UGC NET/JRF EXAM, June-2019* Labour and Social Welfare

Total Questions: 100

1. Read the passage carefully and answer the questions that follow.

Biased appraisals have a variety of causes. One study of bias (the tendency for individual differences to affect judgements) focused on rater personality. Raters who scored higher on 'conscientiousness' tended to give their peers lower ratings-they were stricters, in other words; those more 'agreeable' gave higher ratings-they were more lenient.

Managers also tend to be more lenient when appraising subordinates for administrative purposes like pay raises than for development purposes. Furthermore, "performance ratings amplify the quality of the personal relationship between boss and. employee.

Good relationships tender to create good [appraisal] experiences, bad relationships bad ones." Unfortunately, subordinates' demographic traits (age, race, gender, and so on) also affect ratings.

A 36-year-old supervisor ranked a 62-year-old subordinate at the bottom of the department's rankings, and then fired him. The court held that the younger boss's discriminatory motives might have prejudiced the dismissal decision.

In one study, promoted women had to have received higher performance ratings than promoted men to be promoted, "Suggesting that women were held to stricter standards for promotion." In another study, raters penalized successful women for their success.

The point is that the appraisal often says more about the appraiser than about the appraisee. (Or, as one researcher said, "Rater idiosyncratic biases account for the largest percentage of the observed variances in performance ratings.")

Potential bias is one reason to use multiple raters, have the supervisor's boss review the rating, and/or have 'calibration' meetings where supervisors discuss their reasons for the appraisals they gave each of their subordinates.

Which one is the correct statement?

Correct Answer: C. Age of the rater and rate have bearing on rating.

2. Two statements are given below. First statement will be called Assertion and the second will be called Reason.

Assertion: Rater's idiosyncratic biases account for the largest percentage of the observed variance in performance rating.
Reason: Potential bias is one reason to use multiple raters.

Select the alternative that best establishes relationship between Assertion and Reason.

Correct Answer: D. Assertion and Reason have no relationship

3. Who are likely to give lower rating to their peer?

Correct Answer: C. Conscientiousness rater

4. A rater has to rate an employee for the purpose of pay increase. The rater will:

Correct Answer: A. have liberal approach

5. Choose the correct statement:

Correct Answer: C. Better the relationship, higher is the rating.

6. As per the provisions of the Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972 an employee working in a seasonal establishment, shall get his gratuity after superannuation from the employment at the rate for how many days wages for each season, he had worked in that establishment?

Correct Answer: D. Seven days
Solution:

The Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972 was enacted and brought into force from 16 September 1972. The Act provides for payment of gratuity to employees employed in any factory, mine, oilfield, plantation, port, Railway Company and in any shop or establishment employing ten or more workers.

It has also been extended to motor transport undertakings employing ten or more workers. Under the Act, gratuity is payable at the rate of fifteen days' wages for every completed year of service or part thereof in excess of six months subject to a monetary ceiling of 3.0 lakh.

In case of employees' employed in seasonal establishments, gratuity is payable at the rate of seven days' wages. A worker is entitled to gratuity in the contingency of superannuation, retirement, resignation, death or disablement due to accident or disease, subject to completion of five years continuous service.

The condition of five years is however, not applicable in case of death or disablement. Further, it does not make any discrimination between casual, contract, temporary and permanent worker who has completed the prescribed period of five years continuous service as defined in section 2A of the Act.

The liability for payment of gratuity vests in the employer. Gratuity is payable in addition to pension or contributory provident fund, if any.

7. As per the provisions of the Mines Act, 1952 the special officer duly authorised in writing by the Chief Inspector, shall enter into any mine for the purpose of surveying, levelling and measuring after giving notice to the manager of the mine for not less than:

Correct Answer: A. Three days

8. According to Lord Keynes, unemployment in advanced economies was due to:

Correct Answer: B. deficiency of effective demand
Solution:

India is a developing country. Hence, the nature of unemployment differs from that of industrially advanced countries of the would.

John Maynard Keynes in his epoch-making book "the General Theory of Employment, Intent and Money", published in 1936, diagnosed unemployment, prevalent in advanced economies like the UK and the USA which was the result of deficiency of effective demand.

In such economics machines become idle and demand for labour falls because there is lack of demand of the product of industry in the market.

But unemployment in under-developed/developing economies like India is not the result of demand deficiency in the Keynesian sense rather a consequence of shortage of capital or other complementary resources.

9. As per provisions of the Factories Act, 1948 under power to make exempting orders, the total number of hours of work in any day for a worker shall not exceed:

Correct Answer: B. Twelve hours
Solution:

Where the State Government is satisfied that, owing to the nature of the work carried on or to other circumstances, it is unreasonable to require that the periods of work of any adult workers in any factory or class or description of factories should be fixed beforehand, it may, by written order, relax or modify the provisions of section 61 in respect of such workers therein, to such extent and in such manner as it may think fit, and subject to such conditions as it may deem expedient to ensure control over periods of work.

The State Government or, subject to the control of the State Government, the Chief Inspector may by written order exempt, on such conditions as it or he may deem expedient, any or all of the adult workers in any factory or group or class or description of factories from any or all of the provisions of sections 51, 52, 54 and 56 on the ground that the exemption is required to enable the factory or factories to deal with an exceptional press of work.

1[(3) Any exemption granted under sub-section (2) shall be subject to the following conditions, namely:

(i) the total number of hours of work in any day shall not exceed twelve;
(ii) the spreadover, inclusive of intervals for rest, shall not exceed thirteen hours in any one day;
(iii) the total number of hours of work in any week, including overtime, shall not exceed sixty;
(iv) no worker shall be allowed to work overtime, for more than seven days at a stretch and the total number of hours of overtime work in any quarter shall not exceed seventy-five.
Explanation-In this sub-section "quarter" has the same meaning as in sub-section (4) of section 64.]

10. Given below are different statements, some of which are only relevant to productivity bargaining:

(a) Productivity bargaining is a managementinitiated process
(b) It has an element of input-output relationship
(c) It is based on the principle of mutuality
(d) It is not a continuous process

From among the following, which alternative presents the relevant features of productivity bargaining?

Correct Answer: C. (a), (b) and (c) Only
Solution:

Productivity bargaining is an aspect collective bargaining which aims at improving inefficient working methods by specifying changes in working practices.

It is the process of making negotiations between the two parties with the object of improving productive efficiency and the rewards for increased productivity. The enforcement of productivity agreements is considered the joint responsibility of the management and trade union.

It is often considered integrative bargaining because the parties appear to be more concerned with increasing the total sum available for distribution. Productivity bargaining is more specific with respect to the nature of achievement and reward and the time period involved.

Characteristics of Productivity Bargaining

The more notable characteristics of productivity bargaining are as follows:

1. It is concerned with overall cost performance of the enterprise. It involves wagework bargaining covering performancerelated issues.

2. It is management-initiated bargaining. The management is potently concerned with improving productivity. The union becomes interested only when there is satisfactory arrangement for sharing the fruits of increased productivity.

3. It has an element of input-output relationship and a two-way process. It also presents a win-win situation.

4. It is based on the principle of mutuality. The parties participate in generating gains and sharing the fruits on a mutually agreed basis. It ensures high rewards for workers' efforts and leads to the reduction of labour costs.

5. It involves arriving at decisions on the basis of discussions and cooperation in raising efficiency.

6. It is a continuing process. The approach is comprehensive, integrated and planned.

7. It leads to the establishment of a positive motivational policy and programme.