Employment Relations 4th Edition by Mark Bray -Test Bank

 

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Sample Test

Chapter 03 Testbank

Student: ___________________________________________________________________________

1.

Pluralists see industrial conflict as: A. a fundamental and inherent conflict of interest between workers and employers, derived from the unequal distribution of income and wealth.   B. an understandable and reasonable outcome of the structural conflicts of interest inherent in the employment relationship.   C. something which should be avoided at all cost as it reduces productivity.   D. not inherent in the workplace, but the result of faulty communication between managers and employees.

 

2.

The general philosophy of unitarism is best encapsulated by which of the following options? A. Every workplace is united by the desire to increase market share   B. Every workplace contains people with a variety of interests   C. The employment relationship is essentially harmonious, with employees and employers sharing common interests embodied in organisational goals   D. All of the options given here are correct

 

3.

According to the radical perspective, the role of the state is: A. to protect the interests of employers, who own the means of production.   B. to protect the weak and restrain the power of the strong.   C. torestrain the power of trade unions.   D. irrelevant in the conduct of the employment relationship.

 

4.	Fox’s taxonomy includes: A. Unitarism   B. Pluralism   C. Radicalism   D. All of the options given here are correct

 

5.	Unitarism is the basis of which approach to employment relations? A. Labour process   B. Pluralism   C. Both human resource management and labour process   D. Human resource management

 

6.

The influence of pluralist values on the practice of employment relations can be seen in which of the following? A. Political statements, policies and laws; the language used by employers and their representatives; the actions of both employers and their representatives   B. Political statements, policies and laws; the language used by employers and their representatives and trade unions; the actions of both employers and trade unions at the enterprise level   C. A focus on new and emerging management institutions and on methods of work and highly developed theory   D. None of the options given here is correct

 

7.	Describe the main features of pluralism.

 

8.	Describe the main features of unitarism.

 

9.	Describe the main features of radicalism.

 

10.	‘Unitarism is an unsatisfactory approach to the study of employment relations because of its failure to recognise the inherent potential for conflict in the workplace’. Discuss with comparison to either pluralism or radicalism.

 

11.	What is the difference between a pluralist view of conflict in the employment relationship and a unitarist view of conflict?

 

12.	Why should different ideological positions be considered in employment relations?

 

13.	List three criticisms of the early pluralist theories of employment relations.

 

14.	List three ways pluralism has changed since the 1970s.

 

15.	Identify examples of unitarist values from the history of management thought.

 

16.	Why is employment relations not generally acknowledged as a separate field of study by those subscribing to a radical view?

 

17.	Why have radical writers paid considerable attention to the role of trade unions?

 

18.	Compare and contrast the views of pluralists and radicals on conflicts of interests between workers and employers.

 

19.	What impacts did the growth of the labour process theory have on the study of employment relations?

 

20.	Why are values important in understanding employment relations?

 

21.	While values are important, in what other ways can we explain employment relations?

 

22.

In Australia and other Anglo-Saxon countries, radical values of the employment relationship are most often held by: A. employees and the leaders of their representative organisations, trade unions.   B. employers and the leaders of their representative organisations.   C. governmentand the legislators who draw up legislation relative to the interaction of employees with unions and employers.   D. the Fair Work Commission, Australia’s national workplace relations tribunal that enforces the legislation.

 

23.	Though employers that espouse pluralist values are rare, they do occur. Provide examples of how employers could demonstrate pluralist values.

 

 

 

Chapter 03 TestbankKey

1.

Pluralists see industrial conflict as: A. a fundamental and inherent conflict of interest between workers and employers, derived from the unequal distribution of income and wealth.   B. an understandable and reasonable outcome of the structural conflicts of interest inherent in the employment relationship.   C. something which should be avoided at all cost as it reduces productivity.   D. not inherent in the workplace, but the result of faulty communication between managers and employees.

 

AACSB: Communication Blooms: Knowledge Difficulty: Easy Learning Objective: 3.3 Define and compare the three types of values: unitarism, pluralism and radicalism Topic: Values in employment relations

 

2.

The general philosophy of unitarism is best encapsulated by which of the following options? A. Every workplace is united by the desire to increase market share   B. Every workplace contains people with a variety of interests   C. The employment relationship is essentially harmonious, with employees and employers sharing common interests embodied in organisational goals   D. All of the options given here are correct

 

AACSB: Analytic Blooms: Comprehension Difficulty: Medium Learning Objective: 3.3 Define and compare the three types of values: unitarism, pluralism and radicalism Topic: Values in employment relations

 

3.

