HR 120 Finals Flashcards

1
Q

What is the definition of a high performance work system?

A

A system integrating people, technology, and organizational structure for optimal resource utilization and goal achievement.

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2
Q

What are the characteristics and components of a high performance work system?

A

Characteristics: high profitability, strong reputation and mission achievement

Components: Org structure, task design, people, reward systems, and information systems.

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3
Q

What are the outcomes of a high performance work system?

A

Higher productivity, efficiency, and profitability. Can also provide quality improvement, enhanced customer experience, and employee engagement.

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4
Q

What are the conditions of a high performance work system?

A

Teams perform work.
Employee involvement in selection.
Formal performance feedback & improvement involvement.
Emphasis on ongoing training & rewards.
Technology-enabled flexible work processes.
Employee participation in planning changes.
Work design encourages diverse skill usage.
Clear understanding of job contributions to end product/service.
Encouragement of ethical behavior.

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5
Q

What is employee experience?

A

Defined as perceptions from interactions with the organization at work.

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6
Q

What is empowerment?

A

Granting employees responsibility and authority in decision-making for product/service aspects.

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7
Q

What is the aim and features of knowledge sharing?

A

Aim: Create a learning organization valuing lifelong learning and knowledge sharing.
Features: Continuous learning, understanding work system for performance enhancement.

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8
Q

What is meaningful work and what is an example of it?

A

Enhanced work experience connecting roles/projects to core values, creating purpose.
Example: Organizations focusing on meaningful missions like the Alzheimer’s Association.

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9
Q

What is employee engagement and satisfaction and what is involved in it?

A

Employee engagement: Full involvement and commitment to work.
Emotional and cognitive involvement.
Ethical Behavior: Result of leadership values and systems promoting ethics.

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10
Q

What is involved in assessment and management?

A

Exit interviews for understanding reasons for turnover.
Job design for teamwork & empowerment.
Recruitment focusing on qualities like creativity and collaboration.

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11
Q

What is training and development?

A

Essential for team-based decisions and talent development for higher responsibilities.

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12
Q

What is performance management and what are the total rewards associated with it?

A

Align all aspects with org goals.
Total Rewards: Group bonuses for innovation and teamwork.

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13
Q

What is turnover management?

A

Involuntary vs. voluntary turnover.
Progressive discipline for behavioral problems.

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14
Q

What is the impact of HR Management?

A

Customer-oriented HR approach.
HRM audits and analysis for HR program effectiveness.

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15
Q

What are examples of HR Technology?

A

Automation for efficiency.
Expert systems for decision-making.
HR dashboard for performance indicators.

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16
Q

What are examples of E-HRM and Social Media in HR?

A

Intranets for confidential HR info.
Social media for collaboration, recruitment, and engagement.

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17
Q

What are the required competencies and required roles of CHRO regarding the future of HR Professionals?

A

Required competencies: Business, technical, change management, integration.
Roles of CHRO: HR function leader, strategic advisor, talent architect, counselor, liaison, workforce sensor, external representative.

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18
Q

Unions - Definition and Purpose

A

Unions are organizations formed to represent workers’ interests and resolve conflicts with employers collectively.

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19
Q

What are the types of unions?

A

Traditionally, unions were classified as craft or industrial. Craft unions focused on specific skills, while industrial unions had a broader membership base. Today, the distinctions between these types are less clear.

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20
Q

What are public-sector unions?

A

Public-sector unions represent employees in governmental or public-service roles. In Canada, these unions, such as CUPE, hold a significant presence, negotiating for various public-sector workers.

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21
Q

What are Union Locals?

A

Union locals comprise unionized workers within a specific department, location, industry, or sector, covered by a specific collective agreement. They often handle local negotiations and agreement administration.

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22
Q

What are the history and trends in Union Membership?

A

Unionism in Canada dates back to ties with Britain. Union activities increased in the early 1900s, leading to the formation of the Canadian Labour Congress. Despite peak union membership in 1994, overall unionization rates have gradually declined.

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23
Q

What are the factors affecting decline in Union Membership?

A

Factors influencing declining union membership include economic structural changes, management cost controls, evolving human resource practices, and stricter government regulations on workplace issues.

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24
Q

What is Union Membership by Sector?

A

Unionization rates in Canada significantly differ between the public and private sectors, with higher union density in public administration, education, utilities, and health care.

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25
Q

What is the impact of unions on company performance?

A

Studies on union impact show mixed results. While unions can sometimes limit productivity due to work rules and disruptions, they also reduce turnover, emphasize fair pay structures, and encourage better management practices.

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26
Q

What is the difference between management and union goals?

A

Management focuses on minimizing costs and increasing profits, often aiming to prevent unionization to maintain flexibility and control. Unions aim for better pay, job security, improved working conditions, and a voice in decision-making.

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27
Q

What are union security measures?

A

Union security measures include the Rand Formula, checkoff provisions for dues collection, and union membership provisions that ensure regular dues payment.

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28
Q

What are the labour relations laws and boards?

