Industrial Relations In Canada, 4th Edition Test Bank

Test Bank to Accompany McQuarrie/Industrial Relations in Canada, Fourth Edition CHAPTER 2 THEORIES OF INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS Multiple Choice Questions 1. Which of the following is an example of a craft guild in 17th-century North America? A) Weaving B) Tool making C) Carpentry D) All of the above Answer A Page 30 easy 2. Call centre jobs are not characterized by the following A) Low paying B) Unrewarding C) Good pension plans D) Little job security Answer C Page 28 intermediate 3. Which of the following was not a function served by craft guilds in North America? A) Supplying insurance B) Providing a replacement during the owner‟s absence C) Education D) Financial planning Answer D Page 30-31 intermediate 4. In the factories of the Industrial Revolution, control of the business rested with the factory owner. Which of these was not a function performed at the discretion of the owner? A) Designing the production process B) Designing a payment schedule in conformity with the guidelines established by the craft guild C) Deciding how the work was to be performed D) Deciding who would perform the work Answer B Page 33 intermediate 5. A law was passed in Britain in 1819 that placed limits on child labour. These limits included which of the following? A) A prohibition against the hiring of children younger than nine B) A prohibition against older children working more than 10 hours per day C) A prohibition against adults working more than 12 hours per day D) All of the above Answer A Page 34 intermediate 1 Test Bank to Accompany McQuarrie/Industrial Relations in Canada, Fourth Edition 6. In what aspect of trade unions were the Fabian Society, founded by Sidney and Beatrice Webb, interested? A) The results of the prolonged exposer to unsafe working conditions B) advocacy on behalf of working children C) legal protection for injured adult workers D) how trade unions emerged in response to industrialized work structures Answer D Page 34 intermmediate 7. According to the Webbs, what was the primary reason for the emergence of unions? A) The need to improve working conditions B) The separation between capital and labour C) Dissatisfaction with capitalism D) The increasing cost of living Answer B Page 35 intermediate 8. In the factory-based economy, who provides the capital? A) The government B) Craft guilds C) Investor groups D) None of the above Answer D Page 35 intermediate 9. According to the Webbs, what two internal devices did unions use to ensure that unions themselves were democratic and representative of their members‟ interests? A) Device of mutual insurance and legal enactment B) Device of common rule and collective bargaining C) Device of the common rule and restriction of numbers D) Device of restriction of numbers and mutual insurance Answer C Page 36 intermediate 10. Selig Perlman felt that unions should focus on creating economic security and opportunity to bring about what result? A) The promotion of large-scale social change. B) The creation of a stable, long-term basis for union existence. C) A rejection of the principles of capitalism. D) A greater practical understanding of union members by the middle class. Answer B Page 37 difficult 11. Which two elements did John Commons believe would provide opportunities for unions and lead to the development of national and international unions? A) Publicity and improved communication B) Transportation and communications C) Competition in markets and geography D) Skilled workers and transportation Answer B Page 37 intermediate 2 Test Bank to Accompany McQuarrie/Industrial Relations in Canada, Fourth Edition 12. Which of the following is not a functional type of unionism identified by Robert Hoxie? A) Business unionism B) Friendly unionism C) Wartime unionism D) Predatory unionism Answer C Page 38-39 easy 13. According to E. Wight Bakke, what is the worker‟s main reason for joining a union? A) To counter the forces of capitalism B) To achieve a specific standard of living C) To improve their political power D) To encourage the development of socialism Answer B Page 39 intermediate 14. When examining the system put forward by John Dunlop, we see that there are four contexts in which processes take place. Which of the following is not one of these contexts? A) Technological B) Market C) Budgetary D) Legislative Answer D Page 42-43 intermediate 15. According to John Dunlop, the „web of rules‟ does what within an organization? A) Avoids conflict B) Ensures order C) Governs the interactions between the parties D) Ensures compliance with labour legislation Answer C Page 43 easy 16. Karl Marx and Freidrich Engels believed that the emergence of unions was a symptom of what? A) The need to overthrow capitalism B) An ongoing class struggle C) The need for political action D) The need to improve workers‟ standard of living Answer B Page 44 intermediate 17. According to Karl Marx and Freidrich Engels, what was the ultimate goal of unions? A) The overthrow of capitalism B) To become a vehicle of class discontent C) The development of a classless society D) All of the above Answer D Page 45 intermediate 3 Test Bank to Accompany McQuarrie/Industrial Relations in Canada, Fourth Edition 18. According to Harry Braverman, what is the term used to describe a situation where work is subdivided to such a degree that dependence on highly skilled labour is reduced or eliminated? A) Industrial engineering B) Scientific management C) Deskilling D) Statistical process control Answer C Page 45 easy 19. Thomas