HRM2602_EXAM_PAPERS_QUESTIONS & SOLUTIONS.

HRM2602_EXAM_PAPERS_QUESTIONS & SOLUTIONS. HRM2602 - Human Resource Maintenance And Retention. Which one of the following statements about leadership vs management is NOT true? 1. Leadership involves planning and budgeting whereas management involves creating a vision and strategy 2. Leadership focuses on inspiring and motivating followers whereas management focuses on producing and selling goods and services. 3. Leadership involves creating change whereas management involves maintaining stability 4. Leadership involves acting as a coach or facilitator whereas management involves acting as a boss. SECTION B Question 1 1.1 Your friend, Jane, visited you as usual. However, you notice that she looks troubled and worried. You insist that she opens up and share her worry with you. She tells you that her performance appraisal will take place on the following day, and that she hates this appraisal activity. Jane says she does not understand why her organisation always wastes time on this activity, because she does not see what benefits this performance appraisal brings to either her or the organisation. She also adds that, in some cases, employees do not receive feedback after this activity. It appears that this activity is only carried out as a matter of formality. Explain the purpose and objectives of the performance and appraisal to help Jane to understand the importance of the performance appraisal activity. Purposes & objectives of performance appraisal - Looking at past performance (performance review) - Training & development of current employees (performance evaluation) - They offer evidence for pay increases or terminal (performance appraisal) - To motivate employees (employee evaluation feedback) - Merit evaluation (bonus, recognition) - Staffing decisions 1.2.1 Jimmy is a training consultant for an HR outsourcing company. An accounting firm approached him to deliver leadership and management training for their board of directors to improve their leadership and management skills. Jason decides to use “away-from-the-job” training, because he feels that these directors’ jobs are very stressful and training would be more successful away from their working environment as it will enable them to focus only on the training. Briefly discuss the 5 appropriate methods that Jimmy can use for this training session. 1) Conference (discussion) – many training & development programs focus on organisational problems, innovative ideas & new theories and principles. Discussing problems & critical issues in a conference (discussion) format permits a dialogue between the practitioner & the trainees or TD. 2) Role playing – a TD method in which participants are required to respond to specific problems they may actually encounter in their jobs. 3) Management games – exercises designed to replicate conditions faced by real organisations & which usually involve competing teams that both make decisions concerning planning, production, finance & control of a hypothetical organisation (simulation exercises) 4) Assessment center – a technique that requires managers to participate in activities designed to identify their job-related strengths & weaknesses. 5) Membership of professional organisations – helps develop employees in various ways. During monthly meetings and at conventions members network with their colleagues, exchange ideas and discuss common problems. Question 2 2.1 Linda and Tommy have been married for 6 years and have 3 children. They both are medical doctors and work long hours at Umlazi Hospital in a rural town. They are currently facing potential conflicts over their career paths and the division of family responsibilities. As the HR practitioner you advise couples with their dual-career problems. Explain to management the characteristics of effective programs to assist dual-career couples on how to overcome their career-related challenges. 1) Dual-career audit – an audit performed through a company survey, should be the starting point for a company to recognise the extent of the problem. Areas the audit should address include the number of dual-career employees, the problems they face, how effective they perceive present company policies & opportunities to be and how competent they think they are to manage their careers. 2) Special recruiting techniques – by giving a potential employee & his/her spouse a realistic view of the company’s workload, travel & career opportunities, employers may be able to avoid a potentially poor job match. Some companies offer couple counseling immediately after being hired to help identify potential problems & conflicts. 3) Revision of transfer policies – in many companies, advancement inevitably means a geographical move. But in many cases, relocation results in a crisis for the dual-career couple. Employers are now finding ways to enhance their employees; careers without permanent geographical assignments (for 2/3 months) & more effective use of local T&D activities. 4)Examination of nepotism policies – many employers are revising their policies to allow both spouses to work for the company, as long as an employee does not supervise a relative or participate in decisions concerning the relative’s salary, performance or advancement. 5) Assistance for dual-career couples – many employers are helping couples to learn how to manage their careers. Workshops & seminars enable participants to assess their opportunities, obstacles, potential conflicts & developmental needs. 