question

what are today's critical issues in human resources and industrial relations? (5)

answer

-growing labor market disparities -problems of low wage workers trying to move out of poverty and support families -corporate pressures for cost control, quality, and flexibility, to compete in a global, information-rich economy -need to educate individuals as lifelong learners because of ever-changing technologies -problems of work life balance, especially for working mothers

question

what were parts of the labor problem in the 1900s? (4)

answer

-long hours -unsanitary working conditions -low pay -fear of arbitrary dismissal

question

in the 1900's, workweeks of between __ and __ hours were common

answer

54, 57

question

in the 1900's manager's had the mindset of workers as __

answer

machines

question

across private and public sectors, the poor conditions of the labor problem were a problem for two broad reasons?

answer

-societal or human perspective, people should have better lives than this -business perspective, are workers motivated, productive, loyal?, lack consumer purchasing power

question

four schools of thought about the employment relationship are?

answer

-mainstream economics school -human resources management school -industrial relations school -critical industrial relations school

question

mainstream economics school of thought focuses on

answer

economic activity of self-interested agents, such as firms and workers, who interact in competitive markets, efficiency, equity, and voice are achieved through free-market competition

question

in the mainstream economics school of thought, the price of labor =

answer

the value that labor contributes to the production process

question

in the mainstream economics school, the best protection an employee has against his or her current employer is not, but rather __

answer

the gov, a lawyer, or a union, but other employees

question

unions are seen as __ in the mainstream economics school of thought

answer

labor market monopolies that restrict the supply of labor and interfere with the invisible hand of free-market competition

question

mainstream economics view work as

answer

lousy activity endured to make money

question

mainstream view of monopoly labor unions is ingrained in __ and is the __view

answer

economic thought, dominant

question

in economics view, the role of the gov is to not to establish ___, only to ___

answer

labor standards, promote competition

question

human resource management school of thought definition

answer

believes the labor problem stems from poor management

question

HRM school of thought sees that because management policies are responsive to the needs of employees, __ will also be achieved

answer

equity

question

__ is typically informal in the HRM school of thought

answer

voice

question

independent labor unions have the power to

answer

elect their own leaders, collect and spend their own dues money, establish their organizational objectives and strategies, and lead strikes

question

HRM school says that if companies are following their school of thought of effective management, workers will be __

answer

satisfied and will not support a union

question

HRM school of thought believes that independent unions are

answer

unnecessary third parties that prevent employers and employees from getting closer together

question

nonunion representation plans definition

answer

management would meet and confer with worker representatives, but there would be no bargaining and the representation plans had no authority outside management

question

industrial relations school the labor problem is believed to stem from

answer

unequal bargaining power between corporations and individual workers

question

in the industrial relations school unequal bargaining power is the primary cause of

answer

labor problem

question

in the industrial relations school, when capital has too much bargaining power the result is

answer

depotism, and the cornucopia flows with the weapons of dictators such as schackles

question

in the industrial relations school, when labor is too powerful

answer

anarchy results, cornucopia is filled with the weapons such as daggers and bombs

question

critical industrial relations school of thought emphasizes

answer

that capitalist institutions do not simply exist but are created by society, focuses our attention on how dominant groups design and control institutions to serve their own interests, imperfectly due to resistance from competing groups

question

in the critical industrial view, corporations can

answer

shape the broader social context of labor relations to serve their own interests and perpetuate their control over labor

question

in the critical industrial school, the division of labor is a strategy to

answer

make labor easily replaceable and therefore weak

question

in the industrial school, the cause of the labor problem is believed to be

answer

the control of society's institutions, and the means of production by specific groups or classes. In this school of thought, the solution to the labor problem is therefore a significant restructuring of the nature of capitalism

question

industrial school believes strong, militant unions can

answer

aid workers' struggles with capitalism by mobilizing and raising the consciousness of the working class and fighting for improved compensation, better working conditions, and greater control over workplace decision making

question

what are the four causes of the labor problem of the early 20th century

answer

market failures, poor management, unequal bargaining power between employers and individual employees, or the domination of labor by the capital class

question

mainstream economists view the purpose of the economic system as

answer

consumption

question

mainstream economists view labor as

answer

another commodity or machine in the production process

question

the other three schools see labor as

answer

human beings with aspirations, feelings, and rights

question

in the economic school of thought sees employers and employees as

answer

equal

question

in the other school of though employees and employers are not

answer

equal

question

the HRM school has a ___ view on employment relationship conflict

answer

unitarist

question

unitarist view definition

answer

conflict is not seen as an inherent or a permanent feature of the employment relationship, conflict is seen as a manifestation of poor HR management policies or interpersonal clashes such as personality conflicts

question

the industrial relations school sees the workplace as characterized by __ and thus have a __ views

answer

multiple interests, pluralist

question

what is the biggest conflict between employers and employees in the industrial relations school of thought?

