Saturday, November 30, 2019

Job design in an Organization

Job design in an organization is crucial from various perspectives as it deals with work rearrangement aimed at overcoming any employee dissatisfaction. In respect to this, there is always renewed hope and strength for employee to perform his or her duty successfully (Robertson Smith, 1985).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Job design in an Organization specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Applying this to any customer service professional, the company will be able to reflect a good picture generally of the whole business system, because when the customers are served with enthusiasm, they are able to develop a unique liking of the company. For this case, considering improvement of working conditions for customer service professional in the credit card company, various ways of restructuring and reorganizing the working system are necessary in order to improve working conditions and also enable good reputation because the customer care provides a link between the customers and the company. As always expected, there must be rewards through better pay package. The incentives that should be offered to the customer care would include getting offered credit cards with low interest rates, a periodic reward of points to the employee when it is revealed that the employee is very much committed to the company’s work. There must also be granting of leave for the employee to refresh, especially from a period of a tiresome work session. In addition, there would also be on job training in order to acquire more skills in the credit card business process. The knowledge on the credit card business helps customer care make informed decisions when advising the customers, which may include marketing strategies. There must also be an innovative working environment which is admirable for the employee to work in the company effectively (Parker Wall, 1998). In enhancing job design for the customer service in th e credit card company, both scientific and management practices ought to be practiced. This ensures that both analytic and objective approaches to solving issues in the organization are crucial. The customer care should know exactly his or her role and what is expected from him/her in the job. This enables the creation of clear objectives for the work so that the credit card business is kept operational in a successful way. The customer care must know the set out roles which enhance motivation in whatever is required at all the times.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Incorporating the job characteristic model, the customer care is to know exact identity of the task. This calls for the need to know the exact responsibility that he or she has in the marketing and creation of good relations of the company with the customers. The customer care should also have autonomy. This dete rmines the schedule of the work plan at all given times that should be decided solely by the employee. The skills of performing the work are also very important as a contributing factor for the process of motivating the customer care. The significance of the task allocated is important too because the company knows exactly the expected outcome of the process. Through this, providing positive feedback to the customer care for any good performance is necessary as this is an inspiring factor coming from best job design. The design model should also include room for self expression of the customer care. Through this, all the views are incorporated for the best benefit of the company so as to enable more allocation of credit cards to the customers (Parker Wall, 1998). Finally, improvement of customer care’s job conditions will enable good performance and develop cordial relations with other customers. Consequently, this reflects good image of the company and more customers in nee d of credit card will register for the services. Through the job design, motivation of the employees is observed because from the school of human relations, a business is taken as a social systems whereby productivity is heavily influenced by emotional and psychological factors of the employees (Parker Wall, 1998). This will finally promote good business. References Parker, S. Wall, D. (1998). Job and work design, organizing work to promote well- being and effectiveness. California: Sage publications. Robertson, I. T. Smith M. (1985). Motivation and Job Design: Theory, research and practice. New York: Hyperion Books.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Job design in an Organization specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This essay on Job design in an Organization was written and submitted by user Callan Edwards to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

How to Handle a Resume Gap - Conference November 6 in Silicon Valley!

How to Handle a Resume Gap - Conference November 6 in Silicon Valley! Gaps Happen How to handle a â€Å"gap† in employment is a frequently discussed and debated topic for job seekers, resume writers and other career professionals. General wisdom is that employers prefer to hire people who are currently employed, or at least who have a consistent work history. But real people make choices based on family obligations and important other human factors that don’t always match the picture of an â€Å"ideal† candidate. There are, to be fair, several challenges if you are returning to work after an absence. How can you accurately assess your career options? What steps can you take to build your confidence and sharpen your interview skills? What are some strategies for finding meaningful work? These are all great questions to explore- and none of them have anything to do with a true problem or impossibility in finding work. Nothings Wrong! I do not subscribe to the idea that there is something â€Å"wrong† if you took a break from the workforce to raise children, care for an ailing parent, or heal from an illness yourself. These choices prove only that you are a caring, committed human being. I do not necessarily recommend that you reveal the reason for your work sabbatical on your resume, especially if you have significant accomplishments to share from that time period; but I don’t think it’s a complete no-no either. I have seen resumes that use an inspiring story of cancer recovery to prove how an executive job seeker attacks every challenge in his life and comes out ahead. I have seen people be explicit about the reason for their work hiatus, and get a great job. Some of my tips for other ways to handle a resume gap can be found in my book, How to Write a WINNING Resume†¦ 50 Tips to Reach Your Job Search Target, which is FREE on Amazon through Tuesday October 22! Click below to download the book FREE today! November 6th Conference for People Returning to Work I will be speaking at the Connect Work Thrive Conference in the San Francisco Bay Area on resumes and employment gaps, as well as on writing a KILLER LinkedIn ® profile, on November 6th. If you are located in California and would like to join me for a day full of top-notch advice and strategies on returning to work, please register for the conference by October 22 (last day for special pricing) to get $50 off the conference price  ($150 off the walk-in price!), PLUS an additional $50 off when you use coupon code ESSAYEXPERT. See the workshop schedule here. At the conference you will†¦   identify and effectively communicate your areas of strength   determine resources you need   learn successful return-to-work strategies and tactics   connect with firms in need of your skills In the long run, if you identify a job that’s the right fit, have the necessary skills and knowledge for the position, and present those skills powerfully on your resume, I believe you will likely get an interview even with a resume â€Å"gap.† Walk into your interview well-prepared and with confidence, and you can impress even the most skeptical hiring manager to get a meaningful job you truly want.

Friday, November 22, 2019

Essay Writing Advice Structure It Up!

