An organization is engaged in ________ , a type of discrimination, when its culture permits crude jokes and images that result in a hostile environment for some employees.

A. termination B. Human resource management C. affirmative action D. seual harassment

Management in the News

In March 2011, the U.S. Supreme Court heard a case against Walmart. The purpose of the Supreme Court hearing was to decide if Walmart could be charged in a class action lawsuit that says that Walmart deprived female employees of pay and promotions. A key decision in the case involved whether or not employees working in different jobs in different stores had enough in common to be considered a “class.”

This news event refers to a case of _____ . A discrimination B. affirmative action

One logical outcome of this case would be:

A. For Walmart to reassess its human capital business results

B. For Walmart to implement an affirmative action plan

C. For the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to convict Walmart of wrongdoing

You have just been hired as the VP of human resources for a company with three divisions that have been struggling with their HR management. They have been using traditional approaches of using online job boards, employee referrals, and college job fairs to hire full-time employees. One of your first tasks is to help each division select an innovative approach to HRM that fits its needs.

The construction division has a highly seasonal workload, with fewer projects in the winter than in the summer. Also, different expertise is needed for different kinds of buildings. What would be the most appropriate HRM approach?

A. Acquire another construction company to add its employees’ capabilities to your current workforce.

B. Invest heavily in various benefits, such as paid time off and retirement plan contributions, in order to attract the best people.

C. Hire temporary employees to work on specific projects.