Q&A Hero

Q: The first step in the use of an EAP is to problem solve with employees and help them see their need to use the EAP.

Q: An employee cannot be terminated for refusing to participate in an EAP, even if the employee's problem negatively affects job performance.

Q: The primary difference between a grievance panel and a union grievance procedure is that the former is for nonunion employees.

Q: Speak-up programs and open-door programs are formal programs designed to encourage upward communication.

Q: A common management practice that employees appeal is the allocation of overtime.

Q: When implementing an employee attitude survey, it is important to tell employees what managers plan to do with the information.

Q: Employee feedback programs are designed to let employees evaluate their superiors.

Q: Retreats are an important tool for improving employee relations at large, public firms, but they are less valuable for family-owned companies.

Q: Corporate meetings are designed to allow managers to coordinate activities with subordinates in their units.

Q: Policy-setting meetings should close with an action plan and a follow-up memo.

Q: Effective management of telecommuters involves requiring telecommuters to attend office meetings regularly.

Q: According to the courts, e-mail belongs to the company, not the originator of the message.

Q: E-mail systems in the workplace have increased productivity in all firms.

Q: E-mail has helped bridge the gap between lower-level and upper-level employees in organizations.

Q: Teleconferencing permits workers to leave detailed voice messages for those they are contacting when the receiver of the message is not present.

Q: Triple bottom-line reports inform both stakeholders and shareholders about a firm's social, environmental, and financial performance goals.

Q: Despotism is the practice of favoring relatives over other members in the workplace.

Q: The most important information dissemination tool for HR is the employee handbook.

Q: Refer to Additional Case 13.2. What is the primary problem with the comments about employee attitude surveys? A) A third party would most likely skew the results of the surveys and raise legal issues. B) Employee answers may be dishonest if they are unaware of the survey's purpose. C) An appeals system must be developed before gathering employee information. D) The information should be used only for decisions about employee discharges.

Q: Additional Case 13.2 Starline is a small children's clothing manufacturer and retailer that has seen rapid growth in the last twelve months and a significant increase in employees. At a meeting of managers, a number of issues are raised. One manager suggests establishing an EAP because of the increase in troubled employees at the firm. However, other managers state that such programs are costly and would not provide Starline with significant benefits. Another manager states that Starline needs to develop an employee handbook to address issues related to the growing staff. Some managers express concern about the potential legal issues surrounding the use of an employee handbook. Numerous managers state that there has been a noticeable decrease in productivity since every office worker was provided Internet access along with e-mail accounts. Managers discuss methods for increasing productivity and preventing misuse of the system. One manager suggests that the company perform employee attitude surveys in order to help monitor the state of employee relations and make hiring and firing decisions during the next hiring cycle. This manager proposes that a third party perform the surveys and that employees not be told the purpose of the survey. Refer to Additional Case 13.2. Which of the following actions would LEAST likely improve productivity at Starline? A) Requiring employees to save all e-mails in individual folders B) Making sure employees know that the company can monitor their e-mail use C) Setting up a company online bulletin board for distribution of general information D) Shutting off the computer beep that tells receivers that they have received a new message

Q: Additional Case 13.2 Starline is a small children's clothing manufacturer and retailer that has seen rapid growth in the last twelve months and a significant increase in employees. At a meeting of managers, a number of issues are raised. One manager suggests establishing an EAP because of the increase in troubled employees at the firm. However, other managers state that such programs are costly and would not provide Starline with significant benefits. Another manager states that Starline needs to develop an employee handbook to address issues related to the growing staff. Some managers express concern about the potential legal issues surrounding the use of an employee handbook. Numerous managers state that there has been a noticeable decrease in productivity since every office worker was provided Internet access along with e-mail accounts. Managers discuss methods for increasing productivity and preventing misuse of the system. One manager suggests that the company perform employee attitude surveys in order to help monitor the state of employee relations and make hiring and firing decisions during the next hiring cycle. This manager proposes that a third party perform the surveys and that employees not be told the purpose of the survey. Refer to Additional Case 13.2. Which of the following is the most appropriate response to concerns about an employee handbook? A) Starline should not create a handbook because they are irrelevant given modern technology. B) The HR department at Starline should update the handbook at least once or twice a year to protect the firm legally. C) Starline employees should sign the handbook acknowledging that the document contains policies but is not a contract. D) Given that Starline is a small company, a handbook is unnecessary because policies can be conveyed verbally.

