Employment

The main asset of organizations is their employees, and the success of any organization depends on the employees. All organizations have the aim of increasing their profitability, have increased growth and innovation. Most of the organizations also aim to make the introduction of new values and culture into the organization. In order to accomplish these, it becomes crucial for the managers and employees to have knowledge in organizational behavior. The study of organizational behavior has attracted many scholars and many organizations are making it requirement of its employees to undertake a study in this area.

The main reason as to why it is necessary to have knowledge of organization behavior is that when working in an organization one deals with people. Therefore, it becomes particularly necessary to have clear knowledge of the behaviors of theses people in relation to the organization and relation to the responsibilities that they play in the organization. The study of organization behavior also goes to study the behavior of employees even outside the work place. The most important aspect of organizational behavior is the need to address issues related to people when applying all ideas in the organization (Brooks, 2009).

Organizational behavior involves the study of knowledge about the behavior of people in an organization. The study of organization behavior is of paramount importance to all students and employees. The study gives the students knowledge on how to work on a day to day basis with different types of persons and organizations. This knowledge is very important as it makes an employee understand how events are undertaken in organizations and why they are done. It is important to study how learn and figure how acts in organizations and how individuals and groups in the organizations respond to different situations.

It is important that one should understand how the other staffs or employees at when carrying out their roles in the organization (Griffin & Moorhead, 2009). For instance, it becomes important that one should understand how a certain staff behaves. For example, understand how if my boss is invited to attend a meeting urgently how he or she would react or how a work mate reacts when working under pressure. The study of organization behavior helps one to understand how to understand the culture of an organization that is how things are done inside the organization, for example, the shared beliefs and the values that have a lot of influence in the work place and its employees. This is because, as an employee of an organization one is supposed to adopt the culture of that organization. An employee is supposed to be accountable of his or her action in the organization.

They should also be accountable for their productivity and results no matter whether they show positive results or negative results in there productivity. How all these is done, can only be understood by studying organization behavior. For example, an employee in an organization is supposed to understand all the core values of an organization and be able to adopt them in order to avoid conflict with other employees and management of the organization. Core values of an organization may include integrity, respect to different opinions and other values that help the organization to work as a team (Mills & Bratton, 2006).

As organizations continue to experience growth, they need employees who understand the organization behavior. This is because as the organization grows it means that there are several different needs, which need to be met in order to handle and maintain the increased demands of employees and its operations. What my work for one organization may not work for another organization. It then becomes important that to have a large scale of knowledge about organization behaviors. Another thing that is of great importance is that individual employee has unique needs, so the study of organization behavior assists one to be attentive to these needs. The study also assists one to know how the needs of employees in an organization can be met. The study gives one skills on how to handle people who have different characteristics. For example, the study helps one to understand how various employees behaves in different situations or the likes and dislikes of employees so that one may avoid may not be good for some employees so that all employees have work place comfortability, which is necessary for them to be productive in the organization.

Organization behavior incorporates the study of people behaviors. It looks at the lifestyle, which they lead in their lives. This allows one to understand the goals that people have both individually as well as with their families. By looking at their lifestyles, it becomes possible to understand the way that the employees want to make advancement within their current employment status or their needs in the roles, in the organization. One of the other most important things about the study of organizational behavior is that it makes one aware of how the organization meets needs of its staff. It has a focus on the diversity that exist in the work place, the balance that employees give between work life and home life, the ethical behaviors and also how different employees adapt to the changing technology.

The study of organizational behavior makes it possible to make a careful analysis of people and organization in order to make a determination of what works well for the individual employee and the organization (Martin & Fellenz, 2010). It makes a review of the needs of the clients, the way that the organization is providing the need and then offers suggestions as to how the organization can make changes in order to serve its client more effectively. For example, in a business the study of organizational behavior allows one to be able to understand consumer behaviors. It helps to make analysis of consumer behaviors so that it is possible to operate in ways that satisfy all the needs of the consumers so that the business is able to sustain its customers for a long time. The study helps an employee to be aware of standards and values, which are set forth by the organization to be held, supported and to be exhibited by all its employees (Griffin & Moorhead, 2009). The study of organizational behavior is necessary as it involves the study of the people who work and whom the future growth of the organization is in their hands.

Organizations are people who interact so that they can fulfill objectives, which they share. Therefore, this study helps to understand the psychology of the people and how they feel about the setting of the organization. For example, for the top management of the organization and all the employees of the organization, the knowledge gained out of study of organization behavior assist in making prediction, control and take control of organization events. This is important as the people and the behaviors, which they depict in the organization, has effect on the performance of the organization.

Organizations, which have employees who have the understanding of organization behavior, are more adaptive to the diversity, which exists in the work environments. The knowledge of the concepts of organizational behavior allows the management of the organizations to be able to facilitate the needs of the diverse work force, which exist in many organizations today. The diversity, which exist in, organizations are in the form of gender, race and in ethnicity (Robbins, 2003). The knowledge of organizational behavior assists in understanding how people in the organization may be motivated in order to work together in more effective ways. The study allows one to become more aware of the organization ethics and gains knowledge on how to transfer employees’ attitudes and behavior to become more positive experiences both personally and for the company (Hiriyappa, 2009).

