Deck 1: Introduction

Question 1

Some argue that the term "employee relations" is anti-union, yet some unions use the term for internal staff positions.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Dunlop's concept of shared ideology refers to a set of common beliefs held by the actors of the IR system.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Procedural rules refer to the outcomes of employment relationships.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

Employee morale is a conversion mechanism in the industrial relations system.

Question 5

Which term refers to employment relationships and issues between groups of employees (usually in unions) and management?

A) labour relations
B) employment relations
C) industrial relations
D) human resources management

Question 6

What is meant by the "web of rules" in the industrial relations system?

A) clauses in collective agreements
B) steps in preparing for collective bargaining
C) three approaches to defining rights and responsibilities
D) all the laws governing workplace matters

Question 7

Which term refers to the employment relationship between employers and individual employees?

A) labour relations
B) employment relations
C) industrial relations
D) human resources management

Question 8

A strike is an action by workers in which they stop performing duties and do not report to work.

Question 9

Which term refers to the employment relationships and issues in union and nonunion workplaces?

A) labour relations
B) employment relations
C) industrial relations
D) human resources management

Question 10

Dunlop's concept of shared ideology is not consistent with the human resources/strategic choice view of industrial relations.

Question 11

Which document outlines the terms and conditions of employment in a unionized workplace?

A) employee handbook
B) policy manual
C) employment contract
D) collective agreement

Question 12

According to equity-efficiency theory, unions usually focus on efficiency.

Question 13

Technology is NOT included in the economics subsystem of the IR systems framework of the textbook.

Question 14

Strikes can be both outputs and conversation mechanisms in the IR systems framework.

Question 15

Which scholar was one of the first to develop a systemized way to examine employment relationships in North America?

A) John Dunlop
B) Alton Craig
C) Robert Hebdon
D) Travor Brown

Question 16

What was Barbash's contribution to industrial relations?

A) He established employee productivity goals.
B) He described the balance between equity and efficiency goals.
C) He defined public sector labour relations.
D) He researched union-management conflict.

Question 17

In which context does a shared set of ideas and beliefs figure prominently?

A) strategic choice perspective
B) Marxist political economy
C) Dunlop's IR systems model
D) equity/efficiency theory

Question 18

A goal of Marxism is to overthrow management and allow employees to have more control of their workplace.

Question 19

Which term refers to employment relationships and issues, often in unionized workplaces?

A) labour relations
B) employment relations
C) industrial relations
D) workplace relations

Question 20

How many actors are described in Dunlop's industrial relations model?

A) 2
B) 3
C) 4
D) 5

Question 21

Why has Dunlop's systems approach been criticized over the past 30 years?

A) It is out of date.
B) It is too simplistic.
C) It lacks explanatory power.
D) It applies to non-union workplaces

Question 22

Which subsystem of the industrial relations model includes technology?

A) political
B) social/cultural
C) legal
D) economic

Question 23

Which of the following are outputs of the industrial relations system model?

A) conciliator's reports
B) collective agreements
C) political economics
D) conversion mechanisms

Question 24

Which process is used to assess proposals from employer and labour prior to a strike/lockout?

A) interest arbitration
B) mediation
C) conciliation
D) grievance arbitration

Question 25

A collective agreement is an example of which type of Dunlop's rules?

A) substantive
B) procedural
C) contractual
D) legal

Question 26

The text's adaptation of Dunlop's IR systems model adds which of the following groups as actors in the IR system?

A) labour (employees and their associations)
B) employers and their associations
C) government and associated agencies
D) end users

Question 27

Which term refers to the amount of time a person has belonged to a union?

A) employment record
B) longevity
C) employment history
D) seniority

Question 28

In the IR system, outputs of the system flow back to the external environment. What is this process called?

A) external inputs
B) internal inputs
C) feedback loop
D) conversion mechanisms

Question 29

Health and safety concerns are often addressed by which conversion mechanism in the IR systems model?

A) third-party dispute resolution
B) joint committees
C) day-to-day relations
D) government agencies

Question 30

Which statement describes the neoclassical economics view of industrial relations?

A) It focuses on factors related to the satisfaction of labour demands.
B) It often examines the impact of class struggle and conflict.
C) It sees unions as integral to the labour market.
D) It examines issues related to the effects of unions on poverty.

Question 31

Which of the following can be both a conversion mechanism and an outcome in the IR systems model?

A) strike or lockout
B) grievance arbitration
C) day-to-day employment relations
D) work climate

Question 32

Which of the following conversion mechanisms of the IR system is an example of a third-party intervention?

A) arbitration
B) collective bargaining
C) grievances
D) goal setting

Question 33

The legal subsystem of the IR system includes how many areas of law?

A) 2
B) 3
C) 4
D) 5

Question 34

The outputs of the IR systems model in the text are most similar to which of Dunlop's concepts?

A) substantive rules
B) procedural rules
C) contexts
D) shared ideology

Question 35

Which subsystem of the IR systems model varies the most in its impact on actors?

A) economic
B) ecological
C) sociological
D) political

Question 36

Which statement describes the pluralist/institutional view of industrial relations?

A) It sees unions as failing to balance the interests of employer and employees.
B) It is the foundation of criticism of Dunlop's model.
C) It is the predominant view of IR in Canada.
D) It downplays the inherent conflict between workers and management.

Question 37

The pluralist/institutional view of industrial relations is closely linked to which of the following?

A) human resources management
B) political science
C) employment relations
D) industrial relations systems approach

Question 38

What do we call a group of workers who are legally permitted to negotiate working conditions with their employer?

A) collective bargaining association
B) union
C) industrial relations association
D) syndicate

Question 39

According to the text, the decrease in unionization in the United States calls into question one of Dunlop's concepts. Which concept is it?

A) actors
B) contexts
C) shared ideology
D) web of rules

Question 40

Which of the following are internal inputs of Craig's IR system?

A) contracts
B) actors
C) ideologies
D) strategies

Question 41

Name the four actors of the IR system as presented in the text.

Question 42

Name the three contexts of Dunlop's IR system.

Question 43

Which of the following applies to the human resources/strategic choice perspective of industrial relations?

A) It is only used in management schools.
B) It was developed by Noah Meltz.
C) It is anti-union.
D) It emphasizes management's efforts at cooperation.

Question 44

Why do some scholars reject the human resources/strategic choice view of industrial relations?

A) The labour market has shifted to nonunionized workplaces.
B) It erodes workplace democracy.
C) It downplays the natural conflict between employers and employees.
D) A shared ideology no longer exists.

Question 45

What are three criticisms of Dunlop's IR system?

Question 46

Which view of industrial relations is based on Marxist theory?

A) human resources/strategic choice
B) pluralist and institutional
C) neoclassical economics
D) political economy

Question 47

What is the fundamental element of the political economy view of industrial relations?

A) It focuses on the inherent conflict between employers and employees.
B) It examines issues related to long-term stability.
C) It claims to be the predominant view of IR in Canada.
D) It is associated with economic analysis of labour markets.

Question 48

Which views of industrial relations are based in economics?

A) neoclassical economics and pluralist
B) human resources/strategic choice and political economy
C) neoclassical economics and human resources/strategic choice
D) pluralist and political economy

Question 49

Compare and contrast the pluralist/institutional view of IR and the political economy view.

Question 50

Name three labour outcomes of the IR system.