Viewing employees as a source of competitive advantage results in dealing with them in ways that are ethical and legal, as well as providing a safe workplace.
Viewing employees as a source of competitive advantage results in dealing with them in ways that are ethical and legal, as well as providing a safe workplace. An organization’s legal environment—especially the laws regarding equal employment opportunity and safety—has a particularly strong effect on its HRM function. HRM is concerned with the management of people, and government is concerned with protecting individuals. One of HRM’s major challenges, therefore, is to perform its function within the legal constraints imposed by the government. (Noe et al., 2019, p. 146)
The textbook reading for this Workshop Two assignment is Chapter 3—“The Legal Environment: Equal Employment Opportunity and Safety.” The learning concepts in the reading include:
The three branches of government and the role each plays in influencing the legal environment of human resource management
Major federal laws that require equal employment opportunity and the protections provided by each of these laws
Roles, responsibilities, and requirements of the federal agencies responsible for enforcing equal employment opportunity laws
Three theories of discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and how these theories apply to different discrimination situations
Behavior that constitutes sexual harassment and the things an organization can do to eliminate or minimize it
Legal issues involved with preferential treatment programs, and the major provisions of the Occupational Safety and Health Act (1970) and the rights of employees that are guaranteed by this act
Major provisions of the Occupational Safety and Health Act (1970) and the rights of employees that are guaranteed by this act. (Noe et al., 2019, p. 106)
This assignment uses a case study in small business to further advance learning of how effective human resource management practices can help a company comply with relevant laws and regulations.
Upon completion of this assignment, you should be able to:
Explain how a company can avoid discrimination and still build an efficient workforce.
Resources
Textbook: Human Resource Management: Gaining a Competitive Advantage
Media: Employee Relations–Presentation A
Media: Employee Relations–Presentation C
Webpage: What Is a Scholarly Article?
Background Information
Equal employment opportunity (EEO) refers to the government’s attempt to ensure that all individuals have an equal chance for employment, regardless of race, color, religion, sex, age, disability, or national origin. To accomplish this, the federal government has used constitutional amendments, legislation, and executive orders—as well as the court decisions that interpret these laws. However, equal employment laws are not the same in all countries. (Noe et al., 2019, p. 109)
In this case study, you will give consideration to the implications for Professional Neurological Services, a company that was cited for employee discrimination.
Instructions
Read Chapter 3, “The Legal Environment: Equal Employment Opportunity and Safety,” in the Human Resource Management textbook.
View the following media:
“Employee Relations–Presentation A”
“Employee Relations–Presentation C”
Read “HR in Small Business: Company Fails Fair-Employment Test” at the end of Chapter 3, then navigate to the discussion topic and answer the following discussion prompts:
Parental Discrimination. Why do you think “parental discrimination” was the grounds for this complaint instead of a federally protected class? Could you make a case for discrimination on the basis of sex? Why or why not?
Avoiding the Problem. How could Professional Neurological Services have avoided this problem?
HR Position Match. Imagine that the company has called you in to help it hold down human resources costs, including costs of lawsuits such as this one. What advice would you give?
Avoiding Discrimination. How can the company avoid discrimination and still build an efficient workforce? (Noe et al., 2019, p. 149)
Provide a detailed post that demonstrates clear, insightful critical thinking. Your initial posting should be 200–300 words in length.
Organize your initial post by using a heading for each response to match those shown in bold in Step 3.
Your initial posting is to include, at a minimum, three sources properly cited and referenced: (a) the Human Resource Management textbook and (b) two academic journal articles obtained through OCLS that are at least three pages in length and published within the last five years.
For an explanation of what constitutes an academic source, review “What Is a Scholarly Article?”
Post your initial discussion by the end of the fourth day of the workshop.
Conduct a critical analysis of postings by two of your classmates by the end of the workshop.
Each discussion response to a classmate should facilitate engaging dialogue and evidence critical thinking when addressing your classmate’s posting. Utilize the following ways to engage in scholarly dialogue and expand learning around the topics in this workshop:
Extension: Expand the discussion.
Relevancy: Relate the topic to a current event.
Exploratory: Probe facts and basic knowledge.
Challenge: Interrogate assumptions, conclusions, or interpretations.
Relational: Make comparisons or contrasts of themes, ideas, or issues.
Diagnostic: Probe motives or causes.
Action: Identify an application or an action in personal or work life.
Cause and Effect: Cite causal relationships between ideas, actions, or events.
Hypothetical: Pose a change in the facts or issues.
Priority: Seek to identify the most important issues.
Summary: Elicit synthesis. (Teacher Stream, 2009, p. 5)
Each response should be 200–300 words in length and include, at a minimum, three sources properly cited and referenced: (a) the Human Resource Management textbook and (b) two academic journal articles that are at least three pages in length and published within the last five years.
At least one academic source is to be different from the two academic sources provided by your classmate.
For explanation of what constitutes an academic source, review “What Is a Scholarly Article?”
Select here to begin the discussion.
Noe, R. A., Hollenbeck, J. R., Gerhart, B., & Wright, P. M. (2019). Human resource management: Gaining a competitive advantage (11th ed.). New York, NY:
McGraw-Hill Education.
Teacher Stream, LLC. (2009). Mastering online discussion board facilitation. Retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/pdfs/
mastering-online-discussion-
Read “HR in Small Business: Company Fails Fair-Employment Test” at the end of Chapter 3, then answer the following discussion prompts:
Parental Discrimination. Why do you think “parental discrimination” was the grounds for this complaint instead of a federally protected class? Could you make a case for discrimination on the basis of sex? Why or why not?
Avoiding the Problem. How could Professional Neurological Services have avoided this problem?
HR Position Match. Imagine that the company has called you in to help it hold down human resources costs, including costs of lawsuits such as this one. What advice would you give?
Avoiding Discrimination. How can the company avoid discrimination and still build an efficient workforce?
Answer preview Viewing employees as a source of competitive advantage results in dealing with them in ways that are ethical and legal, as well as providing a safe workplace. 
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