Ch10 Changing Work Environments And Future Exam Questions

Chapter 10: Changing Work Environments and Future Trends

= Correct answer

Multiple Choice/Fill in the Blank

1. Which of the following is not an alternative to the traditional office work model? (Select all that apply.)

A. job sharing

B. remote working

C. offshoring

D. precarious proletariat

Difficulty: Easy

Blooms: Remember

AACSB: Application

1. Some companies, like Facebook, have opted for ________ in lieu of traditional office spaces.

A. cubicles

B. workplace campuses

C. telecommuting exclusively

D. minimalist offices

Difficulty: Easy

Blooms: Understand

AACSB: Real-world

1. Which of the following are benefits of job sharing? (Select all that apply.)

A. Work can suffer because of limited time.

B. Work can be passed off at intervals.

C. Job sharers can collaborate well.

D. The practice works in all fields.

Difficulty: Moderate

Blooms: Apply

AACSB: Interpersonal

1. Which of the following is an aspect of employment that contingency workers (i.e., temporary, gig) receive?

A. Employment taxes are paid by the employer.

B. Benefits are received from the company employer.

C. Employment taxes are not paid by the employer.

D. Benefits may be received from a placement/staffing agency.

Difficulty: Moderate

Blooms: Analyze

AACSB: Analytical

1. ________ is the practice of offering flexible hours.

A. Job sharing

B. Gig economy

C. Access economy

D. Flex time

Difficulty: Easy

Blooms: Remember

AACSB: Real-world

1. Which type(s) of workers are more likely to take advantage of flexible work policies? (Select all that apply.)

A. accountants outside of tax season

B. persons operating heavy equipment

C. workers with family duties

D. managers with supervisory skills

Difficulty: Easy

Blooms: Remember

AACSB: Reflection

1. Which of the following is the best example of a bias against work start-time flexibility, or flextime?

A. Managers view late starters as more motivated.

B. Managers must supervise those who work 9 am to 5 pm more.

C. Managers view early starters as more motivated.

D. Managers view flextime employees as more independent.

Difficulty: Moderate

Blooms: Apply

AACSB: Real-world

1. Online platform economies have resulted in which fundamental change for consumers?

A. The Internet has facilitated new business models.

B. Consumers can supplement their income.

C. Peer-to-peer models have launched.

D. The marketplace is more centralized.

Difficulty: Difficult

Blooms: Apply

AACSB: Application

1. What was the outcome of the Microsoft temporary-worker lawsuit?

A. Fringe benefits for gig workers were eliminated.

B. Plaintiffs were paid the value of stock options they would have received if employed.

C. Temporary workers were employed.

D. Internal Revenue Service penalties were avoided.

Difficulty: Easy

Blooms: Understand

AACSB: Real-world

1. ________ was a founder of the workplace town.

A. Microsoft

B. Steve Jobs

C. Bell Labs

D. Henry Ford

Difficulty: Easy

Blooms: Remember

AACSB: Real-world

1. How is a company town similar to a corporate campus?

A. It can pay workers less.

B. Work is in the same place as housing.

C. All employees must live there.

D. All employees must work there.

Difficulty: Moderate

Blooms: Analyze

AACSB: Application

1. How does Acuity’s workplace campus contribute to the community? (Select all that apply.)

A. They offer flexible workdays.

B. They provide leadership training.

C. There is a working Ferris wheel.

D. The facility is available for events.

Difficulty: Moderate

Blooms: Remember

AACSB: Application, Real-world

1. What percentage of employees report having high amounts of stress?

A. 5%

B. 10%

C. 25%

D. 50%

Difficulty: Easy

Blooms: Remember

AACSB: Application

1. Which are alternatives to traditional paths to work? (Select all that apply.)

A. job sharing

B. flexible schedules

C. unionization

D. dress-down Friday

Difficulty: Moderate

Blooms: Apply

AACSB: Application

1. The term ________ emerged in the 1970s and describes a practice of reducing commuting time to instead work in a specific location, such an alternate office or an employee’s home.

A. telework

B. telecommuting

C. telecommunications

D. contract work

Difficulty: Easy

Blooms: Remember

AACSB: Real-world

1. Which of the following is not an example of a communal working-space company?

A. WeWork

B. Alphabet

C. Workbar

D. General Assembly

Difficulty: Easy

Blooms: Remember

AACSB: Real-world

1. Which of the following describes why some companies, like Yahoo, Aetna, and Best Buy, decided to retract some remote-working policies?

A. Employee access was limited by technological limitations and glitches.

B. Some companies thought on-site employees could be more productive.

C. Employees work better in structured environments with supervision.

D. Employees were distracted and not getting their work done on time.

Difficulty: Moderate

Blooms: Remember

AACSB: Application

1. What corporate culture challenge exists when employees are allowed to work remotely?

A. Employees can collaborate using an online system.

B. Change boosts communication between employees.

C. Employees may slack off if not supervised.

D. Productivity increases with employee autonomy.

Difficulty: Moderate

Blooms: Understand

AACSB: Application

1. What is one way telecommuting can be accomplished?

A. having conference calls via Skype

B. providing an on-site technology team

C. meeting at a corporate campus room

D. requiring on-site desks and offices

Difficulty: Easy

Blooms: Understand

AACSB: Real-world

1. ________ is not an outcome of successful telecommuting programs.

