School Resources

Chapter 9: Human Relations

Full text for the chapter is the last item on the page.
Chapter Activities & Vocabulary Practice worksheets must be picked up in class. (They can't be uploaded.)

Chapter 9 Table of Contents for Notebook:
Name __________________________ Period ______

Score: +_______ of 124 points

Work Experience/ Learning A Living textbook

Chapter 9: Human Relations at Work
Notebook

1. Chapter 9 Text Questions
Words to Know 1-10
1 pages/ 1 sides 10 items = 10 points
Questions to Answer 1-10
1 pages/ 1 sides 10 items =10 points

2. Chapter 9 Vocabulary
3A. Crossword = 13 points
3B. Matching = 13 points
3C. Word Search = bonus 5

3. Chapter 9 Activities
3A. Activity 9.1 Interpersonal Relations
1 pages/ 1 sides 6 responses x 2 = 12 points
3B. Activity 9.2 Customer Relations
1 pages/ 1 sides 6 responses x 2 = 12 points
3C. Activity 9.3 Productivity of Groups Crossword
1 pages/ 1 sides = 12 points
3D. Activity 9.4 Special Human Relations Skills
1 pages/ 1 sides = 12 points

4. Test Review1
1 pages/ 2 sides 30 items = 30 points

Textbook Questions

Words to Know
1. clients
______________________________________________________________
2. goodwill
______________________________________________________________
3. human relations
______________________________________________________________
4. interpersonal attraction
______________________________________________________________
5. patients
______________________________________________________________
6. patronize
______________________________________________________________
7. patrons
______________________________________________________________
8. seniority
______________________________________________________________
9. task group
______________________________________________________________
10. territorial rights
______________________________________________________________
Questions to Answer
1. Why do most workers lose their jobs?
______________________________________________________________
2. How important is it for you to be friends with the boss?
______________________________________________________________
3. Name two ways to start out on the right foot with co-workers.
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
4. How should you relate to a co-worker whose opinions, habits, or behavior are different from yours?
______________________________________________________________
5. What should you do if a co-worker offers advice or suggestions?
______________________________________________________________
6. What are the three reasons why customers deal with a certain business?
______________________________________________________________
7. Why is it important to know how to work in groups?
______________________________________________________________
8. Groups are generally superior to most individuals at many tasks. Give an example
______________________________________________________________ .
9. What should you do if a task leader assigns you a job to do?
______________________________________________________________
10. When is the best time to provide an opinion regarding a group decision?
______________________________________________________________

CHAPTER 9 TEST REVIEW 1:

TRUE-FALSE
Circle the letter (T or F) corresponding to the correct answer

T F 1. Getting along with others under pleasant or difficult situations is the
foundation of good human relations.
T F 2. Being a friend of the boss is essential to having a good
working relationship.
T F 3. Not asking to borrow tools from a co-worker is an example of respecting territorial rights.
T F 4. Following the rules and doing your share of the work are ways to
develop good relationships with co-workers.
T F 5. Workaholics usually have good human relations skills.
T F 6. Cindy is a patient at Memorial Hospital. She is also a customer buying
a service.
T F 7. A business that offers the lowest price on a product or service doesn't
have to be concerned about customer relations.
T F 8. There is a trend in business to use fewer work groups.
T F 9. Accepting a final group decision is part of working effectively in a
task group.
T F 10. Human relations is a skill .that must be learned and practiced.

MULTIPLE CHOICE

Circle the letter (a, b, c, or d) corresponding to the correct or best answer

1. The primary responsibility of a boss or supervisor is to act in ways that benefit the
a. management. c. employees.
b. customers. d. company.

2. Upon beginning a new job, your co-workers will likely
a. volunteer to help you in any way they can.
b. ask you to help them with their work.
c. watch you for signs of how you will fit in.
d. ignore you or pretend that you don't exist.

3. Kramer has a NO SMOKING sign on the office door. Respecting his wishes is an example of _____
a. territorial rights. c. human rights.
b. seniority rights. d. civil rights.

4. Most fired workers lose their jobs because of  _____
a. weak academic skills. b. weak occupational skills.
c. poor human relations. d...4 family responsibilities.

5. All of the following are ways to maintain good relationships with
co-workers, EXCEPT:
a. Maintaining good hygiene and grooming.
b. llying to be everyone’s good friend.
c. Paying attention to what others are doing.
d. Being open to suggestions and change.

