Chapter 11 BUS 100

What is Human resource management? (HRM) - The process of determining human resource needs and then recruiting, selecting, developing, motivating, evaluating, compensating, and scheduling employees to achieve organizational goals.

What did Title Vll of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 achieve? - prohibits discrimination in hiring, firing, compensation, apprenticeships, training, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment based on race, religion, creed, sex, or national origin. (Slide 14)

1972 Equal Employment Opportunity Act (EEOA) - gave EEOC the right to issue workplace guidelines for acceptable employer conduct

Affirmative Action - Employment activities designed to “right past wrongs” by increasing opportunities for minorities and women.

Reverse discrimination - Discrimination against whites or males in hiring or promotion

What is EEOC, and what was the intention of affirmative action?

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission was created by the Civil Rights Act. The EEOC was permitted to issue guidelines for acceptable employer conduct in administrating equal employment opportunity. Affirmative action is the most controversial policy of the EEOC and was designed to “right past wrongs” by increasing opportunities for minorities and women

What does accommodations mean in the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990?

Employers are required to make “reasonable accommodations” for employees with disabilities, such as modifying equipment or widening doorways

Job analysis - A study of what is done by employees who hold various job titles

Job description - A summary of the objectives of a job, the type of work to be done, the responsibilities and duties, the working conditions, and the relationship of the job to other functions

Job specifications - A written summary of the minimum qualifications required of workers to do a particular job

Recruitment - The set of activities used to obtain a sufficient number of right people at the right time

Selection - The process of gathering information and deciding who should be hired, under legal guidelines, for the best interests of the individual and the organization

Contingent workers - Workers who do not have the expectation of regular, full-time employment

What are the 5 steps in human resource planning?

1. preparing a human resource inventory of the organization’s employees,

2. preparing a job analysis

3. assessing future human resource demand

4. assessing future labor supply

5. establishing a strategic plan

What factors make it difficult to recruit qualified employees?

Organizational policies that demand promotions from within, union regulations, and low wages

What are the 6 steps in the selection process?

1. obtaining complete application forms

2. conducting initial and follow-up interviews

3. giving employment tests

4. conducting background investigations

5. obtaining results from physical exams

6. establishing trial period

Who is considered a contingent worker, and why do companies hire such workers?

Contingent workers include part-time workers, temporary workers, seasonal workers, independent contractors, interns, and co-op students. Contingent workers are sometimes hired in an uncertain economic climate, when full-time workers are on leave, when there is peak demand for labor or products, and finally when quick service is necessary.

While training focuses on short term skills; development focuses on long term abilities

Training and Development - All attempts to improve productivity by increasing an employee’s ability to perform

Management development - The process of training and educating employees to become good managers and then monitoring the progress of their managerial skills over time.

Networking - The process of establishing and maintaining contacts with key managers in one’s own organization and other organizations and using those contacts to weave strong relationships that serve as informal development systems

Mentors - An experienced employee who supervises, coaches, and guides lower-level employees by introducing them to the right people and generally being their organizational sponsor.

Performance appraisal - an evaluation that measures employee performance against established standards in order to make decisions about promotions, compensation, training, or termination.

A 360-degree review gives managers opinions from people at different levels to get a more accurate idea of the worker’s abilities

Contrast Effect - Comparing one employee to another

Halo/Horn Effect - Allowing performances in specific areas to unfairly influence overall performance evaluation

Similar-to-Me Effect - Generosity to those you feel are more like you

Name and describe 4 training techniques

Off-the-job training occurs away from the workplace and consists of internal or external programs to develop any of a variety of skills or to foster personal development. An apprenticeship program involves a student or apprentice working alongside an experienced employee to master the skills and procedures of a craft. Vestibule training or near-the-job training is done in a classroom with equipment similar to that used on the job so employees learn proper methods and safety procedures before assuming a specific job assignment. Job simulation is the use of equipment that duplicates job conditions and tasks so trainees can learn skills before attempting them on the job.

What’s the primary purpose of a performance appraisal?

To determine whether workers are doing an effective and efficient job, with a minimum of errors and disruptions.

What are the 6 steps in a performance appraisal?

1. establishing performance standards

2. communicating those standards

3. evaluating performance

4. discussing results with employees

5. taking corrective action

6. using the results to make decisions

Skill-based: pay is increased as team members learn and apply new skills

Gain-sharing: pay is increased as performance increases compared to previous performance

Fringe benefits - benefits such as sick-leave pay, vacation pay, pension plans, and health plans that represent additional compensation to employees beyond base wages

Cafeteria-style fringe benefits - Fringe benefit plan that allows employees to choose the benefits they want up to a certain dollar amount

Flextime plan - Work schedule that gives employees some freedom to choose when to work, as long as they work the required number of hours

→ Most flextime plans require core time - the period when all employees are expected to be at their job stations

Compressed workweek - work schedule that allows employees to work a full number of hours per week but in fewer days

Job sharing - An arrangement whereby two part-time employees share one full-time job

Can you name and describe 5 alternative compensation techniques?

Comission plans - rewarding employees with a percentage of sales

Bonus plans - rewarding employees with payment based on achievement of a predetermined goal

profit sharing plans - giving employees the ability to share in a percentage of the company’s profit

gain sharing plans - bonus is based on improvements over previous performance

stock options - granting employees shares of stocks based on performance

What advantages do compensation plans such as profit sharing offer an organization?

The hope is that profit sharing plans will motivate employees to think like owners

What are the benefits and challenges of flextime? Telecommunting? Job sharing?

Flextime benefits include allowing employees to adjust to work/life demands. Challenges of flextime include not being applicable for all businesses, making communication more difficult, and creating the possibility of resentment if employees abuse the system. Telecommuting benefits include cost saving for employers and allows employees to manage work/life demands. Challeneges of telecommuting include that it requires disciplined employees to stay focused and communication with employees may suffer. Job sharing benefits include employment opportunities for those who cannot (or prefer not to) work full-time, reduced absenteeism and tardiness, retention of experienced workers, and ability to schedule workers during peak times. Challenegs of job sharing include the need to hire, train, motivate, and supervise at least twice as many employees.