Week 6 Discussion Questions

Instructions regarding the case study are below.

1) Answer the questions that are at the end of the case study from three different viewpoints.

 

Project Management Case Study:

Finding the Emotional Intelligence to Be a Real Leader

 

Recently, Kathy Smith, a project manager for a large industrial construction organization, was assigned to oversee a multimillion-dollar chemical plant construction project in Southeast Asia. Kathy had earned this assignment after completing a number of smaller construction assignments in North America over the past three years. This was her first overseas assignment and she was eager to make a good impression, particularly given the size and scope of the project. Successfully completing this project would increase her visibility within the organization dramatically and earmark her as a candidate for upper management. Kathy had good project management skills; in particular, she was organized and highly self-motivated. Team members at her last two project assignments used to joke that just trying to keep up with her was a full-time job.

Kathy wasted no time settling in to oversee the development of the chemical plant. Operating under her normal work approach, Kathy routinely required her staff and the senior members of the project team to work long hours, ignoring weekend breaks if important milestones were coming up, and generally adopting a round-the-clock work approach for the project. Unfortunately, in expecting her team, made up of local residents, to change their work habits to accommodate her expectations, Kathy completely misread the individuals on her team. They bitterly resented her overbearing style, unwillingness to consult them on key questions, and aloof nature. Rather than directly confront her, however, team members began a campaign of passive resistance to her leadership. They would purposely drag their feet on important assignments or cite insurmountable problems when none, in fact, existed. Kathy’s standard response was to push herself and her project team harder, barraging subordinates with increasingly urgent communications demanding faster performance. To her bewilderment, nothing seemed to work.

The project quickly became bogged down due to poor team performance and ended up costing the project organization large penalties for late delivery. Although Kathy had many traits that worked in her favor, she was seriously lacking in the ability to recognize the feelings and expectations of others and take them into consideration.

 

 

 

Project Management Case Study Questions:

1. Discuss how Kathy lacked sufficient emotional intelligence to be effective in her new project manager assignment.

a)

b)

c)

 

2. Of the various dimensions of emotional intelligence, which dimension(s) did she appear to lack most? What evidence can you cite to support this contention?

a)

b)

c)

 

Project Management Discussion Questions:

 

Ensure when you are responding to this question, that you describe what the process is about and identify various components of the Six Sigma Process and how it important it is to QM. (Please do not say it save money or time in a project, go deeper) Remember to cite your sources, you have to get into the habit of giving credit and cite where you got your information.

1. Why are measurements critical to quality management? What types of measures are available for quality?

2. How important is it to include a quality assessment in your project WBS? What can happen if quality is overlooked?

3. Let’s do a little research on Six Sigma. What is it and why is it important to quality management?

a)

b)

c)

Managed Care and Health Insurance Discussion Questions:

Discuss fraud and abuse in healthcare. Provide at least three specific examples of fraudulent practices that have taken place in U.S. healthcare, and describe ways to prevent these in our modern healthcare environment.

 

1)

2)

3)

 

Explain the difference between underwriting and rating. What are the key elements that typically go into rate development formulas?

 

1)

2)

3)

 
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Describe

Objectives of international compensation

When developing international compensation policies, an MNE seeks to satisfy several objectives. First, the policy should be consistent with the overall strategy, structure and business needs of the multinational. Second, the policy must work to attract and retain staff in the areas where the MNE has the greatest needs and opportunities. Thus, the policy must be competitive and recognize factors such as incentive for foreign service, tax equalization and reimbursement for reasonable costs. Third, the policy should facilitate the transfer of international employees in the most cost-effective manner for the firm. Fourth, the policy must give due consideration to equity and ease of administration.

The international employee will also have a number of objectives that need to be achieved from the firm’s compensation policy. First, the employee will expect the policy to offer financial protection in terms of benefits, social security and living costs in the foreign location. Second, the employee will expect a foreign assignment to offer opportunities for financial advancement through income and/or savings. Third, the employee will expect issues such as the cost of housing, education of children, and home leave to be addressed in the policy.

If we contrast the objectives of the MNE and the employee, we of course see the potential for many complexities and possible problems, as some of these objectives cannot be maximized on both sides. The ‘war stories’ about problems in international compensation that we see in HR practitioner magazines is testimony to these complexities and problems. McNulty et al. also allude to these problems in their studies of expatriation, particularly in the Asia Pacific region.16

However, if we take away the specialist jargon and allow for the international context, are the competing objectives of the firm and the employee fundamentally different from that which exists in a domestic environment? We think not. We agree with the broad thrust of an influential article by Milkovich and Bloom17 which argues that firms must rethink the traditional view that local conditions dominate international compensation strategy. This is again another application of the ongoing balancing act between global standardization and local customization. We will return to these issues at the end of the chapter after we have covered some of the technical aspects and complexities of compensation in an international context.

 

 

KEY COMPONENTS OF AN INTERNATIONAL COMPENSATION PROGRAM FOR EXPATRIATES

The area of international compensation is complex primarily because multinationals must cater to three categories of employees: PCNs, TCNs and HCNs. In this section, we discuss key components of international compensation as follows.

 

Base salary

The term base salary acquires a somewhat different meaning when employees go abroad. In a domestic context, base salary denotes the amount of cash compensation serving as a benchmark for other compensation elements (such as bonuses and benefits). For expatriates, it is the primary component of a package of allowances, many of which are directly related to base salary (e.g. foreign service premium, cost-of-living allowance, housing allowance) as well as the basis for in-service benefits and pension contributions. It may be paid in home or local country currency or a combination of both. The base salary is the foundation block for international compensation whether the employee is a PCN or TCN. Major differences can occur in the employee’s package depending on whether the base salary is linked to the home country of the PCN or TCN, or whether an international rate is paid. (We will return to this issue later in the chapter.)

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Foreign service inducement and hardship premium

Parent-country nationals often receive a salary premium as an inducement to accept a foreign assignment, as well as a hardship premium to compensate for challenging locations. Under such circumstances, the definition of hardship, eligibility for the premium, and amount and timing of payment must be addressed. For example, where a host country’s work week may be longer than that of the home country, a differential payment may be made in lieu of overtime, which is not normally paid to PCNs or TCNs. In cases in which hardship is determined, US firms often refer to the US Department of State’s Hardship Post Differentials Guidelines to determine an appropriate level of payment. As a number of researchers in this field have noted over many decades18 making international comparisons of the cost of living is problematic. It is important to note, though, that these payments are more commonly paid to PCNs than TCNs. Foreign service inducements, if used, are usually made in the form of a percentage of salary, usually 5 to 40 per cent of base pay, but are also sometimes offered as a lump-sum incentive (i.e. as a one-off payment made at some point during an assignment). Such payments vary, depending upon the assignment location, tax consequences, and length of assignment.

 

Allowances

Issues concerning allowances can be very challenging to a firm establishing an overall compensation policy, partly because of the various forms of allowances that exist. In this section we will discuss the six most common allowances.

 

Cost-of-living allowance. The cost-of-living allowance (COLA), which typically receives the most attention, involves a payment to compensate for differences in expenditures between the home country and the foreign country. COLA payments are intended to compensate for cost differentials between an expatriate’s home and host country, for example, the costs of transportation, furniture and appliances, medical, alcohol and tobacco, automobile maintenance and domestic help. Family size is the predominant method for determining COLA payments, with increments provided for each child. Often this allowance is difficult to determine, so companies may use the services of organizations such as Mercer (a US-based firm)19 or ECA International (based in Britain).20 These firms specialize in providing COLA information on a global basis, regularly updated, to their clients. The COLA may also include payments for housing and utilities, and discretionary items.21 Various COLA indices exist, which, for example, allow an American to live like an American in Paris or which presume that the American will adapt to the assignment location by adjusting to the local life style and international living costs.