2.2 Employee assistance programmes (EAP’s) have had a broader and more comprehensive approach to helping employees identify and solve their personal problems, regardless of the cause. EAP professionals tend to agree on what components are essential for a successful programme. Briefly discuss the 5 essential components of effective EAP’s. - Awareness of the programme – all employees should be properly informed about the assistance offered by the organisation & what it includes. - Confidentiality – employees must believe that all information pertaining to their problems will be kept confidential by the counselor - Normal disciplinary problems – no employee should receive lenient or harsh treatment due to participation -Voluntary participation – employee must seek help voluntary for any change of success -Job security – no employee’s job will be affected by disciplinary or other actions due to their participation in the programme - Insurance coverage – both in-patient & out-patient treatment must be covered by insurance - Management support – management must provide written assurance that the company is committed to the process & they should support employees to make use of the programmes & if needed receive training on this. - Accessibility – employees must know how & for what types of problems they can seek & receive assistance. - Follow up – some problems will take years to correct, though most can be rectified in a number of months. Periodic follow up, whether by in-house counselors or outside agencies, is critical to a high recovery rate. - Separate location – the programme should be located away from the workplace to help ensure privacy Question 3 3.1 Brandon is an owner of a small printing business. He employs 15 people in different capacities. Brandon feels that the company has always paid good salaries and the staff members have nothing to complain about. His line manager, Peter, informs him that he intends to resign as he feels that the compensation system is not addressing his needs. You are Brandon’s friend and you work as an HR manager for a large company. a) Define the concept compensation. Compensation – Extrinsic rewards such as salary & benefits, also intrinsic rewards such as achieving personal goals, autonomy & more challenging positions. b) Explain to Brandon the objectives of any compensation systems and how he could achieve them. - Attract good/talented employees – wage/salary surveys to determine and benchmark against the “going-rate” in the market - Retain good/talented employees – a job evaluation system should be used that is seen as equitable by the employees - Motivate employees – reward good performance, offer incentives - Comply with legal requirements – documenting HR records. Legislative requirements such as employment legislation 3.2 Diversity awareness training seeks to motivate employees to recognise the worth and dignity of everyone in the workplace and treat them with respect. In light of the above statement, identify and briefly discuss five exercises that management may use in diversity training. - Values classification – a checklist of values – like punctuality, honesty, acceptance & financial success is prioritised by all individuals in terms of their own preference & how they believe the organisation ranks the values. The group then discusses the differences & similarities in the priorities. - Perceptual differences – the participants are asked to give a precise percentage definitions of items such as always, frequently & almost always. The exercise uncovers the imprecise communication that may exist in the workplace - Problem-solving case studies – the participants are given a partial description of a job applicant & are told to come up with a complete profile. Depending on the limited facts given, the profile may uncover any number of biases when the group completes the picture - Exploring cultural assumptions – the participants can openly explore assumptions that one group may make about another - Personalising the experience – the awareness trainer may try to make everyone aware of their uniqueness & of the possibility that they can be different. Oct/Nov 2013 Section A 1. In the performance appraisal, the _______ method is used to rate the performance of line managers on the basis of each employee’s achievement of goals that have been set by mutual agreement between the line manager and management. 1. Behaviourally anchored rating scales 2. Critical incident methods 3. Management by objectives 4. Graphic rating scale 2. Which of the following refers to the performance appraisal process? a) relies on a once a year formal review b) is a continuous process c) concerns all members of the organisation d) concerned with individual performance e) provides a basis for performance-related pay decisions 1. a, b and e 2. b, c and e 3. a, c and d 4. a, d and e 3. During the end of year performance appraisal process, your manager, Mrs. Tough, rates employees in your department as low performers even though some employees are performing better than others. Which rating error does Mrs. Tough make when she rates the employees in your department? 1. Halo effect 2. Rate bias 3. Strictness 4. Leniency 4. The performance appraisal interview generally comprise the following steps Please refer to the options below and choose the option that best reflects the correct missing words in the steps above. 1. (a) State the purpose of the interview, (b) Invite participation 2. (a) Introduce parties to the interview, (b) Invite suggestions and comments 3. (a) State the purpose of the interview, (b) Discuss corrective steps 4. (a) Discuss method used for appraisal, (b) Invite participation 5. Mr. Delight, the supervisor, discusses with Mary her performance challenges during the performance appraisal interview and gives her guidance to take corrective action. Mary then decides on her own to work on a performance plan. To which type of appraisal interview does his interviewing technique refer? 