Interactive Assignment #1 – “Why We Hate HR” and “Why We (Shouldn’t) Hate HR”

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Your assignment is comprised of three parts: Part A, B and C and is due in two days no plagiarize . Read the information below and follow the directions for each part.

There are many truths in the article “Why We Hate HR:”

  • HR professionals need to understand all business functions and skills not just “soft skills”
  • HR professionals must understand and be able to execute performance metrics (a hot trend in business), as their results have a direct impact on company performance and are imperative for strategic HR practices
  • Organizational leadership must understand the need for balance between concern for people and concern for the organizational bottom line, not one extreme or the other.

Unfortunately, Hammond’s article seems to cater to an audience that already hates the HR function, and he plays to their point of view by continually placing all the responsibility for HR department dysfunction on the backs of HR professionals while giving minimal attention and focus on the organizations that employ them. Hammond’s article, “Why We Hate HR,” should have been about how senior management, HR professionals, and company employees should find a common goal of understanding the important role HR has in the organization and its connection to overall organizational strategy – not about laying blame on HR. 

Part A – Summarize the key points in Hammond’s article “Why We Hate HR.”

However, some organizations have made the connection between HR and positive organizational strategy and thus organizational performance. As you read in Taylor’s article, “Why We (Shouldn’t) Hate HR,” business strategists rave about Cirque du Soleil (Links to an external site.) and the ideas it has embraced to reinvent the circus and invent a whole new genre of entertainment. Cirque makes an explicit connection between the people it attracts and the product it delivers, between how it does business and who it invites to become part of the business. As Lyn Heward, Cirque’s director of creation (Links to an external site.), explains “… We need to learn about the person behind the artist. How many somersaults you can do is not as important as an open-mindedness to our process, the tough-mindedness to get through the job, and what we call a ‘fire to perform.’ “

Likewise, Taylor believes Pixar, the Hollywood movie hit factory (Links to an external site.), was/is successful not because of the power of its animation technology but because of the power of its culture — specifically, the mission-critical role played by Pixar University, a one-of-a-kind training complex in which all of the company’s people, from security guards to programmers to finance executives, rub shoulders and learn together.  (To learn more about Pixar’s culture, view http://www.pixar.com/about/Life-at-Pixar (Links to an external site.) on the company’s website; then view Pixar’s movie intro at

Link (Links to an external site.)undefined

Part B – What is the significance of this clip with regard to Pixar’s culture?

Additionally, consider the experience of DaVita, the kidney-dialysis provider (Links to an external site.) that experienced a “remarkable business turnaround driven almost exclusively by a transformation of how it approached the people side of the business” (bold added for emphasis). In particular, “Everything Speaks,” one of the organization’s core culture themes, suggests that even the most trivial issues (e.g., how colleagues communicate with one another, small gestures of individual kindness or selfishness) send huge signals about the health of the entire organization.

Given that human resource management (HRM), the policies, practices and systems that influence employees’ behavior, attitudes, and performance, involve “people practices” and that these practices support the organization’s business strategy, companies with effective HRM, employees and customers tend to be more satisfied, and the companies tend to be more innovative, have greater productivity, and develop a more favorable reputation in the community (Noe, page 2 in textbook). 

Furthermore, research has demonstrated that HRM practices have economic value (i.e., capital—cash, equipment, technology, and facilities) instead of the traditional perception by managers and economists of being a necessary expense. For example, did you know that engaged and enabled employees deliver bottom-line results? Specifically, employees who are highly engaged (through communication and leadership) and highly enabled (through careful selection for well-designed jobs with adequate resources and training) result in 4 ½ times greater growth in revenues and 54% higher customer satisfaction.

Thus, HRM is critical to the success of organizations because human capital has certain qualities that make it valuable. That is, “Employees in today’s organizations are not interchangeable, easily replaced parts of a system but [are] the source of the company’s success or failure” (Noe, 4). So, in terms of business strategy, an organization can succeed if it has a sustainable competitive advantage. Organizations need the kind of resources that will afford them such an advantage.

Part C – Follow the directions in the paragraphs below and answer the Discussion Questions.

The Best Practices box: “How Abbott Laboratories Creates a Healthy Business,” on page 9 of your textbook, presents another example of an organization that appreciates the importance of human capital. Read the case study; then answer the following questions (Questions 1 and 2 are from the textbook; Question 3 requires you to reflect on what you have learned from the readings, videos, and discussion board posts this week).