This is important because organization ethics is a good practice and have a positive impact to organizations in the long run. For example, the study assists an employee to understand the way to apply the business ethics in the day to day operations. There are many employees in many businesses that lack the skills on how to apply business ethics. This has negative effects on the picture that consumers have in regard that business. Therefore, it is important for all employees in an organization to understand how to apply business ethics as this works in creating a positive picture of the business to members of the public.

The study of organizational behavior helps one to understand and be able to make a prediction of organizational events and to make influence in the organization. In whatever capacity, one works, in an organization, it is necessary to understand the people and their behaviors so that to communicate effectively both outside and in the organization. This also helps one to understand how to manage conflicts effectively, make better decisions and how to build commitment to the ideas that one has. Knowledge of organizational behavior also makes one able to make teams within the organization to operate more effectively. This is the influence that the knowledge of organizational behavior helps one to have in an organization (Robbins, 2003). The knowledge of organizational behavior is essential for every body, not just for the managers.

This is because, in the way that many organizations are managed today, many organizations reduce the layers of management and delegate more of roles and responsibilities to other employees in the organizations. As this happens, therefore, it becomes more important for anyone who works in the organization to have adequate knowledge in organization behavior. It becomes very essential for every employee to master the practices, which have influence on the organizational operations. For example, it becomes of great necessity for employees to have knowledge on how they are supposed to mange themselves without being supervised by the mangers. The knowledge of organizational behavior assists every one to become a manager in his or her capacity in the organization. This is one aspect in an organization that brings growth to employees in their responsibilities and helps organizations to experience more growth in their productivity (Griffin, & Moorhead, 2009). The understandings of how and why organization events occur makes one feel more comfortable to be in an organization.

This is because one feels the ownership of the organization and helps on to be able to accurately make anticipation of future events in the organization. The knowledge allows one make sense of the organization able to make a prediction of what people in the organization would do under various conditions. Understanding organization behavior makes each employee of an organization able to realize how their efforts contribute to the growth or to the big picture of the organization. The study of organizational behavior makes employees understand some key concepts and terminologies (Brooks, 2009). Knowledge in organization behavior is necessary because organizations must learn to adapt to organization cultures that are changing very rapidly in the modern world. This has made many managers pay more attention to how the employees in their organizations react to different situations rather than the way they respond to situations.

In the modern organizations, managers view organizational behavior as an important aspect in training and the workforce, in the organizations. Organizational behavior has become a major tool in management of effective teams. This is because it involves investigation of the impacts that groups and individuals have on the behavior in the organization. This is used in purposes of the application of knowledge in making improvement in the organizations. Knowledge in organizational behavior allows the managers be able to observe employees so that he or she can place them in the suitable positions, in the organizations. This is because if a manager finds that certain employee is happy in a position he or she holds it means that an employee has high chances of being productive in their responsibilities.

This will be advantageous to the organization and to the employee because this gives the employee job satisfaction. Here, the study of the organizational behavior will not only keep an employee in the job that makes them feel happy but also in positions that suits their personality and also positions which will enhance their growth in their capacities. The study of organizational behavior also helps to understand the reactions employees have towards each other. It is important to understand how employees react to situations so that they are also not exposed to situations that make them feel uncomfortable because this might affect their productivity in their responsibilities (McKenna, 2000). Therefore, as can be seen from the essay it becomes necessary for employees in organizations to have knowledge of organizational behavior as this acts as one factor, which enhances organizational growth. It also acts as an aspect, which brings growth to the employees in the way they perform in their roles. The study is also necessary as it enhances smooth running of an organization as it leads to reduced conflict and also respect for diversity that exist in the work place.

As we look at our living expenses and income it isn’t hard to believe that people can still live at the minimum wage level. In the U.S alone, there are roughly 313 million people, 1.6 million of those Americans are living under or right at $7.25 an hour. Of those 1.6 million there are 484,000 people who are between the ages of 16 to 19 (Desilver). These numbers and statistics raise a lot of questions since the minimum wage law went into affect in 2009 (NCSL). But the big question that most people should be asking is why don’t we raise the federal minimum wage? Growing up in Iowa, Nebraska, South or North Dakota and several other states where the state and federal minimum wage are tied together, it is hard to make any decent money off of $7.25 while being a college student.

My first semester of college expenses included cost of gas, food, books, and supplies. It does not seem like much, but when it adds up you feel like you’re paying for a brand new car all at once. But I’m not the average example of every college kid’s life or expenses. Most college students base their life on clothes, books, food, gas, housing, cellphone and various other electronics. In my own experience I have spent almost $2,100 in my first semester at college. Tuition alone covers about 60% of that $2,100. Other factors include simple needs from food to supplies. In the modern day economy I feel that it is extremely hard to budget and still keep in the mind of school and work. Even adding a social life can also degrade how much time you spend with others. These factors all sum up how much an education can cost, but on another side there is a way students can save money while still going to college.