Essay Writing Advice Structure It Up! Essay Writing Advice: Structure It Up! If you are looking for essay writing advice, look no further. Writing an essay requires that you include the basic elements of a five paragraph essay. Even if your writing task is a bit more involved, the same elements must be included. Introduction When you are writing your introduction you want to pay attention to the exact word choice you have. This is your first and, in some cases, your last opportunity to leave a positive impression on your reader. This is not only where you talk about your subject for the first time, but where you also explain to the reader how you are going to talk about your subject. You should be putting a higher level of energy into your introductory area, totaling about 20% of your overall writing efforts. And if you do this you will be rewarded positively. Body Paragraphs The second step is a body paragraph where you need to present your 1st strongest argument or your best illustration or example. Much like the previous section of your writing assignment, the first sentence needs to have a hook which naturally transitions from the hook located at the end of the previous paragraph. The subject of this paragraph or the main idea needs to be presented in the topic sentence immediately after. You want to make sure that you relate the main idea here to your thesis statement much the same as you did in the previous section. And finally, once you have done this you need to include your transitional hook in order to help the reader move along once again to the 2nd body paragraph. The 2nd body paragraph is where your weaker argument is located and it should be followed after the transitional hook with your topic sentence. Once again the evidence and support that you present need to relate back to your thesis statement. Never assume that the reader will know what you intend to say or will be able to pick up on what you are hinting at. Instead, make sure that you state your purpose explicitly. Once this is done you need to end. With a transitional hook which signals that your final point has been made and that they will now reach the end of your document. Conclusion The conclusion is the end of your writing but it does not serve as an afterthought. The final paragraph is the final opportunity you have to restate your case and it needs to be very rigid in its format. You want to try and paradoxically think of the conclusion as the second introduction because it will contain many of its features. You want each sentence to be well-crafted and you want to make sure you have an effective concluding transition after which you restate your thesis. Remember, the best essay writing advice revolves around laying out each component of the traditional writing tasks, including introductions, body texts, and conclusions. These make up the basic structure of your work. By incorporating all of these components, you can enjoy a well put together essay.

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Cross-Cultural Management Difference Between France and China Essay

Cross-Cultural Management Difference Between France and China - Essay Example Communication can be low context or high context. A high context communication would require minimum use of words as the communicators already have most of the information while a low context communication requires more explicit explanations as the communicators do not have the background information. Usually, people coming from cultures that have close family bonding and a huge network of friends, resort to high context communication with members of their culture. French are relatively high context individuals when compared to the Americans and other North European nationals. Thus, the communication is faster and uses fewer words. However, the flip side of this is that French do not trust other people’s analyses. They want to analyze everything on their own and will keep doing the analysis till they get all the information (to the lowest level of detail) they want (Hall and Hall 1997). The physical position an individual occupies in office determines his perception of power. French prefer to occupy a central position in office and like to be surrounded by subordinates to keep themselves at the locus of an information network (Hall and Hall 1997). Monochronic culture is one in which one activity is done at a time. Time is considered as a valuable asset and one that should not be wasted. Here, time is divided into schedules and only one activity is concentrated during a particular schedule. People from Polychronic cultures do not give too much emphasis to time schedules and indulge in many activities at a time.... However, the flip side of this is that French do not trust other people’s analyses. They want to analyze everything on their own and will keep doing the analysis till they get all the information (to the lowest level of detail) they want (Hall and Hall 1997). Territory The physical position an individual occupies in office determines his perception of power. French prefer to occupy central position in office and like to be surrounded by subordinates to keep themselves at the locus of information network (Hall and Hall 1997). Monochronic and Polychronic culture Monochronic culture is one in which one activity is done at a time. Time is considered as a valuable asset and one that should not be wasted. Here, time is divided into schedules and only one activity is concentrated during a particular schedule. People from Polychronic cultures do not give too much emphasis to time schedules and indulge in many activities at a time. They give more importance to completing human transact ions than adhering to time schedules. French are polychronic people. As a result they are committed to human relations, are easily interrupted and usually have flexile plans (Hall and Hall 1997). Thus, French meetings are characterized by high information flow, not too tight on agenda and participants already aware of what will be discussed in the meeting. The end result of the meeting is thought to bring about a consensus rather than stick to deadlines (Hall and Hall 1997). In short, as French are high context individuals they do not like to be told what to do. They take it as an offence. They also give a lot of importance to style and form. As they are polychronic individuals, they would not mind a person coming late in a meeting, but would

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Design brief for climate change campaign Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Design brief for climate change campaign - Essay Example This will encourage the use of public transportation, which will decrease the amount of carbon emission. People who live and work in Toronto in the 16-50s age group. There are two groups that I will target for this campaign. People who live in Toronto and people who work and go to school in Toronto, but don’t live in the city. Toronto is a very large and busy city and all of the schools and companies are very clustered. Both groups of people have very busy and fast lifestyles. They do not have much time to read all of the ads around them. People believe that global warming is happening because the media is making a big deal about it. They know something about climate change, but don’t really know what it can do to us. They do not think that changing their behavior or habits can help to slow down this extreme climate change and vice versa, their lifestyle. Climate change can really harm us. It is our problem and changes in our behavior can slow down this global warming. Using public transportation is one of the solutions in the fight against climate change. Toronto is a really busy area and there are many signs and ads. To stand out from these, this campaign needs to attract audiences through the visual image. The image itself should convey the message that we are in danger if we do not take a action because they do not have time to read all of the texts on the campaign. The competing alternative behavior will be driving their own cars. This can save their time and they do not have to take transportation with a bunch of people they do not know. The cost of take this action would be paying their gas fee. People living in Toronto have very busy lifestyles and daily routines. Therefore, the campaign should be able to deliver the message without further reading of the text. The image should bring out the emotion from my target audience in just a short glance. I want my target audience to feel sorry for the earth and at the same

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Comparison of Classical Homeopathic Methodology and Scholtens Theories Essay Example for Free

