Psychology data bank

5. A key contribution of the employer which employees expect in the modern psychological contract is the opportunity to develop their careers.

6. People who were born between 1980 and 1990 are sometimes referred to as “Generation Why.”

7. After a corporate downsizing, the organization can expect to have a core of highly loyal and committed employees because the “deadwood” and poor performers will have been weeded out.

8. Because of increasing HR attention to employee needs and expectations, American employee satisfaction overall has increased in recent years.

9. For the organizational cause to inspire employee commitment, the organization must be exceptional, such as Doctors Without Borders or Habitat for Humanity.

10. The director of HR for Lime Mountain Hospital realizes that the labor market for intensive care nurses is very tight. She realizes that in order to reduce the turnover of these nurses, she must somehow increase the intensive care nurses’ loyalty to the hospital.

11. Older employees tend to be more concerned about job security than younger workers.

12. Organizational commitment and job satisfaction have a stronger relationship with involuntary turnover than with voluntary turnover.

13. Job design has an indirect effect on both employee absenteeism and turnover.

14. Individual performance will be high as long as two of the three major factors influencing performance are high. That is, even if one factor is low or absent, a high level of the two other factors will result in the individual performing well.

15. The CEO of Glenorra Home Products has proposed bringing in a nationally-recognized motivational speaker to address the employees. Although this will cost $15,000, the CEO says this speaker is “dynamite” and “energizing.” The CEO wants you, as director of HR, to pay for this speaker out of your very limited training and development budget. You are happy to do this because you realize that excellent motivational speeches have long-lasting impact on employee motivation.

16. One of the main characteristics of the “100 Best Companies to Work For” is that they treat employees well in both good and bad times.

17. Most people agree on what characteristics make a “good job.”

18. As the director of HR for a major interstate trucking line, you realize that a safe work environment is not a key factor in retention of truck drivers because the type of person attracted to this occupation is “macho” and risk-taking.

19. Experience has shown that flexible work arrangements are best handled formally.

20. If an organization cannot pay competitive wages, it will find it difficult to retain high-performing employees.

21. Promoting from within the organization (internal recruiting) has a positive impact on retention.

22. A manager has come to you, as an HR specialist, for advice. One of his young, valuable employees seems to be thinking about quitting. You suggest that it would be useful to promote this employee, since it would likely keep her within the organization. Does research support this suggestion?

23. Providing low-cost, high-quality lunches in an employee cafeteria would increase retention by making the employees’ perception of the employer more favorable.

24. Co-worker friendships can be one of the most important signs of a positive workplace.

25. Voluntary absenteeism is absenteeism that the organization considers avoidable.

26. The most widely used method of absenteeism control is paid-time-off programs.

27. As the HR manager for a chain of grocery stores, you estimate that in order to staff one check-out clerk position, you will have to hire multiple individuals during the year.

28. Turnover is costly and should be avoided whenever possible.

29. If the investment specialist who handles the billion-dollar pension fund leaves the firm, this event would be classified as dysfunctional turnover.

30. A retention officer in the firm would have a goal of reducing controllable turnover.

31. Glenda is keeping her job with Glenorra Home Products because if she would quit she would lose the close-knit friendships she has built up at the firm over the years. This is an example of dysfunctional retention because Glenda is staying for a reason other than commitment to the organization’s goals.

32. A high level of “churn” is an indication of robust organizational health, because the firm is eliminating employees with outdated skills and replacing them with employees with more necessary skills.

33. Attitude surveys rarely provide valid and reliable results because employees enjoy sabotaging these efforts to collect data.

34. An exit interview or questionnaire will probably gain more accurate data if the former employee answers questions a month or more after he/she has left the organization rather than immediately upon departure.

ESSAY

1. Traditionally, employee loyalty and long service with one employer were the norm. How has this changed? Why? Discuss this issue in terms of the psychological contract.

2. What is meant by job satisfaction and organizational commitment? What are the advantages of a satisfied and committed workforce?

3. Describe the major alternatives for controlling voluntary absenteeism.

4. Why should organizations address controllable turnover? What strategies would you recommend for addressing retention?

5. What are the five main drivers of retention? Describe the HR-related activities which are related to each driver.