The one place that ultimately saves most college kids’ expenses that are living near their university is their home. When most kids are still in high school they feel the need to move out as soon as possible, but never at first would they think of how much it would cost for housing or an apartment. Even college students try to find the weirdest ways in saving cash and when it comes to dorm or living expenses it can really put a damper on your checking account. In most cases, such as a couple of my friends, have moved away from home due to longer travel time to school or family relationship troubles that drove them to move out. In different parts of the U.S. minimum wage laws are spread out evenly with different standards. For parts of the eastern and western coasts, minimum wage laws are higher than what they would be in the Midwest region where the minimum wage laws are the same as the federal limit (DOL).

But some other states such as Missouri, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio and Minnesota have wage laws set higher than the federal limit. For example, Illinois’ minimum wage is currently $8.25 hourly, $1 more than the federal minimum wage (Ihejirika). According to the Department Of Labor, these selected states mentioned before serve as an example for others when looking at increasing the minimum wage. But in these states there are only little raises from nearly $0.25 to more than $1.85. The highest minimum wage level in any state of the U.S is placed at $9.32 in Oregon (DOL). A motel in Grant Pass, Oregon recently announced that they pay higher wages over the federal wage from $7.25 to $10.10 an hour (Perez). The business owners say, “Higher wages do not just help workers, but their bosses too.” These higher wages lead to greater work retention, reduced training costs, higher morale and ultimately more profits (Perez).

When putting more money into the pockets of working families, they spend it on goods and services that will help businesses grow and, in the end, create more jobs. Plus on another side, raising the wage floor customer base and consumption is what drives economic growth (Perez). Some people say that increasing our minimum wage law will give Americans the opportunity to have a more stable financial future. With the growing of most restaurant industries nearly 47% of the U.S.’s workforce is occupied by food preparation and or serving related occupations (Desilver). Most of that percentage is filled with minimum wage paid Americans between the ages of 16-24 (Desilver). These percentages take on a huge aspect as to why people are getting a college education so that they can enter into a well-paid career.

Paying college students minimum wage affects them greatly in the long run, in various ways including juggling schoolwork, a job, and family/friends. Some college students don’t have the requested wage that they would want which drags them to cut down their budget even lower. But some universities are now giving college students who work on campus a better chance at getting that wage. Starting September 1st the states minimum wage will rise to $8.15 an hour from $7.40(Gautz). Nate Hoekstra, a communications specialist for Grand Valley State University, says that “We find student employment helps the retention of students, also provides students with work experience”. This will not only increase raises among students but also decrease University budget spending.

Some colleges such as Central Michigan University will employ almost 4,000 students this fall costing them almost $691,000(Gautz). For other colleges such as the University of Michigan, Lawrence Technological University and Walsh College do not employ anyone who meets the minimum wage. At this current moment these colleges are not expecting the increase to have any effect at all. These raises to students not only affect budgets to schools but also businesses. In looking at things in a sociologist’s perspective there are several viewpoints we can see. According to Kingsley Davis and Wilbert E. Moore, structural functional sociologists claim that higher paying jobs require more talent than minimum wage paying jobs. Also, some individuals are more qualified than others and should be awarded for their abilities. In addition to Davis and Moore, these low paying jobs serve as a key purpose for society.

If wages on one hand stay the same in logical terms this will motivate others to achieve a higher income job. On another hand, if wages were raised there would have to be a rise in prices or cut in hours among the workers in order to catch up with employee wages. This increase in wages to business owners or smaller companies would drive businesses to avoid hiring more employees to prevent higher expenses. Just raising one employee’s wage to $8.25 would cost the business $15,000 a year (Croteau). But in order to balance each side, increasing wages will result in more spending that will affect the employers. Being a young adult there is a lot to look at and learn from when it comes to budgeting money. You have to look at it as a way of wanting only two things your “Want’s” and your “Need’s”. When we look at this expression we usually go straight for the new pair of shoes or a brand new phone.

But glancing at it the second time we ultimately see what we should have bought due to the excessive demand for needs rather than our wants. My first year of high school didn’t affect me money wise at all because I was only 14 and I didn’t have much to buy or need to pay for. The only things that I really needed to pay for were tickets to football games or food for when I go out with friends. As my sophomore and middle of junior year went by, I began to notice a reoccurring trend that started to develop. As years go by there would be an increase in my spending. Some of these expenses would include food, extra school fees for trips, or even clothes.

By the end of my junior year to now the increase in money I spent doubled. When you get older there are other needs you must apply to your life such as gas for a car, sport fees, and even entertainment for when you hangout with friends. This pattern continues to increase as teenagers turn into adults. And for those adults who can’t make a decent living will not be able to keep up with their living expenses. As of right now I am looking at living expenses very differently and trying to encourage my friends about the reasons as to why you should watch your expenses in college. Going to a community college such as DMACC, you’re getting the same education as you would be getting at a university such as Iowa or Iowa State.

But the only catch between these two is that you will be paying a lot less at a community college than a university. At my time at DMACC I will be spending roughly 1-2 years achieving some of my regular general education courses. Within those 1-2 years I will be spending roughly $9,000-$16,000 on college fees, excluding housing. If you were to attend a university your first two years you would be spending on average $22,826 (COLLEGEdata). All universities are different and the price of college all depends on what your major is and how long you plan on being in college. This also goes the same for when you have to move out into your own place.

