Capitulo 8 - Separation & Retention

Question 1

How can a company be successful?

Answer 1

Every organization recognizes that it needs satisfied, loyal customers.
In addition, success requires satisfied, loyal employees.
Retaining employees helps retain customers and increase sales.
Organizations with low turnover and satisfied employees tend to perform better.

Question 2

What is involuntary turnover?

Answer 2

• Turnover initiated by an employer.
• Often with employees who would prefer to stay.

Characteristics:
Recruiting, selection, and training replacements
Lost productivity
Lawsuits
Workplace violence

Question 3

What is voluntary turnover?

Answer 3

• Turnover initiated by employees.
• Often when the organization would prefer to keep them.

Characteristics:
Recruiting, selection, and training replacements
Lost productivity
Loss of talented emplyees.

Question 4

What is employee separation?

Answer 4

Organizations must develop a standardized, systematic approach to discipline and discharge.
These decisions should not be left solely to the discretion of individual managers or supervisors.
Policies should allow for various ways to intervene.
Policies should be based on principles of justice and law.

Question 5

What are the principles of justice?

Answer 5

Outcome fairness, procedural justice, interactional justice.

Question 6

What is outcome fairness?

Answer 6

A judgement that the consequences given to employees are fair.

Characteristics:
Consistent Outcomes
Knowledge of outcomes
Outcomes in proportion to behaviors

Question 7

What is procedural justice?

Answer 7

A judgement that fair methods were used to determine the consequences an employee receives.

Characteristics:
Consistent procedures
Avoidance of bias
Accurate information
Way to correct mistakes
Representation of all interests
Ethical standards

Question 8

What is interactional justice?

Answer 8

A judgement that the organization carried out its actions in a way that took the employee’s feelings into account.

Characteristics:
Explanation of decision
Respectful treatment
Consideration
Empathy

Question 9

What are the legal requirements?

Answer 9

Wrongful discharge
Discrimination
Employees’ privacy
Notification of layoffs

Question 10

Legal Requirements

What is wrongful discharge?

Answer 10

• Discharge may not violate an implied agreement:
  o E.g., employer had promised job security
  o E.g., action inconsistent with company rules
• Discharge may not violate public policy:
  o E.g., terminating employee for refusing to do something illegal or unsafe.

Question 11

Legal Requirements

What is discrimination?

Answer 11

• Employers must make discipline decisions without regard to a person’s age, sex, race, or other protected status.
• Evenhanded, carefully documented discipline can avoid such claims.

Question 12

Legal Requirements

What is employee’s privacy?

Answer 12

• Employers need to ensure that the information they gather and use for discipline is relevant.
• Privacy issues also concern the employer’s wish to search or monitor employees.
• Employers must be prudent in deciding who will see the information.

Question 13

Legal Requirements

What is notification of layoffs?

Answer 13

• Organizations that plan broad-scale layoffs may be subjected to the Workers’ Adjustments, Retraining and Notification Act (WARN).
• Employers covered by the law are required to give notice before any closing or layoff.

Question 14

What is progressive discipline?

Answer 14

A formal discipline process in which the consequences become more serious if the employee repeats the offense.
- Rules of behavior should cover disciplinary problems such as: Tardiness, absenteeism, unsafe work practices, poor quantity or quality of work, sexual harassment, cyberslacking.

Question 15

What is the “hot-stove-rule”?

Answer 15

Principle of discipline that says discipline should be like a hot stove, giving clear warning and following up with consistent, objective, and immediate consequences.

Question 16

Steps of Progressive Discipline Responses

Answer 16

1º Unofficial spoken warning
2º Official written warning
3º 2nd written warning plus threat of temporary suspension
4º Temporary suspension plus written notice that this is a last chance to improve
5º Termination

Question 17

What are the guidelines to respond to misconduct?

Answer 17

1. Be clear about performance standards.
2. Be consistent.
3. Don’t ignore the problem behavior.
4. Investigate complaints ASAP.
5. Record statements in writing, with signatures & dates.
6. Focus on behaviors not personalities
7. Documentation should be clear and complete.
8. Be honest.

