(Test Bank) Labor Relations Striking a Balance

Budd, 6

Business

Test Bank

6th Edition

• $15.00 $50.00

---

Description

Test Bank for Labor Relations Striking a Balance, The downloadable file consists of 646 pages, and the total size of the file is 3.02 MB. Purchase now only for highly discounted price.

Author(s): Budd

---

---

Study Note Preview

Version 1 1 CHAPTER 1 TRUE/FALSE - Write 'T' if the statement is true and 'F' if the statement is false. 1) Fundamentally, a labor union is a group of workers who join together to influence the nature of their employment. ⊚ true ⊚ false 2) The widening gap between the richest and poorest individuals in the U.S. is in part due to the weakened position of labor unions. ⊚ true ⊚ false 3) When an employer uses an employee suggestion box to gather ideas and concerns from its employees, it is primarily addressing the labor relations goal of efficiency. ⊚ true ⊚ false 4) The goals of efficiency, equity, and voice in the workplace rarely conflict with one another. ⊚ true ⊚ false 5) A key role of unions is to negotiate work rules and practices that ensure fair treatment of employees by their managers and employers. ⊚ true ⊚ false 6) In the United States, employees have broad protections against arbitrary dismissal such that employers must provide a good business-related reason for firing someone.Version 1 2 ⊚ true ⊚ false 7) The official policy of the Unites States is to protect workers' rights to act together for mutual aid and protection in the workplace and to promote collective bargaining as a way to resolve workplace conflict. ⊚ true ⊚ false 8) In the U.S., workers can generally be discharged for good cause, no cause, and even a morally wrong cause. ⊚ true ⊚ false 9) Most industrialized countries give employers wide latitude to dismiss employees "at will" (i.e., without a just cause). ⊚ true ⊚ false 10) In 2011, the Packers beat the Chicago Bears in their bid for the Super Bowl. The next day, a Chicago car salesman was fired for wearing a Green Bay Packers tie to work despite having sold 14 cars in the previous month. In the U.S., such a dismissal is considered illegal. ⊚ true ⊚ false 11) An organization that allows its employees to exercise their voice in the workplace using democratic principles similar to those that are commonly accepted in a democratic society is one that exercises industrial democracy. ⊚ true ⊚ false Version 1 3 12) The concept of employee voice suggests that employees should have the right to express their opinions in the workplace but only if they are consistent with the majority of employees or with the employer's perspective. ⊚ true ⊚ false 13) While voice and equity are important to the employment relationship, efficiency is really the critical component. If an employer can be efficient, equity and voice will naturally follow. ⊚ true ⊚ false 14) In the U.S., an employer has a right to own property and make a profit, but society has the right to place limitations and restrictions on how those profits are made. ⊚ true ⊚ false 15) Conflicts between what the employee wants and what the employer wants are generally resolved privately between the individual and his or her employer. ⊚ true ⊚ false 16) Neoliberal market ideology places the needs and rights of workers before efficiency and profits. ⊚ true ⊚ false 17) Labor relations systems in other countries tend to follow a neoliberal market ideology, which sees the employment relationship as one in which balance between competing interests must be achieved. ⊚ true ⊚ false Version 1 4 18) U.S. labor law tries to establish employer needs for efficiency as a priority over employees' need for equity and voice. ⊚ true ⊚ false 19) Labor relations systems around the world generally assume that corporations have significantly greater bargaining power than one individual worker. ⊚ true ⊚ false 20) One important goal of the U.S. labor law is to increase purchasing power of workers. ⊚ true ⊚ false 21) A collective bargaining agreement negotiated between an employer and its workers is an informal agreement outlining the terms and conditions of employment. ⊚ true ⊚ false 22) Generally, if the majority of workers in a particular workplace want union representation, their employer is required by U.S. law to negotiate with them over wages, hours, and working conditions. ⊚ true ⊚ false 23) One problem with the current legal framework governing labor relations in the U.S. today is that it tends to be adversarial and does not promote cooperative relationships between management and workers.Version 1 5 ⊚ true ⊚ false 24) Since 1935, U.S. labor law has proved to be very adaptable to changes in the business climate including the decline of mass manufacturing, blurring distinctions between managerial and manual jobs, and globalization. ⊚ true ⊚ false 25) In comparison with businesses in other countries, businesses in the U.S. are more likely to appreciate the chance to bargain collectively with their workers. ⊚ true ⊚ false 26) U.S. labor law is considered by labor supporters to be a strong piece of protective legislation. ⊚ true ⊚ false 27) The number of union members grew into the 1970s, but it has declined since that time. ⊚ true ⊚ false 28) The number of U.S. workers who say they want representation or a "collective voice" at the workplace is very close to the number of workers that actually have it through unions. ⊚ true ⊚ false 29) Because American unions were instrumental in pushing for increased protective legislation such as workers' compensation laws and unemployment insurance, the demand for union services has increased, rather than decreased, over time.Version 1 6 ⊚ true ⊚ false 30) Part of the decline in union density may be due to the fact that newer entrants to the workforce are less likely to have ever experienced the benefits of unionization, and therefore, are less likely to become union members themselves. ⊚ true ⊚ false 31) Workers are more likely to experience unionism when they are young than when they are older. ⊚ true ⊚ false 32) If the reasons for the decline in unionization rates in the U.S. are largely structural and a result of declining demand for union services, there is no real need for labor law reform. ⊚ true ⊚ false MULTIPLE CHOICE - Choose the one alternative that best completes the statement or answers the question. 