Part A:
1. Older workers are one group who might help companies keep their workforces at full strength: what other groups might contribute to this effort?
2. What attitudes and policies inhibit the effectiveness of companies' strategies for hiring older workers?
3. Why might older workers be particularly interested in flexible work schedules and assignments?
4. What advantages do firms obtain by creating flexible work schedules and assignments for older workers?
5. One day you will he considered an "older" worker. What strategies can you implement in the workplace to avoid being stereotyped or discriminated against.
Part B:
Case Study- Asleep at the Wheel: Ford Motor Company's Exclusion of the Older Worker
1. Why did Nasser's progressive goal-to diversify Ford's workforce-backfire?
2. How did Nasser's personal story and work background affect his approach and philosophy on managing diversity?
3. Why was Font's evaluation system, the PMP, the source of contention for Ford employees who felt discriminated against? In moving away from the PMP, what did Ford do to improve this evaluation system? Did these changes create a more accurate system of evaluation?
4. The number of older workers in the workforce is increasing-many people now work into their late 60s and 70s. How can businesses adapt to and benefit from this trend?