 

Housing allowance. The provision of a housing allowance implies that employees should be entitled to maintain their home-country living standards (or, in some cases, receive accommodation that is equivalent to that provided for similar foreign employees and peers). The amount of housing allowance is determined predominantly by family size, and to some extent job level. Other alternatives include company-provided housing (either mandatory or optional); a fixed housing allowance across a particular job level, with the expatriate ‘topping up’ according to personal preferences; or assessment of a portion of income, out of which actual housing costs are paid. Housing issues are often addressed on a case-by-case basis, but as a firm internationalizes, formal policies become more necessary and efficient. Financial assistance and/or protection in connection with the leasing of an expatriate’s former residence is offered by many MNEs, but less so for selling a house as many MNEs encourage their employees to retain a presence in their home country real estate market. Those in the banking and finance industry tend to be the most generous, offering assistance in sale and leasing, payment of closing costs, payment of leasing management fees, rent protection and equity protection. Generally, TCNs tend to receive these benefits less frequently than PCNs.

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a foreign rider such timing of be longer , which is :ms often

Home leave allowances. Many MNEs also have a provision for home leave allowances

where employers cover the expense of one or more trips back to the home country each year. The primary purpose of paying for such trips is to give expatriates the opportunity to renew family and business ties, thereby helping them to minimize adjustment problems when they are repatriated. Although firms traditionally have restricted the use of leave allowances to travel home, some firms give expatriates the option of applying home leave to foreign travel rather than returning home. Firms allowing use of home leave allowances for foreign travel need to be aware that expatriate employees with limited international experience who opt for foreign travel rather than returning home may become more homesick than other expatriates who return home for a ‘reality check’ with fellow employees and friends. Without the benefit of returning home to mix with employees and friends it is possible to idealize what they remember of their experience at work and home and fail to come to a measured judgment of what is good and bad in both their host and home environments. Overall, it would seem prudent for MNEs to take the view that home leave allowances should normally be used for the purpose they are provided – to give employees and their families the opportunity to renew family and business ties, thereby increasing the probability of reduced adjustment problems when they are repatriated.

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Education allowances. The provision of education allowances for the children of expatriates is frequently an integral part of an international compensation policy. Allowances for education can cover items such as tuition (including language classes), application and enrolment fees, books and supplies, meals, transportation, excursions and extra-curricular activities, parent association fees, school uniforms and, if applicable, room and board. Although school uniforms are not common in the USA, it is common practice (and in many countries compulsory) for school children to wear uniforms, particularly in international schools. PCNs and TCNs usually receive similar treatment concerning educational expenses, but the level of education provided for and the adequacy of local public schools versus international schools may present problems for multinationals. International schools (e.g. United World College of South East Asia, British International School Shanghai) are far more expensive than local public schools but are preferred by many expatriates because these schools follow the home-country curriculum and cater to a globally diverse student body more capable of supporting ‘third culture kids’. The cost of local and international schools for dependent children from kindergarten through to high school are typically covered by the employer ORC reports that 95 per cent of MNEs contribute to the educational expenses of expatriate children.22 However, there may be restrictions depending on the age of children (pre-school, day care and university are typically not covered), availability of school places, and their fees. In a number of countries attendance at schools in the host location may be seen as unsuitable and the MNE may cover (or contribute towards) the costs of children attending a private boarding school elsewhere (e.g. the costs of room and board as well as other transportation costs to cover parental visits and school holiday travel).23 The costs of attendance at a university may also be provided for by multinationals, when deemed necessary, but this is rare.

 

Relocation allowances. Items typically covered by relocation allowances include moving, shipping and storage charges; temporary living expenses; subsidies regarding appliance or car purchases (or sales); and down payments or lease-related charges. Allowances regarding perquisites (cars, drivers, club memberships, servants24 and so on) may also need to be considered (usually for more senior positions, but this varies according to location). These allowances are often contingent upon tax-equalization policies and practices in both the home and the host countries. For example, in most Western countries a driver is considered a luxury, only available to very senior managers. In developing economies a driver is economical in terms of cost, effectiveness and safety. Apart from the expectation that managers use drivers, parking is frequently chaotic in developing countries (especially in large cities) and the driver also performs the function of a parking attendant. In some developing countries it is quite common for the police to

 

arrest drivers involved in traffic accidents and leave them in detention while responsibility and damages are assessed. Such a risk is unacceptable to many MNEs which do not allow their expatriate employees to drive at all in specific developing countries and provide local drivers for both the expatriate and spouse.

 

Spouse assistance. Increasingly, many MNEs are also offering spouse assistance to help guard against or offset income lost by an expatriate’s spouse as a result of relocating abroad. Payments, on average, are capped at US$7000 per family but vary according to region. Although some MNEs may pay a one-time allowance to make up for a spouse’s lost income (averaging US$11000 per family according to ORC25), US multinationals are beginning to focus on providing spouses with employment opportunities abroad, either by offering job-search assistance, career counseling, cultural orientation, resume/CV preparation, work permit assistance and language tuition, or in more unusual cases employment in the MNE’s foreign business (subject of course to a work visa being approved by the host country government for this purpose).

To summarize, MNEs generally pay allowances in order to encourage employees to take international assignments and to keep employees ‘whole’ (i.e. relatively comparable) to home standards. We will present more about this concept later in the chapter.

 

 

 

 

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Benefits

The complexity inherent in international benefits often brings more difficulties than when dealing with compensation. Expatriate ‘benefits’ includes health care, pension plans/social security, life insurance, child allowances and profit sharing/stock option plans.

Pension plans are very difficult to deal with country-to-country as national practices vary considerably. Transportability of pension plans/social security and medical coverage benefits are very difficult to normalize. Therefore, MNEs need to address many issues when considering benefits, including:

· Whether or not to maintain expatriates in home-country programs, particularly if the multinational does not receive a tax deduction for it.

· Whether MNEs have the option of enrolling expatriates in host-country benefit programs and/or making up any difference in coverage.

· Whether expatriates should receive home-country or are eligible to receive host-country social security benefits.

 

Most US PCNs typically remain under their home-country benefit plan, with the exception of medical benefits: more than half of the MNEs surveyed by ORC assign their expatriates to an international healthcare plan. In some countries, expatriates cannot opt out of local social security programs. In such circumstances, the firm normally pays for these additional costs. European PCNs and TCNs enjoy portable social security benefits within the European Union. Laws governing private benefit practices differ from country to country, and firm practices also vary. Not surprisingly, multinationals have generally done a good job of planning for the retirement needs of their PCN employees, but this is generally less the case for TCNs.26 There are many reasons for this: TCNs may have little or no home-country social security coverage; they may have spent many years in countries that do not permit currency transfers of accrued benefit payments; or they may spend their final year or two of employment in a country where final average salary is in a currency that relates unfavorably to their home-country currency. How their benefits are calculated and what type of retirement plan applies to them may make the difference between a comfortable retirement in a country of their choice or a forced and financially less comfortable retirement elsewhere.

