Chapter Ten

Social
Responsibility:
Legal Issues,
Managing Diversity,
& Career Challenges
 Objectives
O Discuss the role of training partnerships in
developing skills and contributing to local
communities
O Discuss the potential legal issues that relate
to training
O Develop a program for effectively managing
diversity
O Design a program for preparing for cross-
cultural assignments

Copyright 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
 Objectives
O Discuss the importance of career paths and
dual career paths for employees and
companies
O Develop policies to help employees achieve
work-life balance
O Describe how companies are helping
veterans develop skills and get employment
O Explain the value of phase retirement
programs for older employees

Copyright 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
 Importance of Social
Responsibility
O Many organizations are concerned with
addressing broader social issues
o protecting the environment
o supporting cultural activities
o helping reduce poverty and
unemployment
o complying with laws
o helping employees grow and develop

Copyright 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
 Sector Partnerships
O Government agencies and industry trade
groups help identify skills that employers
require
O Work with community colleges, universities,
and other institutions to provide qualified
employees
O Typically focus on jobs that require more
than a high school diploma but less than a
four-year degree
Copyright 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
 School-to-Work
Opportunities Act
O Designed to assist states with building
school-to-work systems to prepare students
for high-skill jobs and future education
O Encourages partnerships between
educational institutions, employers, and
labor unions
O Requires that school-to-work systems
include work-based learning, school-based
learning, and connecting mechanisms
Copyright 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
 Workforce Innovation &
Opportunity Act
O Helps job seekers access employment,
education, training, and support services;
matches employers with skilled workers
O Streamlines training, education,
employment programs into a single system
in each community
O Helps those with disabilities, out-of-school
youth, and high school dropouts

Copyright 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
 Joint Union-Management
Programs
O Designed historically to help displaced
employees find jobs
O Help employees learn skills relevant for
their jobs and valuable to other employers
O Both employers and unions finance these
programs and oversee their operation

Copyright 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
 Legal Traps to Avoid
O Failing to provide required training and
providing inadequate training
O Incurring injuries to employees during
training
O Incurring injuries to employees or others
outside of training
O Incurring breach of confidentiality or
defamation
Copyright 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
 Legal Traps to Avoid
O Reproducing and using copyrighted
material without permission
O Excluding women, minorities, and older
employees
O Not ensuring equal treatment during
training
O Requiring attendance at potentially
offensive training
Copyright 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
 Legal Traps to Avoid
O Revealing discriminatory information
during training
O Failing to accommodate those with
disabilities
O Incorrectly reporting training as an
expense, failing to report training
reimbursement as income, and failing to
pay employees for training

Copyright 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
 Managing Diversity
O Learning efforts to change attitudes and
develop skills to work with a diverse
workforce
O Two primary goals:
o eliminate values, stereotypes, and
practices that inhibit development
o allow employees to contribute to
organizational goals regardless of their
background

Copyright 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
 Enhancing Diversity Training
O Greater benefits found when:
o the program is of sufficient length for
trainees to learn (four hours or more)
o managers are used as trainers
o trainees interact face-to-face with the
instructor, content, and other learners
using cases and exercises

Copyright 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
 The Glass Ceiling
O A major issue facing companies is
placing women and minorities in upper-
level management positions
O The glass ceiling refers to a barrier to
advancement that adversely affects
women and minorities
O HR practices such as flexible scheduling,
diversity training, coaching, and
mentoring are needed
Copyright 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
 Cross-Cultural Preparation
O To succeed, expatriates need to be:
o competent in their area of expertise
o able to communicate verbally and
nonverbally
o flexible, tolerant of ambiguity, and
sensitive to cultural differences
o motivated to succeed and learn
o able to enjoy the challenges of a
different culture
o supported by their families

Copyright 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
 Pre-Departure Phase
O Expatriates and their families should
receive training
O Methods may include lectures, e-learning,
experiential exercises, and immersion
experiences
O The rigor needed depends on:
o cultural novelty
o interaction
o job novelty
Copyright 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
 On-Site Phase
O There should be continued orientation
through formal training and mentoring
O Expatriates may be paired with an
employee from the host country
O Expatriates should be encouraged to
develop social relationships both inside
and outside of work

Copyright 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
 Repatriation Phase
O Expatriates should be encouraged to self-
manage the repatriation process
O Expatriates should be brought up to date
on national issues, politics, and news
stories
O Expatriates should keep up-to-date on
current events at their parent company
while abroad

Copyright 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
 Four Career Stages
O Careers typically involve four stages:
o Exploration
o Establishment
o Maintenance
o Decline
O Although individuals can progress
through the stages linearly, many do not
because of boundaryless careers