6. All of the following are different types of customers, EXCEPT:
a. clients c. patrons
b. buyers d. patients

7. A successful business is usually one that  _____
a. provides desirable goods and services. b. provides service after a sale.
c. practices goodwill. d. All of these.

8. In a business or organization, work is often assigned to task groups instead of  _____
individuals because groups
a. require less supervision.
b. are cheaper per unit cost of production.
c. are superior for certain assignments.
d. have fewer human relations problems.

9. Earthworks Nursery will replace any tree or shrub that dies. This is an example of  _____
a. goodwill. c. dependability.
b. loyalty. d. consumer protection.

10. Workaholics are addicted to their work because they  _____
a. fear being fired.           c. have problems at home.
b. have high metabolism. d. love their work.

TEXT OF
Chapter 9: Human Relations at Work

You deal with people every day of your life. You may talk, joke, plan, study, argue, and so on. Some of these dealings are more important than others. For instance, you go into a store to buy a quart of milk. Chances are that your conversation with the clerk will not influence life much. On the other hand, a talk with your boss, co-workers, or teacher just might. Your dealings with others influence your happiness and success. They also may affect others. Ask Kevin.
Guy was supposed to pick up his friend Kevin on the way to school. Guy got up late, and in his hurry to get to school, forgot Kevin. So an unhappy Kevin had to walk two miles to school. He got to school late, missed a test, and had to go to detention after school. Guy's mistake caused problems for Kevin.
Some human relations are pleasant. Others are very difficult. Unless we become hermits, we cannot get away from other people. So we need to develop human relations skills. This is especially true for workers. It is a fact that many fired workers lose their jobs because they cannot get along with others.

FIGURE 9.2 Students who relate well to teachers tend to get along well with their bosses.
Suppose you and another student whom you do not get along very well with find yourselves in the same English class. Chances are that you will not need to work closely with the other student. On the job, though, you may have to work closely all week with someone you really do not like. In such cases, you will need to put personal feelings aside.
At work we have to deal with all kinds of people. These include bosses, co-workers, and customers. We may like some of these people more than others. Even so, we must try to get along with everyone. Understanding our bosses, co-workers, and customers can make this task easier.

Getting Along with Bosses
Most employees have a boss. The boss may be the company's owner, a crew chief, a foreman, or a department head. Whomever your boss is, you will need to form a working relationship with him or her (reviewed in Chapters 6 and 7).
Good employees try to understand the boss's position. Being a boss is never easy. For instance, how would you feel if you had to fire someone? Bosses sometimes must do this. They must always provide workers with instructions and helpful criticism. Good bosses act in the interest of the company. They do not act out of friendship. Sometimes, workers and bosses become friends. Even so, this should not influence their work behavior. The company should still come first. If you and your boss are not friends, that is fine. You can still have a good relationship. (Some bosses make it a policy not to be friends with people they supervise.)

Getting Along with Co-workers
Strong friendships depend on interpersonal attraction. Think about it. Why do people become your friends? Well, they are probably somewhat like you. We enjoy being with people who are like us in at least some ways. We choose such people for friends, and they choose us. At work, though, interpersonal attraction is not as important. What is important is doing your share of the work and following rules.

As a new worker, you can be sure that your co-workers will be watch-ing you. They will expect you to do your share of the work. Your co-workers probably will not mind helping you out from time to time. They will expect you to do the same when they need help. But your co-workers will not put up with doing their work and yours, too. At least, they will not for very long.
Following the rules is important. Rules make sure that employees in similar jobs receive equal treatment. If you ignore the rules, you are indicating that you are different or better than the other workers. Your co-workers will not like your ignoring the same rules that they are expected to follow.
Sometimes, being different has its place at work. Two examples involve seniority and territorial rights. Seniority refers to the length of time someone has worked for a company. Workers with the most seniority have the most privileges. Respecting seniority rules will help you get along with co-workers.
In January, Tina requested to take a week's vacation during the first week in June. Mrs. Soria, the boss, came to talk to her. It turned out that Sven, who had the same job title as Tina, wanted the same week off. Mrs. Soria told Tina that she could not do without both of them that week. Since Sven had been there two years longer than Tina, he would get to take that thanked Mrs. Soria for telling her. She then started to think about choosing some other week.
In a work setting, certain unwritten rules about territorial rights may develop. Some workers come to feel that they control a certain office, area, or sales territory. When you are on their turf, they expect you to behave as they wish. An example might be that you are not to%ring food into a certain person's office. Or, maybe you are not supposed to use someone's tools without asking permission first. Be alert for such things. Try to respect others' territorial rights.
Doing your share of the work and following the rules leads to good feelings among co-workers. Other ways to maintain good relationships with co-workers include the following:

Appearance. Maintain good personal hygiene and grooming. Do not underdress or overdress.
Courtesy. Be pleasant, friendly, and courteous. Do not force relationships with co-workers. In time, some may become your friends.
Attitude. Be positive. Do not complain about your job. Clint sometimes gets tired of being a "go-fer" for everyone in the shop. He doesn't let it discourage him, though. Clint is glad to have a job, and looks forward to a promotion soon.
Interest. Show interest in the job. Pay attention to what co-workers are doing and show them that you feel their interests are important.
Loyalty. Do not criticize the company or gossip about bosses or co-workers. Those you talk to will wonder what you are saying about them!
Tolerance. Try to tolerate the o~iions, habits, and behaviors of !b-workers. Being different is all right. Martha, for instance, is a vegetarian. She eats bean, cucumber, and alfalfa sand-wiches for lunch. Through her, some co-workers have learned more about good eating habits.
Maturity. Be agreeable and avoid arguments. If conflicts arise with co-workers, talk them out.
Dependability. Always do what you say you will do. Quinn agreed to work overtime on Saturday afternoons. Last Saturday would have been a great sailing day. Quinn went to work because he had given his word. He would have preferred to have gone to the bay.
Openness. Be open to sugges-tions and change. Ask co-workers for advice and offer to help them.
Ethics. Do not try to get ahead at the expense of others. Heather is the department's most creative layout artist. She lets her work speak for itself. Heather never criticizes the other artists work to make herself look better.

Getting Along with Customers
The purpose of a business is to make a profit. Some businesses sell goods, such as clothing, hardware, or autos. Other businesses sell services. Examples of services include insur-ance, haircuts, and dry cleaning. A business sells its goods or services to customers. Not all customers are called by that name. An accountant may speak of clients, and a nurse of patients. What about users of library services? In a sense, they are cus-tomers of a service, even though they do not pay for it directly. Librarians call their customers patrons.
Relationships between employees and customers are important to the success of a business. Let's look at some reasons why a customer deals with a certain business. We will also give some hints as to how employees can encourage customers to return.

A company cannot stay in business without customers.

One reason why customers patronize a business is that they like the product or service provided. Leigh, for instance, goes to Andrews-Evans because she likes their almond ice cream. Rafael has his hair cut at Rich's because he likes Rich's work. Customers who patronize a business have certain wants or needs. A competent worker who treats customers well encourages business.
Darcy is a landscaper for Sunrise Nursery. Last month, Mr. Clements, a client, wanted some more flowers and shrubs around his house. He did not have anything special in mind. So Darcy said she would think about it and call him. She did so and then made an appointment with Mr. Clements. Darcy brought with her design sketches, catalogs, and a price estimate of the work to be done. She had everything Mr. Clements would need before making a deci-sion. Her efforts paid off. She got that job and other new customers in the neighborhood.
Businesses that provide services after a sale also encourage cus-tomers. The services may include things such as product repair, refunds, or quick processing of a claim. Let's look at a couple of con-trasting examples.
In the first example, a customer is returning a defective product to a store. Here is the conversation between the customer and a sales-clerk:
"I bought this clock-radio a couple of weeks ago. For some reason, the alarm doesn't work"
"Did you drop it or something"

"No, it just quit on its own."
"Are you sure it's broken? Maybe you're not setting it properly"
"I can assure you that I know how to set it"
"Did you buy it here"

"Of course, I bought it here. You can see that the box has your sales sticker on it"
"Do you have the receipt?" It is easy to see the direction this conversation took.

Here is a second example, a conversation between another customer and a second salesclerk:
"I bought this food processor here some time ago and now it has quit working."
"I'm sorry you have had a problem. Do you remember about when you bought it?"

"Yes, it was right after Christmas. Here is the receipt."
"Good. The warranty is still valid. Why don';t you go pick out another one, while I write up an exchange ticket."
"This is the same model and price, but it's a different color."
"Is that color okay?"
"Yes, I actually like it better"
"Well, that worked out nicely, didn't it? Will you please sign this form, while I put it in a bag for you? You shouldn't have any trouble with this one. Come back and see us.
A third reason customers return to a business is because of what is called goodwill. These are the little things about a business. Examples include reputation, honesty, and atti-tude toward customers. Employees promote goodwill in many ways.

* Jana calls as many customers as possible by name. She also knows which ones like to be called by their first names and which by their last.