 

 

In addition to the already discussed benefits, multinationals also provide vacations and special leave. Included as part of the employee’s regular vacation, annual home leave usually provides airfares for families to return to their home countries. Rest and rehabilitation leave is also frequently available if the conditions of the host country are clearly below the standards of the home country. Typically, rest and rehabilitation leave provides the employee’s family with paid airfares to a more comfortable location near the host country. In addition to rest and rehabilitation leave, emergency provisions are available in case of a death or illness in the family. Employees in hardship locations generally receive additional leave expense payments and rest and rehabilitation periods.

 

 

 

APPROACHES TO INTERNATIONAL COMPENSATION OF EXPATRIATES

There are two main options in the area of international compensation – the Going Rate Approach (also referred to as the Market Rate Approach) and the Balance Sheet Approach (sometimes known as the Build-up Approach). In this section we describe each approach and discuss the advantages and disadvantages inherent in each approach.27

 

 

The going rate approach

The key characteristics of this approach are summarized in Table 8.1. With this approach, the base salary for the international transfer is linked to the salary structure in the host country. The multinational usually obtains information from local compensation surveys and must decide whether local nationals (HCNs), expatriates of the same nationality or expatriates of all nationalities will be the reference point in terms of benchmarking. For example, a Japanese bank operating in New York would need to decide whether its reference point would be local US salaries, other Japanese competitors in New York, or all foreign banks operating in New York. With the Going Rate Approach, if the location is in a low-pay county, the multinational usually supplements base pay with additional benefits and payments.

 

TABLE 8.1 Going rate approach

 

Based on local market rates Relies on survey comparisons among:

· Local nationals (HCNs)

· Expatriates of same nationality

· Expatriates of all nationalities

Compensation based on the selected survey comparison

Base pay and benefits may be supplemented by additional payments for low-pay countries

 

 

There are advantages and disadvantages of the Going Rate Approach, summarized in Table 8.2. The advantages are: there is equality with local nationals (very effective in attracting PCNs or TCNs to a location that pays higher salaries than those received in the home country); the approach is simple and easy for expatriates to understand; expatriates are able to identify with the host country; and there is often equity among expatriates of different nationalities.

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Advantages Disadvantages • Equality with local nationals • Simplicity • Identification with host country • Equity among different nationalities • Variation between assignments for same employee • Variation between expatriates of same nationality in different countries • Potential re-entry problems TABLE 8.2 Advantages and disadvantages of the going rate approach

 

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The disadvantages of the Going Rate Approach include: First, there can be variation between assignments for the same employee. This is most obvious when we compare an assignment in an advanced economy with one in a developing country, but also between assignments in various advanced economies where differences in managerial salaries and the effect of local taxation can significantly influence an employee’s compensation level using the Going Rate Approach. Not surprisingly, individual employees are very sensitive to this issue. Second, there can be variation between expatriates of the same nationality in different locations. A strict interpretation of the Going Rate Approach can lead to rivalry for assignments to locations that are financially attractive and little interest in locations considered financially unattractive. Finally, the Going Rate Approach can pose problems upon repatriation when the employee’s salary reverts to a home-country level that is below that of the host-country. This is not only a problem for firms in developing countries, but also for MNEs from many countries where local managerial salaries are well below that of the USA, which has long been the world market leader in managerial salaries, although the gap between US and some European salaries has been narrowing.28

 

The balance sheet approach

The key characteristics of this approach (which is the most widely used approach for international compensation) are summarized in Table 8.3. The basic objective is to ‘keep the expatriate whole’ (that is, maintaining relativity to PCN colleagues and compensating for the costs of an international assignment29) through maintenance of home-country living standard plus a financial inducement to make the package attractive. This approach links the base salary for expatriates to the salary structure of the relevant home country. For example, a US executive taking up an international position would have his or her compensation package built upon the US base-salary level rather than that applicable to the host country. The key assumption of this approach is that foreign assignees should not suffer a material loss due to their transfer, and this is accomplished through the utilization of what is generally referred to as the Balance Sheet Approach. According to Reynolds:

The balance sheet approach to international compensation is a system designed to equalize the purchasing power of employees at comparable position levels living overseas and in the home-country and to provide incentives to offset qualitative differences between assignment locations.30

 

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TABLE 8.3 The balance sheet approach

· Basic objective is maintenance of home-country living standard plus financial inducement

· Home-country pay and benefits are the foundations of this approach

· Adjustments to home package to balance additional expenditure in host country

· Financial incentives (expatriate/hardship premium) added to make the package attractive

· Most common system in usage by multinational firms

 

There are four major categories of outlays incurred by expatriates that are incorporated in the Balance Sheet Approach:

1 Goods and services – home-country outlays for items such as food, personal care, clothing, household furnishings, recreation, transportation and medical care.

2 Housing – the major costs associated with housing in the host country.

3 Income taxes – parent-country and host-country income taxes.

4 Reserve – contributions to savings, payments for benefits, pension contributions, investments, education expenses, social security taxes, etc.

Where costs associated with the host-country assignment exceed equivalent costs in the parent country, these costs are met by both the MNE and the expatriate to ensure that parent-country equivalent purchasing power is achieved.

Employee: Brian Smith Position: Marketing Manager Country: New Euphoria Reason for change: New Assignment Effective date of change 1 February 2013 Amount Paid in Australian Paid in local Item A$ PA dollars AS PA currency NES PA Base salary 200000 100000 150000 Cost of living allowance 50000 75000 Overseas service premium (20%) 40000 40000 Hardship allowance (20%) 40000 40000 Housing deduction (7%) -14000 -14000 Tax deduction -97 000 -97000 TOTAL 219000 69000 225000 COLA Index = 150 TABLE 8.4 Expatriate compensation worksheetTable 8.4 shows a typical spreadsheet for an expatriate assignment using the Balance Sheet Approach. In this example, an Australian expatriate is assigned to a hypothetical country called New Euphoria which has a Cost-of-Living-Index of 150 relative to Australia and an exchange rate of 1.5 relative to the Australian dollar. In addition to a foreign service premium, a hardship allowance is also payable for this location. Housing is provided by the MNE, and a notional cost for this is recognized by a 7 per cent deduction from the package, along with a notional tax deduction (we discuss taxation later in the chapter). The expatriate can see from this spreadsheet what components are offered in the package and how the package will be split between Australian currency and New Euphoria currency.

There are advantages and disadvantages of the Balance Sheet Approach, summarized in Table 8.5. There are three main advantages. First, the Balance Sheet Approach provides equity between all foreign assignments and between expatriates of the same nationality. Second, repatriation of expatriates is facilitated by this emphasis on equity with the parent country as expatriate compensation remains anchored to the compensation system in the parent country. Third, this approach is easy to communicate, as Table 8.4 illustrates.

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Advantages

TABLE 8.5 Advantages and disadvantages of the balance sheet approach

Equity

· Between assignments

· Between expatriates of the same nationality

Facilitates expatriate re-entry Easy to communicate to employees

Disadvantages

· Can result in great disparities

 

· Between expatriates of different nationalities

· Between expatriates and local nationals

· Can be quite complex to administer

 

There are two main disadvantages of the Balance Sheet Approach. First, this approach can result in considerable disparities – both between expatriates of different nationalities and between PCNs and HCNs. Problems arise when international staff are paid different amounts for performing the same (or very similar) job in the same host location, according to their different home base salary. For example, in the Singapore regional headquarters of a US bank, a US PCN and a New Zealand TCN may perform the same (or similar) banking duties but the American will receive a higher salary than the New Zealander because of the differences in US and New Zealand base-salary levels. As noted above, differences in base-salary levels can also cause difficulties between expatriates and HCNs. Traditionally, this has referred to the problem of highly paid PCNs being resented by local HCN employees because these ‘foreigners’ are perceived as being excessively compensated (and because they are blocking career opportunities for locals).

