Modern Business, Conditions, Dilemas, and Opportunities

Part 1:

* Respond to the following questions, as you answer Question
1, specify what type of HRM framework you suspect is being used at Google, and
support your answer with evidence.

1. What has Google been doing that demonstrates the value of
managing human resources

effectively? Why do employees stay with Google?

3. Give some examples to illustrate the possible
consequences that occur when the daily HR

practices of managers are inconsistent with the
organization’s formal HR policies.

4. Which member of the HR Triad has the most responsibility
for ensuring that organizations

effectively manage their human resources? Explain your
answer.

5. Why are the themes of managing teams, managing the
multicultural workforce, managing

globalization, managing ethics and CSR, and managing with
metrics so important today?

Which of these challenges is likely to increase in
importance over the next decade? Why?

Part 2:

* Respond to “Questions for Discussion and Reflective
Thinking” numbers 1-5 below

* Add anything additional that may reflect on the material.

1. Economic globalization has many implications for
business. It also has implications for

employees. From your perspective, what are the three most
significant implications of

economic globalization for employees of U.S. companies?

2. Think about the most recent technological developments.
What are the likely implications

of these developments for employers during the next 10
years? For employees?

3. Some people argue that organizations can develop their
own strong company culture

and that doing so will make differences in country cultures
irrelevant to effectively managing

human resources. Do you agree? Explain your opinion.

4. Describe how a powerful and clear statement of an
organization’s vision, mission, and values

can be helpful to employees of the organization.

5. Imagine that you work at a local department store in a
midlevel management position.

You learn that your company is being acquired by Wal-Mart.
The rationale given for the

sale of your company to Wal-Mart is “to exploit many
synergies and lower our costs. The

merger is about becoming more efficient; this is the way of
the future for the retail industry.”

Assume this statement is true, and describe three
significant HR issues that you will

likely face after your company is acquired.

Part 3:

* Respond in writing to “Questions for Discussion and
Reflective Thinking” numbers 1-4 and 6 below.

* Write an additional page reflecting on how your
perspective of fair treatment in the workplace has evolved in response to this
week’s reading.

1. Describe an incident when you felt that you (or someone
you know) were treated unfairly.

Did the incident occur due to a lack of procedural,
distributive, and/or interactional

justice?

2. Describe some of the key federal regulatory agencies as
well as the employment laws and

regulations that they administer and enforce.

3. Some people feel there are simply too many laws and
regulations governing how companies

may manage their employees. These people believe everyone
would be better off

if we let the free market work without so much government
interference. Other people

believe that employees are not sufficiently protected
against unfair treatment by employers.

They believe employers would treat employees poorly if our
laws didn’t forbid them

from doing so. Which position do you agree with more?
Explain why.

4. Suppose a coworker harassed you. Would you prefer to resolve
it using mediation, arbitration,

or the court system? Would your answer change if the
harasser were your boss? Why,

or why not?

6. Technology is making it possible to more closely monitor
the behavior of employees. What

are the pros and cons of allowing employers to use
electronic devices to collect information

about their employees’ behaviors, at work, while on business
trips, and at home?