Question 1

Where necessary, management must work to counter deep cultural values that discourage the timely reporting of safety threats or violations, or that do not support healthy workplace lifestyles or work behavior.

Accepted Answer

Management must be proactive in addressing cultural values that could hinder safety reporting or healthy work behavior.

Question 2

Both ongoing health and safety risk assessment and audits and inspections should be conducted at local operations by independent inspectors rather than local managers.

Accepted Answer

While independent inspectors can provide an objective perspective and may be more thorough in their assessments, it is also important for local managers to take ownership of health and safety risks in their own operations and be accountable for managing them effectively. A combination of independent inspections and ongoing risk assessments by local managers can provide a balanced approach to ensuring workplace safety.

Question 3

Safety inspections and audits conducted by independent and impartial groups external to the company can raise external credibility and enhance company reputation, as well as raise standards and expectations in the global business environment.

Accepted Answer

External safety inspections and audits help to provide an unbiased assessment of a company's safety protocols and practices. This can improve the company's reputation and show stakeholders that they have taken steps to ensure the safety of their operations. Additionally, these inspections and audits can set a higher standard for safety across the industry or business environment, leading to overall improvements in safety practices.

Question 4

Although employee incentives have been found to be very successful in lowering accident rates and safety and health care costs, approaches using competition (internal or external to the firm) have been found to invariably fail.

Accepted Answer

While competition-based approaches can sometimes lead to negative outcomes, they do not invariably fail. The effectiveness of competition as a motivator for improving safety and health care costs can depend on the specific context, how the competition is structured, and the culture of the organization. Some organizations may find success in carefully designed competitive programs that encourage positive behaviors without fostering unhealthy rivalry or cutting corners on safety.

Question 5

An important ethical goal of employee relations that also has important bottom-line benefits includes the design of work that is personally satisfying and meaningful beyond just providing a job to support personal and family livelihood.

Accepted Answer

Providing employees with work that is personally satisfying and meaningful can lead to increased motivation, engagement, and productivity, ultimately benefiting the bottom line of the organization. It is also an important ethical goal as it demonstrates care for the well-being and fulfillment of employees beyond just their labor output.

Question 6

Organizations should develop clear procedures, both formal and informal, for airing employee dissatisfaction and complaints.

Accepted Answer

It is important for organizations to establish procedures for employees to address their grievances and complaints in a constructive manner, both formally and informally. This can help prevent conflicts from escalating and lead to a more positive work environment.

Question 7

To be fair and effective, MNCs should be consistent and use the same standardized procedures in accessing employees' honest concerns and input across all of its international operations.

Accepted Answer

Standardized procedures may not account for cultural differences and local contexts, which can affect how employees express concerns and provide input. MNCs should adapt their approaches to be culturally sensitive and contextually appropriate.

Question 8

One particular challenge with union working environments is the lack of clearly outlined procedures for handling such matters as employee grievances and discipline.

Accepted Answer

Union working environments typically have very clearly outlined procedures for handling matters such as employee grievances and discipline, often detailed in collective bargaining agreements.

Question 9

Beyond helping to surface new productive information and insights, genuine two-way communication also can benefit an organization by encouraging a more open and trusting organizational culture.

Accepted Answer

Genuine two-way communication fosters transparency and openness within an organization, leading to a more trusting and supportive culture.

Question 10

When initial efforts at employee discipline do not bring about a desired change in employee performance, employee correction should begin.

Accepted Answer

The answer of When initial efforts at employee discipline do...

Question 11

The nature of an organization's disciplinary system, including the behaviors to avoid and their negative consequences if engaged in, should be clearly communicated to employees.

Accepted Answer

It is important for employees to know what is expected of them and what the consequences will be if they violate workplace policies. This helps to maintain a positive work environment and prevent misconduct.

Question 12

This morning an employee who has worked with a company for five years came to work 15 minutes late, whereupon his supervisor met with and fired the employee. Under a progressive disciplinary system, it is feasible that the supervisor's behavior would be appropriate.

Accepted Answer

Under a progressive disciplinary system, an employee who has been with the company for five years and has no prior disciplinary issues would typically receive a warning or suspension for being 15 minutes late. Firing the employee would be considered too harsh of a punishment.

Question 13

The most effective disciplinary action is characterized by public punishment and minimal opportunity for the guilty employee to provide excuses for unacceptable performance.

Accepted Answer

While public punishment may serve as a deterrent, it can lead to feelings of humiliation and resentment in the employee being disciplined. Additionally, providing an opportunity for the employee to explain their behavior can help identify underlying issues that may be contributing to their performance issues and address them in a constructive manner. Therefore, a more effective disciplinary action would involve private and respectful communication with the employee.

Question 14

Many countries require that companies, regardless of reason for termination, provide payment to former employees based on such factors as employee age, years of employment with the company, and most recent rate of pay.

Accepted Answer

This statement is true. Many countries have laws or regulations that require companies to provide severance or termination pay to employees who are let go, regardless of the reason for termination. The amount and criteria for such payments varies by country and may depend on factors such as employee age, length of service with the company, and level of compensation.

Question 15

Regardless of governmental requirements, organizations are wise to carefully consider, even during an economic downturn, possible viable alternatives to layoffs to preserve a positive image and to have a head start with a ready workforce when economic conditions improve.

Accepted Answer

It is suggested that organizations should consider alternatives to layoffs even during an economic downturn to maintain a positive image and have a prepared workforce when the economic conditions improve.

Question 16

Although many areas of human resource management can differ greatly in various countries of the world, the area of labor union relations differs very little in concept and practice across national boundaries due to the common concern for protecting the rights of workers.

Accepted Answer

Labor union relations can differ significantly across countries due to variations in legal frameworks, cultural attitudes towards unions, historical contexts, and the political environment, which all influence how labor rights are negotiated, protected, and practiced.

Question 17

The influence of employee unions continues to grow worldwide, and is expected to continue doing so for the foreseeable future.

Accepted Answer

The influence of employee unions has been declining in many parts of the world, particularly in developed countries, due to factors such as globalization, changes in the economy towards service and technology sectors, and legislative changes that limit union power.

Question 18

Overall, there are fewer union strikes worldwide, and the global trend has been away from collectivism and trade unionism, with the fastest-growing sectors of the world economy being nonunion.

Accepted Answer

This statement is true as there has been a decline in union strikes globally and a shift towards nonunion sectors in the economy.

Question 19

What are the key ER issues regarding employee protection that MNCs need to address in managing a global workforce? In your opinion, which issues are the most pressing and deserve the immediate attention and why?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What are the key ER issues regarding...

Question 20

MNCs have a principal influence on the nature and duration of the employment relationship in which employee relations (ER) takes place. Identify areas of important MNC practices and explain how each practice can help them effectively manage ER.

Accepted Answer

The answer of MNCs have a principal influence on the...

Quiz 11: Global Employee Relations