However, feelings of resentment and inequity can also run in the other direction. For instance, as indicated above, the USA has the highest level of managerial compensation in the world. Thus, a multinational that establishes a subsidiary in the USA (or acquires a US business) may find that if it uses a Balance Sheet Approach, its expatriates may be substantially underpaid compared to local American employees. While the logic of the balance sheet states that being tied to the home country assists in repatriation because the expatriate identifies with the home country, research in equity theory31 suggests that employees do not always assess compensation issues in a detached way.

The issue of base salary differences is also a concern for US employees working for foreign firms operating in the USA. Many non-US multinationals are reluctant to pay high US salaries to US employees who are offered international assignments” (as HCNs into the firm’s home-country operations, or as TCNs in a regional subsidiary). US employees are equally reluctant to accept the lower salaries paid in the firm’s home country. Thus, the Balance Sheet Approach can produce disparities and may also act as a barrier to staff acceptance of international assignments. A second problem with the Balance Sheet Approach is that while this approach is both elegant and simple as a concept, it can become quite complex to administer. Complexities particularly arise in the areas of tightly integrated private and government fund transfers (e.g. taxes and pensions).

 

A third emerging approach to international compensation: ‘Local Plus’ ^

Over the past decade, a third approach to international compensation, summarized in Table 8.6, and called Local Plus has begun to emerge, particularly in the Asia Pacific region. A Local Plus approach is one in which expatriate employees are paid according to the prevailing salary levels, structure, and administration guidelines of the host location, plus provided ‘expatriate-vpe’ benefits such as assistance with transportation, housing, and dependents’ education in rec-nition of the employee’s ‘foreign’ status. Benefits may be paid in-kind (directly by the MNE) s add-ons to local salary levels at a grossed-up rate to account for host taxes. Local Plus

 

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Case Assignment

1. Develop a detailed selection plan for the position of a department manager to determine the most important KSAOs for this position.

2. Using the selection plan, develop a standardized interview protocol consisting of 10 questions that will be asked of all candidates, along with scoring keys for each question. Be specific with the scoring key.

The scoring key should include: the question, a scale set of evaluation anchors (ex. 1-5) and sample answers that would represent the scale.

Example: 

Question: How do you adress challenging customer

Scale: 1=Poor; 3= Average 5 = Excellent

Sample Answers: 1 (poor answer): tell the customer to leave; argue with the customer

3 (average): listen to the customer; remove the tension form the situation

5 (excellent): demonstrate all of  the customer service values of the organization

 
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13 Question

Employees can be taught how to be exceptional managers.

True

False

 

Management includes the pursuit of organizational goals efficiently and effectively.

True

False

 

Organizations can gain a competitive advantage simply by matching their competition in terms of cutting costs and responsiveness to employees.

True

False

 

Taking care of the customer is not as vital for nonprofit organizations compared to for-profit businesses.

True

False

 

Management is defined as the pursuit of organizational goals ____.

efficiently and effectively

correctly and with synergy

economically

efficiently and in a detailed-oriented manner

with passion and effectiveness

 

ABC Manufacturing employs some of the top professionals in its field, and because of their skills and experience, ABC is highly efficient and outperforms its competitors. ABC Manufacturing has a ____ over its competition.

quality mark

effectiveness advantage

synergy

leadership dimension

competitive advantage

 

Even for nonprofits, sooner or later there will be no organization without ____.

ethical standards

good laws

the Employee Rule

customers

synergy focus

 

New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman noted that globalization has leveled the competitive playing fields between industrial and emerging-market countries. This phenomenon proposes that ____.

the world is one

globalism is decreasing

the world is flat

world economies are too narrow

one world government is the answer

 

The principal functions of management are ___.

executing, planning, organizing, leading

scheduling, organizing, leading, staffing, monitoring

staffing, planning, motivating, delegating

planning, organizing, leading, controlling

staffing, planning, leading, delegating

 

When the manager of a local restaurant sets goals and then develops a plan on how to achieve them, she is ____.

planning

monitoring

delegating

organizing

staffing

 

Managers are classified into the four levels of ____.

upper, regional, middle, lower

upper, middle, floating, lower

top, middle, first-line managers, team leaders

top, middle, first-line, advisors

upper, board of directors, middle, lower

 

According to management scholar Henry Mintzberg, managers play three roles:

interpersonal, analytical, professional

professional, leader, informational

interdependent, monitor, analytical

interpersonal, informational, decisional

interpersonal, analytical, monitor

 

Conceptual skills consist of ____.

the ability to think practically

the ability to think analytically, to visualize an organization as a whole, and to understand how the parts work together

the job-specific knowledge needed to perform well in a specialized field

the ability to work well in cooperation with other people to get things done

 

the ability to think in a logical manner

 
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Yazmin Grey PhD

HSC3010 Long Term Care

Instructions: This test consists of both True/ False questions as well as multiple-choice questions. Each of these questions are worth one (1) point each and there is a short answer portion which is worth five (5) points with the total of the exam worth 100 points. Please note that the chapter wherein to locate the answers is provided on the exam. This is an open note/ open book exam. Please submit your completed exam to the appropriate DropBox or you may submit your paper submission no later than Saturday, February 11th 11:59pm CST.

 

Chapter 1
True/False:

1. The terms chronic care and long-term care are generally used interchangeably.

2. Long-term care consumers are usually defined by a single disease or condition.

3. Long-term care is defined as care provided in nursing homes.

4. Although we usually think of long-term care as being for the elderly, nearly half of the people using long-term care are non-elderly.

5. Aging in place is a form of single-site care availability.

Multiple Choice:

6. The current system of long-term care providers has developed largely in response to:

[1] need.

[2] demand.

[3] availability of reimbursement.

[4] all of the above.

 

7. Which of the following are not “informal caregivers?”

[1] family and friends

[2] religious organizations

[3] community groups

[4] government agencies

 

8. Baby boomers is a term used to describe people born:

[1] since 1990.

[2] between 1946 and 1964.

[3] before 1956.

[4] between 1964 and 1999.

 

9. “Multilevel facilities” refers to facilities that:

[1] provide multiple levels of care.

[2] are built on more than one floor.

[3] accept multiple levels of reimbursement for each type of care.

[4] all of the above.

 

10. Which of the following is not a weakness of the long-term care system?

[1] It is fragmented and uncoordinated.

[2] Services are distributed inequitably.

[3] There has been no innovation by providers.

[4] There are multiple entry points into the system.

 

Chapter 3

11. Which of the following is not a component of accessibility of long-term care services?

[1] financial eligibility

[2] location of services

[3] consumer choice

[4] complexity of the consumer’s care needs

 

12. The term “consumer-driven” means that long-term care consumers are:

[1] capable of driving themselves to where services are provided.

[2] entitled to receive any services they wish.

[3] allowed to make decisions related to their care and financing as much as possible.

[4] driven from one provider to another by Medicaid staff if they cannot afford a car.

