Mr. Philips has been assigned the task of planning supervisory training sessions for the hospital's management team. On the agenda are key topics that should be covered during these sessions. They include motivation, teambuilding, problem solving, and:

Communication and listening skills

Which is one of the top three reasons for unionization?

Supervision

Which is most critical in meetings with union representatives?

Discussion of organizational changes

Which is most important with respect to Management by Wandering Around (MBWA)?

Input from employees on problems

As a seasoned HCMO manager, your goals are to promote positive relationships with employees and create a strong organizational culture. Of the following management strategies, which one would be inappropriate in achieving the above-stated goals?

Asking employees to verbalize their grievances x

What would be the most likely source of dissatisfaction of employees, causing them to form a union?

Poor communication with management

You are interested in promoting stronger management-employee relationships. Which of the following relationship-building techniques would have the most impact?

Conducting a supervisory development program

During a management training session, you were asked by one of the workshop leaders to elaborate on the basic management technique called Management By Wandering Around (MBWA). Which of the following is not part of MBWA?

Quietly observing employees work

As head of the HCMO management team, you decide to hold a teambuilding session to address dissatisfaction with working relationships, as well as to deal with any confusion about roles, goals, and job responsibilities. Who is the best person you should ask to conduct the initial teambuilding seminar?

External facilitator

One of the alternative dispute resolution techniques is mediation, particularly to resolve management and union differences. What is the primary advantage of using this technique?

It allows the participants to retain control over the decision

The term, "working to rule," is frequently used to describe employees who only do exactly what a rule requires or only what management explicitly asks them to do. This may be viewed as a type of passive-aggressive behavior where employees attempt to "get back" at management for something that they felt was unfair or unreasonable. If this were happening in your office or organization, what would be the most appropriate management action to take?

Try Management By Wandering Around (MBWA)

Aside from conducting surveys, focus groups, and meetings, what other method has proven effective in enhancing management-labor relations?

Monthly newsletter to keep employees up-to-date

Ms. Susan Jones is an administrative assistant for Mr. Bob Weiss, Director of Materials Management. Ms. Jones can be characterized as a good worker, knows her job, and completes the work she is assigned. She shows up for work on time. However, when she arrives, it is precisely at 8:00 am. It then takes her another 30 minutes, or more, to get settled. This is driving Mr. Weiss crazy as he wants the office operational at precisely 8:00 a.m. He gives Ms. Jones a list of rules about the operation of the office. Which of the following would be the most appropriate way of handling this situation:

Mr. Weiss should have had a meeting with Ms. Jones to more fully discuss the rules

Ms. Rupert has over 15 years of nursing experience, and has received a promotion to act as the Chief Nurse Executive (CNE) at the hospital. One of her first mandates is to improve labor relations with the nurses union. Of the following approaches, which one has not been proven to be effective in boosting morale and retaining employees?

Use of focus groups for information-gathering x