1. The tell and sell approach 2. The problem-solving approach 3. The tell and listen approach 4. The listen and sell approach 6. The primary elements in implementing a career management programme include the following: 1. Job vacancies, appraisal data, T&D experience, career evaluation and career ladder 2. Job vacancies, appraisal data, T&D experience, career stages and career ladder 3. Job vacancies, career stages, T&D experience, career evaluation and career ladder 4. Job vacancies, appraisal data, T&D experience, career evaluation and career stages 7. Carol is experiencing some anxiety and uncertainty over her performance potential and competency at work. She also requires a supportive and caring supervisor to assist her in becoming a more productive employee. Which career stage best characterise her current phase? 1. Establishment stage 2. Advancement stage 3. Withdrawal stage 4. Maintenance stage 8. Anne is informed by management that she has been promoted to a line manager position in their branch in Cape Town. She is so excited and goes home to inform her husband about the good news. Her excitement is turned into disappointment as her husband is not prepared to relocate to Cape Town. This dual-career couple’s problem is called. 1. Family vs. work 2. Possibility of a no-career couple 3. Conflicting alternatives 4. Lack of experience with conflict resolutions 9. The development of the production division of Jiggers Motor manufacturers resulted in opening a new warehouse. The compliance of the safety measures within this new warehouse is of utmost importance. Therefore, the Health & Safety committee has developed a training course to suit the Jiggers manufacturing environment. Which of the following training courses will suit the Jigger manufacturing environment? 1. Employee education 2. Management development 3. Specific training 4. General training 10. You are the training and development officer of a provincial branch of a retail clothing store. Select the correct order in which you will apply the phases of the systems approach to T&D. a) needs assessment b) training delivery c) training design d) evaluation Choose the correct option 1. a, b, c and d 2. a, b, d and c 3. a, c, b and d 4. a, c, d and b 11. Which of the following T&D methods will teach a new clerical employee how to run various office machines? 1. Job instruction 2. Job enlargement 3. Job enrichment 4. Job rotation 12. Which of the following legislations facilitate access to training and career paths, and also accelerates the redress of past unfair discrimination in education, training and employment opportunities? 1. Skills Development Levies Act 37 of 2008 2. National Qualifications Framework Act 67 of 2008 3. Employment Equity Act 55 of 1998 4. Skills Development Act 97 of 1998 13. Brandon is the owner of a small business in Pretoria which has been operating for 6 years. Shona, the team leader, informed him that some of the staff members are threatening to go on strike if they are not awarded a sufficient salary increase this year. A few of the workers also threatened to resign or go on a slow if he does not give in to their demands. Which of the following compensation objectives would assist Brandon to deal with this situation? 1. Motivate employees and legislation considerations 2. Legislation considerations and retain talented employees 3. Legislation considerations and attract talented employees 4. Motivate employees and retain talented employees 14. Beet Electronics adopted a performance-based compensation system. The job evaluation indicated that 40 chips is a typical output over an eight-hour day. Management agrees to pay Peter R5 per chip he produces. Peter produced the expected output of 40 chips and the total compensation for the day was R200. Which of the following performance-based system is used by Beet Electronics? 1. Piece-rate system 2. Standard hour plan 3. Commissions 4. Skill-based pay 15. The ______ is one of the most popular job evaluation methods which is relatively inexpensive, easy to explain and is fast to complete. 1. Job classification method 2. Point method 3. Factor comparison method 4. Job ranking method 16. Which of the following benefits should Brandon provide to his employees to ensure that he complies with the requirements of labour legislation a) retirement benefits b) unemployment insurance c) medical and life insurance benefits d) compensation for injuries and disease Choose the correct option 1. a and d 2. b and d 3. b and c 4. c and d Question 17 and 18 are based on the following scenario: Levin Brothers employs approximately 300 staff members on their shop floor. The management of Levin Brothers has recently developed a health and safety policy for their factory environment and thus requires to employ health and safety representatives. 17. How many representatives will they require for the 300 staff members? 1. Three 2. One 3. Two 4. Four 18. Once a month, management and the health and safety representatives will hold a health and safety meeting. One of the objectives of this meeting is to remind representatives of their duties. Which one of the following options is NOT a duty of a health and safety representative? 