 

13. Public/private partnerships are efforts to reduce:

[1] the number of long-term care regulations.

[2] hostility between government agencies and private providers.

[3] purchases of private long-term care insurance.

[4] public funding of long-term care.

 

14. People who have to care for both their parents and their children are called:

[1] the “sandwich generation.”

[2] the “lost generation.”

[3] “generation X.”

[4] none of the above.

 

15. The long-term care system is made up of providers who are organizationally:

[1] nonprofit.

[2] for-profit.

[3] government-owned.

[4] a mix of for-profit, nonprofit, and government-owned.

 

Chapter 4

True/False:

16. Nursing facilities are staffed with only licensed healthcare professionals.

17. About three-quarters of residents in nursing facilities are women.

18. OBRA does not require that the facility’s medical director be full-time.

19. To qualify for Medicaid coverage, residents must require assistance with all five activities of daily living (ADLs).

20. Approximately one-third of all nursing facility residents show symptoms of depression.

Multiple Choice:

21. The term “nursing facility”:

[1] came from OBRA legislation.

[2] came from OSHA legislation.

[3] refers to all long-term care facilities.

[4] refers only to facilities providing skilled nursing care.

 

22. The largest single source of financing for most nursing facilities today is:

[1] Medicare.

[2] Medicaid.

[3] private pay.

[4] long-term care insurance.

 

23. In long-term care, family members are:

[1] never involved.

[2] rarely involved.

[3] usually involved.

[4] always involved.

 

24. Special care units in nursing facilities may be created based on:

[1] disease or condition.

[2] age.

[3] either of the above.

[4] neither of the above.

 

25. Rising acuity levels in long-term care facilities refers to:

[1] caring for sicker patients/residents.

[2] caring for more patients/residents.

[3] denying eligibility for care to more patients/residents.

[4] none of the above.

 

Chapter 5

True/False:

26. Outcomes management ends at discharge.

27. The case manager may be “internal” (employed by the subacute unit) or “external” (employed by an MCO or other payer).

28. Managed care has been a major factor in the growth of subacute care.

29. Subacute care is generally more intensive than nursing facility care, but less than acute care.

30. Services provided in subacute care units vary depending on the nature of the specific population

Multiple Choice:

31. Subacute care is generally provided in:

[1] hospitals.

[2] nursing care facilities.

[3] either of the above.

[4] neither of the above.

 

32. The four generally agreed-upon categories of subacute care are transitional, general, chronic, and:

[1] general transitional.

[2] long-term chronic.

[3] long-term transitional.

[4] general chronic.

 

33. Care planning begins with:

[1] application by the patient for admission to the unit.

[2] onset of the illness or condition requiring admission.

[3] admission.

[4] a detailed assessment.

 

34. Case management is primarily concerned with:

[1] the type and quality of care received.

[2] the cost-effectiveness of care received.

[3] initial assessment of the patient.

[4] discharge planning.

 

 

35. The largest source of reimbursement for subacute care is:

[1] Medicare.

[2] Medicaid.

[3] private insurance.

[4] self-pay.

 

Chapter 6

 

True/False:

36. All assisted living facilities provide the same services.

37. The average age of residents in assisted living facilities is 70.

38. Assisted living developed from both boarding homes and independent living facilities.

39. Location relative to family members is not an important consideration in choosing an assisted living facility.

40. Less than half of the residents in assisted living facilities need assistance with one or more activities of daily living (ADLs).

Multiple Choice:

41. An assisted living facility is staffed with:

[1] the same number of nurses as a nursing facility of the same size.

[2] fewer nurses than a nursing facility of the same size.

[3] more nurses than a nursing facility of the same size.

[4] only registered nurses.

 

42. The most common source of admissions to assisted living is from:

[1] home.

[2] nursing facilities.

[3] other assisted living facilities.

[4] hospitals.

 

43. The most common destination for people leaving assisted living is:

[1] home.

[2] nursing facilities.

[3] other assisted living facilities.

[4] hospitals.

 

44. The largest source of financing for assisted living facilities is:

[1] Medicare.

[2] Medicaid.

[3] private insurance.

[4] self-pay.

 

45. Assisted living is:

[1] highly regulated.

[2] unregulated.

[3] largely unregulated and likely to remain that way.

[4] largely unregulated, but likely to become more regulated.

Chapter 7

True/False:

46. Age-restricted retirement communities are oriented toward an active lifestyle, or “younger-thinking” seniors.

47. Cohousing is age-restricted.

48. Continuing care retirement communities offer several levels of assistance, usually including independent living, assisted living, and nursing home care commonly all on one campus or site.

49. Many seniors enter into a CCRC contract while they are healthy and active.

50. Managers of senior housing must be licensed.

Multiple Choice:

51. One of the major advantages of a continuing care retirement community is:

[1] the option to move between housing environments.

[2] not having to choose among services offered.

[3] the low cost.

[4] Medicare coverage.

 

52. Monthly costs for congregate housing can range from $500 to over:

[1] $1,000.

[2] $2,000.

[3] $3,000.

[4] $4,000.

 

 

53. The most common type of ownership of independent living communities is:

[1] nonprofit.

[2] government-owned.

[3] for-profit.

[4] none of the above.

 

54. Occupancy rates in senior housing are currently:

[1] around 50%.

[2] around 70%.

[3] over 90%.

[4] unknown.

 

55. Independent living is for:

[1] fragile elderly.

[2] relatively healthy, active seniors.

[3] nursing facility residents.

[4] homebound seniors.

 

Chapter 8

True/False:

56. Hospice care is provided both at home and in healthcare facilities.

57. Home health care is based on the concept of taking the services to the consumer.

58. All home care services must be ordered by a physician.

59. Most hospice organizations are nonprofit.

60. Managed care is not an important factor in the growth of adult day care.

Multiple Choice:

61. Which of the following is not a Medicare-covered home care service?

[1] skilled nursing

[2] speech pathology

[3] Meals on Wheels

[4] medical social services

 

62. Physician services for hospice patients are provided by:

[1] a physician employed by the hospice.

[2] the patient’s own physician.

[3] either of the above.

[4] neither of the above.

 

63. Adult day care developed from the concept of:

[1] home care.

[2] hospice.

[3] respite.

[4] welfare.

 

64. When is home health care more cost-effective than nursing facility care?

[1] never

[2] when used intermittently

[3] when used exclusively

[4] always

 

65. Medicare pays hospice providers on the basis of:

[1] reimbursement of costs incurred.

[2] a per diem rate.

[3] DRGs.

[4] capitation.

Chapter 10

True/False:

66. A “gatekeeper” is a person or agency that determines how much and what type of care is received by an individual.

67. The primary role of state government in regulating long-term care quality is as the designated agency administering federal programs.

68. HIPAA prohibits sharing clinical data about a consumer with other providers without the consumer’s written permission.

69. Certified nursing assistants (CNAs) are not licensed.

70. Private certification standards measure minimal acceptable levels of performance.

Multiple Choice:

71. Nursing facility administrators are licensed by:

[1] the federal government.

[2] state governments.

[3] the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations.

[4] none of the above.

 

72. Which of the following is not a reason why long-term care is so heavily regulated?

[1] Consumers of long-term care often have no other recourse.

[2] Consumers of long-term care are politically powerful.

[3] Consumers of long-term care are vulnerable.

[4] Consumers of long-term care are often unable to judge quality for themselves.