According to the radical perspective, the role of the state is: A. to protect the interests of employers, who own the means of production.   B. to protect the weak and restrain the power of the strong.   C. to restrain the power of trade unions.   D. irrelevant in the conduct of the employment relationship.

 

AACSB: Communication Blooms: Comprehension Difficulty: Medium Learning Objective: 3.3 Define and compare the three types of values: unitarism, pluralism and radicalism Topic: Values in employment relations

 

4.	Fox’s taxonomy includes: A. Unitarism   B. Pluralism   C. Radicalism   D. All of the options given here are correct

 

AACSB: Analytic Blooms: Comprehension Difficulty: Medium Learning Objective: 3.3 Define and compare the three types of values: unitarism, pluralism and radicalism Topic: Values in employment relations

 

5.	Unitarism is the basis of which approach to employment relations? A. Labour process   B. Pluralism   C. Both human resource management and labour process   D. Human resource management

 

AACSB: Analytic Blooms: Knowledge Difficulty: Easy Learning Objective: 3.1 Understand why it is useful to analyse values when studying employment relations Learning Objective: 3.2 Discuss the taxonomy of values in employment relations derived from the work of Alan Fox Learning Objective: 3.3 Define and compare the three types of values: unitarism, pluralism and radicalism Topic: Unitarism

 

6.

The influence of pluralist values on the practice of employment relations can be seen in which of the following? A. Political statements, policies and laws; the language used by employers and their representatives; the actions of both employers and their representatives   B. Political statements, policies and laws; the language used by employers and their representatives and trade unions; the actions of both employers and trade unions at the enterprise level   C. A focus on new and emerging management institutions and on methods of work and highly developed theory   D. None of the options given here is correct

 

AACSB: Analytic Blooms: Application Difficulty: Medium Learning Objective: 3.1 Understand why it is useful to analyse values when studying employment relations Learning Objective: 3.2 Discuss the taxonomy of values in employment relations derived from the work of Alan Fox Learning Objective: 3.3 Define and compare the three types of values: unitarism, pluralism and radicalism Topic: Pluralism

 

7.

Describe the main features of pluralism. ·         An enterprise contains people with a variety of interests and power is diffused among the main bargaining groups ·         The employment relationship is open-ended and indeterminate, creating the potential for conflict ·         The state is an impartial guardian of the public interest; it protects the weak and restrains the strong ·         The aim of management should be to reconcile conflicting opinions and ensure the conflict is contained enough to protect the enterprise ·         Unions are legitimate representatives of employees, with the right to challenge management but the duty to seek workable compromises ·         Conflict is inevitable and is the legitimate result of competing interests present in the workplace.

 

AACSB: Communication Blooms: Knowledge Difficulty: Easy Learning Objective: 3.1 Understand why it is useful to analyse values when studying employment relations Learning Objective: 3.2 Discuss the taxonomy of values in employment relations derived from the work of Alan Fox Learning Objective: 3.3 Define and compare the three types of values: unitarism, pluralism and radicalism Topic: Pluralism

 

8.

Describe the main features of unitarism.   ·         Every workplace is an integrated and harmonious entity that exists for a common purpose ·         Management should provide strong leadership and communication ·         Employees should be loyal to the organisation and its management ·         Unions are seen as outside third parties competing for the loyalty of employees ·         Conflict is not seen as inherent but as the result of faulty communication, the work of agitators or a failure to grasp the commonality of interests.

 

AACSB: Communication Blooms: Knowledge Difficulty: Easy Learning Objective: 3.1 Understand why it is useful to analyse values when studying employment relations Learning Objective: 3.2 Discuss the taxonomy of values in employment relations derived from the work of Alan Fox Learning Objective: 3.3 Define and compare the three types of values: unitarism, pluralism and radicalism Topic: Unitarism

 

9.

Describe the main features of radicalism.   ·         Conflict between workers and employers is fundamental and inherent due to the unequal distribution of wealth and income in a capitalist society ·         Power is held by those owning the means of production, not those selling their labour for wages ·         The state acts to protect the interests of those owning the means of production ·         Unions are formed in response to the vulnerability of workers as individuals, and challenge managerial control.

 

AACSB: Communication Blooms: Knowledge Difficulty: Medium Learning Objective: 3.1 Understand why it is useful to analyse values when studying employment relations Learning Objective: 3.2 Discuss the taxonomy of values in employment relations derived from the work of Alan Fox Learning Objective: 3.3 Define and compare the three types of values: unitarism, pluralism and radicalism Topic: Radicalism

 

10.