1. Participate in consultation with inspectors at the workplace and accompany them on inspections 2. Review the effectiveness of health and safety measures 3. Provide safe systems of work, plant and machinery 4. Identify potential hazards and potential major incidents at the workplace 19. Harry is a newly appointed manager of the marketing division in his organisation. Ever since his promotion, he barely has time to have lunch, let alone casually chat to his staff. His wife notices that he is often excessively irritable, complains of headaches and appears depressed. Harry’s condition is related to __________. 1. Distress 2. Burnout 3. Stress 4. Eustress 20. Which of the following is NOT a component of a successful employee assistance programme (EAP)? 1. Confidentiality 2. Normal disciplinary procedures 3. Paid time-off 4. Insurance coverage 21. Brandon realizes the importance of managing diversity in his company. The following options are reasons why Brandon will see the need to embark upon a diversity management process, except ______. 1. Attracting and retaining the best talent 2. Promoting greater activity 3. Utilising all people to the minimum 4. Developing advanced creativity and problem-solving 22. Which of the following legislation promotes the right to use the language and to participate in the cultural life of one’s choice when dealing with diversity management in the workplace? 1. Labour Relations Act 2. The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa 3. The Basic Conditions of Employment Act 4. The Employment Equity Act 23. Following a grievance case in which an aggrieved employee felt discriminated against because of his/her disability, the diversity management team decided to send all staff members on diversity management awareness training. Which one of the following diversity awareness training was used for the group to openly examine statements that one group may make about another? 1. Perceptual differences 2. Values clarification 3. Personalising experiences 4. Exploring cultural assumptions 24. Linda is a single parent who is finding it difficult to balance her work and family life, that is attending to her 2 adolescent children. Therefore, she arranges a meeting with her direct line manager, Ben, to discuss the possibility of a flexi-time work arrangement. Ben agrees to this arrangement on condition that Linda agrees to his sexual advances. What type of harassment is described in the above scenario? 1. Quid pro quo harassment 2. Hostile environment harassment 3. Can’t take it any more harassment 4. Quid pro harassment 25. _______ is a company’s or unit’s expertise or skill in key areas that directly drive superior performance. 1. Competency 2. Core competency 3. Basic competency 4. Abstract competency 26. Employers use competency-based rewards to _______ a) motivate people and encourage better performance b) increase workforce flexibility c) increase competition and access job progression d) change people’s behaviour and access job progression 1. a, c and d 2. b, c and d 3. a, b and d 4. a, b and c Question 27 and 28 are based on the following scenario: Sonke Publishers is a growing company with a staff component of 600 employees. Management is considering cutting costs in expensive office and improving work/life balance. Following consultation with a group of editors (mostly young mothers), management decides to implement a home office work arrangement. 27. Which of the following virtual work arrangement is the most suitable for Sonke Publishers? 1. Frontline 2. Telecommuting 3. Cyberlink 4. Technology 28. Which of the following skills are included in the profile needed to succeed within the above virtual work arrangement? a) organisational skills b) supervisory skills c) decision-making skills d) motivation skills 1. a, c and d 2. b, c and d 3. a, b and d 4. a, b and c 29. Bobby is the line manager of a South African car manufacturing company. He supervises 10 employees. He coaches, advises, supports and listens actively to people. Bobby’s leadership style is called __________. 1. Flexible 2. Charisma 3. Individual consideration 4. Respectful of others 30. Which one of the following statements about leadership vs management is NOT true? 1. Management involves planning and budgeting whereas leadership involves creating a vision and strategy 2. Leadership focuses on inspiring and motivating followers whereas management focuses on producing and selling goods and services 3. Leadership involves creating change whereas management involves maintaining stability 4. Management involves acting as a coach or facilitator whereas leadership involves acting as a boss Section B Question 1 1.1 Your friend, Lorraine, visited you as usual. However, you notice that she looks troubled and worried. You insist that she opens up and share her worries with you. She tells you that her performance appraisal will take place on the following day, and that she hates this appraisal activity. Lorraine says she does not understand why her organisation always wastes time on this activity, because she does not see what benefits this performance appraisal brings to either her or the organisation. She also adds that she feels this activity is too formal and finds it boring. She further mentions that this activity is only carried out as a matter of formality. Explain the purpose and objectives of the performance appraisal to help Lorraine to understand the importance of the performance appraisal activity. Objectives of performance appraisal: - evaluate objectives have the primary purpose of looking at past performance - developmental objectives encompass developing employee skills & motivation for future performance - evaluation objectives (compensation decisions, staffing decisions, evaluative selection system) - developmental objectives (performance feedback, direction for future performance identifying