Kochan, Robert McKersie, and Peter Cappelli believed that employers have become active rather than reactive participants in industrial relations. Which of the following is not a phenomenon in support of this assertion? A) Companies becoming part of employer associations B) Companies lobbying for legislation to reduce the power of unions C) The existence of strikebreaking firms D) Non-unionized companies harassing employees attempting to organize unions Answer A Page 46-47 difficult 20. According to Richard Chaykowski and Anil Verma, why will Canadian unions resist cooperative relationships with management? A) Because they believe they will no longer be needed by workers B) Because it could weaken their ability to oppose unwanted change in the future C) Because it could weaken their ability to effect social and political change D) All of the above Answer B Page 48 difficult 21. What is the percentage of the unionized workforce in Canada? A) 40 B) 33 C) 12 D) 30 Answer D Page 28 easy 22. The 14th century craft guilds were like unions in what regard? A) Provided employment protection to guild members B) Provided incentives to members to join C) Encouraged members to work on only one aspect of the final product D) Acted on behalf of the members with facility owners Answer A Page 30 easy 23. Success within the guild required all but the following attributes A) Good health B) Good support system C) Skill D) Good work ethic Answer B Page 31 intermediate 4 Test Bank to Accompany McQuarrie/Industrial Relations in Canada, Fourth Edition 24. The Wool Guild inspired which of the changes to the functioning of the 14th century guilds? A) Encouraged craftspeople to sell directly to the consumer B) Structuring the price of the products to include the labour and materials C) Reduced the need for a middleman D) The way craftspeople were paid Answer D Page 32 easy 25. The 18th century new economy focus on production resulted in all but the following A) Increased production B) Goods produced at lower cost C) Wage reduction by 50% D) Families being a part of the work life Answer C Page 33-34 difficult 26. The Webbs were of what ideological persuasion? A) Communists B) Socialists C) Democrats D) Capitalists Answer B Page 34 easy 27. Hoxie was fundamentally interested in A) How unions served their members B) Why people joined unions C) How unions emerged D) „Class consciousness‟ in union formation Answer A Page 38 difficult 28. Which of the following is one of Bakke‟s five factors of the standards of successful living? A) Social status B) Integrity C) Control D) All of the above Answer D Page 39-40 easy 29. What may ultimately reduce the percentage of unionized workforces in Canada? A) Large scale closures of manufacturing plants B) Economic collapse C) Public sector shrinkage D) Private sector union malaise Answer C Page 49 intermediate 30. John Dunlop espoused which of the following theory of industrial relations? 5 Test Bank to Accompany McQuarrie/Industrial Relations in Canada, Fourth Edition A) „Web of rules‟ B) Union functioning theory C) Systems theory D) Input, output and process theory Answer C Page 40 intermediate True/False Questions 31. In 17th-century North America, craftspeople rarely owned their own businesses. False Page 31 intermediate 32. The relatively high rate of unionization in Canada is due to the private sector being primarily unionized False Page 49 easy 33. Craft guilds tended to control the supply of labour by overseeing apprenticeships and other forms of education. True Page 30 intermediate 34. Kochan, McKersie, and Cappelli suggest that unions must not focus too narrowly on workplace rules and regulations. True Page 7 intermediate 35. Selig Perlman believed that unions needed the support of the middle class and that they should respect some of the bases of capitalism in order to effectively represent the interests of workers. True Page 36 difficult 36. John Commons suggested that unions could best serve the needs of their members by confining their activities to a certain geographic area and avoiding the temptation to create international unions. False Page 37 easy 37. Robert Hoxie believed that unions could serve more than one of the four basic functional types of unionism concurrently and that they could move from one form of unionism to another as needed. True Page 38 intermediate 38. E. Wight Bakke stated that the main reason workers joined a union was to allow them to use concerted political action as a means to achieve a higher standard of living. False Page 39 easy 39. In John Dunlop‟s framework, unions are one of two main actors in the industrial relations system, the other being management. False Page 42 easy 6 Test Bank to Accompany McQuarrie/Industrial Relations in Canada, Fourth Edition 40. Research suggests that multinational employers entering Canada through the purchase or startup of Canadian subsidiaries adjust to the “Canadian way” of industrial relations. False Page 48 easy Short Answer Questions 41. List at least three of the important functions performed by craft guilds in the 17th century. i) One function was supplying insurance. The craftsman would pay a fee and if he or she was unable to work and the guild would make payments to offset the lost income. ii) Another function was to control the supply of trained labour by overseeing apprenticeships iii) Guilds also served an educational function for their members by providing a forum for the exchange of information. iv) Some guilds in more populated areas were able to reduce production costs for their members by purchasing supplies or raw materials