Deck 11: Separating and Retaining Employees

Question 1

To help employees manage role conflict, employers have sought a number of family-friendly policies.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Under federal law, any U.S. employer that is planning layoffs must give employees 60 days' notice of the layoffs.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Outcome fairness involves the ends of a discipline process, while procedural and interactional justice focus on the means to those ends.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Job withdrawal is a set of behaviors that discontented individuals display to avoid the work situation physically, mentally, or emotionally.

Question 5

The two primary sets of people in an organization who most affect job satisfaction are co-workers and supervisors.

Question 6

Job satisfaction is always based on an objective and complete measurement of the situation and not on perception.

Question 7

If an employee disputes policies on the grounds that they violate state and federal laws, he or she can go outside the organization for help to file a lawsuit.

Question 8

The principles of justice convey that the organization must prepare for problems by establishing a formal discipline process in which the consequences become severe if the employee repeats the offense.

Question 9

Developing a formal discipline process is a prime responsibility of the human resource department.

Question 10

Personal dispositions do not play a role in creating job satisfaction.

Question 11

A disciplinary action meets the standards of outcome fairness if the manager explains to the employee how the action is procedurally just, treats the employee with dignity and respect, and empathizes with the employee's feelings.

Question 12

In procedural justice, the procedures should be consistent from one person to another, and the manager using them should suppress any personal biases.

Question 13

Kelly, a human resource specialist, has been asked to investigate complaints that an employee is bullying co-workers. Kelly is obligated to protect this employee's privacy by ensuring that any information gathered is relevant to the complaint.

Question 14

Role conflict is uncertainty about what the organization and others expect from the employee in terms of what to do or how to do it.

Question 15

Employees cannot sue employers for wrongful discharge if the employee was contracted under the employment-at-will doctrine.

Question 16

In general, employers may conduct random searches of areas like desks, lockers, and toolboxes at any point in time without any justification to the employee.

Question 17

The open-door policy is an example of alternative dispute resolution.

Question 18

The Job Descriptive Index is an example of a job satisfaction instrument.

Question 19

Generally, organizations encourage voluntary turnover among top performers because it is inexpensive.

Question 20

When employees are unclear about work methods, scheduling, and performance criteria because others hold different ideas about these, they are likely to suffer from role ambiguity.

Question 21

Terminating an employee for the use of illegal drugs is an example of a(n) ________ turnover.

A) retentive
B) external
C) voluntary
D) absenteeism
E) involuntary

Question 22

Ryan, an employee at GoBiz Inc., is known for his short-tempered and argumentative nature. During a heated exchange at work one day, Ryan makes a derogatory gesture toward his manager, which causes Ryan to be fired. This scenario is an example of

A) revolving door policy.
B) open-door policy.
C) voluntary turnover.
D) progressive discipline.
E) involuntary turnover.

Question 23

Historically, if an organization and employee do not have a specific employment contract, the employer or employee may not require a specific time to end the employment relationship. This is referred to as the ________ doctrine.

A) force majeure
B) laissez-faire
C) employment-at-will
D) due process
E) implied in fact

Question 24

Sylas, a manager at LiveWell Corp., believes that he can fire Madison, his subordinate, at any time he wishes to do so. Which of the following, if true, would help strengthen Sylas' belief?

A) Madison has not submitted her required paperwork as part of her job offer.
B) Sylas has not provided Madison with an offer letter.
C) Madison is an underperformer and fails to arrive at work on time.
D) Madison does not have a specific employment contract with the company.
E) Madison has not received a letter of employment from the company.

Question 25

Maria and Devin are both data-entry clerks in the same department of a company. On the anniversary of her employment, Maria receives a 2 percent increase in salary. Later that day, while talking to Devin, she learns that on his anniversary, his pay increase was 4 percent. How could the company's supervisor and human resource department best ensure that Maria will perceive outcome fairness in this situation?

A) by reducing Devin's raise, so everyone gets the same amount
B) by demonstrating that raises of different sizes are associated with differences in performance
C) by increasing Maria's raise, so everyone gets the same amount
D) by reserving the largest raises for the most serious offenses
E) by treating Maria with dignity and respect

Question 26

More than 40 percent of the employees at Hile Corp. lost their jobs during a recent recession. The human resource department of Hile Corp. would term this as

A) role ambiguity.
B) voluntary turnover.
C) role conflict.
D) involuntary turnover.
E) role overload.