Renting or even owning is hard to do alone even when in college. As for me, I currently stay at home living with my family. To me there is no reason as to why students should waste precious Benjamin’s on housing when you can stay at home. Average cost of board and room from year of 2013-2014 ranged from $9,500 to $10,830 (COLLEGEdata). Adding up housing of $9,500, food and tuition cost of $22,826, and books for $1,207 for a university would total to $33,533. With the total of tuition from DMACC all I am paying right now comes to $16,821, if I stay 2 years. I am literally paying half the amount of money that I would of had to pay if I went to a well-known university.

These numbers all lay back as to why we should raise the minimum wage, from looking at it in a young adults perspective that is still in college or a maintenance worker who has to support his family. Each American should be entitled to a better living than $15,000 a year. Whether Americans want to go back to school to advance on their degree or make extra cash. Just by looking at common sense and facts ask your self one thing; is this a Want or a Need in American society? In the end of all this American’s struggle each day to make it through life in the financial world. The minimum wage should be increased to give American’s a more stable stance when it comes to budgeting money or even starting school again. Some American’s today can be able to live from paycheck to paycheck or others could still have little amounts of cash left to spend. But can a mother on the minimum wage level raising two kids be able to live off of $15,000 a year.

The Amalgamated Association of Iron and Steel Workers (AA) was on the rise in the recent years before July of 1892. Its membership nearly doubled since its last victory at Homestead in 1889, after which steel output was limited by the collective bargaining agreement. As one of the largest and most powerful labor unions of the late 19th century, the AA wielded significant political power among steel plants. However, when the union contract was due to expire June 30, 1892, Henry Clay Frick (who was placed in charge of Carnegie’s steel company in 1881) refused to recognize the union and renew its charter. As a result, Frick locked out union workers and fortified Homestead while refusing AA demands of higher wages and better working conditions.

Frick believed that Homestead was not running at its maximum efficiency because of the union, and so he desired to break the union. After the battle with the Pinkertons and the strike, union workers finally surrendered to Frick, and the union was completely purged from Carnegie steel. The assassination attempt of Frick also vilified the union, undermining its social standing. The AA was entirely broken, never returning to its pre-Homestead power and status. The breaking of the union had wider ramifications; other steel worker employers were less likely to negotiate with labor unions and would rather shut them down. Carnegie Steel continually sought wage decreases, and working conditions did not become more safe, if not more unsafe than pre-Homestead conditions. In general, after the events at Homestead, labor unions in the steel industry were collapsing, revolutionizing the industrial workplace.

Before the Homestead Strike, labor unions could negotiate for better wages and working conditions. Workers and managers were on a more equal basis in that workers could collectively control some aspects of their jobs. Still, there was much contention between the workers and the managers over who should run the jobs. The workers believed they had a right to their jobs, and as a result it was their right to determine their wages (most earned less than $2.5 a day), working hours, and other factors that influence the workers’ jobs; the managers and Carnegie contrarily believed that it was up to the business owner to determine the value of these factors.

To Carnegie, workers were disposable, and steel output was the priority, so he hired Frick to dissolve the union. Publicly, Carnegie was a sympathizer with labor unions, but he was counting on Frick to break the union. This two-facedness leads to higher moral questions of how big businesses should be managed. Homestead became the battleground for the future of the labor unions. After the defeat of the labor unions, Frick dismantled the union and established wages, working hours, and work rules, setting a precedent for future businesses on how an industrial business handles its workers and labor unions. The events at Homestead made it clear that managers and workers were parts of different economic roles and classes and that the working conditions were decided by the employer, not the employee.

Many Americans are divided on the question of mob law (an ochlocracy) and whether or not it should be an acceptable form of government. Before Homestead, public opinion was mostly in favor of the strikers; after all, the union workers had families to feed and a dangerous job at which they earned less than $2.5 a day. However, after the attempted assassination of Frick, everyone began to support Frick and the anti-unionist standpoint. The strikers’ occupation of Homestead was also considered an instance of mob rule. The Homestead Strike exposes how a group of people (workers) can be denied what they consider a fundamental right as workers by the executive body. Also, it exposes the bandwagon appeal of news distribution; we generally consider the news to be true, especially if the news is very shocking and somewhat logically related to past events.

Information technology makes it easier to do the tasks that would have been more difficult and time consuming without it, a prime example of which is the use of the word processor instead of the manual typewriter. According to Michael Handel at the SRI Institute, however, automation using I. T. may lead to unemployment. If you have computers that run certain processes or monitor certain activities running, then you don’t need to hire somebody to do that for you (Handel, 2003). Privacy and Individuality. Information technology is also changing the way we live.

With the advent of social networking sites like Friendster, Myspace and countless of others, it has been easier to find new friends and maintain relationships and contact (Dwyer, 2007) . IT, while making it easier to buy products and services and have them delivered to your doorstep without leaving your home, like a book from Amazon. Com, also raised privacy issues like hackers gaining access to your credit card information, or personal data. Even one’s behavior patterns on the World Wide Web, like the sites being accessed, and the amount of time being spent on a particular site can be monitored.