A

Labour relations in Canada involve various laws and boards across federal, provincial, and territorial jurisdictions, each having quasi-judicial powers to interpret and enforce labour laws.

29
Q

What’s the difference between organizing and decertification?

A

Organizing involves union membership applications, while decertification allows employees to vote out an existing union. It follows a formal process and is subject to specific legal conditions.

30
Q

What is collective bargaining?

A

Collective bargaining involves negotiations between unions and management to define employment conditions. It progresses through different stages, from presenting proposals to reaching agreements.

31
Q

What are strikes, lockouts and alternatives?

A

Strikes are union-led work stoppages, while lockouts are employer-initiated closures or refusals to provide work. Mediation, conciliation, and arbitration serve as alternatives to resolve disputes.

32
Q

What is collective agreement administration?

A

Collective agreement administration includes enforcing terms and resolving conflicts through grievance procedures, ensuring compliance with the agreement.

33
Q

What is labour-management cooperation?

A

While traditional labour relations portray unions and management as adversaries, increased cooperation and collaboration aim to create a more flexible, sustainable, and employee-centric workplace.

34
Q

What is Direct Compensation?

A

Direct compensation refers to all financial rewards employees receive as part of their employment. It encompasses various types of incentive pay categorized into three groups: individual, team, and organizational performance-based incentives.

35
Q

What is indirect compensation?

A

Indirect compensation includes benefits and services provided to employees in exchange for their work. It encompasses health plans, retirement savings, sick leave, paid vacation, and other services.

36
Q

What is Pay Transparency Legislation?

A

Pay transparency legislation encompasses human rights laws, employment/labour standards acts (e.g., minimum wages, bereavement leave, right to disconnect), pay equity legislation, and initiatives focused on ensuring transparency in pay structures.

37
Q

What are Legally Required Benefits?

A

Legally required benefits such as Canada Pension Plan (CPP)/Quebec Pension Plan (QPP), Employment Insurance (EI), Workers’ Compensation Insurance, and paid sick leave contribute to employees’ security.

38
Q

What is job structure?

A

Job structure defines relative pay among different roles within an organization, establishing pay differences between various functions and levels of responsibility.

39
Q

What is pay level and pay structure?

A

Pay level represents the average amount an organization pays for a specific job, including wages, salaries, and incentives. Job structure and pay levels collectively establish a pay structure aiding employee motivation, cost control, and talent retention.

40
Q

What is a product and Labour Markets Impact?

A

The product market influences an organization’s ability to offer competitive pay. Higher labour costs compared to competitors may pressurize an organization to increase prices. Labour markets require competitive offerings to attract skilled employees.

41
Q

What are Employee Perceptions of Fairness?

A

Employees gauge fairness in pay structures based on equity theory, comparing their inputs (effort, skills) to outcomes (pay). Ensuring perceived fairness is crucial as it impacts motivation and goal achievement.

42
Q

What is Gathering Market Pay Information?

A

Organizations use benchmarking through pay surveys to compare their compensation practices with competitors in product and labour markets, aiding in determining competitive pay rates.

43
Q

What is Job Evaluation and Pay Structure?

A

Job evaluation helps measure internal job worth. Pay structures include rates per hour, piecework rates, salaries, and use pay grades and ranges to establish payment for different roles.

44
Q

What are alternatives to job-based pay?

A

Broadbanding, an alternative to job-based pay, consolidates pay grades into broader bands, offering more flexibility in compensation structures.

45
Q

What is performance-related pay?

A

Performance-related pay includes incentives like piecework rates, standard hour plans, merit pay, performance bonuses, commissions, gainsharing, and profit sharing, aiming to reward individual and collective achievements.

46
Q

What is the importance of employee benefits?

A

Beyond monetary compensation, employee benefits play a crucial role in an organization’s total rewards package, encompassing health plans, retirement options, sick leave, vacation time, and more.

47
Q

What are flexible benefits?

A

Flexible benefits plans allow employees to select benefit options suiting their needs, promoting individual choice and appreciation for the benefits provided by the organization.

48
Q

What is communicating total rewards?

A

Effective communication of total rewards packages is essential for employees to understand the full value of compensation and benefits offered by the organization, aiding in motivation and retention.

49
Q

What is the role of Artificial Intelligence in Total Rewards?

A

AI’s role in total rewards spans from automation (e.g., automated benefits emails) to autonomous decision-making for personalized and optimized compensation and benefits without human intervention.

50
Q

What is Performance Management Overview?

A

Performance management is the process that ensures employees’ activities and outputs contribute to the organization’s goals. It involves setting goals, observing activities, providing feedback, resolving issues, and aligning behaviors with organizational objectives.

51
Q

What are the steps in the Performance Management process?

A
  1. Goal Identification: Define company objectives and develop measurable employee goals linked to organizational outcomes.
  2. Organizational Support: Provide resources, training, ongoing feedback, and manager-employee communication.
  3. Strategic Purpose: Align employees’ behavior with organizational goals; measure and take corrective action if expectations are not met.
  4. Administrative Purpose: Use performance data for salary, benefits, recognition programs, retention, termination, hiring, or layoffs.
52
Q

What is the criteria for effective performance management?

