Human Resources Management study guide & Why Employees Stay at their Jobs

Consider your current job or one you used to hold. To what extent did you experience the three types of connections that foster “embeddedness” described in the report: links, fit, and sacrifice? How did your experience influence your longevity with the organization?

One of the reasons that employees remain in their current job position is the fact that employees become embedded in both their jobs and their communities (Allen, 2008). The more an employee participates in both their professional and community life the more they develop a web of connections and relationships both on and off their job. Many employees remain in their current jobs because leaving the job would result in a severance or rearrangement of the connections that they built. The more connections an employee has the more embedded the employee is in their current job. There are three main types of connections that foster embeddedness, they are: links, fit, and sacrifice.

Links are connections with other people, groups, or organizations such as relationships with co-workers, work groups, mentors, friends, relatives, and church groups (Allen, 2008). The more links an employee has with others in the organization that they are employed the harder it is for the employee to leave their position within the organization. In my current position as an after school counselor I have links to all the children in my group as well as to some of the other counselors that I have become friends with. I would not say that these links would keep me embedded because while I do enjoy being around the children in my group and a few of my fellow counselors, I do not intend to remain in my current position because of the part time hours and the lack of room for advancement.

“Fit represents the extent to which employees see themselves as compatible with their job, organization, and community. For example, an employee who relishes outdoor activities and lives in a community that offers excellent outdoor opportunities would find it more difficult to leave his or her job if doing so required moving to another community that did not provide such opportunities” (Allen, 2008).

In my case fit is the connection that provides the highest level of embeddedness for me. I truly enjoy my position as an after school counselor. I enjoy working with children and making a difference in their lives. The job also fits perfectly with my position as an online student at Southern New Hampshire University, however, when I am no longer a college student the fit of the job will lessen as it will not provide me with a high enough income level nor does it offer any room for advancement. The third connection, sacrifice, signifies the forms of value a person would have to give up if he or she left a job such as: tenure rewards, a positive work environment, promotional opportunities, and community status. When I vacate my position as an after school counselor I will be sacrificing my access to the school district benefits as well as the discounts and offers I receive for being a state employee. While I will miss the offers, discounts, and benefits, I will still vacate my current position when I finish my degree as I will be unable to live on my own on an after school counselor’s salary.

References

Allen, G. (2008). Retaining Talent. Retrieved January 10, 2015, from http://www.shrm.com.

Study Guide

The employment-at-will doctrine gives managers and supervisors the unrestricted right of termination.

True

False

U.S. courts consider random searches of employee lockers, suitcases, and toolboxes illegal.

True

False

The minimum advance notice of plant closings or layoffs affecting 50 or more full-time employees required by the Workers' Adjustment Retraining and Notification Act of 1989 is:

60 days

180 months

7 days

120 months

Employers defend their intrusion into employee privacy by noting:

their constitutional right

their legitimate business interest

that they are required by law

that they are required by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to do so

Employee rights can be defined as the guarantees of fair treatment that workers expect in return for their services to an employer.

True

False

Which of the following groups CANNOT grant rights to employees?

Employers

State legislatures

Federal courts

Unions

The _____ requires that an employee’s medical history be kept separately from other personal information.

Privacy Act

Fair Credit Reporting Act

Americans with Disabilities Act

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act

Carmen, a new supervisor, wants to correctly document the poor performance of an employee. Which of the following actions would she NOT have to perform?

Listing the negative behavior exhibited by the employee

Noting the date, time, and location of the misconduct

Recording the consequences of the employee's action on the work unit

Performing a current performance appraisal of the employee

According to a recent report by the American Management Association, more than one third of employers have fired workers for misusing the Internet.

True

False