Part 1:

Question 1:

What are some key obstacles that stand in the way of true cooperation by labor and management?

Please list the obstacles you consider to be most significant. Do you believe these obstacles can be overcome? If so, how?

Question 2:

As noted, the chapter starts out with a high note in terms of labor-management relationships. However, later, on page 525, we are given "four lessons from skilled negotiators". The first one, we are told - the single biggest tool - is to be willing to walk away without a deal.

Isn't this idea contrary to where we are trying to go in labor-management relations? Take a position and tell us why or why not.

Part -2:

Question 1:

An interesting discussion of this issue. Note the point made in the last sentence..."Yet intercultural settings are precisely where there may be conflict due to differences in perceptions of justice."

As the HR Manager, how would you go about dealing with this fact in your organization?

Question 2:

The elephant in the room in looking at procedural justice and ethics is employee perception. No matter how good management's intentions are, employees actions will be based on how fair, equitable, etc., they PERCEIVE things to be.

Provide an example (hypothetical if necessary, or something you've seen) of how an HR manager could (or in fact did) come up with well-intentioned procedural justice programs that were not received well by employees and could (or did) backfire.

Remember, this needs to be a PROCEDURAL JUSTICE program, not just employee voice.

Part -3:

Question 1

What would you do (and why) about chemical testing?

Question 2

Should employers be able to implement "lifestyle policies"? Why or why not?

Part -4:

Question 1

Think back over what you read in Chapter 16 of the text, what you did in Case 2, and what you're seeing in the news.

What do you see as the two or three most significant international dimensions of HRM over the coming decade? Tell us why these are considered the most important.

Question 2

Finally, think about the whole course; what you read, your research and case work, and comments from your classmates in our discussions.

What things will you be able to take away that you believe will help you as a practitioner in the real world of HRM?