 

 

73. Which of the following must be licensed?

[1] hospital administrators

[2] nursing facility administrators

[3] home health care administrators

[4] all of the above

 

74. Which of the following is not an accrediting agency?

[1] JCAHO

[2] NCQA

[3] CARF

[4] HCFA

 

75. Most accreditation agencies measure performance against standards that are:

[1] based on government regulatory standards.

[2] the same as licensure requirements.

[3] less stringent than licensure requirements.

[4] set higher than licensure requirements.

 

Chapter 2

 

True/False:

76. The Affordable Care Act passed with a mix of Republican and Democrats votes.

77. The ACA requires individuals to have insurance coverage and businesses to provide coverage or pay fines.

78. The United States Supreme Court ruled that the individual mandate was, in fact, a tax.

79. The “No Wrong Door” system portion of the ACA mandates that long-term care consumers can access any provider’s services.

80. “Pay-for-performance” provides financial incentives to healthcare providers to achieve optimal outcomes for patients.

Multiple Choice:

81. Which of these is not part of the stated aim of the ACA?

[1] to increase the affordability of health insurance coverage for Americans

[2] to reduce the costs of health care for individuals

[3] to be implemented within two years

[4] to reduce the costs of health care for the government

 

82. The ACA makes cuts in Medicare to finance part of the new spending, including:

[1] reduction in funding for Medicare Advantage policies.

[2] reduction in Medicare home healthcare payments.

[3] reduction in certain Medicare hospital payments.

[4] all of the above.

 

83. The Medicare hospital readmissions reduction program (HRRP):

[1] assesses penalties on hospitals with high readmission rates for patients with certain medical conditions.

[2] assesses penalties on nursing homes with high readmission rates from hospitals.

[3] has little impact on long-term care providers.

[4] requires that long-term care providers have contracts with hospitals.

 

84. The Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) Act:

[1] was designed to establish a national long-term care insurance program.

[2] was delayed for three years.

[3] is not considered particularly important.

[4] none of the above.

 

85. The ACA’s employer mandate:

[1] has no impact on long-term care providers.

[2] affects all long-term care providers.

[3] affects only larger long-term care providers.

[4] none of the above.

 

Chapter 9

 

True/False:

86. Long-term care today is a competition-driven system.

87. Competition in long-term care comes both from other LTC organizations and from other types of organizations.

88. The difference between cooperation and integration is largely a matter of degree and structure.

89. Horizontal integration involves an alliance of two or more organizations providing similar services.

90. An ownership-based IHS usually consists of a mix of nonprofit and for-profit subsidiaries.

Multiple Choice:

91. Which of the following is not a reason for joining an integrated health system?

[1] economies of scale

[2] protection against competitors

[3] increased market share

[4] reduced regulation

 

92. History has shown that increasing the availability of services usually results in:

[1] no change in usage of services.

[2] a decrease in usage of services.

[3] an increase in usage of services.

[4] creation of new services.

 

93. The influence of managed care on the competitiveness of long-term care:

[1] is great.

[2] has not been felt yet.

[3] has been great, but is diminishing.

[4] is insignificant.

 

94. Integrated clinical information systems typically address four specific areas: patient management, clinical guidelines, quality improvement, and:

[1] patient education.

[2] financial management.

[3] regulatory reporting.

[4] clinical outcomes.

 

95. To date, most integrated health systems have been built around:

[1] nursing facility chains.

[2] hospitals.

[3] government agencies.

[4] non-healthcare businesses.

 

5 Points – Discuss what you have learned about Long Term Care thus-far, that you did not know before. How has this effected what you think about your future.

 
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Being The Leader

Primary Task Response: Within the Discussion Board area, write 400-600 words that respond to the following questions with your ideas, analysis, and comments supported with application of course learning materials. Be substantive and clear, and use examples to reinforce your ideas.  Note: All character and company names are fictional and are not intended to depict any actual person or business.  For assistance with your assignment, please use Beyond the Book, Web resources, and all course materials.

Read the UWEAR and PALEDENIM scenario found here. You will first meet with the CEOs of each organization, Theresa Tramlin and Mike Miller, to help them understand their important leadership roles for the success of the merger.   After reviewing the course materials for this week, prepare your recommendations for them regarding their approaches to leading the merger. The merger is a significant change for both organizations; there is growing anxiety and uncertainty among the employees of both organizations. The goal is to complete the merger in a way that maintains employee performance and allegiance to the merged organization. Both CEOs were promoted from managerial positions, so one of your tasks is to help them understand how to distinguish the two roles.

Issues to address include, but are not limited to, the following:

•How will you explain the difference between managing and leading, to set the stage to help Theresa and Mike focus on leading?

•What leadership approaches will be effective in leading the merger? Include at least 3 approaches, and explain in what circumstances those approaches should be used and why.

•Consider the research findings by Kabacoff (1998) that, although men and women are perceived as equally effective in leading, women tend to focus more on production, attaining results, and people, while men tend to focus on strategic planning, organization vision, and business tasks. If this is the case in this situation for Theresa and Mike, what are the implications for their leadership during the merger?

•Reflect on your own experience as a leader, if not professionally, then in the community or family. With which leadership approaches are you most comfortable? What are the implications for you if you were one of the leaders in this scenario?

 
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Socioeconomic Factors Short Paper

HCM 320 Module Four Short Paper Guidelines and Rubric

Overview: After analyzing your public health issue in Milestone One and studying socioeconomic factors affecting healthcare in this module, you will write a short paper to identify and analyze socioeconomic barriers and supports involved in addressing the public health issue. Your paper must include an introduction to your public health issue, a discussion of socioeconomic barriers to change, a discussion of supports for change, and a conclusion with a call to action for your readers. Assume your readers will include healthcare administrators and managers, as well as healthcare policy makers and legislators. Prompt: Write a short paper including the following sections:

I. Introduction A. Introduce your public health issue and briefly explain what needs to change to address the issue.

II. Barriers A. Identify two potential socioeconomic barriers to change and describe each with specific details. B. Consider patient demographics (e.g., age, ethnicity, and education), geographic factors (e.g., urban/rural location), and psychographic factors

(e.g., eating habits and employment status). C. Justify your points by referencing your textbook or other scholarly resources.

III. Supports A. Identify two possible socioeconomic supports for change and describe each with specific details. B. Consider patient demographics (e.g., age, ethnicity, and education), geographic factors (e.g., urban/rural location), and psychographic factors

(e.g., eating habits and employment status). C. Justify your points by referencing your textbook or other scholarly resources.

IV. Conclusion A. Conclude with a clear call to action: What can your readers do to assist in the implementation of the necessary changes?

 

Rubric Guidelines for Submission: Your short paper must be submitted as a 1- to 2-page Microsoft Word document with double spacing, 12-point Times New Roman font, one-inch margins, and at least three sources cited in APA format. Instructor Feedback: This activity uses an integrated rubric in Blackboard. Students can view instructor feedback in the Grade Center. For more information, review these instructions.

