Term
| What type of human resources system developed in the US as an alternative to the patronage system? |
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Definition
| The Pendleton Act, which changed the hiring practices for the federal government by required that government workers be hired based on merit. |
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Term
| How did the phrase, "Close enough for government work" originate and what did it mean? |
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Definition
| refers to the difference between the quality of private/business and government work. |
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Term
| Distinguish between line and staff functions |
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Definition
| A line function is a primary business activity that negatively affects income the customer experience if it is interrupted. A staff function is a secondary business activity that supports the line functions of a business to achieve the objectives. |
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Definition
scientific management
war on waste
watchful eye
liberation management |
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| Civil Service Reforms Efforts in US Federal Government |
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Definition
• CS Reform act of 1883 abolished US Civil Service Commission, put Federal employees on Merit System
• 1978 Ethics in Government Act codified standards of government ethics for executive branch then in 1989 extended to judicial and legislative branches |
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Term
| Major Recommendations from Winter Commission |
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Definition
• More decentralized merit system
• Less reliance on written test
• Rejection of the rule of three and other requirements that severely restrict managerial discretion in selecting from a pool of eligible applicants
• Less weight given to seniority and veterans preference
• Fewer job classifications
• Less- cumbersome procedures for removing employees from positions
• Remove the barriers to lean government
• End civil service paralysis
• State governments radically restructuring
• Minnesota- ROWE results only work environment |
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Definition
| an employee has no understanding of the values of the organization along with its mission- proceeds to act illegally according to these principles |
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Definition
| basic grasp of mission and seek to avoid legal trouble |
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| Advanced Values and Consciousness |
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Definition
| act out mission in what they do |
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Term
| What is the rule of thumb encouraged by the EEOC for use in reviewing affirmative action plans? |
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Definition
| The 4/5ths or 80% rule. Hiring agencies should generally consider a selection rate for any race, sex, or ethnic group which is less than four-fifths (4/5ths) or eighty percent (80%) of the selection rate for the group with the highest selection rate as a substantially different rate of selection. |
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Term
| Through what process can an organization prepare to replace its senior management ranks? |
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Term
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| Identification, development, preparation, and retention of internal talent to assume executive and senior leadership positions as needed. |
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Term
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| attached to individuals on the basis of individual qualifications, senior, performance, etc., rather than on the basis of work performed. Used by the Department of State/AID/USIA for American foreign service personnel, by the military departments for military personnel, and by a few other U.S. Government Agencies |
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Term
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Definition
| system of classifying positions on the basis of duties, responsibilities, and qualifications. This system is used by almost all private organizations and all remaining American governmental organizations, including the Department of State/AID/USIA/FCS/FAS for domestic positions. |
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Term
| Define job analysis and provide specific examples of information collection methods. |
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Definition
| A job analysis is the process used to collect information about the duties, responsibilities, necessary skills, outcomes, and work environment of a particular job. |
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Term
| Differentiate between the terms performance appraisal and job evaluation. |
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Definition
| Performance appraisal is a systematic evaluation by the supervisor or some qualified person of an individual worker's performance. Performance appraisal is used for measuring the merit or performance of an employee and comparing it with that of others in the same group the purpose of performance appraisal is to determine an employee's worth to the organization. Performance appraisal rates the man and not the job. But the job evaluation rates the jobs in order to determine their worth. Job evaluation is used as a basis of wage structure. The purpose of job evaluation is very limited—to determine the worth of the job. The purpose of performance appraisal is to appraise the performance of individuals for the purpose of promotion, transfer training, dismissal etc. |
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Term
| What is the trendy new form of job classification that collapses job titles and opens up pay ranges? |
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Term
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| Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities, is a series of narrative statements that were required when applying to United States Federal government job openings. KSAs were used to determine, along with resumes, who the best applicants are when several candidates qualify for a job. (Phased out in 2009) |
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Term
| What are the major criteria of a point-factor analysis (evaluation)? |
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Definition
| In all systems of job evaluation are premised on the need to identify criteria related to job value (e.g., responsibility, working conditions, skill) jobs are then ranked in the hierarchy on these criteria. The most widely used system of job evaluation is a point factor analysis, which assigns points to compensable factors that determine pay. (pg 256 point factor analysis and Pg 197-198 point factor method) |
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Term
| List and describe each level of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. |
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Definition
1) basic drive around ensuring survival, such as the ability to pay for food and housing
2) drives associated with physical and psychological safety, such as relating to job and retirement security
3) drives associated with group belonging, as relating to workgroups, networks, and the ability to maintain one’s family
4) dives associated with self-esteem, such as feeling confident, successful, and respected by others
5) drives relating to actualizing oneself, or developing one’s potential, such as through increased creativity, explorations of morality and spirituality, and “peak” experiences. |
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Term
| What is pay compression and how is it caused? |
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Definition
| Pay compression is the narrowing of differentials between pay grades in an agency. It is caused by people that stay in the same jobs for long durations, receiving generally small based salary increases and only periodic merit raises. So employees find their base salaries compressed in relation to what the market would currently pay someone with their level of skills and experience. New hires end up with base salaries not much below or sometimes even above the salaries of existing employees. (pg 265) |
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Term
| What is the difference between validity and reliability in terms of civil service tests? |
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Definition
| Test that provide consistent results are reliable. An unstructured interview has low reliability because the questions vary from one applicant to the next. When tests make good distinctions among candidates, they are valid. As interesting as intelligence tests are, they are extremely poor predictors of job success. (pg 145) |
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Term
| Describe Frederick Herzberg’s theory of motivation especially as applied to compensation. |
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Definition
| Determinates of job satisfaction, such as recognition, relate to job content. Determinants of job dissatisfaction are associated with job context, such as physical facilities. (pg 488) |
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Term
| Motivation-Hygiene Theory |
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Definition
• Intrinsic factors are related to job satisfaction and motivation
• Extrinsic factors are associated with job dissatisfaction (hygiene is defined as maintenance)
Traditional View
Satisfaction Dissatisfaction
Herzberg’s View
Motivators
Satisfaction < > No Satisfaction
Hygiene Factors
No Dissatisfaction < > Dissatisfaction
If someone's baseline rewards aren't adequate or equitable, his or her focus will be on the unfairness of the situation and the anxiety of the circumstances. |
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Term
| List and describe the major test validation approaches. |
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Definition
• Face Validity
o Selection procedure appears related to the actual job.