Copyright 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
 Generational Differences
O Gen Xers place a high emphasis on work-
life balance, opportunities for growth,
and relationships
O Millennials and Gen Xers are more used
to change and job insecurity, more likely
to leave their jobs, and less likely to learn
new skills
O Baby Boomers are loyal to their
organizations

Copyright 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
 Enhancing Work-Life Balance
O Telecommuting refers to a work
arrangement that gives employees
flexibility in work location and hours

O Compressed workweek refers to a

schedule that allows employees to work
fewer days with longer hours

Copyright 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
 Enhancing Work-Life Balance
O Flextime refers to giving employees the
option of choosing when to work during
the workday, workweek, or work year

O Job sharing refers to having two

employees divide the hours,
responsibilities, and benefits of a full-time
job

Copyright 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
 Dual Career Paths
O Management (the traditional path)
o Many companies structure career paths
so individuals advance through the
company by moving into management
O Individual Contributor
o Designed for individuals who wish to
remain in a technical, sales, or support
function (and not move into
management)

Copyright 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
 Effective Dual Career Paths
O Salary, status, and incentives for individual
contributors compare favorably to
managers
O While individual contributor salaries may
be lower, they are given opportunities to
increase total compensation
O Individual contributor path is not used to
satisfy poor performers
O Individual contributors choose their path

Copyright 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
 Career Recycling
O Involves changing ones major work activity
after being established in a specific field

O Accompanied by a re-exploration of values,

skills, interests, and potential employment
opportunities

O Not limited to older employees nearing

retirement

Copyright 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
 Job Hopping
O Presents a challenge for employers
o loss of talent and productivity
o higher costs related to turnover,
recruitment, and retraining
o difficulty fostering long-term relationships

O However, job hoppers bring new information

and may not require job security

Copyright 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
 Job Hopping
O Companies can reduce job hopping by:
o creating conditions for employee
engagement
o providing employees with growth
opportunities
o offering rewards for good performance

Copyright 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
 Military Personnel
O Military personnel often face challenges
when returning to the civilian workforce
O Challenges stem from:
o lack of experiences in the workplace
o incomplete skill sets and credentials
o difficultly working in less structured
situations
o psychological and physical challenges

Copyright 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
 Military Personnel
O Benefits of veterans:
o attention to detail. self-discipline,
problem solving, decision making in
stressful situations, and teamwork
O The Uniformed Services Employment and
Reemployment Act addresses deployed
employees rights, such as guaranteeing
jobs when they return after a leave

Copyright 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
 Job Loss
O Layoffs do not result in improved
profitability, have mixed effects on
productivity, and have adverse effects on
survivors
O Alternative to layoffs:
o working fewer hours
o early retirement plans
o delaying wage increases
o not filling vacancies due to turnover
retirements

Copyright 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
 Helping with Job Loss
O Advance warning and an explanation
O Psychological, financial, and career
counseling
O Assessment of skills and interests
O Resume writing and interviewing skills
training
O Job banks with job leads
O Electronic delivery of job openings, self-
directed career management guides, etc.

Copyright 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
 Older Workers
O What is old?
o The ADEA provides protection for
those 40 and over
o Mandatory retirement ages exist in
certain occupations (e.g., air traffic
controllers = 56, pilots = 65)
o Retirees today can receive full social
security benefits at 65 (or reduced
benefits at 62)
Copyright 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
 Fact & Fiction
O Older employees do not have higher
absenteeism rates, nor are they likely to
put in less effort
O Older employees are as productive as
younger employees, and they have
valuable experience
O However, they do require more training in
technology and prefer hands-on learning

Copyright 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
 Meeting the Needs of Older
Workers
O Provide flexibility in scheduling
O Provide continued training and career
guidance
O Provide health care resources
O Recognize that as older employees
abilities decline, they can rely on
experience and motivation
O Ensure younger employees do not hold
inappropriate stereotypes
Copyright 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
 Pre-Retirement Socialization
O These efforts typically include:
o psychological aspects of retirement
o housing issues
o maintaining a healthy lifestyle
o healthcare plans
o financial and estate planning
o collection of benefits

Copyright 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
 Retirement
O Retirement involves leaving a job and
making the transition to life without work
O Employees tend to be retiring later today

O Changes in social security have led to no

mandatory retirement ages for most jobs,
and financial need had led to individuals
working longer

Copyright 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
 Implications of the Aging
Workforce
O Companies should meet the needs of
older employees
O Companies should take steps to prepare
employees for retirement
O Companies should be careful that early
retirement programs do not unfairly
discriminate against older employees

Copyright 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
 Early Retirement Programs
O Early retirement programs offer employees
financial benefits to leave the company
O To avoid litigation, ensure:
o the program is part of the employee
benefit plan
o the company can justify age-related
distinctions for eligibility for early
retirement
o employees are allowed to choose
voluntarily
Copyright 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.