Chapter 19 Situation 1

The following is an account of one employee’s introduction to a new job:

It was my first job out of high school. After receiving a physical exam and a pamphlet on benefits, I was told by the manager about dangers involved in the job. But it was the old-timers who explained what was really expected of me.

The company management never told me about the work environment or unspoken rules. The old-timers let me know when I could take breaks and which supervisors to avoid. They told me how much work I was supposed to do and which supervisor to see if I had a problem.

1. ; ;To what extent should a small firm use “old-timers” to help introduce new employees to the workplace? Is it inevitable that newcomers will look to old-timers to find out how things really work?

2. ; How would you rate this firm’s orientations effort? What are its strengths and weakness?

3. ; Assume that this firm has fewer than 75 employees and no human resource manager. Could it possibly provide more extensive orientation than that decribed here? How? What low-cost improvements, if any would you recommend?