 

 

 

Critical Elements Proficient (100%) Needs Improvement (75%) Not Evident (0%) Value

Introduction Introduces a public health issue and describes the changes necessary to address issue

Introduces a public health issue but does not describe the changes necessary to address issue

Does not introduce public health issue 20

Barriers Describes potential socioeconomic barriers to addressing a public health issue and supports description with scholarly sources

Describes potential socioeconomic barriers to addressing a public health issue, but does not support the description with scholarly resources

Does not describe potential socioeconomic barriers to addressing a public health issue

25

Supports Describes possible socioeconomic supports for change to address a public health issue and supports the description with scholarly sources

Describes possible socioeconomic supports for change to address a public health issue, but does not support the description with scholarly resources

Does not describe possible socioeconomic supports for change to address a public health issue

25

Conclusion Provides a conclusion with a clear call to action for readers

Provides a conclusion, but does not include a clear call to action for readers

Does not provide a conclusion 20

Articulation of Response

Submission has no major errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization

Submission has major errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization that negatively impact readability and articulation of main ideas

Submission has critical errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization that prevent understanding of ideas

10

Total 100%

 
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BUS 520 ASSIGNMENT 2

Running head: HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT 1

HUMAN RESOURCE Management 2

Human Resource Management

Student’s Name

Institution

Family Dollar is an American store chain that deals with variety of products. The firm has expanded in major cities in the United States of America with aver 8,000 locations in all states except Alaska,Hawaii,Oregon and the greater Washington District of Columbia. Family Dollar (FDO), is the among the largest retailer dealers of its types in the United States. Family Dollar deals with products such as clothing, cleaning supplies, home decor and various kinds of grocery. The industry has its headquarters in Matthews, which is a suburb of Charlotte, North Carolina. The firm has employed several people to work under the stores. It has employed 1,400 employees who take part in the daily activities of the organization to ensure that the customers are satisfied. In the year 2004, one of the investors and one of the major shareholders of the firm demanded that the firm be immediately put up for sale. This was because the firm was not doing well in terms of its growth and productivity.

Family Dollar Stores (FDO) has been affected by major problems and this has led to poor performance of the industry. One of the major issue affecting the firm is the poor wages that the company offers to its employees. The employees of Family Dollar Stores work for long hours and in return given low wages. The employees always complain of the poor working conditions in the company and this has discouraged them. They are not motivated well by the management. It is important for every organization to understand the importance of motivating its employees. Motivated employees are more productive when compared with the less motivated employees. Family Dollar lacks a sound wage system and this makes its employees less motivated. This makes them less productive and this has led to the failure of the firm. In many occasions, the employees say their managers struggle with tight budgets as the managers themselves are working for longer hours in order to cover the store’s extended extra hours.

As a task force leader, I have discovered that the main organizational issue affecting Family Dollar Stores is the issue that pertains employee payments. The employees of the firm are subjected to long working hours and in return paid low amounts of wages. The employees of the company report to work very early in the morning and leave the industry very late in the evening. In many occasions, the employees work for extra hours and they are not paid according to the number of hours they have worked. The employees are paid low wages and this has made them become less productive in the organization (Alvesson, & Sveningsson, 2015). They are not willing to work towards the success and growth of the industry because they feel less motivated. In reality, the employees should work for normal hours and for those who are interested to work for extra hours, the management of Family Dollar Stores should pay them according to the number of hours they have worked. This will make the employees feel motivated. Highly motivated employees ensures growth of the organization and this leads to the success of the company

Long working hours and low payments has negatively affected the growth of the industry because most of the time which was supposed to be used for other activities of the firm is lost. The time is used by the customers in complaining to the management on the state of poor working conditions which they are subjected into. In order to resolve this problem, the organization should develop a human resource team which shall be given the responsibility of ensuring that the employees’ issues are well taken care of. The human resource team should ensure that the employees working at Family Dollars Store are compensated fairly in order for them to provide the labor required. The organization should develop and implement a sound wage system, which ensures that the employees are remunerated fairly throughout the firm.

Well-motivated employees have less or no complaints and this makes them to work hard in their job to ensure that the goals of the organization are met.

The organizational culture of Family Dollar Stores affects the way people work towards the growth of the company. In many cases, various businesses have different ways of doing things in their organizations. All the managers of Family Dollar Stores wear uniforms during the working days in the company while the District managers wear suits despite the kind of work they are doing. For example, the district managers of the company dress in suits when they are stocking the shelves and transferring the merchandise. The employees of the firm are not supposed to talk to one another when carrying on with the daily duties in the company. The employees should only concentrate without communicating with their colleagues in the workplace. There is no individual who is supposed to talk to the other during the working hours in the company.

The company does not hire any single mothers or men with families because they do not pay enough wages that can sustain them and their families. The management thinks that the women and men having families to take care of will steal from them in order to pay for their needs and maintain their families. The clerks of the company take home a small amount of wages at the end of each single day. The managers are hired at 50 hours a week but within six weeks, they have to work for 64 hours per week. Each store in the company are run with a skeleton crew having only two employees working at any given time unless it is on a truck day where all the employees are working without too much talking.

The employees’ morale is usually very low in the firm since they are paid minimal wages and salaries. They feel less motivated and this has led to low productivity in the organization. Family Dollar Store has a tendency of firing people when it is not able to pay for their salaries. This is not desirable since there is no job security in the company. The employees do not receive any form of bonuses for the work they do for the company. This makes them feel less motivated hence low productivity in the company. The employees enter and leave the company at a higher rate and this leads to low productivity in the company.

Family Dollar Stores has a mission statement, which gives important information to various people in and outside the organization. The mission statement of the company is “For our customers A compelling place to shop by providing convenience and low prices for our associates a compelling place to work by providing exceptional opportunities and rewards for achievement for our investors a compelling place to invest by providing outstanding returns “The mission statement of the company provides a broad aspirational image of the company in the future. Family Dollar Stores has a slogan, which is very concise and is used to advertise the products of the company to the customers in order to increase the level of sales (Benschop, 2016).

The slogan of Family Dollar Stores is “My Family. My Family Dollar”.This has helped in selling the brands of the firm to the customers who are interested with the products. The firm has an official corporate website where important information regarding the company is posted for easy access. The website is www.familydollar.com .This site has been very useful for the company since it is used for making several important enquiries, which are necessary for the company. Every company should have an official corporate website where important information regarding the activities of the company are posted for easy access.

Family Dollar Stores faces many problems arising from various factors in the company. One of the company’s source of problems is the poor management of the organization. The managers of the company are not able to lead the team to perform towards the success of the organization. They do not have the right leadership skills, which are required for the success of an organization. The other major problem is competition. Family Dollar Stores faces a lot of competition from other large supermarkets in the region. Many companies have emerged and this has limited the growth and performance of the company. Lack of motivation on the employees has also been the root cause of problems for the firm.

The employees enter and leave the organization because of the low wages and salaries they get for the work they do in the firm. They are usually paid small amounts, which is not enough to sustain them and their families. Poor working conditions for the employees in the firm has also led to several issues in the firm. The employees are expected to work for long hours and in return get low wages (Bratton, & Gold, 2017). This has led to the rise of many complaints among the employees. Less motivated employees are less productive as compared to the employees who are well motivated. Through employee motivation, the morale of the workers is raised. The firm has poor ways of motivating its employees and this leads to low productivity.

Managing people from different cultures in an organization can be very challenging for the success of the organizations. The management of Family Dollar Stores should define the culture using an expanded definition that covers more than the race, color, sex, national origin and religion in order to ensure that the workers have been managed appropriately in the organization. The firm should hire people from all diversity to ensure that the company achieves the desired outcomes. The firm’s management should develop and implement a sound wage structure, which ensures that all the employees are rewarded fairly according to the kind of work that they do for the organization (Cascio, 2018).