Comparison of Classical Homeopathic Methodology and Scholtens Theories Essay Critically evaluate one homeopathic methodology of your choice and compare it with the classical model. Give an account of the assumptions underpinning the method. Briefly discuss possible clinical situations where this method could be indicated and appropriate. In Aphorism 21 Hahnemann wrote that it is â€Å"undeniable that the curative principle in medicines is not in itself perceptible† and that therefore we should â€Å"rely on the morbid phenomena which the medicines produce in the healthy body as the sole possible revelation of their in-dwelling curative power†. Hahnemann, 2001) Although it is possible that here Hahnemann was referring only to the â€Å"Doctrine of Signatures† (whereby it is considered that the shape of the plant reveals its medical properties) since he wished to promote the integrity of medical science, it has been argued that this Aphorism should also be applied to Jan Scholten’s theories regarding the Periodic Table and that therefore the use of remedies using Scholten’s methods cannot be considered homeopathy. (Habich et al, 2003). Scholten advocates the use of compounds on which there have been no more than ‘meditative’ or ‘dream’ provings as opposed to physical provings. However although Scholten’s work on the periodic table has not promoted the use of physical provings; he originally studied both chemistry and philosophy (for two and three years respectively) and has applied logic to draw a picture of the homeopathic properties of all cations and anions using the periodic table and the compounds which they make. Scholten’s work is based on key concepts rather than the individual symptoms from a proving and in his book Homeopathy and Minerals he describes a process called ‘Group Analysis’. In group analysis all the common symptoms in a family of salts or cations, (such as potassium), or anions (such as the carbonates, chlorides, phosphates and sulphates), are extracted and grouped together. This way of looking at a remedy is in line with classical homeopathy and influenced by Kent’s grouping; for example under the mind section in Kent’s Repertory ‘impatience’ contains five different potassium salts (kali-ar, kali-bi, kali-c, kali-p and kali-s). In the same way as Kent, from this type of information Scholten would deduce that all the potassium salts would exhibit impatience; a conclusion drawn whether or not an individual potassium salt had been proved or not. Kent had already begun this type of deduction by including a picture of Kali-Silicatum and Kali-arsenicosum from his knowledge of Silica, Arsenicum and the potassium salts in his Lesser Writings. However Scholten expanded on this work and developed key concepts for individual elements: When the individual key concept of a cation and an anion are known he posits that when combined into a single compound the compound can be given a definitive concept by drawing conclusions from the cation or anion characteristics. For example in Kali-carb the themes of duty and pragmatism in a kali, and self worth and hard work in a carbon would be combined to form a picture of principled person doing their duty. (Scholten, 1993). Scholten’s work also goes further still and he has divided the periodic table into the horizontal and the vertical for use in homeopathic analysis. The horizontal relates to the number of shells surrounding an atom and these he has categorised into seven different series; Hydrogen Series(one shell), Carbon Series (all those atoms with two outer shells), Silicum (all those with three shells), Ferrum (all those with four shells), Silver (all those with five), Gold (all those with six) and Uranium (all those with seven). He has related these to Themes (Being, I, Other, Work, Ideas, Leaders and Magus), Age (seven stages from foetus to old age), Area (seven stages from spaceless to universe), Sense (from smell to intuition) and Tissue (from skin to Bone marrow). In Scholten’s view of the periodic table the eighteen horizontal arrangements which relate to the size of the atom decreasing in size in relation to its density (i. e. density increases) along the periodic table are arranged in a cycle. This cycle he relates to eighteen stages starting with beginning, then steadily moving on through the following seventeen stages; finding space, company, establishing, preparing, proving, practising, perseverance, success in sight, Lord and Master, preserving, division, withdrawal, formal, loss, remembering, the end, letting go, rest and then finally back to beginning. (Scholten, 1993) In this way a fuller picture of the elements and hence the resulting compounds can be drawn. Scholten tells how he first looked at known remedies but the logical order that presented itself meant that he was able to fill in the gaps by making an informed guess as to what should be next in the table, very much like Mendeleev when he was first constructing the chemical periodic table and made correct guesses as to the next in a sequence. (Scholten, 2005) By using these methods group analysis can not only cover particular known salts or anions by can be extended to so a whole series in the periodic table so that each elements unique identity s revealed. It also means that element or compound can be looked at in greater breadth and this can be particularly helpful not only where elements have not received a proving but where they have only received a small proving. Scholten himself also asserts that his remedy pictures are more holistic in that they also show a positive side whilst the traditional provings tend to show mainly the negative side resulting in a picture that is a ca ricatures of the remedy. Scholten, 2009) Although it could perhaps be argued that there is a justification for making assumptions about minerals where the anions and cations in them have received physical provings, meaning that there could be an automatic right to call the use of this homeopathy, it is harder to justify those compounds in which neither anions nor cations have had any physical proving. This is the case with the Lanthanides; here Scholten has made predictions as to the key concepts in these hitherto unused remedies using a combination of meditative provings and assumptions from the work on the periodic table (Scholten, 2005). He argues however that meditative provings not only have a financial advantage over a traditional proving but that there is an advantage in that they are not ‘attention dependent’ or open to disturbances taking place in the life of the prover although he does recognise that a meditative proving will only give a partial picture (Scholten, 2007). In contrast, as well as Hahnemann’s advocacy of relying only on phenomena produced by remedies in healthy bodies in aphorism 143 he also purports that only when a considerable number of medicines have been tested will ‘we have a true materia medica’ (Hahnemann, 2001) He lay down exacting guidelines for provings which have today been expanded upon and the European Council for Classical Homeopathy has produced its own set of guidelines issuing safety guidelines and advising on best practice. However it was the clinical success that Scholten first achieved from developing key concepts with previously unknown salts that inspired him in his development of the Periodic table furthering work that was first attempted by Sherr and Sankaran (Scholten, 1993) and which subsquently led to the work on the Lanthanides. These too have been reported to be a valuable homeopathic tool and the clinical successes achieved by their use have been reported in an article published in The Homeopath by Jackie McTaggart. McTaggart). By presenting remedies in a sequential way it also facilitates understanding of remedy relationships, and therefore acts as an aid in choosing follow up remedies or promoting an understanding of how a better choice of remedy could be arrived at. Scholten also points out that although data that does not come from provings is ostensibly frowned upon, by other leading homeopaths, including Vithoulkas much of the data for the polychrests does not come from provings but fr om clinical data. On his website he offers as an example the fact that in Essences of Materia Medica (Vithoulkas, 1991) Vithoulkas gives fifty-two symptoms of Lycopodium whereas in the original provings there are only thirteen symptoms. (Scholten, 2008). This group analysis or thematic prescribing has been criticised for its lack of adherence to physical provings but its basic idea has proved popular. There are homeopaths that having learnt the system, find this way of prescribing simpler and more successful (Watson, 2004) and it has proved popular and widely used enough to be included in the MacReportory. Although still finding acceptance in some quarters Scholtens way of prescribing is very much pointed towards classical prescribing, with its emphasis on definitive holistic concepts. Having only one definitive concept (for example Ferrum Muriaticum being defined as Disciplined Mother) means it would not lend itself to prescriptions that use more than one remedy. Since the concepts employed by Scholten appear to have been primarily developed along psychological themes it would also appear that this method of prescribing does not lend itself to palliative or acute prescribing either. However the beauty of the system is its expansive nature and it could therefore easily be adapted to to both acute situations; for instance beginnings of a cold brought on by over indulgence, or a chronic situation that needed palliating such as advanced bone cancer when one might look to letting go, series seven for bone. Finding concepts for acute situations or those that need palliating could be aided by the Repertory developed by Scholten; it includes 15,000 rubrics and has over 40,000 entries and auguments his previous work; Homeopathy and Minerals and Homeopathy and the Elements written three years later in 1996. It is clear that Scholten recognises that much in homeopathy needs to be updated and he has presented the format of rubrics in a new way with nouns being put first followed by verbs, adjectives and adverbs so that along with a more scientific way of investigating the homeopathic properties of elements and compounds there is a more standardised way of finding the concepts and symptoms too. Scholten does not stop there; in the repertory he also suggests that it is time has come for the old familiar names to make way for a newer system. Being a chemist Scholten would be aware that in the last sixty years there has been a movement headed by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) to standardise the nomenclature of chemicals so that there sequencing can be deduced from their name. It is therefore not surprising that he should also seek to standardise remedy names so that place in the periodic can more readily be understood meaning that it would become easier understand the characteristics of a remedy simply by readings its name. In ‘Stages as a universal principle for differentiation’ Scholten is also currently looking at how the series and stages relate to the plant and animal kingdoms (Scholten2007) Although tools such as MacRepertory have made it easier to find the correct remedy the standardising effect of Scholtens work should be a great aid for both educators and students of homeopathy should it be looked at more closely. It promotes both greater understanding of remedies, a greater range of remedies from which to choose and also by its logical nature can be an aid in understanding remedy relationships. www. interhomeopathy. org: http://www. interhomeopathy. org/fr-dogmatism-in-homeopathy http://www.interhomeopathy.org/archives-by-category?c=theory