Co-workers, hackers, and family members may have their own personal motivation now have access to illicit computer programs to get such information from one’s computer. (Rittenhouse, 2004). Computer Crimes. Computer crimes are on the rise and it may involved the unauthorized use of a computer (stealing passwords, or accessing another’s computer via a backdoor program); spreading malicious computer programs like trojan, virii and worms; or an online version of stalking and harassment.

The underlying premise is that computer crimes are done by people who lack respect for property and privacy of other people (Standler, 2002). Ironically, computer crimes are also being battled via I. T. Various Web sites have come up with online privacy tools, virus detection and deletion programs, tips on how to detect illicit computer activities, among others. Societal Solutions. One of the most widespread and easily-seen effect of I. T. on society is the way people get their news nowadays.

Before, people have to rely on rumors and the next morning’s papers, and eventually, the evening broadcast and breaking news on T. V. The thing is, people have to wait before they get the news. Now, all they have to do is to log on to various news Web sites to get the latest happenings, on a wider variety of topics. They can get news from Somalia, or news on the latest Britney happening. The problem with this is that there tends to be a lot of wrong news coming from unverified sources. An example of which comes from the the Virginia Polytech Institute and State University shooting a year ago.

At that time, many students, checked out sites on the Internet, like Fark. Com, Facebook. Com and other social networking sites to get information on the shooting. But then, it happened that one unnamed student became suspected as the gunman when his own Facebook. Com profile showed pictures of him and his gun collection. The student became the subject of death threats, and hate campaign, until news came out that the real gunman was shot dead and the unnamed student’s identity was verified (IDG News Service, 2007).

Health Issues. Speaking of misinformation, the World Wide Web is full of it. While the Web has made it easier to obtain information on various topics like what to do when you’re pregnant, how to make bombs, how to cook the best lambchops, it would be wise to check the reliability of the information presented first. Make sure that the site, or the writer of the article is authoritative on the subject matter. Take special care when it comes to one’s health.

As in the case of Dumex’s Web site, take all information presented there with a grain of salt and a word of caution. While healthcare advice is plentiful on the Web, it might be best to consult one’s physician if you’re sick. Leslie Teach at Emory University puts it succinctly when she says that previously health-related videos, books, brochures were tediously edited and reviewed before released to the public, and that’s not happening with Web sites.

Health improvement, disease prevention, and information about diseases are the primary health-related information that are being accessed. Teach gives a number of criterion for evaluating health-related Web sites, including:

• a clearly stated purpose of the site;
• no evident bias;
• the site is not a disguised advertisement;
• all aspects of the subject are adequately taken up;
• the site provides accurate information, with documented sources.

In making the distinction between competency modeling (CM) and traditional Job analysis (TAXI the authors articulate that the latter encores itself with describing and measuring day-to-day operations of specific roles In an organization while the former relates to desired behavioral competencies that transcend various roles and In doing so contribute to an overarching organizational strategy. The authors compare CM and TAX along six dimensions: purpose, view of the job, focus, time orientation, performance level and measurement approach.

While all dimensions are equally important in making a clear distinction between the two concepts, for the purpose of this summary I will be focusing on what is in my opinion he three most relevant distinctions between the two HRS methodologies namely, focus, time orientation and performance level. The authors argue that TAX focuses solely on the job and in doing so fails to recognize that job behavior could be influenced by factors other than formal responsibilities.

CM on the other hand, builds itself around notions of ’employer brand’ and ’employee value proposition’ that include behavioral themes and unique performance characteristics that derive directly from the organizational identity itself. The focus of CM Is particularly important because it has significant practical implications when communicating management expectations to employees.

An employer brand should identify with a business strategy and communicating strategic competencies as a component of management expectations is more likely to encourage on-brand behavior in the delivery of products and services to customers, regardless of the employee’s Job title. For example, the inclusion of ‘Discretionary Effort’ among Feeder’s competencies encourages Its employees to go above and beyond their day-to-day Job responsibilities and provide creative solutions to customers’ demands, which Is consistent with an overarching business strategy of exceeding customer expectations.

Furthermore, since competencies communicate universal behavioral themes that the organization wishes to see across all Jobs, employees seeking career advancement are able to identify with these themes and perform their duties that not only benefit themselves but the organization as well. Most organizations do not engage their employees In a manner that encourages them to demonstrate such on-brand behavior.

However It seems quite clear, that accompanying specific job duties with these behavioral themes and rewarding employees for demonstrating such behaviors in the workplace could have a significant impact on a firm’s reputation and overall consistency in the manner employees perform their duties. Secondly, the authors argue that TAX Is rooted In the past because It concerns itself with describing a Job by relying on those who have performed the Job till date.

In contrast CM NAS a Touch on ten Torture, Decease It communicates now a Joy snouts be interpreted and performed from now on regardless of past behavior. TAX takes a bottom-up approach relying on information obtained from employees performing the job, while CM takes a top-down approach by communicating generic behavioral themes identified by leaders who are also responsible for strategic planning.

Furthermore, the authors interject that TAX outlines day-to-day operational capabilities that have facilitated the survival of the organization till date, while CM concerns itself with change-oriented competencies that encourage employees to demonstrate certain behavioral characteristics that may facilitate growth and hang. In essence, CM allows employees to better understand how their specific Job assignments contribute to the organization’s strategic initiatives and when provided with the right incentives, employees are more likely to change their behaviors that align with these strategies going in to the future.