Your assignment (responses) will be graded on your analysis (logic, answering the “So what? Why should I care? question,” connection to theory/experience/examples/readings) and quality (of thinking, of writing).

Discussion Questions: 

  1. How could a company such as Abbott benefit from sending an employee to school to study finance or another business subject?
  2. Is the company training or developing Jain? Or both? Explain your answer.
  3. How do you think hiring and training could work hand in hand to help a company such as Abbott meet its business objectives?
    • If possible, relate it to places where you have worked.
    • Are there any similarities between Abbott’s appreciation of human capital and those of the three companies discussed in Taylor’s article, “Why We (Shouldn’t) Hate HR?” If so, what are they?

Week 4 – Critical Thinking Quiz

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unit 3 DB

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Background

Biotechnology allows the use of living organisms or their processes for human needs or purposes. Currently, this topic includes such general examples as cloning, stem cells (adult, umbilical cord, and embryonic), DNA fingerprinting, biological warfare, bioremediation, genetically modified organisms, vaccines, and transgenic plants and animals to name a few. In this assignment, you will explore specific examples of biotechnology applications.

Assignment Details

Part 1

Biotechnology is the use of a living thing or any part of a living thing to make a product or process that improves human life. For this part of the assignment, discuss the following:

  • What are some of the examples of biotechnology that have made improvements to your life?
  • Describe how one of these has made your life better.
  • Do you have any concerns with biotechnology? Explain.

Part 2

In 2008, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved food derived from cloned animals. In addition, these products will not need to be labeled as “cloned” or “from clones” (Black, 2008). The FDA explains that you will not be eating the clone itself. It takes thousands of dollars to clone a food animal such as a cow or pig. Animals that are cloned for improved food production will be used for a breeding program to produce many offspring with the desirable traits for increased meat or milk yield. These offspring of the clones will be fair game for food. Discuss the following:

  • Do you think there are differences between a clone and a “normal” animal?
  • How do you feel about eating a cloned animal?
  • Is your opinion of eating a cloned plant different?

Reference

Black, R. (2008). U.S. approves animal clones as food. Retrieved from the BBC News Web site: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7190305.stm

Provide references in APA format. This includes a reference list and in-text citations for references used throughout the assignment.

HLTH430 IP 3

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Health Care Information Systems are important in dispensing of information throughout the organization. You will develop a research paper on a health care technology that has become essential to the sharing of information via electronic communication mediums (i.e., EMR, Telehealth, HMR, etc.).

  • Explain each part of the key components.
  • Explain each part of contributing factors.
  • Provide examples of ways to measure each part.

Present your findings as a 4-5 page Word document formatted in APA style.

Your assignment will be graded in accordance with the following criteria. Click here to view the grading rubric.

Submit your assignment.

Submitting your assignment in APA format means, at a minimum, you will need the following:

  1. TITLE PAGE. Remember the Running head: AND TITLE IN ALL CAPITALS
  2. ABSTRACT. A summary of your paper – not an introduction. Begin writing in third person voice.
  3. BODY. The body of your paper begins on the page following the title page and abstract page and must be double-spaced (be careful not to triple- or quadruple-space between paragraphs). The type face should be 12-pt. Times Roman or 12-pt. Courier in regular black type. Do not use color, bold type, or italics except as required for APA level headings and references. The deliverable length of the body of your paper for this assignment is 4-5 pages. In-body academic citations to support your decisions and analysis are required. A variety of academic sources is encouraged.
  4. REFERENCE PAGE. References that align with your in-body academic sources are listed on the final page of your paper. The references must be in APA format using appropriate spacing, hang indention, italics, and upper and lower case usage as appropriate for the type of resource used. Remember, the Reference Page is not a bibliography but a further listing of the abbreviated in-body citations used in the paper. Every referenced item must have a corresponding in-body citation.

Are are able to do this one? Sandra Stanley was a 10-year-old child who went to All Saints Medical for a routine tonsillectomy. The procedure was performed on an outpatient basis. Sandra’s parents were presented with and signed all of the necessary paper

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Are are able to do this one?