The company should hire the human resource team to oversee the working conditions of the employees in the working environment. The company should conduct an employee survey to learn more about employee choices and preferences in terms of work styles and the way the managers provide feedback and working conditions for the employees.

There are several things which the management of Family Dollar Stores can do in order to resolve the issues that have been identified. One of the solutions is to develop and implement a sound wage structure, which will ensure that all the employees in the firm are rewarded appropriately according to the work they do for the organization. The management should put up a human resource team, which shall overlook at the issues related to the employees in the organization for example the working conditions (Miner, 2015). The employees should not be subjected to long working hours without paying them for the overtime. The human resource department should work together with the managers to ensure that the employees are hired without any form of discrimination. It is important for the management to offer employment for both men and women without considering who has a family and who does not. The employees should be promoted and given bonuses in order to make them work more for the company. This will lead to an increase in the level of productivity for the firm.

Several problems have affected the performance and growth of Family Dollar Stores. Among the problems, include such things as lack of appropriate salaries and wages to the employees in the firm, lack of motivating employees, poor working conditions that the workers are subjected into and the poor management practices in the organization. According to these findings, the management can take several steps in order to avoid such problems from affecting the performance of the company. The management of Family Dollars Stores should appoint a human resource team which will have the responsibility of ensuring that all the workers in the firm are well taken care of.

The human resource team will work with the manager to ensure that the employees are hired without any form of discrimination. This will ensure fairness in the way people are treated in the organization. The firm’s management should develop and implement a sound wage system which will ensure that all the employees in the organization are remunerated according to the work they do for the company. The sound wage system will ensure that the employees are paid for the extra hours they work in the company. The firm should motivate its employees well in order to attract and retain them in the work place (Pinder, 2014). The company should not allow its employees to leave the firm at higher rates since it is not desirable. Family Dollars Stores should ensure that it rewards all the employees through such things as bonuses in order to make them feel motivated. When the employees feel motivated, they are able to work actively towards the accomplishment of the firm’s objectives.

References

Alvesson, M., & Sveningsson, S. (2015). Changing organizational culture: Cultural change work in progress. Routledge.

Benschop, Y. (2016). The dubious power of diversity management. In Diversity in the Workplace (pp. 35-48). Routledge.

Bratton, J., & Gold, J. (2017). Human resource management: theory and practice. Palgrave.

Cascio, W. (2018). Managing human resources. McGraw-Hill Education.

Miner, J. B. (2015). Organizational behavior 1: Essential theories of motivation and leadership. Routledge.

Pinder, C. C. (2014). Work motivation in organizational behavior. Psychology Press.

 
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Questions To Answer Not An ESSAY !!!

 

First Section

Chapter 7 has information that many of us can relate to as we consider our employment experiences – the issues of micromanagement, favoritism, job satisfaction, etc. Review the information found on Reasons for Voluntary Turnover (pp.211-212); in Figure 7.2. – Common Reasons for Employee Turnover (pp. 213); Theories of Job Dissatisfaction, Progression of Job Withdrawal, and Motivation (pp.216-220); and Retention Strategies (pp.228-237) and respond to the following:

  1. Rank the common reasons for employee turnover and post a response that describes your top three in order of critical importance for the organization to handle through intervention.
  2. Identify any motivational theory or approach that would be a positive and productive way for an HR consultant to address with management in order to assist in reducing employee turnover.
  3. Discuss the retention strategy you would recommend in order to impact one of your top three reasons for employee turnover that you ranked in Item 1.

Second Section:

An employee can be separated from an organization in three ways: (1) Resignation; (2) Termination; and, (3) Absconding or Job Abandonment.

As background information, review Chapter 10 – Types of Performance Issues (pp. 317-318); Influences on Performance (pp. 320); Performance Issue Model and the Process for Handling Performance Issues (pp. 322); and, Options for Handling Performance Issues (pp.324-327) to respond to the situations.

Consider each of the situations and determine, as an HR employee, whether the employee should receive immediate termination or a progressive discipline process, and provide justification for your responses along with the level and type of discipline the employee should receive:

  1. The employee stole one pack of office paper, stating he would be using it at home to perform his job.
  2. An employee posted how boring her job is on a Facebook status update. You know she is Facebook friends with several clients.
  3. The employee groped a colleague in the break room.
  4. You saw the employee’s résumé posted on LinkedIn, stating she was looking for a new job.
  5. The manager has told you the employee is difficult to work with and not liked by his colleagues.

Respond in complete sentences and demonstrate evidence that you have reviewed the referenced pages cited from Chapter 10. Be thorough and complete in your responses to the situations.

 

 
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Short Analytical Report (3 – 4 Pages)

Write a short analytical report (3 – 4 pages) on two topics: shortages / scarcity and point elasticity / arc elasticity and specifically address the following points:

· Explain the difference between shortages and scarcity. In answering this question, you should consider the difference between the short run and the long run in economic analysis.

· Explain the difference between point elasticity and arc elasticity. What problem can arise in the calculation of the latter, and how is it usually dealt with? (Please use actual business examples).

You must perform research to complete this assignment. The paper should include 1 quote, 1 website source, and 1 textbook source. Additionally, all citations must have matching references.

Below is a recommended outline.

1. Cover page (See APA Sample paper)

1. Introduction

4. Purpose of paper

4. Thesis sentence

1. Body (Cite sources using in-text citations.)

5. Main point 1

1. Example or evidence

1. Evidence (support from the literature)

1. Student’s original thoughts and ideas about the section’s content and a concluding thought

5. Main point 2

2. Example or evidence

2. Evidence (support from the literature)

2. Student’s original thoughts and ideas about the section’s content and a concluding thought

5. Main point 3

3. Example or evidence

3. Evidence (support from the literature)

3. Student’s original thoughts and ideas about the section’s content and a concluding thought

1. Conclusion – Summary of main points

6. Lessons Learned and Recommendations as needed

1. References – List the references you cited in the text of your paper according to APA format.

1.  – Quantitative Analysis

Write a Quantitative Analysis report on the following problems:

1. Given the demand equation Q =1,500 – 200P, calculate all the numbers necessary to fill in the following table:

Elasticity
P Q Point Arc Total Revenue Marginal Revenue
$7.00          
$6.50          
$6.00          
$5.50          
$5.00          
$4.50          
$4.00          
$3.50          
$3.00          
$2.50          

2.  Forecasting – The sales data for the Lonestar Sports Apparel Company for the last 12 years are as follow:

Sales
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
$400,000 $440,000 $480,000 $518,000 $554,000 $587,000
Sales
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
$617,000 $654,000 $700,000 $756,000 $824,000 $906,000

A. What is the 2001 – 2012 compound growth rate?

B. Using the result obtained in part a, what is your 2013 projection?

C. If you were to make your own projection, what would you forecast?

Demand Estimation

One of the most difficult tasks in regression analysis is to obtain the data suitable for quantitative studies of this kind. Suppose you are trying to estimate the demand for home furniture. Suggest the kinds of variables that could be used to represent the following factors, which are believed to affect the demand for any product. Be as specific as possible about how the variables are going to be measured. Do you anticipate any difficulty in securing such data? Explain.

Sales
Determinants of Demand for Furniture Suggested Variables to Use in Regression Analysis
Price  
Tastes and preferences  
Price of related products  
Income  
Cost or availability of credit  
Number of buyers  
Future expectations  
Other possible factors
 
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