Question 27

Andrew, an employee at Fulton Corp., arrives late at the office on a Monday morning due to a personal emergency. His manager fires him, although this was the first instance of Andrew arriving late at work. Andrew is upset because some of his other co-workers are chronically late to work, but they have not been fired. In this scenario, Andrew would conclude a lack of ________ in dealing with employees who arrive late at work.

A) arbitration
B) laissez-faire
C) outcome fairness
D) benchmarking
E) interactional justice

Question 28

Ricky reprimanded five of his employees for coming to work drunk after a lunch outing. The next week, Ricky fired another employee for being drunk at work. The employees under Ricky can conclude a lack of ________ in dealing with employees being drunk at work.

A) benchmarking
B) outcome fairness
C) summary dismissal
D) downsizing
E) onboarding

Question 29

Which situation is an example of a voluntary turnover?

A) Nora, a supervisor at GreenLeaf LLC, is demoted from her current position.
B) Kevin, a manager at Exotic Travel Co., is suspended for a month due to drug use.
C) Lila, an employee at Architect International, is about to resign her job to start her own business.
D) Cody, a trainee at PublicWorks Inc., is reprimanded for arriving late at work every day.
E) Claire, an employee at Alpha Corp., is transferred to another city for career growth.

Question 30

Talent poaching makes it difficult for companies to

A) retain their top performers.
B) keep their searches discreet.
C) search for relevant information.
D) eliminate quality control processes.
E) look for employee profiles.

Question 31

When employees initiate a turnover, when the organization would prefer to keep them, it is called ________ turnover.

A) dysfunctional
B) involuntary
C) retentive
D) external
E) voluntary

Question 32

A perception of ________ is a judgment that the organization carried out its actions in a manner that took the employee's feelings into account.

A) interactional justice
B) employee turnover
C) progressive discipline
D) summary dismissal
E) outcome fairness

Question 33

Liz refuses her employer's request to falsify the contents of a report to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The employer subsequently discharges Liz for "not following orders." Identify the exception to the employment-at-will doctrine that Liz is likely to choose when she files a wrongful discharge suit.

A) equal employment
B) public policy
C) implied contract
D) reverse discrimination
E) affirmative action

Question 34

People's perception of ________ is their judgment that impartial methods were used to determine the consequences an employee obtains.

A) interactional justice
B) expatriation
C) outcome fairness
D) procedural justice
E) progressive discipline

Question 35

People's perception of ________ depends on their judgment that the consequences of a decision to employees are just.

A) employment at will
B) procedural justice
C) interactional justice
D) arbitration
E) outcome fairness

Question 36

Which situation is an example of involuntary turnover?

A) Franny, an employee at PrintMe, is suspended for a week because of workplace violence.
B) Sasha, a supervisor at XTL Inc., decides to leave her job because she is moving to another country.
C) Ricardo, a manager at Care Co., resigns from his job because he has a better job offer from another company.
D) Xi, an employee at Future Furnishing, wants to leave her job to pursue a college degree.
E) Gisele, an employee at Innovative Tech, is fired because of theft.

Question 37

Destiny is an employee at ColorBlock Inc. She loves gossiping about her colleagues during office hours, which causes her to receive a reprimand by her supervisor, Alfonso. A few days later, Alfonso fires Colt, another subordinate, from work for a similar reason. The employees reporting to Alfonso are most likely to conclude he demonstrates a lack of ________ in dealing with employees who gossip at work.

A) benchmarking
B) interactional justice
C) laissez-faire
D) outcome fairness
E) arbitration

Question 38

Tracey, an employee at Holander Holdings, was suspended for two weeks for drug use. Six months later, she was fired from the job because her productivity did not show any improvement even after undergoing treatment for drug use. Which form of discharge did Tracey experience?

A) involuntary turnover
B) voluntary turnover
C) downsizing
D) early retirement
E) open-door policy

Question 39

Retaining top performers is not always easy because ________ for high-demand positions, such as software engineers, from other companies has become the norm.

A) brainstorming
B) poaching talent
C) mind mapping
D) headhunting
E) reverse discriminating

Question 40

Hameta is a top manager at her current company. However, she is leaving the company for a better job at a competing firm. Which form of turnover is illustrated in this scenario?

A) involuntary turnover
B) external turnover
C) voluntary turnover
D) internal turnover
E) dysfunctional turnover

Question 41

Just Right Construction Company has a system of progressive discipline. Even so, in which situation would it be appropriate for the company to follow a stricter policy and dismiss an employee after a first offense?

A) A welder ignored safety procedures and started a fire that caused serious damage.
B) The last employee to leave a production area forgot to turn off a hot stove.
C) An employee's work quality had been declining for a couple of weeks.
D) A manager was late to work twice, setting a bad example.
E) A supervisor told a joke that some employees considered offensive.