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Can Two Such Different Companies Find Success In Today?s Market? :: essays research papers fc

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Only a few years ago, Cisco Systems was a struggling company who only the technologically educated had heard of. Today, Cisco Systems ranks as the number one or two company in most Internet technology. Anyone using the Internet today, will use one area or another of Cisco Systems. The driving force behind Cisco is their visionary CEO, John Chambers. How does a man who is dyslexic and doesn’t understand much of the technology his company makes become so successful in the Internet age? He believes in empowering his employees and surrounds himself with people who do have the technical knowledge. Chambers believes in acquiring companies at an alarming rate to either acquire new technologies or the teams of people who are developing the new technologies. This saves Cisco money and time allowing it to lead the way in the Internet world instead of playing catch up. Chambers also believes in education as a major player in the future success of not only his company , but for the entire country. His vision of doing it first, before the competition, has built Cisco Systems into the giant of the information technology field it is today. Chambers wants Cisco to be the number one or number two company in any area they compete in. If that is not possible, Cisco will not compete in that area.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  John Chambers took over as CEO of Cisco Systems in 1995. Since his rise to power, Cisco has sustained a growth rate 100% per year. One of the reasons for this growth is the kind of people Chambers keeps himself surrounded with. One example of this is Howard Charney, a senior vice-president at Cisco. Charney could be a CEO at another company if he wanted to be. He was co-inventor of the Ethernet and then founded the first 100 megabit-per-second Etehrnet company. Charney later sold the company to Cisco and stayed on with the company. He says he stays because Chambers treats him as an equal and not as an employee. Chambers asks the advice of his officers instead of dictating to them and that is one reason they stay with the company instead of leaving for the competition. Many of the officers at Cisco have worked for other profitable companies in the information technologies field such as Wang, 3Com, etc. This experience coupled with Chambers’ vision of being t he company in the lead helps Cisco stay in the forefront of technology.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Costing Methods Paper Essay

Variable and absorption costing methods are two different costing methods. Almost all successful companies in the world use both methods. Variable costing and absorption costing cannot be substituted for one another because both the systems have their own benefits and limitations (Accounting for management). This paper will complete and discuss exercise 19-17 in Wiley Plus: it will discuss the following questions: In this case, would it be better to use the variable or absorption costing method, and why? In this example Polk Company should use the absorption method, because the absorption only uses overhead that allocates to the 80,000 units sold. Whereas the variable method counts the fixed overhead as a period expense, the fixed overhead during this period is calculated on 95,000 units produced, when the absorption method is used. The variable method just calculates fixed overhead on 80,000 units sold. What are the benefits of the two methods? Both systems have their own benefits and limitations. The absorption method gives management information of product cost this is the main benefit of the absorption method. The benefit of the variable method is it gives an output the mimics the cash flow of the company. Which method would lead to the best decision when a competitor is submitting a lower bid for your product? The absorption method would be best although both methods are used, with variable costing expenses remains the same, and with the absorption method fixed production cost are period cost. Variable costing method helps with demand based pricing. References Accounting for management. (n.d.). Variable costing versus absorption costing. Retrieved from http://www.accountingformanagement.org/variable-vs-absorption-costing/