• Content Validity (most common type)
o Based on actual samples of the kind of work the job requires.
• Construct Validity (the hardest one to get into your head)
o Measures certain traits or qualities identified as important for performing a particular job.
• Criterion-related Validity
o compares scores on test to some measurement of job performance (such as performance appraisal).
• Concurrent Validity
o Test scores and criterion data are obtained at essentially the same time.
• Synthetic Validity
o Based on validity generalization (increases the “n” by combining numerous smaller studies), it would provide a single standardized system that could select almost anybody for anything in one-thousandth the time and one-thousandth the costs. |
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Term
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Definition
| o Selection procedure appears related to the actual job. |
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Term
| • Content Validity (most common type) |
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Definition
| o Based on actual samples of the kind of work the job requires. |
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Term
| • Criterion-related Validity |
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Definition
| o compares scores on test to some measurement of job performance (such as performance appraisal). |
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Term
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Definition
| o Test scores and criterion data are obtained at essentially the same time. |
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Term
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Definition
| o Based on validity generalization (increases the “n” by combining numerous smaller studies), it would provide a single standardized system that could select almost anybody for anything in one-thousandth the time and one-thousandth the costs. |
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Term
| The three types of validity allowed by the Uniform Guidelines to Employee Selection Procedures are content, criterion, and construct. |
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Definition
• Content- requires demonstrating a direct relationship of the test to actual job duties or responsibilities.
• Criterion- involves correlating high test scores (the predictor) with good job performance (the criterion) by those taking the test. It generally examines aptitudes or cognitive skills for learning and preforming well in a given environment (e.g., the aptitude to learn a language, remember key data, or use logical reasoning).
• Construct- documents the relationship of select abstract personal traits and characteristics (e.g., intelligence, integrity, creativity, and aggressiveness) to job performance. |
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Term
| Which selection procedures have the highest validity coefficients and which have the lowest. |
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Definition
Assessment Procedure Validity Score
Work sample tests .54
Structured interviews .51
General mental ability tests .51
Job knowledge tests .48
Training and experience (behavioral consistency model) .45
Job tryout procedure .44
Unstructured interviews .38
Biological data measures .35
Reference checks .26
Grade point average .20
Years of job experience .18
Training and experience (point method) .11
Years of education .10 |
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Term
| Explain the Expectancy Theory |
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Definition
Expectancy Theory is the amount of effort people expend based on how much reward they expect in return. The Theory is based on a rational economic view of people and contains three basic parts. The first part is valence, which is the attractiveness of an outcome. An example of valence is outstanding performance appraisal leads to a promotion. The second is instrumentality. This is an individual assessment of the probability that performance will lead to a certain outcome. An example of this is if an hourly worker works overtime that they will get overtime pay. The final part is expectancy. This is an individual assessment of the probability that effort will lead to the correct performance of the task. An example of this would be if I put in all this work, I will really get the job done properly.
Side Note:
Expectancy theory summarized (Vroom's Expectancy Theory)
• For an individual to be motivated, the reward must be valued by the person (valence)
• He or she must believe additional effort will lead to higher performance (expectancy)
• higher performance will result in greater rewards (instrumentality) |
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Term
| What are some of the common problems with performance appraisals? |
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Definition
• Lack of objectivity in rating criteria
• Halo error (basing evaluation on performance in only one area)
• Leniency/strictness (undeserved praised or criticism
• Central tendency
• Recent behavior bias
• Personal bias (prejudice or favoritism)
• Playing god (abuse of power –manipulating scores to justify previous decisions or to reward non-work related behavior |
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Term
| List and describe various compensation systems. |
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Definition
• direct financial compensation: pay that a person receives in the form of wages, salary, bonuses, and commissions.