33) From a societal standpoint, the main purpose of a labor relations system is A) to equalize the distribution of income across society. B) to ensure public safety, promote worker voice in politics, and reduce income inequalities that create a tax burden. C) to control the actions of employers and employees so that they are clearly acting in the best interests of society. D) to protect the profit maximization goals of business and ensure competition in the marketplace. Version 1 7 34) When an employer allows supervisors to arbitrarily discipline employees without cause, it is most directly violating which objective of the employment relationship? A) Efficiency B) Equity C) Voice D) Effectiveness 35) When an employer adopts an employee participation program, such as a workplace safety committee, it is most directly addressing which objective of the employment relationship? A) Efficiency B) Equality C) Voice D) Exclusive representation 36) An employer creates a safety team of six employees who are asked to recommend changes to the workplace that will reduce accident rates. The team recommends eliminating a job rotation program that allows the employer to move employees in and out of various jobs on an as-needed basis. They argue that job rotation both increases employee stress and reduces the amount of experience that employees have with the various safety procedures associated with a particular job. A conflict between which two objectives of the employment relationship is described in this scenario? A) Equity and efficiency B) Efficiency and voice C) Equity and voice D) None, there is no conflict. 37) According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights issued by the United Nations, it is considered a basic human right forVersion 1 8 A) individuals to have the right to form and join trade unions for the protection of their interests. B) employers to have the right to unilaterally determine the terms and conditions of employment. C) individuals to unilaterally determine the terms and conditions of their employment. D) employers to form and join employer associations for their own protection and the protection of other employers. 38) Which of the following outcomes cannot generally be attributed to unions? A) Higher income and living standards for workers B) Greater protection for workers against unfair treatment by employers C) Greater flexibility in work rules D) Greater emphasis on legislation and social programs that assist working people 39) Which of the following is not considered an argument for treating employees as "more" than simply another commodity that can be bought and sold in the labor market? A) Most modern workers are completely dependent upon jobs, not property, in determining the quality of their life. B) Working adults spend a considerable proportion of their life at work, and hence, work provides an important social setting that greatly influences quality of life. C) When workers agree to supply their labor in exchange for pay and benefits, they are freely choosing to follow management's directives. D) Workers have feelings and free will that can, if they wish, interfere with the quantity and quality of work they perform. 40) Which of the following is true about management and worker views on employee voice?Version 1 9 A) Managers prefer to negotiate with groups of employees to get multiple perspectives at the same time. B) The majority of workers prefer to negotiate with management individually over workplace issues. C) Workers prefer to deal with management as a group, often in the form of representation that is independent of management. D) Managers prefer for employees to have independent representation in the workplace. 41) Most countries base their industrial relations system on the perspective that A) worker rights should be valued over employer rights. B) employer rights should be valued over worker rights. C) there should be balance between worker and employer rights. D) consumer rights should be valued over worker rights. 42) Conflicts between employers and employees can best be described as conflicts between A) property rights and individual rights. B) consumer rights and privacy rights. C) rights of the privileged and rights of the underprivileged. D) economic rights and worker rights. 43) Which of the following is specified by the U.S. labor law? A) Workers can be fired if they are found to be supporting a union. B) Employers cannot threaten employees or undertake other actions for the sole purpose of preventing unionization. C) Workers cannot unionize as it imbalances the bargaining power between employees and employers. D) Corporations have the same bargaining power as individual, nonunion workers. Version 1 10 44) Which of the following is NOT a major subject of collective bargaining between employers and employees? A) Compensation B) Decisions over which applicants to hire C) Employee rights and responsibilities D) Employer rights and responsibilities 45) Union contracts are A) legally enforceable for both employees and employers. B) largely voluntary agreements that neither party is required by law to follow. C) not allowed by law. D) legally enforceable for the employees only. 46) Traditional adversarial bargaining relationships between employers and employees has made meeting employers' increasing need for ________ more difficult. A) flexibility B) equity C) cooperation and employee involvement D) workplace fairness 47) Business pressures for competitiveness and quality have affected the collective bargaining process in all of the following ways except A) increased the need for flexibility in work rules. B) increased the need for more specific, detailed contracts. C) increased need for cooperation and employee involvement in work decisions. D) increased need to communicate about the terms of a contract more than once every three years when the contract expires. Version 1 11 48) Which of the following characterizes the current business environment compared to that at the time the National Labor Relations Act was passed? A) Clear differences between "manual" and "managerial" labor B) American domination of world markets C) More mass manufacturing production systems D) Increasing