Sandra Stanley was a 10-year-old child who went to All Saints Medical for a routine tonsillectomy. The procedure was performed on an outpatient basis. Sandra’s parents were presented with and signed all of the necessary paperwork, including liability releases prior to the procedure. Although the surgery was a success, Sandra experienced complications during the recovery period. She developed extensive blood clots and unfortunately experienced a heart attack in the recovery room. The attending physicians performed life-saving measures, including placing Sandra on a ventilator. Despite these efforts, Sandra slipped into a coma and became unresponsive. All Saints Medical was fully booked and needed the space used by Sandra for future medical appointments. Seeing the test results of negative brain wave function, Sandra’s doctors discussed options with the family to remove Sandra from the ventilator. Sandra’s family refused. All Saints Medical expanded the brain wave analysis on Sandra and brought in several experts who all concluded that Sandra had no brain wave function and was declared brain dead by the attending physician. Still, Sandra’s family refused to agree to have Sandra removed from the ventilator.

Write a paper of 5–7 pages that outlines the major components of the ethical considerations and principles that are present in this scenario. Include the following:

  • Research and analyze the ethical and legal issues involved in prolonging life and the right to die in 2 high visibility cases (e.g., Terri Schiavo, Karen Ann Quinlan, Nancy Cruzan, Haleigh Poutre, Jahi McMath, or Eluana Englaro).
  • Compare and contrast the perspectives and considerations for key stakeholders involved in each of the 2 cases (e.g., patient, parents, providers, administrators, lawmakers, etc.).
  • Evaluate the ethical considerations and issues for each stakeholder involved (e.g., patient, parents, providers, administrators, etc.) relative to the issue of Sandra remaining on life support upon the determination that she had no brain wave function and was brain dead.
  • Analyze the legal issues that are involved in Sandra’s situation, assuming All Saints Medical is located in your state of residence.

The body of the resultant paper should be 5–7 pages and include at least 5 relevant peer-reviewed academic or professional references that have been published within the past 5 years.

Assignment 1: The State Judicial Selection Process

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Write a five to eight (5-8) page paper in which you:

  1. Discuss the judicial selection process of your state. Include, at a minimum, the qualifications and steps that are taken in order to select judges for the different kinds of courts within your specific state.
  2. Choose a second state, and describe the qualifications and the selection process for judges within that state.
  3. Compare and contrast for both states the qualifications necessary for a prospective candidate to become a judge. Next, identify the steps that the relevant persons / entities need to take in order to remove a judge from office for disciplinary reasons for each state.
  4. Justify the selection process for the state that you believe has the best system in place. Justify the response.
  5. Use at least three (3) quality academic resources. Note: Wikipedia and other websites do not qualify as academic resources.

Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format.

 

Assignment 1: The State Judicial Selection Process

Criteria

 

Unacceptable

Below 60% F

Meets Minimum Expectations

60-69% D

 

Fair

70-79% C

 

Proficient

80-89% B

 

Exemplary

90-100% A

1. Discuss the judicial selection process of your state. Include, at a minimum, the qualifications and steps that are taken in order to select judges for the different kinds of courts within your specific state.

Weight: 25%

Did not submit or incompletely discussed the judicial selection process of your state. Did not submit or incompletely included, at a minimum, the qualifications and steps that are taken in order to select judges for the different kinds of courts within your specific state.

Insufficiently discussed the judicial selection process of your state. Insufficiently included, at a minimum, the qualifications and steps that are taken in order to select judges for the different kinds of courts within your specific state.

Partially discussed the judicial selection process of your state. Partially included, at a minimum, the qualifications and steps that are taken in order to select judges for the different kinds of courts within your specific state.

Satisfactorily discussed the judicial selection process of your state. Satisfactorily included, at a minimum, the qualifications and steps that are taken in order to select judges for the different kinds of courts within your specific state.

Thoroughly discussed the judicial selection process of your state. Thoroughly included, at a minimum, the qualifications and steps that are taken in order to select judges for the different kinds of courts within your specific state.

2. Choose a second state, and describe the qualifications and the selection process for judges within that state.

Weight: 20%

Did not submit or incompletely chose a second state, and did not submit or incompletely described the qualifications and the selection process for judges within that state.

Insufficiently chose a second state, and insufficiently described the qualifications and the selection process for judges within that state.

Partially chose a second state, and partially described the qualifications and the selection process for judges within that state.

Satisfactorily chose a second state, and satisfactorily described the qualifications and the selection process for judges within that state.