‘Unitarism is an unsatisfactory approach to the study of employment relations because of its failure to recognise the inherent potential for conflict in the workplace’. Discuss with comparison to either pluralism or radicalism.   A good answer will do the following: ·         List the key features of unitarism ·         Note its links to a conservative conception of employment relations, specifically HRM ·         Comment on identified weaknesses of unitarism; that is, its narrow view of conflict and its avoidance of fundamental questions such as power and control in decision-making, security of employment, and distribution of the proceeds of the business ·         Compare these weaknesses with either pluralism or radicalism ·         Possibly recognise in conclusion that despite the weaknesses identified with unitarism, its influence is likely to continue through the continuing prevalence of HRM.

 

AACSB: Analytic Blooms: Analysis Difficulty: Medium Learning Objective: 3.1 Understand why it is useful to analyse values when studying employment relations Learning Objective: 3.2 Discuss the taxonomy of values in employment relations derived from the work of Alan Fox Learning Objective: 3.3 Define and compare the three types of values: unitarism, pluralism and radicalism Topic: Unitarism

 

11.

What is the difference between a pluralist view of conflict in the employment relationship and a unitarist view of conflict?   Pluralist: Conflict is an understandable and resolvable outcome of the structural conflicts of interest inherent in the employment relationship. Unitarist: Conflict is pathological, being the result of poor management, the work of agitators or a failure of employees to grasp the commonality of interests.

 

AACSB: Analytic Blooms: Analysis Difficulty: Medium Learning Objective: 3.1 Understand why it is useful to analyse values when studying employment relations Learning Objective: 3.2 Discuss the taxonomy of values in employment relations derived from the work of Alan Fox Learning Objective: 3.3 Define and compare the three types of values: unitarism, pluralism and radicalism Topic: Pluralism and unitarism

 

12.

Why should different ideological positions be considered in employment relations? Answers need to acknowledge that different people perceive the employment relationship from different and competing positions regarding what is valuable, and that those different positions usually reflect deeper assumptions about the nature of organisations and society as a whole.

 

AACSB: Reflective thinking Blooms: Analysis Difficulty: Medium Learning Objective: 3.3 Define and compare the three types of values: unitarism, pluralism and radicalism Topic: Values in employment relations

 

13.

List three criticisms of the early pluralist theories of employment relations.   1.       Assumptions of an approximate balance of power between the groups with competing interests within an organisation 2.       Emphasis on the promotion of rational, efficient and effective conflict management 3.       Emphasis on the ‘labour problem’, the preoccupation with institutions rather than workers and the conservative managerialist ideology.

 

AACSB: Communication Blooms: Analysis Difficulty: Medium Learning Objective: 3.4 Provide examples of each of the three types of values and explain how they underlie the theories and research of different scholars in employment relations Topic: Values in employment relations

 

14.

List three ways pluralism has changed since the 1970s.   1.       Few modern pluralists assert an equal balance of power between employers and employees. 2.       Changing economic circumstances and instability of many employment relations institutions over the last two decades have amply demonstrated the weakness of any theoretical approach that assumes stability and equilibrium. 3.       Some contemporary pluralists have accommodated many of the radical critiques while retaining a largely pluralist perspective, while others have taken a quite different ‘neo-pluralist’ position.

 

AACSB: Communication Blooms: Analysis Difficulty: Medium Learning Objective: 3.4 Provide examples of each of the three types of values and explain how they underlie the theories and research of different scholars in employment relations Topic: Pluralism

 

15.	Identify examples of unitarist values from the history of management thought.   ·         Scientific management or ‘Taylorism’ ·         The human relations school ·         The neo-human relations school ·         Human resource management.

 

AACSB: Reflective thinking Blooms: Analysis Difficulty: Medium Learning Objective: 3.4 Provide examples of each of the three types of values and explain how they underlie the theories and research of different scholars in employment relations Topic: Unitarism

 

16.

Why is employment relations not generally acknowledged as a separate field of study by those subscribing to a radical view? Because a radical view suggests that saying that industrial conflict is inherent in the structure of the employment relationship is an incomplete explanation. Rather, industrial conflict reflects class conflict that permeates the whole of society and is embedded in the mode of production within which the employment relationship occurs.