answer

employers' drive for higher profits conflicts with labor's push for higher wages

question

the pluralistic view is that employment relationship conflict features

answer

mixed motives, some issues are conflictual and some involve mutual interests

question

believers in pluralist workplace conflict see government laws and labor unions as

answer

balancing this conflict, striking a balance among efficiency, equity, and voice

question

the industrial relations school see labor unions are

answer

checks and balances in the workplace and are essential for protection and participation

question

critical industrial relations school sees conflict as a ___

answer

class conflict

question

class conflict definition

answer

unequal social relations are believed to pervade all capitalist institutions, management always has an upperhand

question

in the critical industrial relation school, labor unions are ultimately

answer

inadequate for challenging the power of employers

question

workplace governance definition

answer

nature of the balance that is struck among efficiency, equity, and boice

question

what are the five possibilities for creating workplace rules?

answer

competitive labor markets, human resources management, worker control, bargaining with independent employee representatives (unions), statutory government regulation

question

what are the two critical features of reliance on competitive labor markets

answer

mainstream economic theories plus common-law legal rules that protect individual liberties with the freedom of contract

question

workplace rules will favor __ when labor demand is low and or labor supply is high

answer

management

question

what are the key features of competitive labor markets for workplace governance

answer

promote efficiency and provide protections against abuses

question

workplace rules are determined by who in the competitive labor market

answer

competition among firms for employees, competition among individuals for jobs

question

who determines the workplace rules in the HRM governance mechanism?

answer

HR managers, perhaps in consultation with employees or by employees within parameters established by managers who have veto power

question

distinguishing feature of the HRM governance mechanism for workplace rules is?

answer

policies, practices, and conditions unilaterally determined by management, human resource policies and employee participation in decision making can align the interests of employers and employees and promote efficiency, equity, and voice

question

who determines workplace rules in the independent employee representation governance mechanism?

answer

jointly by employers and employees via collective bargaining

question

what is the key feature of the independent employee representation governance mechanism?

answer

collective bargaining can equalize power between employers and employees while involving both sides in decision making

question

what is the key feature of the government regulation as governance mechanism of workplace rules?

answer

laws can establish uniform standards for all that are not dependent on the vagaries of markets, managers, or worker power

question

national labor policy is based on the assumption that

answer

the pluralist conflict in the employment relationship is best resolved via collective bargaining to balance efficiency, equity, and voice

question

in the latter part of the 20th centure, the nonunion ____ model came to dominate

answer

HRM

question

most recently, the ___ model of workplace governance is becoming dominant

answer

free-market

question

in mainstream economics unions are __

answer

harmful because they are monopolies that impair economic efficiency

question

what is the preferred workplace governance mechanism in the critical industrial relations school of thought?

answer

worker control or socialism

question

what is the preferred workplace governance mechanism in the industrial relations school?

answer

government standards and labor union reps

question

unionized workers in the US are estimated to have wages that are __% higher than comparable nonunion workers

answer

15

question

union wage premium definition

answer

having higher wages than comparable non-union workers

question

unionized workers are __% more likely to have employer-provided healthcare and pensions than comparable nonunion members

answer

15

question

shock effect definition

answer

presence of a union shocks managers out of complacency and forces them to develop better managerial practices and policies that improve workplace efficiency, such as more formal HR policies such as training programs and objective rather than subjective selection tests

question

unions reduce (2)

answer

profitability and employment growth but will not drive firms out of business

question

what do unions do? (5)

answer

-raise wages -increase the probability of receiving health insurance and other benefits -facilitate the receipt of social insurance benefits -reduce income inequality -negotiate for grievance procedures with just cause discipline and discharge provisions

question

labor movement definition

answer

social movement in which workers and unions from multiple workplaces join together to pursue common interests, most frequently in the political and social arenas

question

the intellectual foundations of the U.S. system of labor relations come from

answer

the industrial relations school of thought

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