Providing employees with a sense of purpose and direction that facilitates the firm’s future growth is more likely to encourage behaviors that go above and beyond an employee’s basic duties in serving the customers which may in turn serve the organization as well. Last but not the least, the distinct performance level addressed by TAX and CM is of particular significance because it allows us to understand what will bring out the best from employees in an organization.

While TAX addresses the typical’ requirements needed to perform the work assignments, CM focuses on ‘maximal’ performance by encouraging a series of loosely coupled behavioral themes that go beyond the operational efficiency of basic aspects of a Job. This distinction is significant because if managers wish to encourage employees to perform at a level hat goes beyond the typical day-to-day responsibilities, they must excel at implicitly communicating these behavioral themes to others in the organization.

These themes tend to be generic so they transcend across all Job titles within the organization and bear on the interpersonal aspects of the manner in which the Job ought to be performed. Therefore, as mentioned earlier, those seeking career advancement have a clear idea of what sort of behavior will result in favorable outcomes and that optimizing day-to-day operations alone will not serve them or the organization in the long run.

Jane directly leads a team of seven HRS and communication employees and five operations staff, and has a strong Influence across the organization. Reporting to the CEO, with both board and ASS reporting responsibilities, Cane’s role and authority at EX. Wealth Is prominent. As the HRS Director, Jane Is Involved In structure, employment Issues, human resource allocation. Recruitment and retention decisions and sets the people strategy for the organization (J. Smith, peers. Com, 2011). As she faces many different situations everyday in her work, she heavily relies on the contingency approach to management.

The contingency approach states that “organizations are different, face different situations (contingencies) and require different ways of managing” (Robbins, Bergman, Stag & Coulter, 2009 p. 53). The classical, behavioral and systems approach to management theory assumed a universal or ‘one-best-way of management that applied the same techniques to all companies. However, experienced managers know that not all people and situations can be managed exactly the same. Thus the contingency approach to management suggests that what managers do In practice depends on the situation.

However, the contingency approach is not without its critics. A major problem is that it often is used as an excuse for not acquiring formal knowledge about management, but just lets managers make dados decisions. There are four popular contingency variables: organizational size, riotousness of task technology, environmental uncertainty and individual differences (Robbins et al, 2009). In this essay, we will discuss how Jane at EX. Wealth manages each of these variables. The first variable In contingency management theory is organizational size.

The way Jane manages her direct team of seven, Is very different to how she is seen as a manager across the 700 staff at EX. Wealth. For example, Jane holds weekly meetings with her team to advise of company-wide news and Information from her meetings at CEO and Board level. In relation to Skate’s “human skill” (Katz, 1974) she Is an effective communicator In tans arena. However, one AT ten roles AT newer team Is to teen disseminate this information through their business groups and across the organization, so that all employees are aware of various company-edicts and general ‘goings on’ .

They did this through posting memos in breakout rooms, which were rarely noticed. Thus Jane (and in turn, her team) was perceived as having poor human skills’ as the information coming from the HRS team was communicated across the larger organization ineffectively. Jane had to change her management style in relation to these larger communications and a company wide intranet was developed as a result. On it, important employee notices were communicated as well as information about the company and it’s various activities. 0. Smith, peers. Com).

Employees were then able to access the information as it suited them, and remained just as informed as those in her direct team after their weekly meetings. Another variable in contingency management theory is the ‘riotousness of task genealogy. Routine Technologies are those that have little variety and use objective, standardized procedures. They are mostly associated with a mechanistic structure and processes, with formal rules and rigid management processes (Daft, Murphy & Wolcott 2010). An example of this at EX. Wealth is in the Operations Department.

Their role is to scan all incoming mail, forward it to the correct person and file the hardcopy. Jane finds managing this department is relatively straightforward. She sets formal Kips at the start of each year and the Senior Operations Officer ensures that the team meets their targets. In effect, Jane is using one of Integers ‘Managing on Three Levels’ (being, information) technique (Integers, 1994). Non-routine technologies, however, have high task variety and experience and technical knowledge are used to perform the work and solve problems.

Using Woodward’s research, organizations with more non-routine technologies are more likely to have organic structures (Robbins et al, 2009) Similar to many companies in finance, EX. Wealth has traditionally had a very bureaucratic structure based around division of labor, central controls and a strict hierarchy – almost Weeper’s ideal bureaucratic structure. Robbins et al, 2009) – with the CEO at the top and the majority of staff (in processing and call centre roles) making up the bottom. Divisions were created by Job role and geography and the machinations of the firm had little to do with the head office and their goals.

However, since the challenge of Global Financial Crisis (SGF) companies, particularly in financial fields, have had to be leaner and more able to change and faster at doing it. EX. Wealth has started to develop a flatter management structure, with a matrix- reporting style and business units connecting with each other (Chapman, 2001). For instance, instead of all Human Resources (HRS) consultants sitting together in an HRS team environment, those dedicated to a particular business group, now ‘live’ with their business, as business partners. Although they form part of Cane’s team, they also have a reporting line through to their business manager.