 

AACSB: Analytic Blooms: Analysis Difficulty: Medium Learning Objective: 3.4 Provide examples of each of the three types of values and explain how they underlie the theories and research of different scholars in employment relations Topic: Radicalism

 

17.

Why have radical writers paid considerable attention to the role of trade unions? Optimistic radicals see the role of trade unions as important vehicles by which workers are educated and trained to take part in the class struggle towards revolution, while pessimistic radicals see trade unions as an impediment to revolution because they are too focused on incremental, economistic goals and are therefore too embedded in the capitalist system to advance its overthrow.

 

AACSB: Reflective thinking Blooms: Evaluation Difficulty: Hard Learning Objective: 3.4 Provide examples of each of the three types of values and explain how they underlie the theories and research of different scholars in employment relations Topic: Radicalism

 

18.

Compare and contrast the views of pluralists and radicals on conflicts of interests between workers and employers. Like pluralists, radicals assume that the structure of the employment relationship produces a conflict of interest between workers and employers. While the pluralists assert that the conflict of interest is not total, that the parties share at least some common goals, and that mutual gain can be achieved through negotiation and compromise, radicals see the employment relationship as only one aspect of a class conflict in which the conflict of interests between capital and labour cannot be resolved without changing the underlying social structure. Conflict, then, is not just an employment relations phenomenon; it is a reflection of the class conflict that permeates the whole of society.

 

AACSB: Reflective thinking Blooms: Evaluation Difficulty: Hard Learning Objective: 3.4 Provide examples of each of the three types of values and explain how they underlie the theories and research of different scholars in employment relations Topic: Pluralism and radicalism

 

19.

What impacts did the growth of the labour process theory have on the study of employment relations? The labour process school challenged pluralist assumptions, provoking new interest in management (as opposed to the more conventional emphasis on trade unions) and more micro studies of management strategy within the workplace (as opposed to the traditional emphasis on collective bargaining).

 

AACSB: Reflective thinking Blooms: Analysis Difficulty: Medium Learning Objective: 3.6 Understand the limitations of values as an explanation for action and behaviour in employment relations Topic: Values in employment relations

 

20.

Why are values important in understanding employment relations? The values held by scholars influence the theories they adopt, the diagnoses of problems they see in the employment relationship and the types of solutions they offer to these problems. The values held by the parties also affect their decisions, behaviour and actions in the practice of employment relations.

 

AACSB: Communication Blooms: Comprehension Difficulty: Medium Learning Objective: 3.1 Understand why it is useful to analyse values when studying employment relations Topic: Values in employment relations

 

21.

While values are important, in what other ways can we explain employment relations?   Scholarship: While it is important to understand the values underlying different theoretical approaches, we should not accept or reject scholarly work purely because we do not agree with the values that underlie it. High-quality scholarship will improve our understanding of the world of employment relations irrespective of whether it is undertaken from a unitarist, pluralist or radical perspective. Practice: While values represent an important factor explaining the behaviour of the parties, it is not uncommon for the parties to act contrary to what they believe or contrary to what they say they believe. Sometimes the gap between values and behaviour can be the result of the parties misreporting or even lying about their true values.

 

AACSB: Communication Blooms: Analysis Difficulty: Medium Learning Objective: 3.1 Understand why it is useful to analyse values when studying employment relations Topic: Values in employment relations

 

22.

In Australia and other Anglo-Saxon countries, radical values of the employment relationship are most often held by: A. employees and the leaders of their representative organisations, trade unions.   B. employers and the leaders of their representative organisations.   C. government and the legislators who draw up legislation relative to the interaction of employees with unions and employers.   D. the Fair Work Commission, Australia’s national workplace relations tribunal that enforces the legislation.

 

AACSB: Communication Blooms: Knowledge Difficulty: Easy Learning Objective: 3.1 Understand why it is useful to analyse values when studying employment relations Topic: Values in employment relations

 

23.

Though employers that espouse pluralist values are rare, they do occur. Provide examples of how employers could demonstrate pluralist values.   ·         Telstra managers adopted what they called the ‘participative approach’ to employment relations, which aimed to: …treat unions as independent and approximately equal parties that would be involved ‘in the early stages of strategic processes’ … This approach included the creation of ‘consultative committees’ across the various organisational units of the company. ·         The Managing Director of Sydney Water, Kevin Young, provides another example. After he and his managers had participated in what was a strongly pluralist collaboration with the Energy & Water division of the Australian Services Union (led by then-branch secretary, now ACTU Secretary, Sally McManus) to transform this big water utility. ·         Sometimes, pluralist values may be explicitly stated in collective agreements between employers and unions.

