Organization Part Two

Question 1

What is employee relations as opposed to industrial or labor relations?

Answer 1

• Employer-employee relationships marked by trust; often adversarial relationship between management and unions

Question 2

When working in a global company, what must be communicated effectively cross-culturally?

Answer 2

• Employer’s legal rights such as ownership of intellectual property

Question 3

What is the voluntary standards signed by 10,000 corporations and stakeholders from 130 countries?

Answer 3

• UN Global Compact

Question 4

Which UN agency’s standards form the basis of many countries’ labor laws and is premised on four strategic objectives: organizing protection, slave labor, child labor, and anti-discrimination?

Answer 4

• ILO

(International Labor Organization)

Question 5

What entity created a non-binding ethic code for multinational enterprises?

Answer 5

• OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development)

Question 6

What entity purports to open trade and resolve trade disputes and whose members commit to freedom of association, no forced labor, no child and no discrimination at work?

Answer 6

WTO (World Trade Organization)

Question 7

Since some nations’ laws would allow business practices that could violate international standards, what should an HR professional do if his company is tempted to take advantage?

Answer 7

• Remind upper management not to subordinate workers’ rights of safety and sustenance to short-term gain

Question 8

What are some terms and conditions of employment about which some countries’ laws restrict management’s discretion to make decisions?

Answer 8

• Privacy, separation (RIF reduction in force), independent contractors, pregnancy, employment contractors (must be formally amended and are preferable to implied contracts)

Question 9

What should you do to avoid legal difficulties about independent contractors?

Answer 9

• Hire outright or lease from another employer and /or conduct audits

Question 10

Why might a company want a union?

Answer 10

• To deal with complex employees and lower resistance to change

Question 11

What are the likely affects of even a collaborative relationship with a union?

Answer 11

• Less conflict but less management flexibility, higher labor costs, and longer decision-making

Question 12

What can a company do to try to remain union free?

Answer 12

• Communicate a non-union policy before a unionizing campaign begins and promote employee involvement and perceived fairness

Question 13

Why might global companies not be able to have fully standardized policies

Answer 13

• Legal compliance and cultural adaptations

Question 14

What is sustainability?

Answer 14

• The ability to meet present needs without compromising future generations’ ability to meet their needs; triple bottom line of profit, people, planet

Question 15

Describe the three components of a sustainable work environment’s EI strategies. What must be communicated if employees are going to participate meaningfully?

Answer 15

• Suggestion improvement (quality circles, safety committees, EPG{employee participation groups}

Job involvement (self-managed teams)
High involvement (employees on management committees)

For employees to participate meaningfully, organizational goals must be communicated

Question 16

What two principles must be remembered about recognition and rewards?

Answer 16

• Rewards must be linked to goals and not have unwanted consequences. Rewards must be of appropriate value and tailored to the individual’s culture

Question 17

How can feedback’s effectiveness be affected by cultural differences?

Answer 17

• High/low status
• Specific/holistic
• High/low tolerance for ambiguity
• Individualism vs. collectivism

Question 18

How can HR insist that feedback be a two-way communication?

Answer 18

• Hold managers accountable in their performance evaluations for employee relations strategies.

Question 19

How have unions responded to globalization?

Answer 19

• Coordination across borders

Question 20

What entities in Europe facilitate information sharing and consultation?

Answer 20

• Work councils

Question 21

What is the two-tiered corporate governance structure that can have both management and employees participate in strategic decision-making?

What is called when a government intervenes directly in employee rights negotiations?

Answer 21

• Co-determination

* Tripartite

Question 22

How must parties negotiate to write the collective bargaining agreement?

Answer 22

• In good faith =open mind and with a real desire to come to agreement

Question 23

What is the best way to avoid grievances?

Answer 23

• Communicate proactively and clearly

Question 24

What is the British term for strikes,boycotts, and picketing?

Answer 24

• Industrial actions

Question 25

What is HR’s role with regard to ULPs (unfair labor practices)?

Answer 25

• Teach managers to avoid ULPs

Question 26

Why must conflict in the workplace be managed?

Answer 26

• To sustain trust among all employees

Question 27

What is HR’s role with regard to workplace retaliation?

Answer 27

• Create and train on a strong policy of anti-retaliation, investigate and take action if necessary

Question 28

What should be HR’s position regarding investigations?

Answer 28

• Ensure confidentiality to the extent possible

Question 29

What are discipline, due process, and constructive/progressive discipline?

Answer 29

• Train (corrective rather than punishment)

* Knowing what is expected and opportunity to explain and appeal; increasingly severe penalties

Question 30

Why must HR have an understanding of IT?

Answer 30

• It helps achieve HR goals and enables better decision-making

Question 31

What is the difference between IM(information management) and KM(knowledge management)?

Answer 31

• IM=use of technology to ensure information is an organizational resource “collaborative brainpower” (what data is needed and how much transparency)

KM=sharing knowledge specifically lessons learned and organizational knowledge (learning organization)

Question 32

What were the precursors to SaaS(software as a service) and why is SaaS generally preferable?

Answer 32

• ASPs(application service providers) that provide license; cheaper for updates

Question 33

What advantage does cloud computing provide?

Answer 33

Facilities more diversified yet customized experience

Question 34

When outsourcing technology service, what must be done?

Answer 34

• Service-level agreement (SLA) must spell out deliverables and privacy assurances

Question 35

What are measures,metrics, and analytics and what are there purpose?

Answer 35

• Data point; relationship of two or more measures, trends that provide insight to solutions; provide leaders with actionable information

Question 36

What is HR’s role regarding metrics?

Answer 36

• Teaches, reports, interprets, and creates programs

Question 37

What are the dangers if metrics focus too much on activities or too much on outcomes?

Answer 37

• Too much on activities could result in misalignment and wasted time.
• Too much on outcomes could lead to ethical problem of ends justifying the means.

Start with core activities followed by outcome metrics

Question 38

What is a standard?

Answer 38

• Consistent, minimal guidelines ensuring that services are “fit for their purpose.”

Question 39

What is big data and why is it important?

Answer 39

High volume, high speed, high variety of information that allows for enhanced insight and more informed decision-making

Question 40

What should be considered when selecting technology and who should be involved?

Answer 40

• Flexibility, scalability, security, usability, extensibility; all stakeholders should be involved

Question 41

What is the advantage of continuous integration

(“waterfall “) over “Big Bang” approach of implementation?

Answer 41

• Leas risky to evolve

Question 42

What is the primary advantage of an integrated solution and what is the primary advantage of a BoB (best of breed) solution?

Answer 42

• Single platform and less training vs. best of breed allows tailored solutions, best, and flexibility

Question 43

What is the best way to manage the risk of collaboration within the organization and the use of social media outside the organization?

Answer 43

• Clear policies that are updated and approved, current version of which is posted on website.