Question 42

According to the hot-stove rule, which quality makes discipline more effective?

A) The punishment meted is always inconsistent.
B) The consequences for breaking a rule are immediate.
C) The rule breaker will be warned multiple times before termination.
D) The consequences follow a gradual increase in seriousness.
E) The ideology is to prevent misbehavior rather than to merely punish it.

Question 43

The top management at Lion Manufacturers decides to search its employees on the job. However, Rajat, Lion's HR manager, believes that it could generate privacy issues. Which condition would strengthen Rajat's belief and maximize the likelihood of a lawsuit?

A) if the search is done after asking for the employees' consent
B) if the search policy is publicized and applied and carried out consistently
C) if the search includes random legal and permissible searches of desks, lockers, and toolboxes
D) if the search is a random check, and it is clarified that no one has been accused of misdeeds
E) if the search involves communications, such as e-mails, that are searched without probable cause

Question 44

The board of directors of Nature's Crop is worried about company theft and decides to institute an immediate search of the employees on the job. However, the head of the HR department, Lisa, believes that doing so could maximize the likelihood of a lawsuit due to privacy concerns. Which condition would strengthen Lisa's belief?

A) if the search is a random one, and it is clarified that no one has been accused of misdeeds
B) if the search policies and consequences have been publicized
C) if the search is done only after gathering consent from employees
D) if the search is done only on employees and not supervisors
E) if the search information is shared only with those who need it

Question 45

What is a typical first response in the progressive discipline system?

A) official spoken warning
B) written warning with threat of temporary suspension
C) temporary suspension with no written notice
D) unofficial spoken warning
E) termination

Question 46

Matt is employed as a supervisor at Total Charge Industries. However, he gets fired from his job when he refuses to break local laws and discharge harmful chemicals from the company's production facility into a nearby river. Matt files a wrongful discharge suit Total Charge Industries. Which exception to the employment-at-will doctrine is Matt likely to choose when filing his suit?

A) affirmative action
B) reverse discrimination
C) implied contract
D) information seizure
E) public policy

Question 47

Fernando, a manager at a top engineering company, believes he can hire a few employees by promising them job security and later terminating them if business slows down. On what grounds could such a termination be considered a wrongful discharge?

A) Desperate times call for desperate measures.
B) The terminations deviate from the promise of job security in the work agreement.
C) The company overpaid the terminated employees.
D) The company has policies for handling misbehavior.
E) The company is under financial constraints and, at times, has to have employee layoffs.

Question 48

Saad was an employee at a chemical company called FGR Inc. He noticed that several of the security personnel at FGR allowed tankers to be filled over the legal limit with highly inflammable gases. Saad gathered ample evidence of such instances and presented it to senior management. A few months later, the company had not acted, and Saad contacted the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Less than a week later, the company fired Saad. Assuming that Saad had not had disciplinary issues and wanted to file a claim alleging he was wrongfully discharged, what would be the strongest basis for his claim?

A) He was disciplined for doing what the law requires.
B) He was disciplined for violating public policy.
C) His dismissal was a result of racial discrimination.
D) His dismissal violated his privacy.
E) The company did not provide proper notification of the layoff.

Question 49

Discount Furniture has seen sales decline in a highly competitive environment. To be able to offer a lower-cost product, management decides to close its factory in North Carolina, laying off 85 workers from the company's 465-person workforce. Under the Workers' Adjustment Retraining and Notification Act, what must Discount Furniture do?

A) It must explain employment-at-will principles to the employees.
B) It must give the employees 60 days' notice before it can begin the layoffs.
C) It must provide all the employees with exit interviews.
D) It is required to seek legal advice to identify any exemptions available.
E) It must request employees' consent before releasing their job records.

Question 50

If employers covered by the ________ do not notify the employees (and their union, if applicable) of layoffs, they may have to offer back pay and fringe benefits and pay penalties as well.

A) Davis-Bacon Act
B) Workers' Adjustment Retraining and Notification Act
C) Right-to-Work Act
D) Employee Free Choice Act
E) Fair Labor Standards Act

Question 51

With which step does the progressive discipline process end?

A) a written warning and a threat of temporary suspension
B) an unofficial spoken warning
C) an official written warning
D) temporary suspension and a written notice
E) termination

Question 52

What does an employer violate when it terminates an employee for refusing to do something unethical, unsafe, and illegal?

