Modern Business, Conditions, Dilemas, and Opportunities

Part 1:
* Respond to the following questions, as you answer Question 1, specify what type of HRM framework you suspect is being used at Google, and support your answer with evidence.

1. What has Google been doing that demonstrates the value of managing human resources
effectively? Why do employees stay with Google?
3. Give some examples to illustrate the possible consequences that occur when the daily HR
practices of managers are inconsistent with the organization's formal HR policies.
4. Which member of the HR Triad has the most responsibility for ensuring that organizations
effectively manage their human resources? Explain your answer.
5. Why are the themes of managing teams, managing the multicultural workforce, managing
globalization, managing ethics and CSR, and managing with metrics so important today?
Which of these challenges is likely to increase in importance over the next decade? Why?

Part 2:

* Respond to "Questions for Discussion and Reflective Thinking" numbers 1-5 below
* Add anything additional that may reflect on the material.

1. Economic globalization has many implications for business. It also has implications for
employees. From your perspective, what are the three most significant implications of
economic globalization for employees of U.S. companies?
2. Think about the most recent technological developments. What are the likely implications
of these developments for employers during the next 10 years? For employees?
3. Some people argue that organizations can develop their own strong company culture
and that doing so will make differences in country cultures irrelevant to effectively managing
human resources. Do you agree? Explain your opinion.
4. Describe how a powerful and clear statement of an organization's vision, mission, and values
can be helpful to employees of the organization.
5. Imagine that you work at a local department store in a midlevel management position.
You learn that your company is being acquired by Wal-Mart. The rationale given for the
sale of your company to Wal-Mart is "to exploit many synergies and lower our costs. The
merger is about becoming more efficient; this is the way of the future for the retail industry."
Assume this statement is true, and describe three significant HR issues that you will
likely face after your company is acquired.

Part 3:
* Respond in writing to "Questions for Discussion and Reflective Thinking" numbers 1-4 and 6 below.
* Write an additional page reflecting on how your perspective of fair treatment in the workplace has evolved in response to this week's reading.

1. Describe an incident when you felt that you (or someone you know) were treated unfairly.
Did the incident occur due to a lack of procedural, distributive, and/or interactional
justice?
2. Describe some of the key federal regulatory agencies as well as the employment laws and
regulations that they administer and enforce.
3. Some people feel there are simply too many laws and regulations governing how companies
may manage their employees. These people believe everyone would be better off
if we let the free market work without so much government interference. Other people
believe that employees are not sufficiently protected against unfair treatment by employers.
They believe employers would treat employees poorly if our laws didn't forbid them
from doing so. Which position do you agree with more? Explain why.
4. Suppose a coworker harassed you. Would you prefer to resolve it using mediation, arbitration,
or the court system? Would your answer change if the harasser were your boss? Why,
or why not?
6. Technology is making it possible to more closely monitor the behavior of employees. What
are the pros and cons of allowing employers to use electronic devices to collect information
about their employees' behaviors, at work, while on business trips, and at home?