Malcolm Baldrige National The Baldridge Award is given by the President of the United

Quality Award States to businesses—manufacturing and service, small and

large—and to education and health care organizations that
apply and are judged to be outstanding in seven areas:
leadership; strategic planning; customer and market focus;
measurement, analysis and knowledge management; human
resource focus; process management; and results.

Management by Objective A performance appraisal strategy in which subordinates

(MBO) determine and set goals for themselves based on the overall
goals and objectives for the organization.

Management consultant An individual who works independently to assist and advise

clients with managerial responsibilities regarding various
organizational issues.

Management development Training and developmental programs designed to provide

new managers and existing managers with the resources
needed to become more effective in their roles.

Mandatory Retirement Age Law A statute which prohibits (with the exception of exempted
of 1978 employees and positions) employers from having policies or
practices that call for mandatory retirement of employees
under the age of 70.

Manpower planning The process of assessing an employer’s current workforce

content and composition in order to anticipate future staffing
requirements needed to meet business goals and
requirements.

Material safety data sheet Required by OSHA, an MSDS is a detailed description of each
(MSDS) hazardous chemical located in the workplace, which includes
information regarding potential health risks, symptoms and
treatment measures to be taken if exposure occurs.

Matrix organization An organizational structure where employees report to more

than one manager or supervisor.

Mean wage The average wage for a worker in a specified position or

occupation, which is determined by adding together the total
wages for all incumbents in a specific position or occupation
and then dividing it by the total number of incumbents.

Median The middle value in a series of values arranged in rank order.

Median wage The margin between the highest paid 50 percent and the
 lowest paid 50 percent of workers in a specific position or
occupation.

Mediation A private negotiation and decision-making process in which a

mediator assists individuals or groups in finding a resolution
to a particular issue or conflict.

Medical savings account (MSA) A savings account funded by employees through pre-tax
contributions; can be used to pay for copayments,
deductibles or medical expenses not covered by a health
insurance benefit plan.

Medical examinations/testing A medical evaluation conducted on a post-offer basis by a

company physician or an independent physician to ascertain
whether or not a candidate is able to perform the physical
requirements of a particular job.

Medical savings accounts (MSA) Savings accounts designated for out-of-pocket medical
expenses. In an MSA, employers and individuals are allowed
to contribute to a savings account on a pre-tax basis and
carry over the unused funds at the end of the year. One
major difference between a Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
and a Medical Savings Account is the ability under an MSA to
carry over the unused funds for use in a future year, instead
of losing unused funds at the end of the year. Most MSAs
allow unused balances and earnings to accumulate. Unlike
FSAs, most MSAs are combined with a high-deductible or
catastrophic health insurance plan.

Medicare A health insurance program administered by the Social

Security Administration which is broken into two distinct
categories: 1) Medicare Part A helps with hospital costs; and
2) Medicare Part B requires a monthly fee and is used to pay
medical costs for people 65 years of age and older, some
disabled people under 65 years of age and people with end-
stage renal disease (permanent kidney failure treated with
dialysis or a transplant).

Mental Health Parity Act Prohibits group health plans and insurance companies that
(MHPA) of 1996 offer mental health benefits from setting annual or lifetime
limits on mental health benefits that are lower than those
limits set for any other condition.

Mentoring A career development method whereby less experienced

employees are matched with more experienced colleagues for
guidance either through formal or informal programs.

Merger The joining of two or more different organizations under one

 common owner and management structure.

Metrics A measure used to determine the effectiveness and value of

implemented HR programs in increasing performance and
profits.

Merit pay A compensation system whereby base pay increases are

determined by individual performance.

Minimum qualifications The attributes of a job description which establishes a

baseline for meeting the qualifications for a particular
position.

Minimum wage The smallest hourly wage that an employee may be paid for
all hours worked, as mandated by federal or state law.

Minorities Men and women of those minority groups for whom EEO-1
reporting is required; that is, black, Hispanic, Asian or Pacific
Islander, American Indian or Alaskan Native. The term may
refer to these groups in the aggregate or to an individual
group.

Minority business enterprise
A small business enterprise that is at least 51 percent owned
by one or more minorities or, in the case of a publicly owned
business, at least 51 percent of all classes or types of the
stock is owned by one or more minorities and whose
management and daily business operations are controlled by
one or more minorities.

Mission statement A statement illustrating what the company is, what the
company does and where the company is headed.

Moonlighting Working one or more full- or part-time jobs in addition to an

individual’s regular full-time job.

Motivation Motivation is generally defined as the psychological forces

that determine the direction of a persons level of effort, as
well as a persons persistence in the face of obstacles. The
direction of a persons behavior refers to the many possible
actions that a person could engage in, while persistence
refers to whether, when faced with roadblocks and obstacles,
an individual keeps trying or gives up.

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator A psychological test used to assess an individual’s personality

type.