Chapter 12

Question 1

human resource management (HRM)

Answer 1

the process of hiring, developing, motivating, and evaluating employees to achieve organizational goals

Question 2

human resource (HR) planning

Answer 2

creating a strategy for meeting future human resource needs

Question 3

job analysis

Answer 3

a study of the tasks required to do a particular job well

Question 4

job description

Answer 4

the tasks and responsibilities of a job

Question 5

job specification

Answer 5

a list of the skills, knowledge, and abilities of a person must have to fill a job

Question 6

contingent workers

Answer 6

persons who prefer temporary employment, either part-time or full-time

Question 7

recruitment

Answer 7

the attempt to find and attract qualified applicants in the external labour market

Question 8

job fair

Answer 8

an event, typically one day, held at a convention centre to bring together thousands of job seekers and hundreds of companies searching for employees

Question 9

corporate open house

Answer 9

persons are invited to an open house on the premises of the corporation. qualified applicants are encouraged to complete an application before leaving

Question 10

selection

Answer 10

the process of determining which persons in the applicant pool possess the qualifications necessary to be successful on the job

Question 11

selection interview

Answer 11

an in-depth discussion of an applicant’s work experience, skills and abilities, education, and career interests

Question 12

training and development

Answer 12

activities that provide learning situations in which an employee acquires additional knowledge or skills to increase job performance

Question 13

orientation

Answer 13

training that prepares a new employee to perform on the job; includes information about job assignments, work rules, equipment, and performance expectations, as well as about company policies, salary and benefits, and parking

Question 14

on-the-job training

Answer 14

training in which the employee learns the job by doing it with guidance from a supervisor or an experienced coworker

Question 15

job rotation

Answer 15

reassignment of workers to several different jobs over time so that they can learn the basics of each job

Question 16

apprenticeship

Answer 16

a form of on-the-job training that combines specific job instruction with classroom instruction

Question 17

articling

Answer 17

working in an accredited environment to apply theoretical knowledge learned through formal education and develop professional judgement

Question 18

mentoring

Answer 18

a form of on-the-job training in which a senior manager or other experienced employee provides job- and career-related information to a protege

Question 19

programmed instruction

Answer 19

a form of computer-assisted off-the-job training

Question 20

simulation

Answer 20

a scaled-down version or mock-up of equipment, process, or work environment

Question 21

performance appraisal

Answer 21

a comparison of actual performance with expected performance to assess an employee’s contributions to the organization

Question 22

fringe benefits

Answer 22

indirect compensation, such as pensions, health insurance, and vacation

Question 23

labour union

Answer 23

an organization that represents workers in dealing with management over issues involving wages, hours, and working conditions

Question 24

collective bargaining

Answer 24

the process of negotiating labour agreements that provide for compensation and working arrangements mutually acceptable to the union and to management

Question 25

local union

Answer 25

a branch or unit of a national union that represents workers at a specific plant or in a specific geographic area

Question 26

national union

Answer 26

a union that consists of many local unions in a particular industry, skilled trade, or geographic area and thus represents workers throughout an entire country

Question 27

shop steward

Answer 27

an elected union official who represents union members to management when workers have issues

Question 28

closed shop

Answer 28

a company where only union members can be hired

Question 29

union shop

Answer 29

a company where non-union workers can be hired but must then join the union

Question 30

agency shop

Answer 30

a company where employees are not required to join the union but must pay it a fee to cover its expenses in representing them

Question 31

open shop

Answer 31

a company where employees do not have to join the union or pay dues or fees to the union; established under right-to-work laws

Question 32

cost-of-living adjustment (COLA)

Answer 32

a provision in a labour contract that calls for wages to increase automatically as the cost of living rises (usually measured by the consumer price index)

Question 33

grievance

Answer 33

a formal complaint, filed by an employee or by the union, charging that management has violated the contract

Question 34

arbitration

Answer 34

the process of settling a labour-management dispute by having a third party- a single arbitrator or panel- make a decision, which is binding on both the union and the employer

Question 35

mediation

Answer 35

a method of attempting to settle labor issues in which a specialist (the mediator) tries to persuade management and the union to adjust or settle their dispute

Question 36

competitive advantage

Answer 36

a set of unique features of an organization that are perceived by customers and potential customers as significant and superior to the competition’s

Question 37

outsource

Answer 37

the assignment of various functions, such as human resources, accounting, or legal work, to outside organizations