A) affirmative action
B) public policy
C) fair representation
D) equal opportunity employment
E) reverse discrimination

Question 53

When conducting a workplace search, employers can act fairly and minimize the likelihood of a lawsuit by

A) hushing the company's search policies prior to the search.
B) searching employees' workplace without their knowledge.
C) using non-company personnel to conduct the search.
D) conducting random searches with or without a probable cause.
E) justifying that the organization has work rules that provide for searches.

Question 54

Who has the main responsibility of developing a formal discipline process for the workplace?

A) the human resource department
B) outplacement counselors
C) the legal department
D) the sales force
E) arbitrators

Question 55

After Fran, a human resource manager, hears reports that some employees are drinking liquor on the job, she arranges to conduct a random search for evidence. Which action would be the most appropriate way for Fran's company to act fairly regarding employees' privacy in this scenario?

A) requesting consent before gathering information
B) confining the search to lower-performing employees
C) telling employees the company is accusing them of drinking
D) excluding the accusers' work areas from the search
E) sharing search results with a reporter who learned about the search

Question 56

Conducting personal business online during work hours is called

A) cybersquatting.
B) cyberbullying.
C) cyberdefamation.
D) cyberstalking.
E) cyberslacking.

Question 57

Gizmo Multimedia Corp. is an organization that follows the process of progressive discipline. The organization communicates with Lyla, an employee, about unacceptable behavior and responds to a series of her offenses. Which step would immediately precede a threat of temporary suspension?

A) a letter informing about her demotion
B) an unofficial spoken warning
C) an official written warning
D) a termination letter
E) a letter informing Lyla about her transfer

Question 58

Henry, an employee at Marine Corp., is known for his short temper. One morning, he gets into a heated argument with one of his supervisors and responds with hostility. Rather than immediately terminating Henry, his manager, Evelyn, calls him in for a discussion. Evelyn treats Henry with dignity and respect, listening to what he has to say about the incident. This scenario can be best categorized as one that uses

A) restorative justice.
B) distributive justice.
C) interactional justice.
D) impassive justice.
E) retributive justice.

Question 59

Which process seeks to avert misbehavior and to correct, rather than merely punish, misbehavior?

A) hot-stove rule
B) fair representation
C) progressive discipline
D) benchmarking
E) peer review technique

Question 60

Which principle of discipline holds that an organization's discipline should give a clear-cut warning and follow up with consistent, objective, and immediate consequences?

A) per se rule
B) laissez-faire rule
C) fundamental attribution rule
D) outcome fairness
E) hot-stove rule

Question 61

If peer review does not lead to a compromise, a neutral party from outside the organization hears the case and tries to resolve the conflict and attempts to reach a compromise. This process is called

A) mediation.
B) carve-out.
C) open-door policy.
D) fair representation.
E) attrition.

Question 62

Michelle, a professional counselor, is asked to talk to an ex-employee of GearTech Corp. about his performance issues. Michelle talks to this ex-employee about his grief and fear, as well as some strategies for finding a new job. Which role is Michelle performing?

A) CEO of GearTech Corp.
B) mediator
C) arbitrator
D) outplacement counselor
E) volunteer at GearTech Corp.'s employee assistance program

Question 63

Open-door policy, peer review, and mediation are methods of

A) the strategy decision-making process.
B) alternative dispute resolution.
C) collective bargaining.
D) a fair representation policy.
E) performance appraisal.

Question 64

What is the simplest, most direct, and least expensive way to settle a dispute?

A) benchmarking
B) arbitration
C) mediation
D) open-door policy
E) peer review

Question 65

Which term refers to a referral service that employees can make use of to pursue professional treatment for emotional problems or substance abuse?

A) alternative dispute resolution
B) outplacement counseling
C) employee assistance program
D) progressive discipline program
E) request for proposal

Question 66

________ is a process for resolving disagreements by taking them to a panel composed of representatives from the organization at the same levels as the people in the dispute.

A) Outplacement counseling
B) Mediation
C) Carve-out
D) Arbitration
E) Peer review

Question 67

Who would be most likely to hear and resolve a case if arbitration is used?

A) an immediate supervisor
B) a higher-level manager
C) a panel of nonmanagement employees
D) a peer of the employee
E) a retired judge

Question 68

Based on the expectation that two people in conflict should first try to arrive at a settlement together, organizations have a policy of making managers available to hear complaints. Typically, the first "open door" is that of the employee's

A) immediate supervisor.
B) choice of a neutral party.
C) peers.
D) immediate subordinates.
E) personal counselor.

Question 69

What is an example of an alternative dispute resolution method?

