Labor and management at DJ Trucking cannot agree upon a contract ...

[corkyiscool3328]

Labor and management at DJ Trucking cannot agree upon a contract for the truck drivers. The drivers are threatening to strike, and management knows that such a strike would be very costly.
 
  Each side contends that they are bargaining fairly, but no agreement seems to be possible. Both sides agree that they are competing over a fixed amount of resources. Each side feels that what one side wins, the other loses. Based on this information we can say that the two sides are engaged in ________.
  A) conciliation
  B) distributive bargaining
  C) mediation
  D) integrative bargaining
  E) arbitration

Question 2

Describe the various characteristics of a bureaucracy.
 
  What will be an ideal response?

[mjbamaung]

Answer to Question 1

B
Explanation: B) The essence of distributive bargaining is negotiating over who gets what share of a fixed pie. When the pie is fixed, or parties believe it is, they tend to bargain distributively. Probably the most widely cited example of distributive bargaining is labor management negotiations over wages.

Answer to Question 2

A bureaucracy is characterized by highly routine operating tasks achieved through specialization, very formalized rules and regulations, tasks grouped into functional departments, centralized authority, narrow spans of control, and decision making that follows the chain of command. Its primary strength is its ability to perform standardized activities in a highly efficient manner. Putting like specialties together in functional departments results in economies of scale and minimum duplication of personnel and equipment. In a bureaucracy, rules and regulations substitute for managerial discretion. Standardized operations and high formalization allow decision making to be centralized. There is little need for innovative and experienced decision makers below the level of senior executives.
A drawback of bureaucracy is that if cases don't precisely fit the rules, there is no room for modification. The bureaucracy is efficient only as long as employees confront familiar problems with programmed decision rules.