Chapter 11: Human Resource Management - McGraw-Hill Introduction to Business

Hollywood Screenwriters Go on Strike

May 3, 2023

Members of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) began walking picket lines yesterday after failing to agree a new deal with production companies. This strike marks an end to 15 years of labor peace in Hollywood, bringing dozens of television and film projects to an immediate and indefinite halt. According to representatives of the approximately 11,500 striking writers, the rise of streaming has upended the industry and led to declining conditions for creative workers. For example, in the past network Continue reading →

Entertainment, Ethics, Labor Relations, Movies, Streaming, Strikes, Television, Unions

Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media, Chapter 10: Motivation, Chapter 11: Human Resource Management, Chapter 12: Labor Management and Unions, Chapter 15: Distribution, Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 3: Globalization

The Tricky Task of Tracking Telecommuting

April 7, 2023

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Working from home became commonplace during the pandemic as companies increasingly kept in contact with employees through platforms like Slack, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams. As offices opened back up, though, managers started requiring workers to come in at least a few times per week. According to a recent study from the Labor Department, 72.5 percent of American businesses reported that their employees rarely or never work remotely, close to the level of 76.7 percent that preceded the pandemic.

The Continue reading →

Human Resources, Labor Relations, Management, Motivation, Office Culture, Remote Work, Telecommuting

Chapter 10: Motivation, Chapter 11: Human Resource Management, Chapter 12: Labor Management and Unions, Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 7: Management & Leadership, Chapter 8: Organizational Culture and Structure

NLRB Rules Against Non-Disparagement Clauses

March 31, 2023

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Earlier this year, we looked at how the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) proposed a ban on noncompete clauses in employer contracts, which restrict the jobs that former staffers can take once they leave a company. Another controversial clause that some businesses place into contracts prevents ex-employees from talking bad about their old jobs if they accept a severance agreement. Labor advocates have long criticized nondisparagement clauses for infringing on the rights of workers, a point that the National Labor Review Continue reading →

Employee turnover, Ethics, FTC, Hiring, Human Resources, Labor Relations, Motivation, Noncompete clauses, Regulation, Severance

Bonus Chapter A: Business Law, Chapter 10: Motivation, Chapter 11: Human Resource Management, Chapter 12: Labor Management and Unions, Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits

Companies Confuse Job Seekers with Fake Listings

March 23, 2023

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Although the collapse of SVB and the resulting economic fallout has rattled global markets, many companies are hoping to restore faith among investors by showing signs of growth. The clearest sign of a growing business is one that is hiring people, after all, leading some firms to place job listings with no intention of actually bringing anyone on board. In fact, a recent survey of 1,000 hiring managers found that 27 percent of respondents reported leaving job listings up for Continue reading →

Banking, Economics, Ethics, Hiring, Human Resources, SVB, Turnover

Bonus Chapter A: Business Law, Chapter 11: Human Resource Management, Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 2: Economics, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility

[VIDEO] Why is Everything Getting So Expensive?

March 10, 2023

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Prices on everyday products like groceries and diapers have increased dramatically in the last couple of years, with inflation often being identified as the culprit. This video takes a close look at the potential causes of the post-pandemic trend of rising inflation, examining why supply chain issues and plain old markups could be responsible for ever-increasing prices.

Questions:

What are the potential causes of inflation outlined in this video? Which factor do you think is the most likely cause Continue reading →

Rising Inflation Could Damage Economic Gains Made by Women

March 8, 2023

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People around the world celebrate International Women’s Day every March 8th, paying tribute to the achievements of women while also campaigning for greater gender equality. While issues like equal pay and opportunity for women have certainly received a lot of attention in recent years, companies still have a long way to go before they reach total parity. To make matters worse, economists say that women are disproportionately feeling the effects of the cost of living crisis brought on by rising Continue reading →

Compensation, Ethics, Gender equity, Global, Hiring, Human Resources, Management, Motivation, Regulation, Wage gap

Chapter 10: Motivation, Chapter 11: Human Resource Management, Chapter 12: Labor Management and Unions, Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 2: Economics, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility, Chapter 7: Management & Leadership

[VIDEO] Making 100,000 Bagels a Week by Hand

February 22, 2023

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While last week we looked at how Domino’s relies on automation to mass produce its pizza dough, today’s video examines the operations at a company that takes the opposite approach. At Utopia Bagels in New York City, a well-trained staff of specialists make thousands of bagels by hand every day, all driven by a passionate owner whose love for his craft comes through in this video.

Questions:

What are the advantages and disadvantages of making bagels entirely by hand?
What Continue reading →

Entrepreneurship, Marketing, Motivation, Operations Management, Product Development, Product Distribution, Specialized labor, Supply & Demand, Training

Chapter 10: Motivation, Chapter 11: Human Resource Management, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 2: Economics, Chapter 6: Entrepreneurship, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Videos

[VIDEO] How Domino’s Became The World’s Biggest Pizza Chain

February 17, 2023

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With thousands of locations across more than 90 international markets, Domino’s has become a global powerhouse thanks largely to its innovative production and distribution methods. This video takes an extensive look at how Domino’s makes pizza, focusing especially on a dough-making facility that relies heavily on automation to succeed.

Questions:

Why did Domino’s install automated systems in its Indiana dough-making facility?
Do you think more food companies should rely on automation like Domino’s? Why or why not?

Automation, Domino’s, Food & Drink, Global, Operations Management, Product Development, Product Distribution

Chapter 11: Human Resource Management, Chapter 12: Labor Management and Unions, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 14: Product and Price, Chapter 15: Distribution, Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 3: Globalization, Chapter 9: Production and Operations Management, Videos

Companies Cautiously Explore the Potential of AI Chatbots

February 10, 2023

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For the last few weeks, chatbots powered by artificial intelligence have made waves on social media as users talk with these automated conversation partners. The bot ChatGPT, for instance, can provide reasonable answers to questions posed by users regardless of their spelling or grammar. These responses are delivered in natural-sounding sentences that do not require scripting, a significant improvement on clunky chatbots of the past. As a result, many big companies are looking to get in on the ground floor Continue reading →

Artificial Intelligence, Automation, Chatbots, Ethics, Human Resources, Labor Relations, Marketing

Bonus Chapter B: Technology and New Media, Chapter 11: Human Resource Management, Chapter 12: Labor Management and Unions, Chapter 13: Marketing, Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility

Some Companies Charge Ex-Employees for “Training Repayment”

February 1, 2023

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Onboarding employees can be one of the most expensive items on a company’s balance sheet as firms spend big money hiring and training new staffers. Of course, this costly process has no guarantee of success: people hired yesterday can leave tomorrow as quickly as they arrived. To offset the costs of rapid turnover, some companies are inserting controversial clauses into employment contracts that require staffers to repay training fees if they quit. For example, Kate Fredericks signed such an agreement Continue reading →

Employee turnover, Ethics, FTC, Human Resources, Labor Relations, Onboarding, Regulation, Training

Bonus Chapter A: Business Law, Chapter 10: Motivation, Chapter 11: Human Resource Management, Chapter 12: Labor Management and Unions, Chapter 1: Taking Risks and Making Profits, Chapter 4: Ethics and Social Responsibility