in bulk. (Page 31, difficult) 42. What were some of the changes brought about by the industrialization and mechanization of the Industrial Revolution? New inventions meant great increases in production capacity and less demand for skilled workers. The prevalence of child labour became the norm thus further deskilling the work. Relatively low land costs also meant that factories were easily established and built. Improvements in transportation and communication meant that raw materials and finished goods could easily be marketed in areas far beyond their place of origin. As a result, workers were required to travel to the workplace and their work became far more routine. (Page 32-33, intermediate) 43. According to the Webbs, what was the primary reason for the emergence of unions? Explain. They suggested that the primary reason for the emergence of unions was the separation between capital and labour. In the pre-Industrial Revolution economy, labour and capital were both controlled by the worker who invested in his or her own work and gained the benefits from the sale of that work. In the factory-based economy, the worker provided labour, but the capital was provided by the factory owner. This division between capital and labour would lead owners to exploit labour for their own gain. The objective of unions was to regulate the conditions of employment in order to protect workers‟ interests. (Page 34-35, intermediate) 7 Test Bank to Accompany McQuarrie/Industrial Relations in Canada, Fourth Edition 44. What were the three instruments identified by the Webbs that unions employed to achieve their purposes and objectives? The first was the method of mutual insurance, where unions accumulated funds from union dues and then used those funds to make payments to workers unable to work. The second was the method of collective bargaining, where unions acted as workers‟ representatives in negotiating terms and conditions of work with the employer. The third was the method of legal enactment, where unions lobbied governments to enact laws guaranteeing basic minimum employment standards. (Page 35, easy) 45. Using the elements of Work Location, Work Division and Work Training, compare and contrast the pre and post industrial work structure? Work Location Work Division Work Training Pre-Industrial Revolution Post-Industrial Revolution Home or workshop in home community Responsible for entire production process Apprenticeship with established craftsperson or worker Factory in urbanized centre Individual part of production process Minimal work training as work was specialized and simplified (Page 33, intermediate) 46. What were the four functional types of unionism identified by Robert Hoxie? Briefly explain each type. The first was business unionism, where the role of the union was to protect the interests of workers in a particular industry or trade, primarily through the use of collective bargaining. The second was friendly or uplifting unionism, where unions acted as a mechanism to improve standards of living for workers and thus improve society at large. Friendly unions engaged in collective bargaining and used mutual insurance and political action to gain desired outcomes. The third was revolutionary unionism, in which unions would either attempt change through large-scale political action or through direct action such as sabotage or violence. The fourth was predatory unionism, where unions were concerned mainly with increasing their own power by whatever means possible, sometimes unethically or illegally. (Page 38-39, intermediate) 47. E. Wight Bakke details how unions help workers to attain five standards of successful living. What are the five factors that support these standards? The first is social status, which can be attained through union membership. Workers can achieve a higher status by becoming a member of the union executive. The second is creature comforts. Union membership may allow a worker to enjoy a standard of living similar to that of his or her peers. 8 Test Bank to Accompany McQuarrie/Industrial Relations in Canada, Fourth Edition The third is control. The presence of a union in the workplace gives workers some formal voice in operations and therefore some influence over his or her working conditions. The fourth is information. Unions serve as a source of information on companies, the economy, and society at large. They also run programs to educate workers on labour matters. The fifth is integrity. A worker‟s decision to join a union is partially based on whether union membership would enhance the individual‟s sense of integrity. (Page 39-40, difficult) 48. Describe the process of “deskilling” as defined by Harry Braverman. Deskilling occurs where work is specialized or subdivided to such a degree that dependence on highly skilled labour is reduced or eliminated. This means that management can use unskilled and semi-skilled workers who are in greater supply and can be paid less. (Page 45-46, intermediate) 49. According to Marx and Engels, what is the reason for the existence of unions and what is their ultimate objective? The emergence of unions was a symptom of an ongoing class struggle. Unions were the means by which the working class could avoid exploitation by the upper class. In order to survive, unions had to have a larger political purpose. They would be a vehicle of class discontent which would eventually lead to the overturning of capitalism and the development of a classless society. (Page 44-45, difficult) 50. During the Industrial Revolution, the use of child labour was commonplace in many