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Introduction to the Concept of Holistic Marketing Essay

The shortest definition of Marketing Management is â€Å"Meeting Needs Profitably†. Whose Needs ? – The needs of the people, or the customers or consumers, Who is trying to meet ? – The Producer, Marketer or the Company, What is the Objective ? – With profit to the company, & satisfaction to the customers. What Is Marketed Marketing people are involved in marketing the following 10 types of entities – Goods – Physical products, consumer products, consumer durables Services – Transport, repair & maintenance, legal, financial, consultancy, hotel, specialised skills Events – Trade shows, sports, world cups, vintage car rally, fashion shows, artistic performance Experiences – Theatres, opera, Disney-world, trekking, ocean cruise, cinema, music concerts Persons – Celebrity marketing, film stars, politicians, artists, performers, advertisers Places – Cities, states, countries for tourism, leisure & place for industrialisation & business Properties – Ownership of tangible properties like real estate, house, apartment, farm house, precious metals and intangible properties like financial portfolio of various securities Organisations – Building up identity, image, reputation, and value in the minds of consumers Information – It can be produced , packaged & marketed as a product – text books, encyclopaedias, magazines & journals on literature, science, technology, medicine info, available thru internet Ideas – The concept regarding a utility, business opportunity, advertising / marketing ideas, scientific & technical, social, financial, psychological etc. Marketing Concepts The Marketing concepts under which organisations have conducted marketing activities include : Exchange Concept – Exchange of goods and services between two agencies called buyer and seller, or exchange of goods and services for money or barter system. Production Concept – Widely available and inexpensive, high production efficiency Product Concept – Quality, performance, utility, innovative features etc. Selling Concept – Aggressive selling and promotion effort. â€Å"The purpose of marketing is to sell more stuff to more people more often for more money in order to make more profit†. Marketing Concept – â€Å"Products/Production† oriented concept ( make & sell ) has changed to â€Å"Consumer† oriented concept ( sense & respond ). Instead of â€Å"hunting† marketing is gardening†. The job is not to find the right customer for the products, but the right products for the customers. The perceptive contrast between the selling and marketing concepts – selling focuses on the needs of the seller, marketing on the needs of the buyer. Holistic Marketing Concept – Marketers in the current age are increasingly recognising the need to have a more complete & cohesive approach that goes beyond traditional application of marketing concepts. This concept is based on the development, design and implementation of marketing programs, processes and activities that recognise their breadth and inter-dependencies. Holistic Marketing recognises that â€Å"everything matters† with marketing – and that a broad integrated perspective is often necessary. The important components are : Integrated Marketing, Internal Marketing, Relationship Marketing, Social Responsibility Marketing. We shall discus each one of these in the following. Trends In Marketing Practices The marketplace is not the same as it used to be. It is rapidly changing as a result of major, sometimes interlinking societal forces that have created new behaviours, new opportunities & new challenges, such as : Globalisation, Deregulation, Privatisation, Technological Advances, The Internet Revolution, Customer Empowerment, Customisation, Market Fragmentation, Hightened Competition, Retail Transformation, etc. In response to this rapidly changing environments companies have restructured their business & marketing practices in some of the following ways : Reengineering : Appointing teams to manage customer-value-building processes & break down walls between departments. Outsourcing : Greater willingness to buy more goods & services from outside domestic or foreign vendors. Benchmarking : Studying â€Å"best practice companies† to improve performance. Supplier Partnering : Increased partnering with fewer but better value-adding suppliers. Customer Partnering : Working more closely with customers to add value to their operation. Merging : Acquiring or merging with firms in the same or complementary industries to gain economy of scale & scope. Globalising : Increased effort to â€Å"Think Global & Act Local†. Flattening : Reducing the number of organisational levels to get closer to the customers. Focusing : Determining the most profitable business & customers & focusing on them. Accelerating :Designing the organisation & setting up processes to respond more quickly to changes in the environment. Empowering : Encouraging & empowering personnel to produce more ideas & take more initiative. Accordingly the role of marketing organisation is also changing. Traditionally, the marketers have played the role of middlemen between the customers & the various functional areas of the organisation. In a networked enterprise, every functional area can interact directly with customers. Thus marketing needs to integrate all the customer-facing processes so that customers a single face (Integrated Marketing) & hear a single voice (Integrated Marketing Communications) when they interact with the company. Integrated Marketing One of the major tasks of marketers is to â€Å"integrate† all the marketing activities & programmes like â€Å"creating†, â€Å"communicating† & â€Å"delivering† value to the customers. The Famous Marketing Mix – the Four Ps, as devised by McCarthy constitute the traditional marketing activities in four broad groups as given below in details : Products – Design, Features, Brand Name, Models, Style, Appearance, Quality, Warranty, Package (design, type, material, size, appearance & labelling), Service ( pre-sale, after sale, service standards, service charges), Returns. Price – Pricing Policies, List Price, Margins, Discounts, Rebates, Terms of Delivery, Payment Terms, Credit Terms, Instalment Purchase Facility, Resale Price, Maintenance prices. Place – Channels of Distribution ( channel design, types of intermediaries, location of outlets, channel remuneration, dealer-principle relation, etc.), Physical Distribution (transportation, warehousing, inventory levels, order processing, etc.) Promotion – Personal Selling, Selling Expertise, Size of Sales Force, Quality of Sales Force, and Marketing Communications – Advertising (media-mix, media vehicles, and programmes), sales promotions, publicity & public relations, direct & interactive marketing). Now, these traditional concepts of Four Ps represent the sellers’ view of the marketing tools available to influence buyers. In holistic marketing one has to see also the buyers’ point of view, where each of these tools will deliver the customers’ benefit or value. Robert Lauterborn suggested the buyers’ Four Cs as follows : Product = Customer Solution, Price = Customer Cost, Place = Convenience, Promotion = Communication Thus the successful companies are those who can meet (1) customer needs (2) economically, (3) conveniently & (4) with effective communication. Two broad concepts of integrated marketing are as follows : Several different marketing activities are used to create, communicate & deliver customer value, All marketing activities coordinated to maximise their joint efforts. Or in other words, the design & implementation of one activity is done with all other activities in mind. The business of running a successful organisation is to integrate the system for management of demand, resources & network. Integrated marketing communication is a case in point. Internal Marketing Internal marketing ensures that everyone in the organisation adopts appropriate marketing principles and the top management should see it happen. This is the management task of hiring, training & motivating the employees to serve the customers well. Smart & successful companies understand that there is as much activity outside the company as inside. For it makes no sense to promise excellent services before the company’s service staff is ready to provide. Internal marketing must happen in two levels as follows : At the first level, all the marketing functions like, sales force, market research, customer service, product management, advertising, etc. must go together, i.e., all the personnel should work in tandem or unison for common goal. At the second level, â€Å"marketing† must be embraced by other departments for a common goal of the organisation. All the relevant