Thoroughly chose a second state, and thoroughly described the qualifications and the selection process for judges within that state.

3. Compare and contrast for both states the qualifications necessary for a prospective candidate to become a judge. Next, identify the steps that the relevant persons / entities need to take in order to remove a judge from office for disciplinary reasons for each state.

Weight: 20%

Did not submit or incompletely compared and contrasted for both states the qualifications necessary for a prospective candidate to become a judge. Next, did not submit or incompletely identified the steps that the relevant persons / entities need to take in order to remove a judge from office for disciplinary reasons for each state.

Insufficiently compared and contrasted for both states the qualifications necessary for a prospective candidate to become a judge. Next, insufficiently identified the steps that the relevant persons / entities need to take in order to remove a judge from office for disciplinary reasons for each state.

Partially compared and contrasted for both states the qualifications necessary for a prospective candidate to become a judge. Next, partially identified the steps that the relevant persons / entities need to take in order to remove a judge from office for disciplinary reasons for each state.

Satisfactorily compared and contrasted for both states the qualifications necessary for a prospective candidate to become a judge. Next, satisfactorily identified the steps that the relevant persons / entities need to take in order to remove a judge from office for disciplinary reasons for each state.

Thoroughly compared and contrasted for both states the qualifications necessary for a prospective candidate to become a judge. Next, thoroughly identified the steps that the relevant persons / entities need to take in order to remove a judge from office for disciplinary reasons for each state.

4. Justify the selection process for the state that you believe has the best system in place. Justify the response.

Weight: 20%

Did not submit or incompletely justified the selection process for the state that you believe has the best system in place. Did not submit or incompletely justified the response.

Insufficiently justified the selection process for the state that you believe has the best system in place. Insufficiently justified the response.

Partially justified the selection process for the state that you believe has the best system in place. Insufficiently justified the response.

Satisfactorily justified the selection process for the state that you believe has the best system in place. Satisfactorily justified the response.

Thoroughly justified the selection process for the state that you believe has the best system in place. Thoroughly justified the response.

5. 3 references

Weight: 5%

 

No references provided

Does not meet the required number of references; all references poor quality choices.

Does not meet the required number of references; some references poor quality choices.

Meets number of required references; all references high quality choices.

Exceeds number of required references; all references high quality choices.

6. Clarity, writing mechanics, and formatting requirements

Weight: 10%

More than 8 errors present

7-8 errors present

5-6 errors present

3-4 errors present

0-2 errors present

Assignment 1: Financial Analysis

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Use the Internet or Strayer databases to research one (1) publicly traded company and review its last annual report. Use an investor’s view to perform financial analysis and discuss various non-financial factors impacting investment decision.

Write a two to three (2-3) page paper in which you:

  1. From an investor’s view, review the last annual report for chosen company. Use financial analysis tools of liquidity, profitability, and solvency to evaluate the company’s performance and reasons for investing or not investing. Include the company’s ranking in the industry, and its major competitors.
  2. From an investor’s views, discuss at least three (3) non-financial factors that suggest investing in this company. These may include environmental responsibility (sustainability), corporate governance, etc. Explain the main reasons why these are important to an investor.
  3. Use at least three (3) quality academic resources in this assignment.

Assignment 1: Financial Analysis

Criteria

Unacceptable

Below 70% F

Fair

70-79% C

Proficient

80-89% B

Exemplary

90-100% A

1. From an investor’s view, review the last annual report for chosen company. Use financial analysis tools of liquidity, profitability, and solvency to evaluate the company’s performance and reasons for investing or not investing. Include the company’s ranking in the industry, and its major competitors.

 

Weight: 35%

Did not submit or incompletely used financial analysis tools of liquidity, profitability, and solvency to evaluate the company’s performance and reasons for investing or not investing. Did not submit or incompletely included the company’s ranking in the industry, and its major competitors.

Partially used financial analysis tools of liquidity, profitability, and solvency to evaluate the company’s performance and reasons for investing or not investing. Partially included the company’s ranking in the industry, and its major competitors.

Satisfactorily used financial analysis tools of liquidity, profitability, and solvency to evaluate the company’s performance and reasons for investing or not investing. Satisfactorily included the company’s ranking in the industry, and its major competitors.

Thoroughly used financial analysis tools of liquidity, profitability, and solvency to evaluate the company’s performance and reasons for investing or not investing. Thoroughly included the company’s ranking in the industry, and its major competitors.