A

Fit with Strategy: Align performance with organizational goals.
Validity: Measure relevant aspects of performance without contamination or deficiencies.
Reliability: Consistency in results, avoiding interrater or test-retest discrepancies.
Acceptability: Practicality and fairness of the measurement system.
Specific Feedback: Clear, actionable feedback for improvement.

53
Q

How would you make comparisons?

A

Simple Ranking: Rank employees based on performance, but lacks specificity and fairness.
Forced Distribution: Assign percentages of employees to performance categories, effective if performance varies significantly but can lead to inaccuracies.

54
Q

How do you rate attributes and behaviours?

A

Graphic Rating Scale: Lists traits with a rating scale but can vary due to individual interpretation.
Critical-Incident Method: Records specific examples of effective or ineffective behaviors.
Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scale (BARS): Defines performance levels using past incidents, improving inter-rater reliability but may bias manager’s memory.

55
Q

How do you measure results?

A

Productivity Measurement: Tracks outcomes, enhancing profits through efficient resource utilization.
Management by Objectives (MBO): Involves goal setting, collaboration, and monitoring progress.

56
Q

What are sources of performance information?

A

Managers/Supervisors: Extensive knowledge and observation.
Peers: Expertise in jobs where supervisors don’t observe daily activities.
Direct Reports: Potential bias due to power dynamics.
Self: Valuable input but prone to self-inflation.
Customers/Clients: Direct observation in service-oriented industries.

57
Q

What are ways to reduce errors and bias?

A

Training to Avoid Rating Errors: Educate raters on common errors and biases to enhance accuracy.
Calibration Meetings: Discussions among managers to minimize rating discrepancies.
Awareness of Unconscious Bias: Identify and mitigate unconscious biases in performance assessments.

58
Q

How would you improve performance?

A

Addressing Lack of Ability: Offer coaching, training, or job restructuring.
Addressing Lack of Motivation: Identify motivational factors and provide incentives or support.

59
Q

What are legal requirements, ethics and privacy issues?

A

Unconscious Bias and Discrimination: Lawsuits often arise due to discriminatory practices; awareness and training can mitigate bias.
Ethics and Privacy Concerns: Balance between monitoring and respecting employee dignity; communication essential when implementing electronic monitoring systems.

60
Q

What is Formal Training vs. Informal Learning? Provide examples of each.

A

Formal Training:

Definition: Planned efforts by organizations to help employees acquire job-related knowledge, skills, and behaviors through courses, programs, or events.
Examples: Talent development programs, courses, online and face-to-face training.

Informal Learning:

Definition: Learner-initiated, action-oriented, and motivated by intent, occurring without a formal learning setting.
Examples: Casual interactions, mentoring, social networking websites.

61
Q

What is learning culture and continuous learning?

A

Learning Culture:
Definition: Organizational commitment to ongoing learning, sharing, support, and communication.
Continuous Learning: Employees understanding the work system, acquiring new skills, applying them, and sharing knowledge.

62
Q

What are Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belongingness (DEIB) characteristics and importance?

A

DEIB Culture:
Characteristics: Empathy, collaboration, innovation, profitability, value for everyone.
Importance: Leaders’ skills development, fostering inclusiveness.

63
Q

What is the onboarding process and goals?

A

Onboarding:
Definition: Preparing and socializing new employees for full participation in the organization.
Four Stages: Compliance, Clarification, Culture, Connection.

64
Q

What is the Instruction Design process and needs assessment?

A

Instructional Design:
Process: Systematically developing training meeting specified needs.
Needs Assessment: Evaluation of org, individuals, and tasks to determine necessary training.

65
Q

What are the components and importance of employee readiness?

A

Employee Readiness:
Components: Basic learning skills, motivation, situational constraints, and social support.
Importance: Employee ability and willingness to learn.

66
Q

What are the different training methods?

A

Classroom Instruction & E-Learning:

Classroom: Lectures, discussions, interactive sessions, supplemented by technology.
E-Learning: Web-based modules, distance learning, virtual classrooms.
On-the-Job Training (OJT):

Types: Apprenticeships, internships, co-operative education.
Simulations: Mimicking real-life situations for skill development.

67
Q

What are the measures of evaluation of training programs?

A

Measures of Evaluation:
Efficiency Measures: Number of trained employees, time to implement.
Effectiveness Measures: Trainee satisfaction, knowledge gained, performance improvements.

68
Q

What are the different employee development approaches?

A

Formal Education & Assessment:

Formal Education: Workplace/off-site programs for skill enhancement.
Assessment: Collecting feedback for identifying strengths and development areas.
Job Experiences & Interpersonal Relationships:

Job Experiences: Skill stretching, learning through tasks and demands.
Interpersonal Relationships: Mentoring, guidance for development.

69
Q

What are the characteristics and self-assessment tools of a Protean Career Model?

A

Protean Career Model:
Characteristics: Adaptable, based on changing interests, values, and abilities.
Self-Assessment Tools: Psychological profiles, assessment tests, goal setting.