A) carve-out
B) employment assistance programs
C) benchmarking
D) arbitration
E) outplacement counseling

Question 70

Identify the correct statement regarding an employee assistance program.

A) It is a system that supervisors can use to refer their employees for professional treatment when necessary.
B) It is a company-sponsored program to help employees manage the transition from one job to another.
C) It cannot be recommended by union representatives.
D) It involves taking the help of a neutral party though a nonbinding process to solve issues among employees.
E) It involves hiring an arbitrator from outside the organization to hear cases or disputes among employees.

Question 71

Sean has just been discharged from his job after the company he was working for started downsizing. Confused about his state of joblessness, Sean threatens to sue the company for reparations. Which program can help the company avoid such situations from exiting employees?

A) outplacement counseling
B) employee assistance program
C) benchmarking
D) progressive disciplining program
E) expatriation

Question 72

OutCode Inc. is an organization that tries to avoid the potential for violence or a lawsuit each time an employee is asked to leave the company. It does this by having the former employees meet with a specialized member of the HR staff to discuss their feelings while also getting help to find a new job. Which strategy does OutCode Inc. use in this scenario?

A) an employee assistance program
B) outcome fairness
C) alternative dispute resolution
D) fair representation
E) outplacement counseling

Question 73

Trace, a neutral party outside of Integrated Inc., is helping simplify a conflict between two technical teams of the company. Though Trace's solution has no binding power, both teams decided to accept his solution. This is an example of

A) mediation.
B) arbitration.
C) open-door policy.
D) progressive discipline.
E) fair representation.

Question 74

Deepak, a trainee at NextGen Corp., is known among his colleagues for his arrogance, rude behavior, and short-tempered nature. His supervisor, Garin, does not feel like Deepak is performing well and wants to fire him. However, Marissa, the manager of the HR department, advises Garin to rethink his decision in order to avoid the possibility of Deepak reacting violently or filing a lawsuit when he receives the news. In this scenario, which situation is most likely to result in an amicable discharge of Deepak from NextGen Corp.?

A) Garin accuses Deepak of substance abuse and warns him to get help or be fired.
B) Marissa ask Gavin to give Deepak more training, and if he doesn't perform well, then Gavin can fire him.
C) Garin encourages Deepak to think about whether he is a good fit for the job and whether he might want help finding another.
D) Garin does not believe in the concept of outcome fairness, so he does not intend to consider Marissa's advice.
E) Deepak thinks the source of his troubles at NextGen Corp. is that Garin dislikes him and wants him to fail.

Question 75

Promoting employee engagement is a way to improve all of the following EXCEPT

A) productivity.
B) customer service.
C) competitive advantage.
D) self-evaluations.
E) employee retention.

Question 76

Trevor, an employee of HigherEd Corp., demonstrates a series of unacceptable behaviors. Carmela, his manager, wants to refer Trevor to the company's employee assistance program. Which situation would call for such a referral?

A) Carmela has reason to believe Trevor's behavior problems are related to alcohol abuse.
B) HigherEd Corp. wants managers to use only the simplest, most direct, and least expensive way to settle behavior problems.
C) Carmela wants an experienced and retired judge to resolve Trevor's situation.
D) Carmela and Trevor agree that a neutral party from outside the organization should hear this case.
E) Trevor wants a panel of his peers to hear Carmela's complaint.

Question 77

Which type of alternative dispute resolution functions well only to the extent that employees trust management and managers who hear complaints listen and are able to act?

A) mediation
B) behavioral modeling
C) open-door policy
D) fair representation
E) peer review system

Question 78

Elliot, a human resource manager, tells managers in his organization that following the system of progressive discipline requires written documentation at every step of the process. In which situation could this be optional?

A) The organization is suspending an employee.
B) The manager responds to the second of a series of unacceptable behaviors.
C) The manager reminds an employee that a minor first-time offense is against policy.
D) The manager decides to dismiss the employee.
E) The organization does not follow the principles of the hot-stove rule.

Question 79

Outplacement counseling programs are

A) long-distance educational programs using instruction via video or audio tapes or computers provided by the company to augment employee skills.
B) services in which professionals try to help dismissed employees manage the transition from one job to another.
C) third-party programs to assist employees with their mental health and chemical dependency needs.
D) university-sponsored executive training programs that require participants to live on campus while completing short, custom-designed courses.
E) services rendered to employees to manage drug or alcohol addiction.

Question 80

Peer review is an example of

A) alternative dispute resolution.
B) an employee assistance program.
C) outplacement counseling.
D) fair representation.
E) an employee carve-out.