training & development needs) 1.2 The Cobalt Electronics management are concerned about their market position and would like to maintain a competitive advantage. You decide to outsource a training company to deliver management training for their line managers to deal with the management’s concerns. It is important to use the “away-from-the-job” training, because you feel that these managers’ jobs are very stressful and training will be more successful away from their working environment as it will enable them to focus only on the training. As the HR manager of Cobalt Electronics, write a motivation letter to management highlighting the purposes of T&D for the line managers. - Improving performance - Updating employee skills - Improving effective people management - Addressing organisational challenges - Orienting new employees - Preparing for promotion & managerial succession - satisfying personal growth needs Question 2 2.1 Amanda and her friend Langa have been working as bank tellers for the past 8 years. They are concerned about their careers after hearing that Wiseman who only has been a bank teller for 4 years has been promoted to a supervisor after completing a BCom in Banking. After making a careful assessment of the situation, they decide to get more information about career decisions in the organisation. Individual: - lifelong learning -image building - set career goals - control own career - employees must develop new & better personal skills of self-assessment - portable competencies Organisations: - create an environment for continuous learning - opportunities for training - use reward systems 2.2 Perfect Bank has been in existence for 10 years and has a total staff component of 187 employees. In recent months there has been an increasing number of sick employees, some of them feel tired when they arrive at work and often cannot cope with their work. The manger has observed that Paul’s stress may be due to his need to control and inability to delegate work to the tellers. As the HR Manager of Perfect Bank, suggest and discuss any 5 personal strategies that will assist in controlling stress in the bank. - Meditation – the use of transcendental meditation to enter a state of mental relaxation. It reduced anxiety & improves work performance but it has many distractions - Exercise – are very cheap and effective, eg jogging, but requires time and commitment - Eat healthy – eating balanced diets will improve immunity, however it is costly - Seeking counseling – use of hypothesis, reduce stress & less expensive, however it requires confidentiality - Extended leave – vacations & sabbatical leave, help rejuvenate employees Question 3 3.1 Mila is an owner of a fashion designer business. She employs 30 people in different capacities. Mila feels that the company has always paid good salaries and the staff members have nothing to complain about. Her line manager, Tulane, informs her that she intends to resign as he feels that the compensation system is not dealing with his needs. You are Mila’s friend and you work as an HR manager for a large company. a) Which popular job evaluation method would you prefer to determine the relative worth of Tulane’s job? Motivate your answer. Job ranking method because it is ideal for a small business, like Mila’s which employs only 30 people. The job ranking method places jobs in a hierarchical order thus the line manager will be recognised as different which is what he needs. This method is fast & easy to use & complete & is less expensive which is ideal for a small business like this one. b) Which of the individual incentive plans would you recommend for the sewing machine operators? Motivate your answer. Performance based systems: - sewing machine operators need skills to operate the machine - the better the skill the higher the productivity of the worker - it links work & play hence it motivates workers 3.2 Diversity awareness training seeks to motivate employees to recognise the worth and dignity of everyone in the workplace and treat them with respect. In light of the above statement, identify and briefly discuss 5 exercises that management may use in diversity training. - Values classification – a checklist of values – like punctuality, honesty, acceptance & financial success is prioritised by all individuals in terms of their own preference & how they believe the organisation ranks the values. The group then discusses the differences & similarities in the priorities. - Perceptual differences – the participants are asked to give a precise percentage definitions of items such as always, frequently & almost always. The exercise uncovers the imprecise communication that may exist in the workplace - Problem-solving case studies – the participants are given a partial description of a job applicant & are told to come up with a complete profile. Depending on the limited facts given, the profile may uncover any number of biases when the group completes the picture - Exploring cultural assumptions – the participants can openly explore assumptions that one group may make about another - Personalising the experience – the awareness trainer may try to make everyone aware of their uniqueness & of the possibility that they can be different. Oct/Nov 2014 Section A Questions 1 to 3 are based on the following scenario: It is lunchtime and Lerato is sitting in the cafeteria. She looks very disheartened. She has just had her performance appraisal interview and her supervisor indicated during the interview that there are numerous areas where she is not meeting performance expectations. However, the only specific comment her supervisor mentioned was, “I am pleased to hear that you work well with your co-workers”. She tells her colleague Sean that the supervisor rated her performance as a 2 out of 5. Sean replies, “But my supervisor does things differently. She explains exactly what is what you did right and where you went wrong. That helps me to stay on track. She actually suggested that I am next in line for promotion and she will arrange training to help improve communication with co-workers when Mr. Moloto retires in 3 months’ time”. 