 

AACSB: Analytic Blooms: Application Difficulty: Medium Learning Objective: 3.5 Explain how each of the three types of values underlie the words and actions of different parties in the practice of employment relations Topic: Values in employment relations

 

 

Chapter 03 TestbankSummary

Category	# of Questions
AACSB: Analytic	8
AACSB: Communication	10
AACSB: Reflective thinking	5
Blooms: Analysis	9
Blooms: Application	2
Blooms: Comprehension	4
Blooms: Evaluation	2
Blooms: Knowledge	6
Difficulty: Easy	5
Difficulty: Hard	2
Difficulty: Medium	16
Learning Objective: 3.1 Understand why it is useful to analyse values when studying employment relations	10
Learning Objective: 3.2 Discuss the taxonomy of values in employment relations derived from the work of Alan Fox	7
Learning Objective: 3.3 Define and compare the three types of values: unitarism, pluralism and radicalism	12
Learning Objective: 3.4 Provide examples of each of the three types of values and explain how they underlie the theories and research of different scholars in employment relations	6
Learning Objective: 3.5 Explain how each of the three types of values underlie the words and actions of different parties in the practice of employment relations	1
Learning Objective: 3.6 Understand the limitations of values as an explanation for action and behaviour in employment relations	1
Topic: Pluralism	3
Topic: Pluralism and radicalism	1
Topic: Pluralism and unitarism	1
Topic: Radicalism	3
Topic: Unitarism	4
Topic: Values in employment relations	11

 

 

Chapter 05 Testbank

Student: ___________________________________________________________________________

1.

Employment relations policies and practices, adopted by management, will be affected by: A. the interests they act for (for example, owners and shareholders).   B. the type of business strategies used to compete in the market.   C. the values that the management may hold about employment relations.   D. All of the options given here are correct

 

2.

Constraints on managerial discretion include: A. the state’s restrictions on managerial autonomy and the type of technology.   B. All of the options given here are correct   C. the structure and policy of trade unions and the decisions of industrial tribunals and courts.   D. the influences of labour, product and capital markets in addition to the market for corporate control.

 

3.

Employer associations could be described as: A. collectiveorganisations of employers.   B. both collective organisations of employers and the employer equivalent of unions for employees.   C. the employer equivalent of unions for employees.   D. collectiveorganisations of employees employed in one organisation.

 

4.

Examples of Australian employer associations are: A. theAustralian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) and the Business Council of Australia (BCA).   B. the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) and the office of the Australian Building and Construction Commissioner (ABCC).   C. the Business Council of Australia (BCA) and the Australian Safety and Compensation Council (ASCC).   D. the Business Council of Australia (BCA) and the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU).

 

5.	What control strategies did Friedman identify? A. Personalised and technical control strategies   B. Direct and responsible autonomy control strategies   C. Bureaucratic and commitment-based control strategies   D. None of the options given here is correct

 

6.	Which of the following generic business strategies did Porter identify? A. Innovation   B. Quality enhancement   C. Cost reduction   D. All of the options given here are correct

 

7.	List and briefly describe four forms of managerial control.

 

8.	List Porter’s three generic business strategies and give two features of each.

 

9.	Describe the two dimensions of Purcell’s categorisation of management style.

 

10.	Godard and Delany (2000) argue that ‘there is evidence that new work and HRM practices negatively affect workers largely because they intensify the work process and increase stress’. Do you agree? Discuss why or why not.

 

11.	List three factors affecting how managers conduct their relations with employees and their representatives.

 

12.	What are the main constraints on managerial discretion?

 

13.	What is management?

 

14.	What are employer associations?

 

15.	What is the role of management in the employment relationship?

 

16.	Describe the ‘responsible autonomy’ control strategy.

 

17.	Describe a ‘technical control’ strategy.

 

18.	What do Katz and Derbishire argue are the four patterns of workplace practices?

 

19.	Briefly describe the ‘sophisticated human relations’, paternalist and traditional management styles.

 

20.	List and briefly describe the three main collective managerial styles.

 

21.	List and describe Kabanoff’s(1993) organisational culture types.

 

22.	Explain a high-performance work system.

 

23.	Describe the reasons employment relations and HRM policies are often not well integrated with business strategies.

 

 

 

Chapter 05 TestbankKey

1.