Q: Additional Case 13.2 Starline is a small children's clothing manufacturer and retailer that has seen rapid growth in the last twelve months and a significant increase in employees. At a meeting of managers, a number of issues are raised. One manager suggests establishing an EAP because of the increase in troubled employees at the firm. However, other managers state that such programs are costly and would not provide Starline with significant benefits. Another manager states that Starline needs to develop an employee handbook to address issues related to the growing staff. Some managers express concern about the potential legal issues surrounding the use of an employee handbook. Numerous managers state that there has been a noticeable decrease in productivity since every office worker was provided Internet access along with e-mail accounts. Managers discuss methods for increasing productivity and preventing misuse of the system. One manager suggests that the company perform employee attitude surveys in order to help monitor the state of employee relations and make hiring and firing decisions during the next hiring cycle. This manager proposes that a third party perform the surveys and that employees not be told the purpose of the survey. Refer to Additional Case 13.2. Which of the following is the most appropriate response to the criticism regarding the establishment of an EAP? A) Employers usually gain financial benefits that outweigh their out-of-pocket EAP expenses. B) EAPs are only important for large businesses, so an EAP would be a waste of money for the firm. C) EAPs are notorious for being unable to provide problem resolution for troubled employees. D) Employees tend to dislike the presence of EAPs in a business, since they think it means the employers doubt the quality of the work force.

Q: Additional Case 13.1 The HR department at Devlin Enterprises has a variety of communication tasks it has been assigned to handle. First, Isabelle, the HR benefits specialist, needs to communicate recent benefits policy changes to all employees at Devlin. Second, Randall, an operations manager, wants to provide feedback to his subordinates about their performance in his TQM program. Randall also wants to let other managers and employees at Devlin know how well his TQM teams are performing each day. Finally, David, a customer service manager, requests low-cost training for some of his customer service representatives who work from off-site telemarketing centers. Refer to Additional Case 13.1. David is concerned that his remote customer service representatives are spending too much time with personal e-mails. David wants to set up a system to monitor employee e-mails. Such an action would most likely: A) involve a federal privacy violation against Devlin. B) be within the legal rights of Devlin. C) require an official court order. D) require employee permission.

Q: Additional Case 13.1 The HR department at Devlin Enterprises has a variety of communication tasks it has been assigned to handle. First, Isabelle, the HR benefits specialist, needs to communicate recent benefits policy changes to all employees at Devlin. Second, Randall, an operations manager, wants to provide feedback to his subordinates about their performance in his TQM program. Randall also wants to let other managers and employees at Devlin know how well his TQM teams are performing each day. Finally, David, a customer service manager, requests low-cost training for some of his customer service representatives who work from off-site telemarketing centers. Refer to Additional Case 13.1. Executives at Devlin have expressed an interest in publishing a monthly newsletter. Which of the following would best support this decision? A) Devlin lacks a sense of community spirit. B) The value of Devlin stock has plummeted recently. C) Comparisons with Devlin's competitors foster productivity. D) Devlin employees have complained of information overload.

Q: Additional Case 13.1 The HR department at Devlin Enterprises has a variety of communication tasks it has been assigned to handle. First, Isabelle, the HR benefits specialist, needs to communicate recent benefits policy changes to all employees at Devlin. Second, Randall, an operations manager, wants to provide feedback to his subordinates about their performance in his TQM program. Randall also wants to let other managers and employees at Devlin know how well his TQM teams are performing each day. Finally, David, a customer service manager, requests low-cost training for some of his customer service representatives who work from off-site telemarketing centers. Refer to Additional Case 13.1. Which of the following would most likely solve David's problem? A) Creating a company newsletter B) Using multimedia technology C) Offering telecommuting D) Scheduling a teleconference

Q: Additional Case 13.1 The HR department at Devlin Enterprises has a variety of communication tasks it has been assigned to handle. First, Isabelle, the HR benefits specialist, needs to communicate recent benefits policy changes to all employees at Devlin. Second, Randall, an operations manager, wants to provide feedback to his subordinates about their performance in his TQM program. Randall also wants to let other managers and employees at Devlin know how well his TQM teams are performing each day. Finally, David, a customer service manager, requests low-cost training for some of his customer service representatives who work from off-site telemarketing centers. Refer to Additional Case 13.1. The best means for Randall to communicate information is most likely through a: A) company newsletter. B) social network site. C) bulletin board. D) memo.