Question 18

What are the options for alternative dispute resolution?

Answer 18

Open-door policy: An organization’s policy of making managers available to hear complaints.
Peer review: Process for resolving disputed by taking them to a panel composed of representatives from the organization at same levels as the people in the dispute.
Mediation: Nonbinding process in which a neutral party from outside the organization hears the case and tries to help the people in a conflict arrive at a settlement.
Arbitration: Binding process in which a professional arbitrator from outside the organization (usually a lawyer or judge) hears the case and resolves it by making a decision.

Question 19

What is outplacement counselling? And its goals?

Answer 19

A service in which professionals try to help dismissed employees manage the transition from one job to another.
Goals: help former employee address psychological issues associated with losing a job while helping them find a new job.

Question 20

What is employee engagement?

Answer 20

Degree to which employees are fully involved in their work and the strength of their commitment to their job and company.
Employees who are engaged and provide a clear competitive advantage to that firm, including higher productivity, better customer service, and lower turnover.

Question 21

What is job withdrawal?

Answer 21

A set of behaviors with which employees try to avoid the work situation physically, mentally, or emotionally.
Job withdrawal results when circumstances such as the nature of the job, supervisors and coworkers, pay levels, or the employee’s own disposition cause the employee to become dissatisfied with the job.

Question 22

Describe the Job Withdrawal Process

Answer 22

The Job withdrawal Process has 2 fases:
- Causes of job dissatiscation
- Actions employees take when dissatisfied

Question 23

What are the causes of job dissatisfaction?

Answer 23

Causes of job dissatiscation
- Personal disposition:
o Negative affectivity
o Core self-evaluations
- Tasks and Roles
o Role
o Role ambiguity
o Role conflict
o Role overload
- Supervisiors and coworkers
o Negative behavior by managers
o Conflicts between employees
- Pay and benefits
o Pay is an indicator of status
o Pay & benefits contribute to self-worth

Question 24

What are actions that employees take when dissatisfied?

Answer 24

Behavior change
- Change the condition
- Whistle-blowing
- Bring a lawsuit
- Lodge complaints

Physical job withdrawal

Psychological job withdrawal
- Decrease in job involvement
- Decrease in organizational commitment

Question 25

What are the aspects of job most tied to satisfaction?

Answer 25

Work-life balance Opportunities to learn and grow Ability to accomplish goals Camaraderie with co-workers Good working relationship with supervisor

Question 26

What is job satisfaction?

Answer 26

A pleasant feeling resulting from the perception that one’s job fulfills or allows for the fulfillment of one’s important job values. People will be satisfied with their jobs as long as they perceive that their jobs meet their important values

Question 27

What are the three components of job satisfaction?

Answer 27

1. Values 2. Perceptions 3. Ideas of what is important

Question 28

What is monitoring job satisfaction?

Answer 28

- Employers can better retain employees if they are aware of satisfaction levels, so they can make changes if employees are dissatisfied. - Usual way to measure job satisfaction is to survey. - A systematic, ongoing program of employee surveys should be part of the organization’s HR strategy to monitor trends and prevent voluntary turnover.

Question 29

How can companies increase job satisfaction?

Answer 29

By monitoring job satisfaction: - Hiring employees predisposed to being satisfied Reffering depressed employees for help - Designing complex, meaningful jobs Establising clear, appropriate roles - Reinforcing shared values Encouraging social support Helping employees pursue goals - Setting satisfactory pay levels Communicating pay structure and policies

Question 30

How can copanies measure job satisfaction?

Answer 30

Two examples: - Job Descriptive Index (JDI) - Simplified, Nonverbal measure of job satisfaction

Question 31

What is exit interview?

Answer 31

A meeting of a departing employee with the employee’s supervisor and/or a human resource specialist to discuss the employee’s reasons for leaving. A well-conducted exit interview can uncover reasons why employees leave. When several exiting employees give similar reasons for leaving, management should consider whether this indicates a need for change.