KEY TERMS – CHAPTER 12

high-performance work                   Work practices that lead to both high individual and

practices                                             and high organizational performance.

human resource management          Activities necessary for staffing the organization

process                                                and sustaining high employee performance.

labor union                                        An organization that represents workers and seeks to protect their interests through collective bargaining.

affirmative action                              Programs that enhance the organizational status of

                                                            members of protected groups.

human resource planning                 Ensuring that the organization has the right number and kinds of capable people in the right places and at the right times.

job analysis                                        An assessment that defines jobs and the behaviors necessary to perform them.

job description                                   A written statement that describes a job.

job specification                                 A statement of the minimum qualifications that a person must possess to perform a given job successfully.

recruitment                                        Locating, identifying, and attracting capable applicants.

decruitment                                        Reducing an organization’s workforce.

selection                                              Screening job applicants to ensure that the most appropriate candidates are hired.

validity                                                The proven relationship that exists between a selection device and some relevant job criterion.

reliability                                            The ability of a selection device to measure the same thing consistently.

work sampling                                   A type of job tryout in which applicants perform a task or set of tasks that are central to it.

assessment centers                             Evaluating managerial potential through job simulation activities.

realistic job preview (RJP)               A preview of a job that provides both positive and negative information about the job and the company.

orientation                                          Introducing a new employee to his or her job and the organization.

performance management system   Establishes performance standards that are used to evaluate employee performance.

written essay                                      Appraising performance through a written description.

critical incidents                                 Appraising performance by focusing on the critical job behaviors.

graphic rating scales                         Appraising performance using a rating scale on a set of performance factors.

behaviorally anchored rating           Appraising performance using a rating scale on

scales (BARS)                                    examples of actual job behavior.

multiperson comparisons                  Appraising performance by comparing it with others’ performance.

360 degree feedback                         Appraising performance by using feedback from supervisors, employees and co-workers.

skill-based pay                                   A pay system that rewards employees for the job skills they can demonstrate.

variable pay                                       A pay system in which an individual’s compensation is contingent on performance.

career                                                 A sequence of positions held by a person during his or her lifetime.

downsizing                                         The planned elimination of jobs in an organization.

sexual harassment                             Any unwanted action or activity of a sexual nature that explicitly or implicitly affects an individual’s employment, performance, or work environment.

family-friendly benefits                    Benefits which accommodate employees’ needs for work-life balance.