Every problem in the chapter beside the book’s answer, a chapter at a time as you scroll.
Chapter 10: Changing Work Environments and Future Trends
23 problems · 0 figures10-1 §10.1 source ↗
Which of the following is not a prospective benefit to the firm of implementing a telecommuting program?
- a.higher productivity of telecommuting workers
- b.greater connectivity and collaboration among employees
- c.lower operating costs
- d.more satisfied workers
Answer
B. greater connectivity and collaboration among employees
10-2 §10.1 source ↗
A successful telecommuting program would include which of the following?
- a.a written policy that spells out expectations
- b.an oral policy the manager can change at will
- c.subjective criteria for each individual worker
- d.preference for some people to telecommute over others
Answer
A. a written policy that spells out expectations
10-3 §10.1 source ↗
Telecommuting presents some difficulties for on-site technology departments providing security and technical assistance.
- a.True
- b.False
Answer
A. True
10-4 §10.1 source ↗
Some telecommuters may be penalized by a perception that they are lazy.
- a.True
- b.False
Answer
A. True
10-5 §10.1 source ↗
How can an employer develop trust in a telecommuting employee?
Answer
An employer can communicate clear expectations and then regularly check the employee’s successful completion of tasks according to specifications.
10-6 §10.1 source ↗
In what ways does telecommuting help companies recruit and retain employees?
Answer
Companies can use telecommuting to recruit and retain employees who wish to facilitate work-life balance, or employees from locations that are not within daily travel distance to the facility.
10-7 §10.2 source ↗
When considering the issue of work-life balance, which of the following points does not apply?
- a.Each employee probably assesses this differently.
- b.Managers and workers as cohorts often have different perspectives on it.
- c.Workers with families at home should be entitled to a "better" balance.
- d.All employees have a right to pursue this.
Answer
C. Workers with families at home should be entitled to a "better" balance.
10-8 §10.2 source ↗
Which of the following is not a potential downside of a corporate campus?
- a.Impaired productivity
- b.Reduced ability of labor markets to adjust to changing conditions
- c.Adverse impact on local businesses
- d.Increased fiscal burden on local government
Answer
A. Impaired productivity
10-9 §10.2 source ↗
The design of corporate campuses is meant to enhance opportunities for employees to collaborate.
- a.True
- b.False
Answer
A. True
10-10 §10.2 source ↗
Why do some companies provide free or inexpensive meals for their employees? Are they behaving ethically by doing so?
Answer
Making free or inexpensive food available in the workplace is a recruiting and retention tool. The employer may also hope that if food is available on the premises, employees will spend less time getting meals and more time working. It might be considered unethical to try to control employees' time and limit social interactions away from work.
10-11 §10.2 source ↗
If you were designing an office building for a mid-size advertising firm, what ideas could you incorporate from this section to enhance collaboration?
Answer
Any new office building could incorporate shared and flexible work space to allow for greater collaboration among employees. Less space would be dedicated to individual offices. A manager would also want to include collaborative technology that allows employees to easily contact customers, vendors, and other suppliers.
10-12 §10.3 source ↗
Some employers allow workers a compressed work week as long as ________.
- a.the work can be put off until the next week
- b.the workplace is a store
- c.it is a week in which a holiday falls on Monday
- d.the employee can completely finish the work in a shorter time
Answer
D. the employee can completely finish the work in a shorter time
10-13 §10.3 source ↗
The primary reason small-business entrepreneurs might want to hire mostly contract labor is that ________.
- a.the cost of fringe benefits is reduced
- b.only contract workers can be part-time but employees must be full-time
- c.only employees can file workers compensation claims
- d.it improves the company's stock price
Answer
A. the cost of fringe benefits is reduced
10-14 §10.3 source ↗
One drawback to job sharing is that employees may become competitive with one another, which could cause communication difficulties.
- a.True
- b.False
Answer
A. True
10-15 §10.3 source ↗
The terms "sharing economy" and "access economy" both refer to a marketplace that differs from the traditional, more capital-intensive, shareholder-owned corporations.
- a.True
- b.False
Answer
A. True
10-16 §10.3 source ↗
How could offering a shared job help an employer recruit more employees?
Answer
Applicants who are interested in working fewer hours will be encouraged to apply for a job they would have to pass up if it were full-time.
10-17 §10.3 source ↗
Participating in the gig economy often means working for a company as a part-time worker with no guarantee the job will last. Why would someone do it?
Answer
Gig work allows flexible scheduling, the ability to work for more than one company at a time, and the ability to work more or fewer hours each week, as desired.
10-18 §10.3 source ↗
What advantages does a company gain from hiring gig workers?
Answer
Advantages include reduced payroll taxes, reduced cost of benefits, and the ability to use and, hence, pay for workers only when they are needed.
10-19 §10.4 source ↗
Robots have usually been operated by a human at the controls but now are becoming more independent. How?
Answer
The development of artificial intelligence allows robots to act on their own much more often, meaning humans do not always control them.
10-20 §10.4 source ↗
Artificial intelligence and robotics in the United States are thus far largely unregulated. Do you see more regulations coming? Why or why not?
Answer
Likely yes, for example in the area of self-driving cars, where we have already (in 2018) experienced a pedestrian’s death caused by a self-driving car.
10-21 §10.4 source ↗
The use of robots at work ________.
- a.can reduce the exposure of humans to dangerous working conditions
- b.costs more than human labor
- c.must first be approved by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration
- d.is unlikely to affect the number of people in the overall workforce
Answer
A. can reduce the exposure of humans to dangerous working conditions
10-22 §10.4 source ↗
Worker displacement is a problem that companies have a legal duty to address when implementing the use of robots.
- a.True
- b.False
Answer
B. False
10-23 §10.4 source ↗
Worker retraining programs for employees who lose their jobs to robots ________.
- a.are a "Band-Aid" solution most of the time
- b.will be needed only for a small minority of the workers who lose their jobs
- c.are offered and funded by the employers only if a sufficient number of workers are displaced
- d.are an obligation taken on by ethical companies
Answer
D. are an obligation taken on by ethical companies
End of the book.
Problems and answers are adapted from Business Ethics by Stephen M. Byars and Kurt Stanberry, OpenStax, and are used under the CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 licence. Access for free at https://openstax.org/books/business-ethics/pages/1-introduction. Illustrations: Copyright Rice University, OpenStax, under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license. This adaptation is released under the same licence, is non-commercial, and is neither affiliated with nor endorsed by OpenStax or Rice University.