functional departments like Finance, HR, Operations, Logistics, Systems, etc. must coordinate each other to have a marketing orientation. Only trying to meet individual department’s target & norms and not supporting the marketing objectives will take the company nowhere. One has to bear in mind that it’s marketing that earns revenue. Internal marketing requires that everyone in the organisation buy into the concepts & goals of marketing, and engage themselves in selecting, creating, communicating & delivering customer value. Only when all the employees realise that their jobs are to create, serve & satisfy the customers does the company become an effective marketer. Relationship Marketing The development of deep, enduring relationships with all the people or firms involved directly or indirectly in the firm’s marketing activities is appearing as a key goal; of marketing. This is the concept of Relationship marketing – it aims at building mutually satisfying long-term relationships with key parties like customers, financiers, suppliers, distributors & of course the stakeholders, in order to earn & retain their business. It also builds strong economic, technical & social binding amongst the parties. There are four key constituents of marketing are : Customers Employees Marketing Partners : Channels, Suppliers, Distributors, Dealers, Retailers, Agencies, etc. Financial Community : Shareholders, Stakeholders, Financiers, Investors, Analysts, etc. Another key constituent is the Society : well-wishers, scientists, professors, environmentalists. The ultimate goal of relationship marketing is the building of a unique company asset called a marketing network, which consists of the company & its supporting stakeholders as listed above with whom it has built manual profit relationships. Interestingly, today, the competition is not between companies as such, but between the carefully built marketing networks – whoever has a better network wins. So the principle is simple – build an effective network, & the profits will follow. But the practice is not so. The development & building of a strong relationship requires a deep understanding of the capabilities & resources of different groups as well as their needs, goals & desires. Relationship marketing involves the right kind of relationships with right constituent groups, like Customer Relationship Management (CRM) with customers, Partner Relationship Management (PRM) with other partners. Since these being separate subjects themselves, are beyond the scope of this article. Social Responsibility Marketing Holistic marketing incorporates social responsibility marketing. This involves broader concerns of the society at large, like social, legal, ethical & environmental in the context of marketing activities. Companies operate in a society, and so do their customers and hence they should never forget its contribution to the company. It requires that marketers carefully consider the role they are playing in terms of social welfare. Companies need to evaluate whether they are truly practicing ethical & socially responsible marketing. Several factors are driving the companies to practice higher level of corporate social responsibility, such as : Rising customer expectations, Changing employees expectations, Govt. Legislation & pressure, Investor interest in social criteria, Changing business procurement criteria. Business success and continually satisfying the customers & other stakeholders are closely linked to adoption & implementation of high standard of business & marketing conduct. The most admired companies in the world adhere to a code of serving people’s interests, not only there own. The following are the most important factors of socially responsible marketing : Legal Behaviour : Companies operate within the law of the land, and they must impart the employees with adequate knowledge of law & how to practice them. We have Govt. laws, Society laws, and the organisations must ensure the employees know & observe relevant law, and restrain themselves from practicing illegal, antisocial, corruptive, anticompetitive practices. Ethical Behaviour : Companies must evolve & adopt a properly written code of conduct based on the social & cultural ethics, decency, tradition & legal practices, and ensure that all concerned are responsible in observing these guidelines. Today customers are well aware of the social, cultural, ecological & environmental affairs in their day-to-day lives. Social Responsibility Behaviour : As said above, the customers also want to know what the firm’s contribution to the society is, or what the company’s social conscience is while dealing with customers & the stakeholders. Cause Related Marketing : Contribution to the society can be enormous, and hence companies choose a particular area of society for a particular cause. The examples are : Health awareness – Heart Diseases, AIDS, Cancer, Diabetic, Obesity, Old age, etc. Running children’s home, old age home, rehabilitation centre, women’s home, etc. Infrastructure – rural housing, hospitals, preserving archaeological places, maintaining roads & parks, homes for endangered species; Educational scholarship for the poor & needy, higher education facility, Institutes; Treatment for destitute, food for the starving; Information legal & technical help during the hour of need; Volunteerism & Philanthropy. The list can be endless. Reputed companies even have their own charitable trusts, and also have special cause related marketing plans. Cause-related marketing is the concept where the specific cause is directly or indirectly linked to the particular revenue transaction. The company has at least one non-economic social objective and uses the revenue generated from the designated sales. This concept is also known as Corporate Societal Marketing (CSM). The CSM can include other activities like traditional & strategic philanthropy & volunteerism. Social Marketing : Some marketing is conducted to directly address a social problem or cause. Social marketing is done mainly by NGOs, Non-Profit or Govt. organisations to further a cause, such as â€Å"No smoking†, â€Å"Say NO to Drugs†, etc. The Holistic Marketing Matrix Integrated Marketing – Products & Services, Communications, Channels Internal Marketing – Top Management, Marketing Department, Other Department Relatioship Marketing – Customers, Partners, Channels Social Responsibitity Marketing – Community, Legal, Ethics, Environment The Future of Marketing   The top management is slowly recognising that the marketing in the older method is getting wasteful and is demanding more accountability. There are a number of imperatives (must do) to achieve marketing excellence, as presented below : Marketers must – be â€Å"Holistic† and not in bits & parts, i.e., not sectional or departmental. achieve larger influence in the company if they are to be the main architect of business strategies. continuously create new ideas if the company is to prosper in a hyper-competitive economy. strive for customer insight & treat customers differently, but appropriately. build their brands thru performance, more than thru promotion. go electronic & win thru building superior information & communication systems. In these ways, modern marketing will continue to evolve & confront new challenges & opportunities. As a result, the coming years will see the demise of – – – & the rise of : The Demise of The Rise of The marketing department Holistic marketing Free-spending marketing ROI (return on investment) marketing Marketing intuition Marketing science Manual marketing Automated marketing Mass marketing Precision marketing To become truly holistic in marketing & achieve these changes, what the marketers need are a new set of skills, competencies in the following areas of expertise. Customer Relationship management Partner Relationship management Database Marketing & Data-mining Contact Centre Marketing & Telemarketing Public Relation Marketing including Event & Sponsorship Marketing Brand-building & Brand-asset Management Integrated Marketing Communications Profitability Analysis by Segment, Customer, Channel Experiential Marketing Conclusion The Nineteenth century American author Ralph Waldo Emerson had said, â€Å"This time like all times is a good one, if we but know what to do with it†. Thus, the exciting time for marketing has arrived now. And also, in the relentless pursuit of marketing superiority & dominance, new concepts, rules, tools & practices are ever emerging. There are a number of benefits of successful twenty-first-century marketing. All we need are hard work, insight, right application of mind & tools, inspiration, perseverance & of course a willingness to achieve greater heights.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