Q: Additional Case 13.1 The HR department at Devlin Enterprises has a variety of communication tasks it has been assigned to handle. First, Isabelle, the HR benefits specialist, needs to communicate recent benefits policy changes to all employees at Devlin. Second, Randall, an operations manager, wants to provide feedback to his subordinates about their performance in his TQM program. Randall also wants to let other managers and employees at Devlin know how well his TQM teams are performing each day. Finally, David, a customer service manager, requests low-cost training for some of his customer service representatives who work from off-site telemarketing centers. Refer to Additional Case 13.1. The best means for Isabelle to communicate with employees would most likely be through a: A) newsletter. B) memo. C) bulletin board. D) teleconference.

Q: According to a study in your text, the rate of problem resolution for EAPs is about: A) 38%. B) 58%. C) 78%. D) 98%.

Q: EAPs cost companies about ________ per employee per year. A) $40-50 B) $30-40 C) $20-30 D) $10-20

Q: EAPs most likely contribute to positive employee relations because they: A) reduce outpatient drug and alcohol treatment costs. B) indicate management's effort to support and retain workers. C) improve organizational productivity in unstable markets. D) allow HR to participate actively with the management of employees.

Q: Nearly ________ of Fortune 500 companies use EAPs. A) 35% B) 50% C) 75% D) 90%

Q: Which of the following is a true statement about EAP programs? A) The majority of EAP referrals are made by supervisors. B) Employment laws require firms to have EAP programs. C) Employees cannot be terminated if they participate in EAP programs. D) Employees are more likely to use on-site instead of off-site EAP programs.

Q: Which of the following is most likely a symptom of a troubled employee? A) Early departures from work B) Unusual on-the-job accidents C) Altercations with co-workers D) All of the above

Q: The first step in the use of an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is to: A) refer the employee to an EAP counselor. B) put the employee on corrective action. C) identify the troubled employee. D) seek a solution to the problem.

Q: It is estimated that about ________ of a firm's employees are troubled at any one time. A) 5% B) 10% C) 25% D) 40%

Q: Which of the following would most likely make a final and binding decision in a union grievance procedure? A) Local judicial court B) Panel of managers C) Union leader D) Arbitrator

Q: Sanjay has a complaint about his work schedule. His company requires him to go before a group of his peers and managers, other than his own boss, to explain his complaint. This is an example of a(n): A) speak-up program. B) open door program. C) grievance panel. D) ombudsman program.

Q: The speak-up program at CIGNA is an open door policy that: A) requires employees to begin with their supervisors. B) provides access through HR to upper management. C) uses e-mail for anonymous management feedback. D) lets workers jump directly to upper management.

Q: What is the most informal appeals tool that a company can use? A) Speak-up program B) Open door program C) Grievance panel D) Ombudsman

Q: According to research, workers in which of the following countries are LEAST happy with their jobs and employers? A) U.S. B) Japan C) Germany D) Switzerland

Q: What is the primary benefit of using Web-based employee attitude surveys? A) Providing immediate feedback to managers B) Ensuring the privacy of collected results C) Protecting the firm from legal actions D) Supplementing informal feedback

Q: When using employee attitude surveys, employers should most likely adhere to all of the following guidelines EXCEPT: A) informing employees about how collected information will be used. B) using collected information to monitor the state of employee relations. C) hiring a third party to collect and analyze employee survey responses. D) gathering the information for organizational downsizing purposes.

Q: A legitimate use of employee attitude survey data is to: A) identify employees that should be terminated. B) decide what employee privileges to reduce. C) monitor the state of certain employee subgroups. D) evaluate the firm's performance appraisal system.