Echoing Chessman’s (2001) work, Jane feels that this new organizational structure is more desirable as interpersonal relationships are developed and knowledge and understandings are shared between the HRS team and the business. 0. Smith, peers. Com) I en Tanta variable Tort ten contingency approach to management Is environmental uncertainty. Because uncertainty threatens an organizations effectiveness, managers will try to minimize it. (Robbins et al. 2009) Operating in a post-SGF world, EX. Wealth is facing uncertainty on numerous levels. There are constant threats from competitors and the market is still Jittery and unpredictable at best.

EX. Wealth has a large insurance division that has recently been onset by claims from the various natural disasters that Australia has recently faced. In short, there is not a lot about EX. Wealth’s environment that is certain. According to contingency theory, stable environments suggest mechanistic structures that emphasis centralization, standardization, and specialization. (Robbins et al. , 2009) Unstable environments suggest organic structures, which emphasis decentralization to achieve flexibility and adaptability (Robbins et al. , 2009).

EX. Wealth is effected by a rapidly changing and unstable environment and must evolve to ensure that it is able to operate efficiently through any uncertainty. An example of this was highlighted with an unprecedented retention issue with the Junior clerks in the Perth offices of EX. Wealth. Due to the mining boom, these staff were being lured away from EX. to earn significant amounts working in the mines. As hiring and retraining staff is an expensive exercise (and EX. Wealth was in no position to match the salaries on offer), the company offered an extended leave without pay program for Junior employees who had shown potential.

This gave them time off to work in the mines and then they were able to return to their previous roles (Smith, peers. Com). The final variable for the contingency approach to management thought is that of individual differences: “Individuals differ in terms of their desire for growth, autonomy, tolerance of ambiguity and expectations” (Robbins et al, (2009) p. 4). This final variable, makes it clear why so many found the classical theories of Payola and Taylor so limiting.

There are Just so many variables that could apply to motivating and leading individuals, that no classical theorist could cover them all. As Human Resources Director Jane Smith leads discussions at EX. Wealth on the remuneration levels of employees. Being a company in financial markets, employees who work in this industry are usually attracted by money. Thus, it has always been the main motivator for staff and all employees are eligible for performance related pay and company bonuses. However, since the SGF the focus on money as the main motivational tool has been lessened.

Other benefits such as more flexible working practices (either with hours, or working from home), study support or the ability to ‘buy extra annual leave; have also been seen to highly motivate employees (Smith, peers. Com). As Mitchell and Nickel (1999) argue – money is an important motivator, but managers need to understand individuals – their attitudes, beliefs and behavior – before it will act as an effective motivator. In analyzing Cane’s work as the Human Resources Director of EX. Wealth, it can be aid that she heavily relies upon the contingency approach to management.

What about unethical but moral? Which is more important to an organization, to be ethical or moral? Why? What are ethics? How are personal ethics different than business ethics? Based on your work experience, describe an ethical issue that you faced. What were the ethical implications surrounding that issue, if any? How was the issue resolved or how should it have been resolved? Does your organization have a written code of conduct? If so, how effective is this cook AT conduct:’ 10 want extent ay you tank Tanat a cook AT conduct can Nell to define the ethical values of an organization?

How might a code of conduct policy reflect the personal ethics of the employees? What can a business do to reduce the likelihood of making unethical decisions ND creating more ethical problems? Think of an example of unethical behavior you have observed in a business setting. Was this behavior a result of an unethical person or an unethical organization? Explain your answer. Week Two Organizational Values ; Read Chi. 14 of Business ethics. ; Read Chi. 8-10, up. 115-118, up. 138-142 of Managing business ethics. 2. Discussion Questions What is the relationship between organizational values and organizational culture?

Does organizational culture influence organizational values more than organizational values influence organizational culture? Explain your answer. How do organizational values of your organization influence its conduct? How do your organization’s values influence you? How might a small business owner, whose business has grown from an owner and operator to employing 12 people over several years, create the organizational culture and organizational values of the business? Consider that the same business has grown to employ 100 or more people over several more years.

How might the approach to organizational culture and values change depending on the size of the organization? What is the relationship between organizational values and personal values? Which of your personal values are embodied in your organization? How do employees’ personal values influence the conduct of your organization? What issues might arise if employees’ personal values are significantly different from their employer’s organizational values? want Is winless-Doodling:’ near want classmates malign an employee Low ten whistle on his or her employer?

If the company’s top executive asked you to create a code of ethics policy for the company, what would you include? What approach would you use? Why would you select that approach? Provide at least two examples of items you would include in your code of ethics and describe why they are important to your company’s code. Think of a moral or ethical dilemma you experienced recently at work. What steps did you take to resolve the issue? In retrospect, how might you have handled the situation differently? How might this process be different if you were acting on behalf of the organization?

How might you have handled the situation differently if you were the CEO? Imagine you are a division manager at a large pharmaceuticals company. You directly supervise 50 average and above average performing employees. Many employees on your team have been with the company for several years. Some recently hired employees, mostly women and minority groups, were hired to remedy the lack of diversity in the workplace. Recent financial difficulties within the company quire each division manager to reduce their workforce by 15%.