2. From an investor’s views, discuss at least three (3) non-financial factors that suggest investing in this company. These may include environmental responsibility (sustainability), corporate governance, etc. Explain the main reasons why these are important to an investor.

 

Weight: 30%

Did not submit or incompletely discussed at least three (3) non-financial factors that suggest investing in this company. Did not submit or incompletely explained the main reasons why these are important to an investor.

Partially discussed at least three (3) non-financial factors that suggest investing in this company. Partially explained the main reasons why these are important to an investor.

Satisfactorily discussed at least three (3) non-financial factors that suggest investing in this company. Satisfactorily explained the main reasons why these are important to an investor.

Thoroughly discussed at least three (3) non-financial factors that suggest investing in this company. Thoroughly explained the main reasons why these are important to an investor.

3. 3 references

 

Weight: 7%

No references provided

Does not meet the required number of references; some or all references poor quality choices.

Meets number of required references; all references high quality choices.

Exceeds number of required references; all references high quality choices.

4. Writing Mechanics, Grammar, and Formatting

Weight: 7%

Serious and persistent errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation, or formatting.

Numerous errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation.

Partially free of errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation, or formatting.

Mostly free of errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation, or formatting.

5. Appropriate use of APA in-text citations and  reference section

Weight: 7%

Lack of in-text citations and / or lack of reference section.

In-text citations and references are given, but not in APA format.

In-text citations and references are provided, but they are only partially formatted correctly in APA style.

Most in-text citations and references are provided, and they are generally formatted correctly in APA style.

6. Information Literacy/Integration of Sources

Weight: 7%

Serious errors in the integration of sources, such as intentional or accidental plagiarism, or failure to use in-text citations.

Sources are rarely integrated using effective techniques of quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing.

Sources are partially integrated using effective techniques of quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing.

 

Sources are mostly integrated using effective techniques of quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing.

7. Clarity and Coherence of Writing

Weight: 7%

Information is confusing to the reader and fails to include reasons and evidence that logically support ideas.

Information is somewhat confusing with not enough reasons and evidence that logically support ideas.

Information is partially clear with minimal reasons and evidence that logically support ideas.

Information is mostly clear and generally supported with reasons and evidence that logically support ideas.

Stand-Alone Project: Industry Analysis (300 points)

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Stand-Alone Project: Industry Analysis (300 points)

Each assignment in this course focuses on a different portion of an industry analysis. The activities and discussion questions serve as an introduction to the process of critically evaluating a corporation, one of its direct competitors, and the industry as a whole which constitute a thorough and complete industry analysis. Your MB609 Capstone Project will be a complete industry analysis including a publicly traded company, its industry, and two of its competitors. (Be sure that you keep your textbook from this course as well as all of the projects you write.)

This Industry Analysis project (MB601) is an introductory project to prepare you for the Capstone Project (MB609). At this time you will only analyze a publicly traded company and its industry (none of its competitors will be analyzed). To begin this project, select a publicly traded corporation to study. In other words, you should be able to purchase stock in the corporation you select. The corporation must be large enough for the business and trade press to have written about it, but not so large that the amount of available information is overwhelming making your ability to suggest innovative recommendations for the corporation’s survival and success. Consequently, make sure that you do not choose one in which any and all potential strategies and recommendations have been discussed at length in the press. A table of contents and a bibliography listing only those works that you cited in your analysis is required. Your Stand-Alone Project responses should be both grammatically and mechanically correct, and formatted in the same fashion as the project itself. If there is a Part A, your response should identify a Part A, etc. In addition, you must appropriately cite all resources used in your response and document in a bibliography using APA style. (300 points) (A 20-page response is required for the combination of Parts A through H.)

First, collect the following documents and information.

  1. The corporation’s annual report
  2. At least 15 business or trade articles concerning the current status of your corporation and predictions of its future success
  3. Information on your corporation’s CEO and Board of Directors
  4. Information about the industry in general, including major players, consumers, trends, etc.

Next, thoroughly read the information and documents you collected on your company and its industry. As you read, make notes on the topics listed below, synthesize the information, and analyze the current state of the corporation and its industry. This synthesis and analysis process is essential to build your conceptual skills which are to be further developed as you proceed through the MBA Program. It is the goal of an MBA program to build your conceptual skills which are required for management positions which oversee a variety of departments, specialists, and projects.