Q: The HR director wants to get a sense of workers' feelings about working conditions on the production lines. She wants a formal process that will give her the maximum amount of honest feedback. Her best tool for gathering this information is: A) management by walking around. B) an employee attitude survey. C) an employee hotline. D) an electronic bulletin board.

Q: Which of the following is NOT a goal of most employee feedback programs? A) Improving management-employee relations B) Giving employees a voice in decision making and policy formation C) Providing mediation between two or more employees with interpersonal problems D) Ensuring that employees receive due process on complaints made against management

Q: Employee feedback programs are a tool to provide effective ________ communication. A) downward B) upward C) horizontal D) cross-functional

Q: Connor wants to develop interpersonal trust between himself and his subordinates. Which of the following would most likely help Connor do this? A) Sharing credit with employees for successful projects B) Conducting regular employee performance appraisals C) Scheduling weekly meetings with employee groups D) Setting challenging expectations for employees

Q: A negative aspect of informal communication is that it: A) is often forced, leaving participants with a feeling of superficiality. B) requires the monitoring of employee e-mails. C) can serve as a conduit for rumors and gossip. D) often inhibits creative thinking.

Q: Anastasia is supervising a number of travel agents in a large travel agency. She spends time casually visiting with travel agents at their desks or in the break room discussing issues related to the business. Anastasia's form of supervision is called: A) the "grapevine." B) management by walking around. C) an employee feedback program. D) business counsel.

Q: An informal communication tool available to managers that helps them build rapport with employees is: A) e-mail. B) performance appraisal. C) employee feedback programs. D) management by walking around.

Q: The "grapevine" is a form of: A) informal communication. B) formal communication. C) upward communication. D) downward communication.

Q: Kegan and Corazon often take coffee breaks together in the mid-morning and chat about the happenings in their lives and their respective departments. This is an example of: A) an employee retreat. B) informal communication. C) management by walking around. D) multimedia communication.

Q: A company would most effectively use a retreat for which of the following purposes? A) Problem-solving a specific issue by a deadline B) Communicating new company policies C) Holding a strategic planning session D) Setting prices on a new product

Q: In general, retreats are: A) inappropriate for family businesses. B) harmful to most large corporations. C) helpful at enhancing employee relations. D) effective only for rewarding performance.

Q: A firm has poor employee relations because of its highly charged, fast-paced work environment. The CEO wants to get people working together and thinking creatively as they prepare for the new year. Which of the following would be the CEO's best choice? A) Regular, informal meetings in the company cafeteria B) Formal, off-site meeting of department managers C) Weekend retreat to a beach resort D) Multimedia-based meeting

Q: Based on information in the text, which of the following is a true statement? A) Italians use meetings to make decisions and take action. B) Japanese gather information and analyze data during meetings. C) U.S. managers utilize meetings to demonstrate their power. D) Women tend to dominate the conversation in most meetings.

Q: Managers can make meetings more productive by following certain guidelines, such as: A) distributing a carefully planned agenda before the meeting begins. B) requiring attendees to take notes during the meeting to ensure understanding. C) holding regular meetings regardless of need to shorten each meeting significantly. D) keeping all meetings small in size for maximum interaction between co-workers.

Q: Desmond, a manager at a manufacturing plant, wants to solve a specific and significant production problem. He should most likely schedule a(n): A) informal meeting of the entire managerial group. B) formal meeting of the relevant department managers. C) retreat where managers can work together for an extended time on the problem. D) "happy hour" type meeting where managers can relax and think of creative solutions.

Q: Division or corporate meetings are primarily designed to: A) help managers coordinate activities with subordinates in their units. B) address important issues that affect an organization. C) allow managers to explain specific goals with subordinates. D) mix business with recreational activities.

Q: According to estimates, managers and executives spend approximately ________ of their time in meetings. A) 25% B) 50% C) 75% D) 90%

Q: Tom is the HR manager of a publishing company. The firm needs to hire several new employees, and Tom's assistant suggests that the new employees be telecommuters. Tom likes the idea but is not sure about the best way to manage telecommuters. Which of the following is the best suggestion for Tom? A) Telecommuters need flexible deadlines to meet their varied schedules and other commitments. B) The contract for the telecommuters should include performance expectations with measurable results. C) The company should make no requirements to telecommuters about how often they must come to the office. D) Select telecommuters who are creative and introverted since they will not likely interact with the rest of the staff.

