Chapter 01 Contemporary Labor Relations: Objectives, Practices, and
Challenges Answer Key
True / False Questions
1. (p. 4) Fundamentally, a labor union is a group of workers who join together to influence the
nature of their employment.
TRUE
Difficulty: Easy
2. (p. 4) The widening gap between the richest and poorest individuals in the U.S. is in part
due to the weakened position of labor unions.
TRUE
Difficulty: Easy
3. (p. 5) When an employer uses an employee suggestion box to gather ideas and concerns
from its employees, it is primarily addressing the labor relations goal of efficiency.
FALSE
Difficulty: Moderate
,4. (p. 5) The goals of efficiency, equity, and voice in the workplace rarely conflict with one
another.
FALSE
Difficulty: Easy
,5. (p. 6) A key role of unions is to negotiate work rules and practices that ensure fair
treatment of employees by their managers and employers.
TRUE
Difficulty: Easy
6. (p. 6-7) In the United States, employees have broad protections against arbitrary dismissal
such that employers must provide a good, business related reason for firing someone.
FALSE
Difficulty: Moderate
7. (p. 6) The official policy of the Unites States is to protect workers’ rights to act together for mutual
aid and protection in the workplace and to promote collective bargaining as a way to resolve
workplace conflict.
TRUE
Difficulty: Moderate
8. (p. 7) In the U.S., workers can generally be discharged for good cause, no cause, and even a
morally wrong cause.
TRUE
Difficulty: Moderate
, 9. (p. 7) Most industrialized countries give employers wide latitude to dismiss employees "at
will" (i.e., without a just cause.)
FALSE
Difficulty: Moderate
10. (p. 7) In 2011, the Packers beat the Chicago Bears in their bid for the Super Bowl. The
next day a Chicago car salesman was fired for wearing a Green Bay Packers tie to work
despite having sold 14 cars in the previous month. In the U.S. such a dismissal is considered
illegal.
FALSE
Difficulty: Hard
11. (p. 8) An organization that allows its employees to exercise their voice in the workplace
using democratic principles similar to those that are commonly accepted in a democratic
society is one that exercises industrial democracy.
TRUE
Difficulty: Moderate
12. (p. 5, 9) The concept of employee voice suggests that employees should have the right to
express their opinions in the workplace but only if they are consistent with the majority of
employees or with the employer's perspective.
FALSE
Difficulty: Hard
Challenges Answer Key
True / False Questions
1. (p. 4) Fundamentally, a labor union is a group of workers who join together to influence the
nature of their employment.
TRUE
Difficulty: Easy
2. (p. 4) The widening gap between the richest and poorest individuals in the U.S. is in part
due to the weakened position of labor unions.
TRUE
Difficulty: Easy
3. (p. 5) When an employer uses an employee suggestion box to gather ideas and concerns
from its employees, it is primarily addressing the labor relations goal of efficiency.
FALSE
Difficulty: Moderate
,4. (p. 5) The goals of efficiency, equity, and voice in the workplace rarely conflict with one
another.
FALSE
Difficulty: Easy
,5. (p. 6) A key role of unions is to negotiate work rules and practices that ensure fair
treatment of employees by their managers and employers.
TRUE
Difficulty: Easy
6. (p. 6-7) In the United States, employees have broad protections against arbitrary dismissal
such that employers must provide a good, business related reason for firing someone.
FALSE
Difficulty: Moderate
7. (p. 6) The official policy of the Unites States is to protect workers’ rights to act together for mutual
aid and protection in the workplace and to promote collective bargaining as a way to resolve
workplace conflict.
TRUE
Difficulty: Moderate
8. (p. 7) In the U.S., workers can generally be discharged for good cause, no cause, and even a
morally wrong cause.
TRUE
Difficulty: Moderate
, 9. (p. 7) Most industrialized countries give employers wide latitude to dismiss employees "at
will" (i.e., without a just cause.)
FALSE
Difficulty: Moderate
10. (p. 7) In 2011, the Packers beat the Chicago Bears in their bid for the Super Bowl. The
next day a Chicago car salesman was fired for wearing a Green Bay Packers tie to work
despite having sold 14 cars in the previous month. In the U.S. such a dismissal is considered
illegal.
FALSE
Difficulty: Hard
11. (p. 8) An organization that allows its employees to exercise their voice in the workplace
using democratic principles similar to those that are commonly accepted in a democratic
society is one that exercises industrial democracy.
TRUE
Difficulty: Moderate
12. (p. 5, 9) The concept of employee voice suggests that employees should have the right to
express their opinions in the workplace but only if they are consistent with the majority of
employees or with the employer's perspective.
FALSE
Difficulty: Hard