Following the outline below, write your analysis of your corporation and its industry.

 

Part A CEO Profile and Assessment of Effectiveness  (30 points)
  1. Profile your CEO’s qualifications (experience, education, etc.) as well as why  this person was selected and the circumstances that created the CEO vacancy.
  2. Students should relate the CEO’s qualifications as it applies to the type of
 strategy the company has elected to follow and the type of CEO that typically is success in achieving that strategy.
  3. Discuss the impact that the CEO has made on the organization thus far and why.
     
Part B Board of Directors Profile and Analysis:  This section includes a wealth of information regarding the role that the Board of Directors plays in your organization. (40 points)
  1. You should discuss the manner in which the Board of Directors is nominated and selected, the way in which the Board is organized and why, and the way in which the Board utilizes or matches the trends in corporate governance that are listed in the text.
  2. You should evaluate and identify the strengths and weakness of the Board of
Director’s composition with respect to their affiliation (who they really work for and that company’s relationship to your corporation), diversity, experience in the industry and the company, insiders/outsiders, etc.
  3. Also, evaluate the changes in members to the Board in the last five years.  If there have been changes, do those changes (new board members with different attributes and affiliations) suggest a change in your corporation’s strategy, target markets, etc.?  Are these changes in any way indicative of a new strategic move?
     
Part C Industry Assessment (30 points) 
  1. Evaluate your corporation’s competitive position within its industry using Porter’s model:  threat of new entrants, suppliers, buyers, rivalry, substitutes, and other stakeholders.
  2. You should include a discussion of the other factors considered crucial to the industry’s survival.  Suggestions include industry dynamics, industry structure, life cycle, strategic groups, and other elements as necessary.
     
Part D Direct and Indirect Competition:  Using the information provided in your text related to competitive intensity and the types of competitor information available, identify the competition with respect to your corporation.  Identify the nature of their competitive relationship – similarity in products, strategy, etc.  At least two (2) competitors for each category should be discussed.  (40 points)
     
Part E Internal Strengths and Weakness:  Evaluate your corporation using the VRIO provided in your textbook.  (40 points)
     
Part F External Opportunities and Threats:  Evaluate your corporation’s competitive environment for opportunities and threats using the TOWS matrix.  (40 points)
     
Part G Overall Competitive Position:  Briefly evaluate the state of your corporation’s competitive position within its industry.  (40 points)
     
Part H Recommendations (40 points) 
  1. Make two (2) recommendations for increasing your corporation’s shareholder wealth in the future.  This includes ensuring long term survival as well as meeting and exceeding your shareholders expectations for the generation of their wealth in the short term and the long term.
  2. Your two (2) recommendations should be well supported by information contained in your written analysis and your supporting information should be specifically identified in this section to justify your recommendations.
  3. Your two (2) recommendations should be accompanied by your expectations for your corporation and its industry if your recommendations were adopted.  Your expectations should include the impact to the industry structure, the likely response of competitors, and both positive and negative consequence should be identified.

 

HRM 531

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1. Properly designed incentive programs work because they are based on two well-accepted psychological principles: (1) increased motivation improves performance and (2) 

control-based compensation

the Rucker plan

recognition is a major factor in motivation

the Scanlon plan

2. Employee demotions usually involve.

a reduction in pay but no loss of opportunity, status, or privilege

a cut in pay, status, privilege, or opportunity 

an increase in pay and more responsibility

a decrease in status and privilege but no loss of opportunity or pay

3. When conduction a performance feedback discussion, active listening requires

interruptions to get your point across

verbal communications only

summarizing what was said and what was agreed to

summarizing your key points

4. Which of the following is a distinctive feature of the U.S. system compared with other countries? 

Wages set by arbitration councils

Low union dues and small union staffs

All agreements are of unlimited duration

Exclusive representation

5. ____________ is the biggest hurdle to overcome in a pay-for-performance plan.

Compensation equation

Salary cap performance level

Merit-pay increases

Inflation

6. _____ analysis is the level of analysis that focuses on employees specifically. 

Environmental

Individual 

Employee

Operations

7. Title VII of the _____________ states that top executives in companies receiving government support can retract bonuses, retention awards, or incentives paid to the top five senior executive officers or the next 20 most highly compensated employees based on corporate information that is later found to be inaccurate.