* Ingmar knows that many people come into the store just to look around. He makes them feel wel-come and then stays back until they ask for or seem to need help.

* Many adults come into Mia's store to buy toys or gifts for their children or young friends. They seem to appreciate it when she offers suggestions about the itejis that children like best.

* Some customers at the ice cream shop where Cleveland works have trouble deciding what fla-vor they want. He offers uncer-tain customers free samples.

* Jillian remembers what it was like when she was in college and didn't have much money. Her restaurant is the most popular one in the campus town. Why? Heaping plates of good food, of course.

GROUP PARTICIPATION

Most people, at least some of the time, work in groups. These are called task groups (or work groups). Groups are often formed to brain-storm a new product, discuss qual-ity control problems, or plan a new sales strategy. There is a trend in business and industry to use more and different types of task groups. But do groups really perform better than individuals?
Groups are generally superior to most individuals at many (but not all) tasks. A school newspaper, for example, benefits by having different people write columns on current events, club activities, sports, and the like. It would be hard for one person to write about all these things. For tasks requiring a lot of effort, groups are faster than individuals. An example would be building a house.

Following are guidelines for working effectively in a group.

* Show Your Readiness to Help the Group. A group depends on the willingness of each member to accomplish its work. Do your share of the work on a regular basis, and volunteer your effort from time-to-time for special group projects.

* Accept the Role the Group Gives You. Groups have leaders and followers. Followers are often in greater demand. Pitch in and do whatever the group needs, whether it is recording minutes, stuffing envelopes, or cleaning up after a meeting.

* Carry Out Your Role as Best You Can. Sports teams often have role players who go into the game to do certain things. Can you think of examples? Role players make a valuable contri-bution to a team or a group. Do your job well; the group and you will both benefit.

* Share Your Views with Others. Do not hold back on a good idea or suggestion. Your solution may be perfect. Offer your feelings and opinions, even if they differ from what others think. Groups some-times make poor decisions or choices. If you believe this is the case, say so.

* Do not Dominate Meetings. Someone who talks too much irritates other group members. Do not over-power others, even though you may have the right answers or the best ideas.

* Accept Group Decisions. Offer your views when a group is discussing something. But once the group makes a decision, do not argue about it.

* Encourage Other Members. Doing your best on a job will encourage others to do likewise. A kind word from time to time always helps. Remember to pass out complime s and congratula-tions for a• well done.

* Think of Solutions, Not Past Problems. Suppose you have a fight with a family member. Dwelling on the problem will not help. Thinking of how to solve it will. The same is true in task groups. Focus on finding solutions to problems.

* Be Proud of Group Success. Completing a hard task, or winning a game is very satisfying. Should success come, enjoy it with your fellow members.

Getting along well with others is an important work and life skill. As a skill, it must be learned and practiced.

Chapter 9 Review

Chapter in Brief
Human relations are very important to job success. Many fired work-ers lose their jobs because they cannot get along with others.

Bosses act in the interest of the company They do not act out of friend-ship. Workers and bosses sometimes become friends. It is more important, though, to learn to work effectively with the boss than to become friends.

Doing your share of the work and following the rules lead to good feel-ings among co-workers. Other ways of maintaining good relationships with co-workers include:
a. Appearance. Maintain good personal hygiene, grooming, and dress.
b. Courtesy. Be pleasant, friendly, and courteous.
c. Attitude. Be positive and do not complain about your job.
d. Interest. Show interest in the job and what your co-workers are doing.
e. Loyalty. Do not criticize the company or gossip about bosses or co-workers.
f. Tolerance. Try to tolerate the opinions, habits, and behaviors of co-workers.
g. Maturity. Be agreeable and avoid arguments.
h. Dependability. Always do what you say you will do.
i. Openness. Be open to suggestions and change.
j. Ethics. Do not try to get ahead at the expense of others.

Relationships between employees and customers are important to the success of a business. Customers deal with a certain business for sev-eral reasons. One is that customers like the product or service pro-vided. A second reason is the types of follow-up services provided. A third is the goodwill provided.

Most people work in groups from time to time. Do the following to be an effective group member.
a. Show your readiness to help the group.
b. Accept the role a group gives you.
c. Carry out your role as best you can.
d. Share your views with others.
e. Do not dominate meetings.
f. Accept group decisions.
g. Encourage other members.
h. Think of solutions, not past problems.
i. Be proud of group success.

Effective human relations is a skill. As a skill, it must be learned and practiced.