Q1. Describe the term work-to-rule? How is work-to-rule utilized when employees are unhappy with working conditions? Provide specific examples of employees using work to rule in the workplace.
This is a less destructive form of strike where workers go beyond the required rules stipulate d by their contract and follow the required regulations just to cause a slowdown. Given that the employees follow the required rules they are not susceptible to disciplinary action by the employers. Some of the known examples of work-slow-to rule applies include when the police refuse to give citation or when nurses refuse to pick phone calls.
The rule is sometimes used by workers to express their dissatisfaction with the working condition imposed by their employers. The employees remain in the job and perform all the tasks required for that position but do not perform any ancillary tasks associated with the work. Usually, employees do not perform tasks that are not directly related to their job descriptions for instance, an Accounts Payable clerk may just decide to perform payable functions which are directly related to the profession and fails to touch anything dealing with receivables. Consequently, the clerk is performing the minimum tasks needed by contract, and is in principle less inclined to be restrained for resistance or inadequacy to perform the base needed to hold the position.
Q2. What are the five special features of the Japanese system? Why haven't they been adopted in the United States?
The Japanese system refers to the Total Quality Management (TQM) is the system of management where it puts more focus on customers as well as perpetual improvement in an organization. This system is founded on the following principles:a)Customer-focused: This system puts more focus on the customer because is the determinant of the quality that should be offered to the market. The system insists that the other aspects in relation to quality of management cannot be improved without proper consideration of the customers.b) This system also focuses on total employee involvement as they work towards attainment of the common objectives and goals. This are meant to foster highly integrated systems.c) This system also is process-centered in that more focus is put on the process or order in which things are done in the organization.d)This system puts emphasis on continual improvement in an organization therefore on the process of improvement in order to attain the perfect quality.e) The system also is systematic and strategic in approach such that the targets are met within the stipulated time.This system has not been adopted by USA since it claims that it is hypothetical in nature. The system focus only on a few areas but in reality the quality of management system heavily relies on factors other r than the few areas given emphasis by this method. The USA considers this approach not efficient.
ReferencesHolley, Jennings, & Wolters (2012). The Labor Relations Process. (10th ed.). Mason, Ohio: Cengage Learning.
