Reference no: EM132205222

Technology and other trends in the labor force have begun to reshape the employment relationship. The new psychological contract between employers and employees require employees to take more responsibility for their own career from training to balancing work and family commitments. Job-hopping has become an intentional practice appealing to employees seeking new experiences or increased responsibilities and better pay. As these new work arrangements take shape, employees may have less job security in exchange for more flexible work arrangements and variety in work assignments. Conversely, employers are quickly able to reshape and resize their workforce to meet changing competitive needs.

Read the case and answer the questions that follow.

As Brian began his senior year in college, he is faced with many decisions prior to graduation about how best to start his career in business. Brian’s father and mother have both had more traditional careers in industry. His father has worked in production with a Fortune 500 manufacturer for over 25 years. Most recently his dad’s schedule was changed to 12 hour days where he works 3-4 days in row and then will have the next several days off.

Brian’s mother works in a state government position processing worker’s compensation claims and belongs to a union. Her position is very routine but she has built up a good pension within the state’s retirement system. Conversely Brian’s uncle is a project manager who works for a variety of companies over the course of a year. He manages people and projects that have specific deadlines. He seems to be starting with a new organization every month or so, but has great flexibility in the assignments he chooses to accept.

Brian has friends who work part-time jobs, sometimes through temporary agencies or sporadically when they are needed by their employer despite preferring full-time work. Brian’s friend Nick is a video editor. He finds paying jobs through on-line websites or apps, whereas another friend joined an online delivery service allowing them to choose when and where they want to work.

Brian’s peers that graduated from college last year took professional positions with large corporations. A few are able to telecommute, working from home, while others work varied hours dealing with global customers virtually across time zones. Even some of those recent graduates have already changed employers looking for new opportunities to work with cutting edge technology, to move to a new city, or to increase their wages.

With the variety of employment relationships today, Brian is unsure what would be the best formula for his long-term success. He hopes for a flexible work schedule with opportunities for training and growth, but overall he is anxious to make a commitment to his first career-oriented position.

1. Brian's interest in making a commitment to...

Brian’s interest in making a commitment to his first career-oriented position in exchange for a flexible work environment and opportunities for training and growth is a

a. psychological contract.

b. alternative work arrangement.

c. knowledge worker.

d. agile work environment.

e. contract employment.

2. Brian's friends who choose when and where...

Brian’s friends who choose when and where they want to work are most likely

a. independent contractors.

b. union employees.

c. temporary employees.

d. employees with a protean career.

e. on-call workers.

c. Similar to Brian's friends who work for temporary...

3. Similar to Brian’s friends who work for temporary agencies, or sporadically when they are needed by their employer, _____ employees generally would prefer more traditional full-time employment.

a. on-call

b. contract

c. union

d. protean

e. independent contractor

d. Brian's friend Nick who uses online apps...

4. Brian’s friend Nick who uses online apps to find jobs in video editing is using an emerging employment relationship called the

a. gig economy.

b. protean career.

c. unionization.

d. contract workers.

e. on-call workers.

5. Brian's uncle who is a project manager that works...

Brian’s uncle who is a project manager that works for a variety of companies and manages people and projects that have specific deadlines could best be described as a(n) _____ worker.

a. contract

b. temporary

c. on-call

d. union

e. traditional

6. Brian's friends, who intentionally left their first...

Brian’s friends, who intentionally left their first employer upon graduation looking for new opportunities to work with cutting- edge technology, move to a new city, or increase their wages are engaging in

a. job hopping.

b. breaking the psychological contract.

c. on-call employee behaviors.

d. independent contracts.

e. improving their job security.

7. Examples such as Brian's dad working 12 hour shifts...

Examples such as Brian’s dad working 12 hour shifts and his friends telecommuting or working varied hours dealing with global customers virtually across time zones, are examples of

a. flexible work schedules.

b. psychological contracts.

c. on-call employees.

d. employability skills.

e. increased job security.

8. Alternative work arrangements, or contingent workers, benefit...

Alternative work arrangements, or contingent workers, benefit employers by allowing them to only pay for the completion of specific tasks, thereby controlling costs. In contrast, issues for workers and employers in alternative work arrangements include all of the following EXCEPT

a. more employees are joining unions.

b. employees constantly need to learn new contacts and company policies.

c. some may be substandard jobs featuring low pay and poor benefits.

d. employers must be careful to meet the legal definition of contractors versus employees.

e. it is difficult to know if employees are in safe working conditions.