factories. What was the effect of laws passed in Britain in 1819? Laws passed in Britain in 1819 disallowed the employment of children younger than nine and prohibited older children from working more than twelve hours per day. There were still few protections for adult workers and the few that existed were poorly enforced. (Page 34, easy) Critical Thinking Questions 51. Discuss the Industrial Revolution‟s impact on the development and the philosophy of the labour movement. Suggested answer: The answer should touch on the work of various theorists. The Webbs: The Industrial Revolution caused a complete change in the way craftspeople performed their work. They lost control of work processes to the factory owner. This division between capital and labour allowed owners to exploit workers and created a need for unions to regulate conditions of employment. 9 Test Bank to Accompany McQuarrie/Industrial Relations in Canada, Fourth Edition Selig Perlman: He, too, felt that the emergence of capitalism was a catalyst for the emergence of unions. He argued that unions would require the support of the middle class. He saw the purpose of unions as providing collective mastery over employment opportunities and standards. John Commons: He identified the development of competitive markets as a force behind unionism. In the competitive markets created by the Industrial Revolution, workers had become separated from the distribution and sale of their work. Unions were needed in order to take wages out of competition. Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels: They saw unions as a means by which the working class could avoid exploitation. They went well beyond any of the other theorists in suggesting that the ultimate goal of unions was the overthrow of the capitalist system. 52. Discuss how Dunlop took the principles of systems theory and used them to explain how industrial relations operates. Suggested answer: The answer should include the following: Dunlop considered two levels that existed within the framework of the individual organization and with other organizations in the external environment. Dunlop refers to three actors within the industrial relations system: Unions, Management/Employer and Government or other stakeholders and argued that each of these actors had a specific ideology that determined how they would act within the system and as such would create conflicts within the systems to either counteract or balance events occurring within the system. However the shared belief of the actors about the value of the system itself maintains the stability within the system even if representatives of the actors change. This allows the system to continue to function in spite of disputes. i) 53. How do some theorists define the role of unions as we head into the 21st century and how do theorists suggest they adapt in order to survive sweeping changes to the economic structure? Suggested answer: The answer should touch on the following points: i) The role of unions must continue to be the improvement of working conditions for all workers, not only their members. ii) Unions will have to find innovative ways to minimize the effects of technological changes on the job security of their members without trying to stifle such advancements. 10 Test Bank to Accompany McQuarrie/Industrial Relations in Canada, Fourth Edition iii) Unions will have to deal with the effects of globalization. By assisting in the development of labour movements in low-wage countries, they can begin the process of taking wages out of competition. iv) Unions will have to make efforts to organize new areas such as high-tech and service industries since this is where most new jobs are being created. v) Unions must pursue an industrial relations model which leads to a cooperative approach between the parties. The confrontational approach typical of most unionemployer relationships can only survive in a relatively monopolistic environment. 54. What are the unique features of the 14th Century craft guilds? Answer should touch on the following: i) ii) iii) iv) v) vi) vii) viii) Workers involved in a single trade – weaving, woodworking, metal-works, or pottery Craftspeople were self employed The output was concerned with quality rather than quantity craftspeople had great freedom and independence to work on projects of their own choosing The guild provided a form of insurance Provided continuing education to members Quality control was a part of the consideration as the guild controlled who would become an apprentice Marketing was done by the craftspeople 55. Describe some of the horrors and benefits of the Industrial Revolution for workers. Suggested answer: i) Transportation and communication were vastly improved. ii) There was mass migration from the rural areas to the cities. iii) Factories grew in number and size. iv) Production was decentralized; no one single person was responsible for the final product. v) Mechanization was primarily responsible for the product which had little to do with skill of the worker. vi) Control of the workplace was with the owner of the factory. vii) Focus was on increased production and consumption. viii) There was little consideration for workplace safety. ix) There was little concern for job satisfaction. x) The high cost of urban living ensured that more than one family member had to work. xi) Wage rates declined. xii) The use of child labour was commonplace. xiii) If workers were injured or became sick, there were many looking to take their place. xiv) Many of the negative impacts of industrialization lead to unionization. 11