• indirect financial compensation: All financial rewards that are not included in direct compensation.
• nonfinancial compensation: the satisfaction that a person receives from their job itself or from the psychological and / or physical environment in which the job is performed. |
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Term
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Definition
• Financial -Direct - wages, salaries, commissions, bonuses
Indirect - social security, unemployment insurance, workers' compensation, FMLA, benefits, retirement, hazard pay, differentials.
• Nonfinancial - the job- skill variety, autonomy, recognition
job environment - sound policies, colleagues, status, working conditions, work flexibility |
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Term
| How do public administration theorist defend the existence of a large, unelected bureaucracy? |
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Definition
A bureaucracy is set up with clear chains of command so that everyone has a boss. At the top of the organization is a chief who oversees the entire bureaucracy. Power flows downward.
Bureaucrats specialize in one area of the issue their agency covers. This allows efficiency because the specialist does what he or she knows best, then passes the matter along to another specialist.
Each task is broken down into smaller tasks, and different people work on different parts of the task. This idea would create a checks and balances system |
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Term
| List sequentially the major phases of developing and implementing a training program. |
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Definition
• Alternative dispute resolution is a way of solving disputes when things to wrong in the workplace. Alternative dispute resolution include processes such as mediation, facilitation, conciliation, early neutral evaluation, arbitration, and materials
• Arbitration involves a private judge rendering a final and legally enforceable decision on the dispute
• Mediation the parties generally meet together across a table to exchange the perspectives on the dispute directly. Then the mediator breaks them into separate rooms for individual confidential sessions. |
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Term
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Definition
• The perception by workers that they are being treated fairly in terms of total compensation provided by the employer
• External equity: payment of employeers at rates comparable to those paid for similar jobs elsewhere in the relevant job market.
• Internal equity: payment of employees according to the relative values of their jobs within an organization |
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Term
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Definition
| a compensation technique that collapses many pay grades into a few wide bands in order to improve organizational flexibility. |
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Term
| List some of the major variations of flexible scheduling. |
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Definition
• Compressed Workweek
• Telecommuting
• Part-Time work
• Voluntary reduced work time
• Temporary work
• Leave sharing and pooling
• Job sharing |
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Term
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Definition
| increases the scope of a job by extending the range of job duties and responsibilities. |
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Definition
| attempts to motivate employees by giving them more authority or independence for organizing their work and solving problems. |
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Term
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Definition
| enables two employees to split the responsibilities, hours, salary and benefits of a full time position. |
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Term
| The major outcome of the court case Oncale v Sundowner Services (1998): |
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Definition
| This is a sexual discrimination case that was filed by a male employee on an oilrig that stated he was sexual harassed by other male employees. The Court held that Title VII's protection against workplace discrimination "because of... sex" applied to harassment in the workplace between members of the same sex. Oncale filed a complaint against Sundowner in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, alleging that he was discriminated against in his employment because of his sex. Relying on earlier precedents, the district court granted summary judgment to the defendant, writing "Mr. Oncale, a male, has no cause of action under Title VII for harassment by male co-workers." Oncale appealed, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit affirmed the decision, and then after granting a petition for writ of certiorari, the Supreme Court reversed the decision. Dr. Sharp disagreed with the verdict from the Supreme Court per the offense against Oncale was not a result of discrimination but just harassment. |
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Term
| Why is at will employment more problematic in the public sector than the private sector |
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Definition
| Typically in the public sector there will be union involvement, longer probationary periods and a progressive disciplinary process that has to be followed. In most public sector positions there will be a pre-determination hearing where it is explained to the employee the basis for termination or corrective discipline. This may not be the case in private sector. |
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Term
| What is worker’s compensation and how does it work |
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Definition
| Worker’s compensation is an exclusive remedy which allows the employee to be covered for a work place injury or illness. The employer provides medical benefits and a salary (sometimes at a reduced rate) while the employee is recovering. The employee cannot sue the employer for liability in addition to receiving worker’s compensation. |
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Term
| Two main goals for the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 attempt to achieve? |
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Definition
| The CSRA of 1978 set out to evaluate employees job related performance objectively. The CSRA also created the Federal Labor Relations Authority to oversee federal labor-management policies. The CSRA replaced the Civil Service Commission with the US Office of Personnel Management. |
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Term
| List and explain the legal theories behind sexual harassment in the workplace. |
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Definition
| Sexual harassment is any unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors or other contact that is sexual. There is Quid pro quo harassment which is the promise of demotion, promotion discipline or discharge in exchange for sexual favors. There is also hostile work environment which is when harassment interferes with an employee’s work or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive workplace. |
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Term
| What is alternative dispute resolution? |
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Definition
| Mediation or arbitration are both forms of alternative dispute resolution which allows both parties of the dispute to come together and try to resolve the issue before proceeding to a trial. |
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