Describe the process you would use to make this decision. How do you ethically Justify your decision? Do you think that you share the same ethical perspective as people who work with you? Explain your answer. Why is it important, or not, to share ethical perspectives in the workplace? What are the ethical standards for where you work? To what extent do you think that ethical perspectives may change over time? What factors might influence these changes? What is your experience working with or working for someone you felt had a much efferent ethical perspective than your own?

How did you know when the two of you were approaching the same ethical dilemmas from different ethical perspectives? What was the outcome? How did your decisions or outcomes compare? Week Four Ethical and Legal Issues in Business course Agelessness ; Read Chi. 10 of Business ethics. ; Review Chi. 3, 8, & 10 of Managing business ethics. 2. Individual Assignment: Ethics Game Simulation Resource: Ethics Game Simulation Complete the Ethics Game Simulation. Write a 700- to 1,050- word reflective Journal in which you answer the following questions: What were the ethical issues presented in the simulation? What decision-making steps did you take to ethically address these issues? ;What ethical perspectives, or lenses, did you use to make your decisions in the simulation? ;How did these ethical perspectives, or lenses, influence your management decisions? ; How might concepts from this simulation relate to your workplace? Do you think human resources (HRS) polices should govern ethical and legal issues? Why or why not? How might HRS policies govern unethical or unlawful behavior? Do we need laws that enforce ethical codes? How might a situation in business be legal but unethical?

How might a situation be ethical but illegal? Share an example from your own experience of HRS policies that address or encourage ethical practices. What is your definition of a stakeholder? Which of the different stakeholder groups’ interests are the most important, and why? What ethical responsibilities does an organization have to different stakeholder groups? How might ignoring the needs of one stakeholder in favor of another stakeholder affect the organization? Provide an example. Why might a business want to appeal more directly to a secondary stakeholder roof than the primary stakeholders?

What advantages might there be in doing this? Why might a business want to appeal more directly to a group that is not a stakeholder group? In what types of situations might this make sense? What is the difference between a stakeholder group and a special interest group? Name three examples of business or organizations in which you are a stakeholder. What makes you a stakeholder to these organizations? How are your views important to these organizations? Are your views aligned with the legal and ethical considerations of the organization? Explain your answer.

Describe a time when another stakeholder group’s views were in direct opposition of your views or the organization’s flews. want napped Week Five Cross-cultural Ethics and Social Responsibility Analyze ethically and socially responsible business practices across cultures. ; Read Chi. 18 & 21 of Business ethics. ; Read Chi. 1 1 of Managing business ethics. 2. Individual Assignment: Final Examination Resources: Business ethics and Managing business ethics Click the link to the Final Examination on your student website available from the end of Week Four through the end of Week Five.

Complete the Final Examination. You are allowed one attempt to complete the exam, which is timed and must be completed in 3 hours. Results are auto graded and sent to your instructor. Note. Final Examination questions are adapted from Business ethics and Managing business ethics. 3. Learning Team Assignment: Ethical Organization Profile Write a 1,050- to 1,750-word paper in which your Learning Team explains a fictitious organization’s ethics programs and overall ethical environment. Create a fictitious organization. Describe the type of business, locations, size, and products or services offered. Write a value statement which includes: Overall ethics of the organization Socially responsible business practices Write a basic code of conduct. Select three of the following to include: ; practices ; Workplace discipline Termination of employment Diversity Harassment ; Family and personal issues Hiring Imagine your organization NAS cellar to Deign operations In another country.

Identify the country and answer the following questions: What legal and ethical issues might your organization face with operations in that country? ; What stakeholder groups relevant to your organization would be affected by expanding operations into this new country? ; How might those groups influence he legal and ethical decisions your organization might make while expanding its operations? ; How might the legal and ethical issues faced in this country influence your organization’s value statement and code of conduct? 4.

Discussion Questions What must an organization consider from an ethical and socially responsible perspective before deciding to expand operations in other countries? How might an organization be considered ethical and socially responsible in its home country but not in the new country where they expanded operations? How might an organization balance varying views of ethical standards across cultures? Provide an example of a business currently addressing this issue and discuss any personal experience you may have with these issues. How might ethical and social responsibility issues, such as community service or environmentally responsible practices, affect an organization’s operations in different regions of the US? What must an organization consider when expanding operations to Omaha, Nebraska; Santa Monica, California; Montgomery, Alabama; and Detroit, Michigan? Select two from the list to discuss in your response. Should a company vary its ethical and socially responsible business practices in different regions, even f laws which regulate the company’s operations remain consistent across regions?

Why or why not? What positive and negative outcomes might result from the choice the company makes about its ethical and socially responsible business practices in different regions? ; Imagine you are the marketing manager for a product you use daily, like gourmet coffees or paper towels, and you are selected to introduce the product to a new international market. What ethical or social responsibility issues, such as sustainability and fair trade, might you face when introducing the product to that raked? How might you overcome these issues?

Name the product and the international market in your response. If your company plans to expand operations in a country known for human rights violations and sweatshop labor practices, what might you do to assure the media that the organization is committed to fair wages and running an honest, ethical factory? Would you consider choosing to open the factory elsewhere to prevent the media attaching the company’s name to other companies that have abused and exploited ten workers Tort canapé largo:’ winy would you make tens console?