A. Facilitating cost savings and less traffic

B. Productivity through online collaboration

C. Enabling work for the ability challenged

D. Virtual reality tools such as Mixed Reality

Difficulty: Moderate

Blooms: Apply

AACSB: Application

1. What are ways companies can enable success with telecommuting? (Select all that apply.)

A. Empower employees by including them in corporate culture.

B. Provide employees with the right remote technology.

C. Place workers without assistance in a new situation.

D. View remote employees as out of sight, out of mind.

Difficulty: Moderate

Blooms: Apply

AACSB: Real-world

1. What are challenges to corporate mega campus growth? (Select all that apply.)

A. zoning permits

B. municipal support

C. employee interest

D. community interest

Difficulty: Easy

Blooms: Remember

AACSB: Application

1. Which branch of computer science uses computers to replicate human behavior with machines?

A. algorithms

B. advanced technology

C. artificial intelligence

D. Accenture

Difficulty: Moderate

Blooms: Remember

AACSB: Application

1. What percentage of workplace activities could be automated with artificial intelligence?

A. 25%

B. 30%

C. 40%

D. 50%

Difficulty: Easy

Blooms: Remember

AACSB: Real-world

1. What is the most significant employee relations issue to be considered when expanding the use of artificial intelligence?

A. retraining of workers

B. cost of technology

C. employee access

D. code of conduct

Difficulty: Difficult

Blooms: Apply

AACSB: Ethics

1. What is a positive workplace safety outcome from the use of robots?

A. Advanced technology allows machines to sense and learn.

B. Employees can be protected from dangerous work.

C. It unlocks more creative jobs and business growth.

D. There is a significant increase in corporate profitability.

Difficulty: Moderate

Blooms: Analyze

AACSB: Application

True/False

1. True or false? Companies should have written policies for telecommuting employees that specify communications expectations.

Difficulty: Easy

Blooms: Understand

AACSB: Application

1. True or false? Collaborative business models have reinvigorated traditional employment.

Difficulty: Moderate

Blooms: Evaluate

AACSB: Real-world

1. True or false? Most companies would prefer to have all workers on-site in campus-like facilities.

Difficulty: Moderate

Blooms: Apply

AACSB: Application

1. True or false? State-of-the-art workplaces are utilitarian environments that minimize distractions and ensure employees get the maximum amount of work completed each day.

Difficulty: Moderate

Blooms: Apply

AACSB: Application

1. True or false? There is a prevailing view that all employers offering more perks do so because they expect more from employees.

Difficulty: Difficult

Blooms: Evaluate

AACSB: Real-world

1. True or false? Stressed workers are less productive in the workplace.

Difficulty: Easy

Blooms: Understand

AACSB: Real-world

1. True or false? Millennials do not believe integrating leisure and work fosters a work-life balance.

Difficulty: Moderate

Blooms: Understand

AACSB: Interpersonal

1. True or false? Flextime is a practical way to job share.

Difficulty: Moderate

Blooms: Analyze

AACSB: Application

1. True or false? Automation advancements are likely to result in reduction in the workforce and higher unemployment.

Difficulty: Easy

Blooms: Understand

AACSB: Application

Short Answer

1. Why do some employees prefer telecommuting?

Difficulty: Moderate

Blooms: Apply

AACSB: Real-world

1. What are benefits and detractors of workplace campuses? Provide some examples.

Difficulty: Moderate

Blooms: Analyze

AACSB: Application, Real-world

1. How has Japan’s economy advanced from the use of robots?

Difficulty: Easy

Blooms: Remember

AACSB: Real-world

1. What is the future of freelancing? Provide examples.

Difficulty: Moderate

Blooms: Evaluate

AACSB: Application

1. What are the legal risks of companies that use contract employees? Provide an example.

Difficulty: Difficult

Blooms: Evaluate

AACSB: Real-world

1. Should telecommuting be more or less widespread?

Difficulty: Difficult

Blooms: Analyze

AACSB: Analytical

1. How and why would a company institute a job-sharing plan?

Difficulty: Moderate

Blooms: Apply

AACSB: Application

1. What are the benefits to a company (and not employees) of the sharing economy? Provide examples and analyze the ethical issues for such a business.

Difficulty: Difficult

Blooms: Analyze

AACSB: Application, Real-world

1. Is it ethical to expect an employee to live close to work?

Difficulty: Difficult

Blooms: Analytical

AACSB: Real-world

1. What are the ethical issues of having increased automation in the workplace?

Difficulty: Moderate

Blooms: Apply

AACSB: Application

1. Is the gig economy replacing the traditional working environment?

Difficulty: Moderate

Blooms: Apply

AACSB: Application

1. Does the access economy need more regulation, and what are the ethical implications of such? Provide at least two examples.

Difficulty: Difficult

Blooms: Evaluate

AACSB: Real-world

1. Explain how the Oasis Collections case is an example of the crossover of the traditional and access economies. How did that company face challenges in growth? Is the updated business model is true to its entrepreneurial spirit?

Difficulty: Moderate

Blooms: Apply

AACSB: Real-world

1. What is the European public policy view about automation?

Difficulty: Easy

Blooms: Apply

AACSB: Application

1. What is the JOBS Act and how has it helped the new economy? Provide an example.

Difficulty: Easy

Blooms: Remember

AACSB: Apply

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