Pay for Performance Act (2009)

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (2009) 

Sarbanes–Oxley Act (2002)

Equal Pay Act (1963)

8. What is our country’s income maintenance program?

Social Security

COBRA (1985)

PPA (2006), 401(k)

ERISA (1974)

9. Which question should not be important in evaluating the value of training? 

Is the change positive related to organizational goals?

Is the change due to training?

Was the cost of training within the budget?

Did change occur?

10. _____ implies that appraisal systems are easy for managers and employees to understand and use.

Sensitivity

Reliability

Practicality

Acceptability

11. This made extensive changes to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) of 1974 that governs employer-sponsored, qualified (for tax deferral) retirement-benefit plans.

Short-Term Severance Pay laws

Employer Cost Shifting laws

The Pension Protection Act (PPA) of 2006 

Short-Term Disability laws

12. When companies discover they can communicate better with their customers through employees who are similar to their customers, those companies then realize they have increased their _____ diversity. 

internal 

primary

external

secondary

13. For organizations, _________ is an indirect cost associated with downsizing.

outplacement

an increase in the unemployment tax rate

severance pay

administrative processing

14. The Civil Rights Act of 1991 offered what for victims of unintentional discrimination?

Adverse impact

Monetary damages and jury trials

Affirmative action

Race-norming

15. Organizations periodically turn to _________ to meet demands for talent brought about by business growth and a desire for fresh ideas, or to replace employees who leave.

outside labor markets

entry-level employees

former employees

their subsidiaries

16. To avoid legal difficulties related to performance appraisals and enhance credibility in court, employers should 

document appraisal ratings and reason for termination

have friends testify

present only the manager’s perspective

present only the employee’s perspective

17. Which is not a quality of Generation Y?

A blurring of the lines between work and leisure time while on the job

Short attention spans

The constant need for stimulation/entertainment

Inability to handle numerous projects

18. Training that results in ______ is costly because of the cost of training (which proved to be useless) and the cost of hampered performance.

applicability of training

reinforcement of training

simulation of training

negative transfer of training

19. What can affirmative action assist organizations in achieving that diversity initiatives cannot?

Increased productivity

Correcting specific problems of the past

Maximizing workforce commitment

Maximizing creativity

20. _____ proceeds from an oral warning to a written warning to a suspension to dismissal. 

Procedural justice

Due process

Positive discipline

Progressive discipline

21. Because practical considerations make job tryouts for all candidates infeasible, it is necessary to __________ the relative level of job performance for each candidate on the basis of available information.

predict

assign

abandon

accept

22. If employers fail to check closely enough on a prospective employee who then commits a crime in the course of performing his or her job duties, they can be held liable for

negligent hiring

quid pro quo

hostile environment

loss of consortium

23. ________________ include everything in a work environment that enhances a worker’s sense of self-respect and esteem by others.

Nonfinancial rewards

General business strategies

Social responsibilities 

Internal pay objectives

24. A _____ occurs when parties are unable to move further toward settlement.

mediation

grievance

lockout

bargaining impasse

25. Hard quotas

are a concerted effort by the organization to actively expand the pool of applicants so that no one is excluded because of past or present discrimination

systematically favor women and minorities in hiring and promotion decisions

are a commitment to treat all races and sexes equally in all decisions about hiring, promotion, and pay

represent a mandate to hire or promote specific numbers or proportions of women or minority group members

26. In determining the competitiveness of benefits, senior management tends to focus mainly on

worth

cost

security

value

27. In _____, workers have been fired for refusing to quit smoking, for living with someone without being married, drinking a competitor’s product, motorcycling, and other legal activities outside of work. 

constructive discharge

lifestyle discrimination

invasion of privacy

defamation

28. Mary arrives at her new job. Before she can begin actually doing the work, she must complete a series of activities including role playing and virtual reality interactions. What type of training method does Mary’s new employer use?

Simulation

On-the-job training

Information presentation

Organizational development

29. If objective performance data are available, which of the following is the best strategy to use? 

summated rating scales

BARS

work planning and review

MBO

30. ___________ is the process where managers provide feedback to the employees regarding their past and present job performance proficiency, as well as a basis for improving performance in the future.

Placement

Recruiting

Performance management

Selection

HRM546 Human Resource Law Week 1 DQ

/in /by

Who is an Employee

An Employee or Not?