1. The supervisor told Lerato, “I am pleased that you work well with co-workers”. Which of the following performance criteria is used by the supervisor? 1. Critical incident criteria 2. Trait-based criteria 3. Behaviour-based criteria 4. Results-based criteria 2. “She actually suggested that I am next in line for promotion and she will arrange training to help improve communication with co-worker when Mr. Moloto retires in 3 months’ time”. Which of the following objectives of performance appraisal is the supervisor referring to? a) compensation decisions b) placement decisions c) staffing decisions d) results-based criteria Choose the correct option 1. a and d 2. a and b 3. b and c 4. c and d 3. If the supervisor rated Lerato high on all items because she works well with her co-workers, this is a ________ rating error 1. Halo effect 2. Rater bias 3. Strictness 4. Leniency 4. The following depicts a performance appraisal interview conducted by Boss: Boss, the line manager, developed a list of items according to the performance goals to appraise Bunny’s performance. During the appraisal interview, Boss tells Bunny specific areas need improvement. He then tanks Bunny for attending the appraisal interview and asks him to go back to his work station. Which of the following steps of the performance appraisal interview did Boss omit? a) state the purpose of the interview b) invite participation c) prepare for the interview d) specify areas of good performance and areas of improvement e) focus on development Choose the correct option 1. a, b and c 2. c, a and d 3. a, b and e 4. b, c and d 5. The HR manager informs management that he recommends the _________ performance appraisal method, because it has clearer standards, provides feedback to appraisees, and is relatively consistent and reliable. 1. Management by objectives (MBO) 2. Behaviourally anchored rating scale (BARS) 3. Paired comparison 4. Critical incidents Questions 6 to 8 are based on the following scenario: Brand Telecommunications employs 600 employees of which 200 are women. The organisation is experiencing a turnover of young women because they feel that their supervisors are not supportive and caring, which causes them to face anxiety and uncertainty regarding their performance potential and competency. Some of the women who have resigned also indicated that they are finding it difficult to continue working as they do not get support for family responsibilities from their husbands. The HR manager decides to develop a career management plan to retain and promote women to management positions. 6. Which career stage is represented in the above scenario? 1. Withdrawal 2. Maintenance 3. Advancement 4. Establishment 7. The young women lack experience with conflict resolution. To help solve career-family crises, the organisation should provide _______ to help the women to manage their careers. 1. Assistance for dual-career couples 2. Dual-career audits 3. Special recruitment policies 4. Dual-career policies 8. Brand Telecommunications intends to facilitate the women’s progression of jobs in a specific occupational field by ranking from highest to lowest based on level of responsibility and pay. This kind of career planning is known as _________________. 1. Career evaluation 2. Career ladder 3. Integrating plans 4. Career advancement 9. The following are benefits from a career management programme except ______________. 1. Satisfying employee needs 2. Enhanced motivation 3. Employment equity 4. Assured employment 10. You are the training and development (T&D) officer at a provincial branch of a retail clothing store. There is conflict among staff and high levels of absenteeism. To address this problem they will embark on training the staff. Choose from the list below the purpose of the T&D in this case. 1. Updating employees’ skills 2. Solving organisational problems 3. Improving performance 4. Improving technical skills 11. Management requires of their managers to participate in activities designed to identify their job-related strengths and weaknesses for developmental purposes. Which of the following T&D techniques will be appropriate for this exercise? 1. Management games 2. Simulation 3. Assessment center 4. Behaviour modelling 12. Which of the following is not part of the aim of the Skills Development Act? 1. Improving the quality of life for workers 2. Facilitating access to career progression 3. Promoting self-employment 4. Improving productivity in the workplace Questions 13 to 16 are based on the following scenario: Brandon is the owner of a small business called Print Mecca in Johannesburg, which has been in operation for 27 years. Print Mecca prints and distributes a weekly newspaper. Brandon employs 50 staff members in different capacities. Brandon feels that the company has always paid good salaries and the workers have nothing to complain about. Lucy, the manager, informs him that some of the staff members are threatening to go on strike if they are not awarded a large enough salary increase this year. A few of the employees also threatened to resign or embark on a go-slow if he does not give in to their demands.