Employment relations policies and practices, adopted by management, will be affected by: A. the interests they act for (for example, owners and shareholders).   B. the type of business strategies used to compete in the market.   C. the values that the management may hold about employment relations.   D. All of the options given here are correct

 

AACSB: Analytic Blooms: Comprehension Difficulty: Easy Learning Objective: 5.2 Identify the goals and structure of the management of employment relations Topic: Management goals and structures

 

2.

Constraints on managerial discretion include: A. the state’s restrictions on managerial autonomy and the type of technology.   B. All of the options given here are correct   C. the structure and policy of trade unions and the decisions of industrial tribunals and courts.   D. the influences of labour, product and capital markets in addition to the market for corporate control.

 

AACSB: Analytic Blooms: Comprehension Difficulty: Medium Learning Objective: 5.1 Define the term ‘management’ and discuss some of the requirements of and constraints on management’s role Topic: Management

 

3.

Employer associations could be described as: A. collectiveorganisations of employers.   B. both collective organisations of employers and the employer equivalent of unions for employees.   C. the employer equivalent of unions for employees.   D. collectiveorganisations of employees employed in one organisation.

 

AACSB: Communication Blooms: Knowledge Difficulty: Easy Learning Objective: 5.4 Discuss the role of employer associations in assisting management with employment relations matters Topic: The role of employer associations

 

4.

Examples of Australian employer associations are: A. the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) and the Business Council of Australia (BCA).   B. the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) and the office of the Australian Building and Construction Commissioner (ABCC).   C. the Business Council of Australia (BCA) and the Australian Safety and Compensation Council (ASCC).   D. the Business Council of Australia (BCA) and the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU).

 

AACSB: Communication Blooms: Application Difficulty: Medium Learning Objective: 5.4 Discuss the role of employer associations in assisting management with employment relations matters Topic: The role of employer associations

 

5.	What control strategies did Friedman identify? A. Personalised and technical control strategies   B. Direct and responsible autonomy control strategies   C. Bureaucratic and commitment-based control strategies   D. None of the options given here is correct

 

AACSB: Communication Blooms: Knowledge Difficulty: Easy Learning Objective: 5.5 Distinguish between different management strategies to control the labour process Topic: The management and control of labour

 

6.	Which of the following generic business strategies did Porter identify? A. Innovation   B. Quality enhancement   C. Cost reduction   D. All of the options given here are correct

 

AACSB: Communication Blooms: Knowledge Difficulty: Easy Learning Objective: 5.6 Describe the impact of business strategies and production strategies on employment relations practices Topic: Business strategies and employment relations

 

7.

List and briefly describe four forms of managerial control.   ·         Personalised control: Employees work under the direct supervision of owners or supervisors ·         Technical control: The content and pace of work are determined by production technology and machinery ·         Bureaucratic control: Providing strong incentives for employees to adhere to company rules ·         Commitment: Attempting to align the interests of workers with the organisation.

 

AACSB: Communication Blooms: Knowledge Difficulty: Medium Learning Objective: 5.5 Distinguish between different management strategies to control the labour process Topic: The management and control of labour

 

8.

List Porter’s three generic business strategies and give two features of each.   1.       Innovation: Jobs that require close interaction and coordination amongst groups of individuals; performance appraisals; jobs that allow the development of skills that can be used elsewhere in the organisation; pay scales emphasising internal equity; pay rates that tend to be low but allow employees to be shareholders; broad career paths. 2.       Quality enhancement: Relatively fixed and explicit job descriptions; high levels of employee participation in decisions about immediate working conditions; a mix of individual and group criteria for performance appraisal that is focused on the short-term and on achievement of results; egalitarian treatment of employees; extensive and continuous training and development of employees. 3.       Cost reduction: Relatively fixed and explicit job descriptions; narrowly defined jobs and career paths; short-term, results-oriented performance appraisals; close monitoring of market pay levels; minimal levels of employee training and development.

 

AACSB: Communication Blooms: Application Difficulty: Medium Learning Objective: 5.6 Describe the impact of business strategies and production strategies on employment relations practices Topic: Business strategies and employment relations

 

9.

Describe the two dimensions of Purcell’s categorisation of management style.   ·         Individualism: Refers to the extent to which firms take into consideration the feelings of each employee ·         Collectivism: Refers to the extent to which an organisation acknowledges the rights of employees to take part in decisions that impact on them.

 

AACSB: Communication Blooms: Comprehension Difficulty: Medium Learning Objective: 5.9 Identify how different management styles may affect the conduct of employment relations Topic: Managerial style and attitudes