 

You are the office manager of a small company, that sells refurbished computers to the public and is located in a strip mall. There are three employees: the owner of the company, the receptionisht and yourself.

The company hires individuals to go door to door to sell computers and related products, including software. The sales reps sign contracts with the company stating that they are not employees but rather independent contractors and are responsible for their own withholding taxes.

They are paid a commision on all sales and are to utilize a present script when they meet with potention customers. If there is a sale, they present the customer with a preprinted contract, receive the initial depost and are return the contract and the check to your office once a week. Every week they must attend a sales/staff meeting at the local Starbucks to discuss sales, sales techniques and other mattters related to the sales process and the products.

The owner has gone to the Paciic Coast to go whale and dolphin viewing. You are “in charge” until he returns next week. He has told you that, as he is always under a great deal of pressure from the business, you should not contact him.

However, on the day after he leaves, you receive a Notice from the State Department of Labor that it wants to do an audit of your financial records to see who is an employee and who is an Independent Contractor. In a panic, you call the owner, who tells you to take care of the problem.

How do you handle this situation?
Who is and who is not an employee?
What position should you take with regard to the DOL?

Please use formal academic and professional support to sustain your argument.

To Fire, Retain or Be Sued?

You are the Vice President of a large company in an at will state.

 Your company has just had its President replaced. The new President, in reviewing the senior management, focuses upon Larry, a 45 year old white male. He is the Comptroller of the company. He has very great skills in cash management. However, he has a few character flaws. Though married, he has been involved in a sexual relationship with a co-equal. She is now pregnant by him. There are also rumors that they engaged in their activities on company time and company property.

 There is an employee handbook, which has typed on its opening pages that it is not an employment contract but rather a statement of company policy. There is also a progressive step policy concerning discipline.

 Based upon all of this, the President has decided to terminate Larry. Word has filtered back to Larry that his job may be at risk. You learn that Larry has been advised by his senior manager, the Vice President of Finance, that he should photocopy files that may show the company in a bad light. Larry has done such. Among the records are files that evidence “settlements” by the company towards male and female employees who were sexually harassed by superiors or others in upper management.

When Larry learns that he may be terminated, he has word sent back to you that he is prepared to release the files to the media to show how crooked and corrupt the company is. It would create, in his mind, a public relations nightmare for the company. However, he is prepared to settle for an appropriate severance package.

 You tell the President about all of this. She says that Larry must go.

 After Larry is fired, he files suit for wrongful termination and is arguing that management failed to adhere to the multi-step discipline policy, as set forth in the handbook.

 When you speak about the case with his lawyers, they tell you that Larry is prepared to release the files in court.  You tell them that a judge will not allow such. They respond by saying that, even if one item gets out to the public, the company will be seriously harmed.

 They note that Larry will agree to settle for $250.000.00. The President says no way.

 While all of this is going on, a Board Member, who is friendly with Larry, calls him on the phone. Larry says that he want to settle and not damage the company. But, he has a new baby being  born shortly and payments to his soon to be ex-wife.  He needs the funds. The Board member says that she will speak with other Board members about all of this.

 As you are the point person on all of this, the Board asks for your analysis and reasoning on all of these issues.

 Please sustain your analysis with proper academic support.

The Black Swan

I remit a link to an article concerning the issue of interns in the work field. It arises out of a lawsuit concerning the film, The Black Swan. 

 http://www.propublica.org/article/unpaid-interns-win-major-ruling-in-black-swan-case-now-what

 But see the response from a news magazine that uses interns.

 http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2013/06/the-court-ruling-that-could-end-unpaid-internships-for-good/276795/

 And so how does this play out?

The original decision concerning The Black Swan has been somewhat reversed by a decision of the US Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit on Thursday.

I remit a link to an article about the decision. It will have an obvious impact on the issue of unpaid internships, going forward.

 

Employee or Independent Contractor

Employee or Independent Contractor

Who is an employee and who is an independent contractor, I remit for your consideration a link to an blog posting about the very recent decision of the United States Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, ruling that Federal Express Drivers are employees and not contractors. The control test was deemed the operative factor.

http://audetlaw.com/federal-express-drivers-ruled-employees/

 I remit a link to a very recent article with a decison concering a CA determination that Uber drivers are employees and not I/C’s.

 http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/18/business/uber-contests-california-labor-ruling-that-says-drivers-should-be-employees.html