These are the exercises contained in your textbook, including any updates to account for site changes since the book was printed. Completing these exercises will provide further illustrations of how organizations are really approaching human relations issues today. Several of these exercises suggest that you use a search engine to help research information. Here are links to some popular search engines. There may be other search engines that you, your classmates, or your instructor might recommend.

AltaVista | Ask Jeeves | BRINT | Excite | Galaxy | Google | GoTo | Hotbot | LookSmart | Lycos | MetaCrawler | Netscape | Northern Light | Switchboard | WebCrawler | Yahoo!

Select a Chapter:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17

Chapter 1 Introduction to Human Relations

Companies featured in Fortune’s list of the 100 best companies to work for in America are characterized by openness, fairness, camaraderie among employees, job security, opportunities for advancement, and sensitivity to work/family issues. These companies are concerned about the total person, not just the skills that help the company earn a profit. Here are some of the companies that have made the "best companies" list:

Southwest Airlines, airline (Dallas, TX)

SAS Institute, computer software (Carey, NC)

MBNA, issuer of credit cards (Wilmington, DE)

Corning, manufacturing (Corning, NY)

Nordstrom, retailing (Seattle, WA)

Develop a profile of two of these companies by visiting their Web sites and reviewing the available information. Also, visit Hoover’s Online, a resource that provides access to profiles of about 2,800 companies. Additional information on each of these companies may be found in Business Week, Forbes, Working Mother, and other business publications.

 

Chapter 2 Improving Personal and Organizational Communications

As noted in this chapter, we spend more time listening than we spend speaking, reading, or writing. However, most of us are not good listeners. To learn more about listening and how to improve your listening skills, access Amazon.com and search for "active listening" and "empathic listening." Examine the information available on these topics. Could this information be useful as you attempt to improve your listening skills? Explain.

 

Chapter 3 Understanding Your Communication Style

The primary purpose of this chapter is to provide you with an introduction to communication styles and prepare you to apply at work and in your personal life the concepts presented here. You now have the foundation you need to continue your study. A great deal of information related to communication styles can be found on the Internet. Using your search engine, type in the following keywords and then review the resources available: communication styles, personality types, personality dimensions, psychological types, Jungian personality types.

Examine the resources (such as books, articles, and training programs), and then prepare a brief summary of your findings. Pay special attention to new information that was not covered in your textbook.

 

Chapter 4 Building High Self-Esteem

As noted in this chapter, self-esteem has two interrelated components: self-respect and self-efficacy. Self-efficacy can be thought of as the confidence you have in your ability to do specific things. Your confidence level can influence which tasks you take on and which ones you avoid. To learn more about self-efficacy and how it can influence your career, visit the Internet and determine what types of resources (such as books, articles, and training programs) are available on this topic. Using your search engine, type in "self-efficacy" and "self-esteem" and then study the available information. Pay special attention to information on how one achieves high self-efficacy. Prepare a written report of your findings.

 

Chapter 5 Personal Values Influence Ethical Choices

Visit the Web site of the Josephson Institute: www.josephsoninstitute.org. Navigate through the various icons available. Take notes on those items you consider relevant to your life at work, home, or school. Report your discoveries to your class members.

 

Chapter 6 Attitudes Can Shape Your Life

Every Friday, ABC News posts a new article called "Working Wounded," by Bob Rosner, author of the book with the same title. Each article discusses some aspect of the challenges people face in their life at work. Visit the Web site at http://abcnews.go.com/ and search for "Working Wounded" to access this week’s article as well as archived articles. Write a brief paper explaining your reaction to the comments in this week’s article. If time allows, read earlier articles with titles that pique your interest. Report your findings to your classmates.

 

Chapter 7 Motivating Yourself and Others

Using at least two different search engines, enter your ideal job and activate the search. Further define your search if you would like to move to a different city or state. You may want to access the classified ads in a newspaper from a major city near where you want to work. (Do you see any of interest? What must you do to have those opportunities offered to you? Do you need more education? More experience? Would it be possible to telecommute?) Now write down five specific action statements/goals that will lead you in the direction you want to take.

 

Chapter 8 Building Trust with Constructive Self-Disclosure

A careful study of the Johari Window communication model can provide helpful information about constructive self-disclosure. The Internet provides additional information about this model. Using your search engine, type in "Johari Window," and then review the available resources (such as books, articles, and training programs). Provide a brief summary of your findings. Pay special attention to new information that was not covered in your textbook.