Q: One key to managing workers who telecommute is to: A) make telecommuting a term of employment. B) use productivity-based compensation. C) maintain schedules and deadlines. D) visit their office site once a year.

Q: Jake needs a communication tool that will allow the integration of voice, text, and video. His best choice of tool would be: A) multimedia technology. B) the Internet. C) electronic mail. D) teleconferencing.

Q: Tupperware was able to actually decrease turnover by building relationships with sales consultants through what form of communication? A) Voice mail B) Downward C) Social D) Media

Q: The most difficult problem managers have with e-mail is that: A) workers fail to protect sensitive documents. B) employees assume that e-mail is their private property. C) workers don't understand how to use the system properly. D) employees don't use the reply-all option with regularity.

Q: A manager can increase the productive use of e-mail by: A) saving all messages. B) answering each message as it comes in. C) setting up an electronic bulletin board. D) limiting message capacity to under 20 lines.

Q: Jim has been on a trip for two weeks. When he returns to his office, he finds 125 e-mails on his computer. Jim is mostly experiencing which of the following? A) Noise B) Lateral communication C) Inappropriate channel selection D) Information overload

Q: Which of the following is most likely associated with e-mail in the workplace? A) Significantly increased productivity B) Limited message capacity C) Underutilization by lower-level workers D) Decreased productivity

Q: Jasmine needs a very fast way to convey the results of a recent client meeting to her five key managers. Her best choice of medium would be: A) e-mail. B) voice mail. C) a memo. D) a bulletin board.

Q: Voice mail abuse can most likely be reduced by: A) screening all calls in the office. B) teaching the system to temporary workers. C) permitting people to leave lengthy messages. D) leaving the system turned on at all times.

Q: ________ is a type of electronic communication that allows the sender to leave a detailed audio message for a receiver. A) E-mail B) Voice mail C) Teleconferencing D) Multimedia

Q: Teleconferencing is best described as: A) an inexpensive option for most start-up companies. B) an audio-only communication channel. C) readily available electronic communication. D) an audio-visual communication channel.

Q: Ray wants to gather input from all operations managers at the firm. The managers are located in four different states. Ray needs a low-cost way to bring them together and permit immediate interaction. Ray's best choice would be: A) voice mail. B) e-mail. C) teleconferencing. D) social networking.

Q: Which of the following is intended to keep employees up-to-date on important events and provide inspirational stories about employee and team contributions to the firm? A) Employee handbook B) Managerial memo C) Company financial report D) Company newsletter

Q: HR is most likely to be responsible for which of the following means of corporate communication? A) Company memos B) Company newsletter C) Company financial report D) Company bulletin board

Q: Memos are most appropriate for conveying: A) employee health goals. B) team performance data. C) vacation policy changes. D) corporate stock performance.

Q: Family business provides its own unique set of challenges to human resource management, especially in dealing with nepotism. The best way to lessen non-family employees' concerns over nepotism is to have the family member: A) earn a broad general education that would make them eligible for any job. B) start in a high level position with minimal contact with employees. C) begin in a job made especially for him or her. D) work outside of the family business first.

Q: Chrystal is VP of a small computer business. Chrystal's son Todd and another employee, Lacy, were both considered for a management position. Though Lacy had better credentials, Todd was hired at the insistence of his mother. This is an example of: A) downward communication. B) information dissemination. C) nepotism. D) fratricide.

Q: Nepotism is the practice of: A) making information available to decision makers. B) favoring relatives over others in the workplace. C) communicating through nonverbal means. D) dating and marrying co-workers.

Q: Which of the following is a problem associated with employee handbooks? A) Employee handbooks can serve as implied contracts between employers and employees and limit an employer's ability to discharge employees. B) The use of employee handbooks usually increases the amount of litigation brought against employers by disgruntled former employees. C) Employee handbooks become out of date nearly every month, which is costly and time consuming. D) Small businesses and family-owned businesses fail to benefit from employee handbooks.