was the relationship with these contacts described?

A) Eighty-three percent said the contact was someone they saw infrequently.
B) Eighty-three percent said the contact was someone they saw frequently.
C) Thirty-five percent said the contact was a close personal friend.
D) Thirty-five percent said the contact was a member of their extended family.

Question 18

The Canadian economy is shifting away from a manufacturing-based economy toward a service economy.

Question 19

The labour-market segmentation theory suggests that regardless of where you enter the labour market,there is always an opportunity for getting a different,better-paying job.

Question 20

As company size increases,workers' feelings of isolation and powerlessness decrease.

Question 21

Which characteristic 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 substantial supervision
D) an altruistic focus on helping clients

Question 22

What sector has the highest rates of unionization in Canada?

A) agricultural
B) public
C) professional
D) private

Question 23

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 24

According to the text,which statement best describes 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 25

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 reason 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 26

Sondra was outlining Weber's views on bureaucracy to the class.Which statement 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 27

Which statement most accurately describes Canada's Industrial Revolution?

A) In its early phases,Canada remained 80 percent rural.
B) There was a focus on the production of secondary products.
C) Industrial activity was about extracting natural resources.
D) It preceded the Industrial Revolutions of Europe.

Question 28

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 29

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 30

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 term best describes her employment situation?

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

Question 31

In which sector 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 32

Whose originated the concept of worker alienation?

A) Max Weber
B) Karl Marx
C) George Ritzer
D) Harry Braverman

Question 33

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.What 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 34

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 35

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 36

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

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

Question 37

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 38

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 39

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 40

Based on self-report surveys,which statement best describes 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) More than 90 percent of Canadians are satisfied with their jobs.

Question 41

According to the text,which situation 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 42

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 43

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 44

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

Question 45

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

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

Question 46

Kate started her career as an assistant professor at a small university and has quickly moved up the ranks to become an associate professor.She is looking forward to becoming a full professor before she reaches age 40.According to the labour market model,what setting does she work within?

A) primary labour market
B) secondary labour market
C) corporatized labour market
D) McDonaldized labour market

Question 47

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 flexibility does her movement between departments provide for the company?

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

Question 48

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 49

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 50

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 term best defines Tony's experience?

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

Question 51

According to the text,what is predicted about the changing nature of jobs for present-day undergraduates?

A) There is an increasing marginalization of the educated worker.
B) There are more job ghettos,digital dungeons,and sweatshops.
C) There is a growing interest in the rise of self-employment.
D) There is a scramble for vanishing jobs in larger corporations.

Question 52

Which statement does NOT accurately describe 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 53

Which statement best describes the polarization of working hours?

A) Half the workers at OK Mart are expected to work an extra eight hours of overtime every week,while the remaining workers get two 7-hour shifts a week.
B) Tony's server job requires him to work split shifts (four hours over the lunch rush and four hours over the dinner rush).
C) Natalia,a single mom,requested to work hours from 9:00 am-3:30 pm so she can get her children off to school and be home for them when school is finished,but was assigned the 4 pm-10:30 pm shift.
D) Brad and Joanne are a married couple;they both work at AMC Electronics but on opposite shifts.

Question 54

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

Question 55

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 56

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 57

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

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

Question 58

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 59

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.What is this situation an example of?

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

Question 60

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 61

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 62

According to the text,which statement best describes 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 63

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 64

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 65

Who is responsible for the introduction of the assembly line into the workplace?

A) Frederick Taylor
B) William Gates
C) Henry Ford
D) Kenneth Thomson

Question 66

Which characteristic 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 67

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

Question 68

A recent university graduate is looking for work;he has heard that contacting acquaintances is more effective than answering advertisements or contacting employment agencies.He contacts his family members and his friends,and lands a job through a friend of a friend.Which term best identifies what he was using?

A) social networks
B) kin-friend affiliation
C) personal contacts
D) the old-boys network

Question 69

What 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 70

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

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

Question 71

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) decreased demand for Canadian-manufactured automobiles
C) more skilled and professional workers in Mexico
D) free trade agreements with the United States and Mexico

Question 72

Which group participates most in part-time 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 73

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) core
B) periphery
C) flexible
D) standard

Question 74

According to the text,what 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 75

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.According to the text,what is her current employment situation?

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

Question 76

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 77

Which statement best is 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 78

Building on Weber's analysis of bureaucracies,George Ritzer argues that society is now undergoing McDonaldization-a new kind of rationalization process.Which of the following is NOT a component of McDonaldization?

A) capitulation
B) control systems
C) predictability
D) efficiency

Question 79

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 term best identifies the kind of employment Carlota has?

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

Question 80

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 the 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