 

Chapter 9 Achieving Emotional Balance in a Chaotic World

Many people have an anger management problem. Although anger is a natural human emotion, the mismanagement of anger can result in serious human relations problems. Help with anger management is as close as your computer. The American Psychological Association has a Web page on "Controlling Anger—Before It Controls You." The address is http://www.apa.org/pubinfo/anger.html. Visit this site and prepare a written summary of the information presented. If you wish to study anger management in greater detail, visit www.angermgmt.com or www.angermgt.com.

 

Chapter 10 Building Stronger Relationships with Positive Energy

Organizations spend millions of dollars on incentives and awards designed to motivate employees to achieve a specific objective. The Internet provides information on this topic. Using your search engine, type in the following keywords: "employee incentives," "production incentives," and "employee suggestions programs." Review the resources (such as books, articles, and training programs) that are available. Pay special attention to incentive programs that would appeal to you as a worker. Also, describe resources you would recommend to someone who would like to develop an effective incentive program. Prepare a written summary of your findings.

 

Chapter 11 Developing a Professional Presence

Throughout the past few years we have seen an increase in the number of etiquette consulting and training companies. These firms will help you develop and initiate dress codes, and conduct etiquette-training programs for employees. Contact two of the companies listed below and review the services offered. Then prepare a written summary of your findings.

Patricia Stephenson & Associates

Brody Communications

At Ease Inc.

The Protocol School of Washington

Eticon Inc.

The Professional Image, Inc.

 

Chapter 12 Team Building: A Leadership Strategy

Many companies provide Internet access for employees and allow them to work in virtual teams. Members may work at headquarters, in satellite offices, on the road, and from home. Virtual team members may never meet one another face to face because they communicate via e-mail, conference calls, and other methods. Web-based tools have been designed to help teams work together more effectively. Visit the following Web sites and review the service. Then prepare a brief written report on your findings.

Group Vine lets you create members-only discussion boards so that a team can post audio files, comments, documents, or pictures concerning a project.

Intranets.com provides an instant intranet. In less than 3 minutes, a company or department can have a central place for keeping everyone in a group up-to-date on work, reports, and so on.

ScheduleOnline provides a group calendar that lets users schedule events, invite people to meetings, and reserve physical resources such as conference rooms or equipment.

 

Chapter 13 Resolving Conflict and Dealing with Difficult People

Go to http://www.adr.org/ to view the Web site of the American Arbitration Association, the professional organization that offers support to some of the largest industries in the world during labor negotiations. Click on the Education link, discover the latest information about the organization’s efforts, and report your findings to your class members.

 

Chapter 14 Responding to Personal and Work-Related Stress

Go to Monster.com, the on-line jobs database, and on the Search Jobs page, enter fun as a keyword. Are there any organizations in your area that promote a "fun" working environment? Search East Coast (example: New York City), West Coast (example: San Diego), and Midwest (example: Kansas City) locations. Which region exhibits more fun opportunities than the others? What semantics are used to describe the fun working environment?

 

Chapter 15 Valuing Work Force Diversity

Religious beliefs represent an important secondary dimension of diversity. Unfortunately, some people do not have very much tolerance for religious beliefs and practices that differ from their own. A 19-year-old woman living in Denver showed up for work at Domino’s Pizza wearing a hijab, the traditional Muslim head scarf. The manager told her to remove the scarf or leave. She had recently converted to Islam and was not sure if the manager was being rude or intolerant of her religion. Later, company officials discovered that the manager’s order was a violation of Title VII of the Civil rights Act of 1964. The employee was then told she could wear a scarf as long as it was read and blue, the company colors. Go to the Web site of the Anti-Defamation League," then click on either Law or Latest News to discover any new developments in regard to discrimination based on religious beliefs and customs. Also, www.diversityhotwire.com may offer additional information that will give you a greater understanding of this volatile issue.

 

Chapter 16 The Changing Roles of Men and Women

As men and women struggle with interpreting their changing roles at work and at home, they need all the information and support they can find. Web sites created by professional organizations like the National Association of Female Executives, International Association of Administrative Professionals, the Families and Work Institute, and At-Home Dad offer tremendous support. Visit the site of your choice and write an analysis of how it might help individuals make an educated decision about their personal and professional life choices. Share your findings with your classmates.

 

Chapter 17 A Life Plan for Effective Human Relations

At some point in your life, full-time employment will become less appealing. You will begin thinking about part-time work that will give you time to pursue a personal interest, start a family, become an independent consultant, earn a degree, or simply enjoy more leisure time. Several Internet sites can help you acquire information:

Resources helps find work for finance/accounting, technical, and human resource professionals.

Aquent helps find work for print, technical, and Web multimedia professionals.

Manpower finds assignments in a wide variety of fields.

Adecco lists several contract jobs and includes a ten-question quiz on whether "flex work" is right for you.

Visit two of these Web sites and study the job opportunities. Prepare a written summary of your findings.