number of knowledge and gig workers 49) The crucial feature of collective bargaining is that management's traditional authority to unilaterally establish terms and conditions of employment is replaced by ________ negotiations. A) equitable B) bilateral C) competitive D) co-lateral 50) Which of the following best summarizes the trends in U.S. union density since the 1980s? A) Decreases in both the private and public sectors B) Increases in both the private and public sectors C) Stable in the private sector and decreases in the public sector D) Stable in the public sector and decreases in the private sector 51) Union density in the United States is currently estimated at -----________. A) over 40 percent B) about 25 percent C) 20 percent D) less than 15 percent Version 1 12 52) A union contract is A) a legally binding document that describes the terms of employment (e.g., wages hours, working conditions). B) an agreement between management and labor that loosely states the rules they will each try to abide by in the workplace. C) a legally binding agreement between employees and their union representatives that outlines the scope of the union's authority. D) a voluntary but not legally binding agreement between employees and their union representatives that outlines the terms of employment. 53) Which of the following can at least partially explain the decline in union density rates in the United States since the 1960's? A) Employment in traditionally unionized industries such as manufacturing has decreased. B) Employment in service and knowledge industries has declined. C) Employment growth in the north has been faster than employment growth in the south. D) Educated workers are more likely to unionize than uneducated workers. 54) Which of the following is not true about the decline in demand for unions in the U.S.? A) To some extent, protective legislation ensuring safety and income security has served to replace union representation. B) Individuals who experience union representation are unhappy with it and decide they do not want it. C) U.S. unions have not put enough money into union organizing and have therefore not done a good job of "selling" their services. D) Employers may be more likely to listen to their employees and respond to their changing needs thus reducing employees' need for outside representation. 55) At present, the gap between those employees who say they want unions and those that have union representation in the private sector at their workplace is about ________.Version 1 13 A) 33% B) 50% C) 75% D) 25% 56) A group of Walmart employees in Raleigh, NC, staged a 5-minute flash mob protest over low wages and working conditions at their store. At the end of the demonstration, they handed the manager a signed petition. Which of the following is true in this scenario? A) The employer can fire the workers. B) The employees' actions are illegal because they do not have formal union representation. C) The employees' actions are legal because they are acting together to influence their working conditions. D) The employer can only fire the workers if they don't formally join or create a union. 57) In today's labor relations environment, ________. A) sweatshops and forms of modern slavery are nonexistent in the United States. B) workers are assured of a wage necessary to support a family. C) the number of employers violating labor standards is increasing. D) workers are generally fired only for good reasons. 58) From a worker's perspective, the concept of labor relations is about A) promoting organizational goals. B) managing relationships with coworkers. C) collective work-related protection. D) progressive human resource management tactics that make unions unnecessary. Version 1 14 59) The legal doctrine that states that employers have the right to lay off employees for a good cause, morally wrong cause, or no cause is called the ________ doctrine. A) employment-at-will B) collective bargaining C) union avoidance D) employer resistance 60) Which of the following is a belief held by the proponents of the neoliberal market ideology? A) Labor unions should not enjoy any special legal protections. B) Workers should not have the ability to quit jobs they do not like. C) Workers' rights should trump property rights. D) Property rights and workers' rights should be balanced. 61) Lengthy, detailed, legally binding union contracts have clashed with employers' need for greater flexibility that they argue is necessary for adapting to today's competitive, fast-changing business environment. Which of the following conflicts is highlighted in this statement? A) Equity versus efficiency B) Equity versus equality C) Voice versus efficiency D) Voice versus equality 62) When employers actively work to keep unions out of their workplace or are openly hostile toward unions, it is known as ________. A) industrial democracy B) employment at will C) union density D) employer resistance Version 1 15 FILL IN THE BLANK. Write the word or phrase that best completes each statement or answers the question. 63) The concept of equity refers to the objective of ________ when distributing the economic rewards that stem from the employment relationship. 64) Employee empowerment is another term used to describe ________, an objective of the employment relationship in which workers are given some say in the conditions of their employment. 65) The notion that workers should be entitled to the same democratic principles of participation in the workplace as they are entitled to in society is known as ________. 66) Conflicts between employers and employees are seen as conflicts between the ________ of employers and the workers' rights of employees. 67) A(n) ________ perspective sees the employment relationship as analogous to a political society in which multiple parties have legitimate but sometimes conflicting interests and rights. 68) ________ occurs when representatives of the employer and representatives of its workers negotiate the terms and conditions of employment. 69) ________ is a measure of the percentage of workers who are union members. 70) ________ is a term used to describe the difference between the number of workers who express interest in representation in the workplace and the number that are unionized.