The Issue of Workplace Equity

The Issue of Workplace Equity Introduction Work equity is a major issue affecting most organizations around the world, regardless of whether they are public or private institutions. While everybody prefers being treated equally at workplace, there are numerous cases when employees are not treated with fairness, to a level of public concern.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Issue of Workplace Equity specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Such cases have prompted the formulation of laws in different countries to deal with cases of unequal treatment especially in public organizations. Such laws define the manner in which workers are supposed to be treated, without favoritism in executing leadership or managerial authority (Peetz et al. 406). This paper explores the issue of workplace equity, focusing on a wide-range of aspects like its background, benefits, disadvantages, and challenges among others. Background Workplace equity is a broad aspect of man agement, which ensures that there is fair representation of people in an organization. This therefore means that workplace equity can be described variedly, depending on parameters of representation. In most cases, workplace equity strives to ensure that the minority groups are well-considered in all aspects of employment, starting with the manner in which employees are recruited to how they perform their duties (Peetz et al. 406). In order to comply with laws and create a positive public image, most institutions offer equal chances for men and women in cases where there are vacant positions to be occupied. Even though this is the case, some countries may have cultural beliefs, which limit the opportunities of members of a particular gender. Under such circumstances, women are known to suffer most because nearly all societies limit the opportunities of women. Besides gender, workplace equity ensures that people with disabilities are treated equally with dignity and respect, regardle ss of their physical situations. Since disabled people are limited, it is important for institutions to have a fair approach, starting with recruitment, training, remuneration, and overall relationship between employees and employers.Advertising Looking for essay on labor law? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More People with disabilities can compete effectively if they are provided with the physical aid that they may require (Anenson 1). This ensures that tasks assigned to them are well-done within the provided time. In other words, institutions have the obligation of providing facilities, which promote the effectiveness of disabled people with regard to hiring and performance of different tasks at workplace. Another factor which determines workplace equity is race, especially in cases where the society is made up people from different ethnic backgrounds. In order for this to happen, it is important to consider potential candidates fairly during recruitment, training, and payment. Where equality is not observed, minority ethnic groups may be disadvantaged due to poor representation in different government institutions (Anenson 1). While private organizations may have customized approaches, relating to the hiring of employees and their retention, public firms need to exercise high degree of fairness to the entire country. Although it is not easy for an entire institution to be fair to all employees in every aspect, it is the responsibility of senior managers to be the ambassadors of equity in all their decisions and actions at workplace. Theory of equity The issue of workplace equity has been discussed by various theorists and experts throughout history. Following such surveys and researches, John Stacey Adams proposed ideas, which have found significant application in the understanding of quality at workplace. In his theory, Adams mainly addressed the issue of equity in relation to motivation of emp loyees in an organization. His findings have been found to match with those of other psychologists like Charles Handy and Maslow among other experts in the field (Pravin 316). According to Adams, equity at workplace plays a major role in defining an employee’s attitude towards his or her work. In other words, the theory has a wider view of certain factors that are likely to affect the entire workforce, even though a few people might be directly affected. This can be qualified based on the fact that fairness and equity are defined in comparison with how other employees are treated under the same working conditions. Furthermore, fair treatment motivates workers, because they feel appreciated for their efforts in advancing the aims and objectives of the organization (Pravin 316). In describing workplace equity, Adams focused on what people give and receive in return as inputs and outputs respectively. Inputs may include skills and energy, which employees use in performing their tasks, assigned by the management of the organization (Pravin 316). Nevertheless, such efforts are not offered free-of-charge, especially in cases where a person has been hired to receive outputs after offering specified services.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Issue of Workplace Equity specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In this context, it is equally important that to note that inputs go beyond the number of hours people spend at their workplaces. Similarly, outputs comprise of other factors beyond money, which is viewed by most people as the sole output. The main focus of the theory is the state of those we compare ourselves with in order to establish whether they are treated fairly or not. According to the theory, there are several factors within a workplace, which determine the source of motivation for most people, working in any institution. It is for this reason that people tend to establish a balance betwe en what is given and the reward received as a result of effort and skills. Through comparison with others, people develop better relationships with friends and colleagues as a way of understanding personal fairness at workplace. Most people get affected when they realize that their workmates are being treated in a different manner (Pravin 316). The response is likely to be negative in cases where their colleagues are rewarded with better terms as compared to what they earn. This can be used to understand why employees get discouraged when a section of the workforce is exempted from pay-rise or promotion. In understanding workplace equity, it is essential to note that people respond to unfair treatment at workplace differently, depending on the impact of varied treatment accorded to employees. Discouragement and total hatred are common in cases where a person learns that the kind of rewards offered are less than those given to another group yet they belong to the same professional le vel (Pravin 316). Workplace Equity in Canada Workplace equity is highly encouraged in Canada, to ensure that nobody is treated unfairly for reasons, which are not related to one’s ability. The success of equity starts with identifying various forms of discrimination in public institutions before addressing ways of overcoming them. As mentioned before, women, Aboriginals, and those with disabilities are highly prone to unfair treatment while at work (Zanko 73). In order to promote workplace equity, it is important to establish a way of dealing with the vice and the ability to accommodate people with differences.Advertising Looking for essay on labor law? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Canada is one of the countries with a proud history of workplace equity. In 1970s, the country witnessed wide-spread efforts in support of human rights law, which addressed intentional discrimination. During this time, most Canadians found it hard to secure employment because of existing barriers, which they had to deal with. There was need for a proactive approach in promoting employment opportunities through change of practices and culture (Zanko 73). It was until 1978 that the government introduced an affirmative action for the private sector. Nevertheless, these efforts bore little fruits as it turned out that employers had not initiated programs to deal with workplace equity. As a result, the Royal Commission on Equity in Employment was established, chaired by Judge Rosalie Abella. The commission recommended a mandatory program known as Employment Equity, which recognized women, Aboriginals, and disabled people as the designated groups in the country (Zanko 73). The Employment Equity Act The first Employment Equity Act was ratified in 1986 before it was amended in 1995. The main purpose of the act, which is upheld to-date, is to promote workplace equity in Canada through equal employment and promotion opportunities for all citizens (Catano 80). In essence, the act ensures that there is full representation of the designated groups in public institutions, based on the needs of the market and the availability of those seeking employment. In order for the act to be effectively implemented, employers are required to eliminate all forms of employment barriers against minorities, emanating from unauthorized practices and policies. Additionally, employers are supposed to make adjustments within their systems in order to reflect equal representation within the workforces based on eligibility, geography and qualifications (Catano 80). Even though the sole purpose of establishing the Employment Equity Program is to improve the representation of designated groups in the labor force, it is worth noting that there are benefits, which employers experience as a result of implementing such programs. The following segment discusses some of these benefits. Advantages of workplace equity to employers The first benefit of promoting workplace equity is that it enhances large markets for goods and services. This is based on the fact that the success of any organization or business is based on its continuous expansion of its customer base (Bailyn 97). The rise in globalization in the 21st century has led to a significant shift in demographic trends around the world. An institution, which is committed to expansion, ought to widen its scope of customers and employees in order to take advantage of the growing market. Large markets increase the demand for what is being produced thus creating the need for higher levels of institutional production. Besides the expansion of a country’s market, workplace equity promotes an expanded labor pool to meet the ne eds of the country. For instance, when equal opportunities are given to all the citizens for specific positions, the government gets an opportunity to select the best candidates from a variety of applicants (Bailyn 100). It is paramount to note that minorities in the society may also possess relevant skills, which could be needed in a given sector. However, their skills and knowledge can only be recognized if they are considered during recruitment and equal treatment at workplace. A larger pool of talents ensures that the hiring institution gets a wide-range of options in order to meet the ever-changing needs of the market due to evolving technology and market trends. Another important benefit of workplace equity is that it promotes good public relations. Institutions, which are known for unfair treatment of its employment, are likely to develop a negative public image, which may have far-reaching effects on its performance and future expansion opportunities (Cadrain 44). In most ca ses, citizens are keen to identify with institutions, which seem to address existing employment hardships in the market by offering equal opportunities to potential candidates. As good corporate citizens, such institutions are likely to win the confidence and trust of its employees. Since public institutions carry the image of the government, workplace equity further presents a positive and likeable image of the government. Through such initiatives, citizens are able to witness the commitment of the government in promoting equity among people with different needs in the society (Cadrain 44). As a result, the public would be more patriotic and willing to defend their nation because of the equal opportunities it endeavors to offer within the labor market. Furthermore, workplace equity guarantees better legal benefits, especially in countries where employers are required by law to consider all designated groups of people during hiring and at work. Institutions, which do not comply with the legal requirements, regarding equity, are likely to pay hefty fines or face the punishment recommended by the federal government, which may include sanctions and limited operating space (Budd 2). When an institution remains committed to workplace equity, it means that there will be no complaints from employees and the public. In addition, workplace equity promotes motivation among employees. In other words, they feel recognized by their employers and remain committed to performing their tasks effectively. Besides this, institutions are able to minimize retention costs since employees will be satisfied with working conditions (Budd 2). For this reason, most of them will not have the urge to resign or seek better opportunities elsewhere. As a result, organizations minimize their turnover, thus avoiding unnecessary expenditure on hiring and training of new employees frequently. Besides the retention of employees, workplace equity plays a major role in pulling qualified candidates who get attracted to the organization because of its fair treatment of employees. Talented people usually prefer working in places where they are treated with dignity regardless of their shortcomings. Additionally, they value how their colleagues are treated, in order to establish the company’s fairness in handling its employees (International Labor Organization 63). When talented people get attracted to an organization, high skilled manpower is guaranteed to drive the firm’s performance in a competitive world. This further ensures that labor needs are met with minimal expenses, which are commonly incurred in advertising jobs, hiring, and training. Through such savings, a firm gets an allowance to expand its operations and improve its services without spending a lot of money. Government Role in Workplace Equity In understanding workplace equity, it is imperative to note that it can only be achieved with collective responsibility. In other words, it calls upon the input of the government, individual institutions, and citizens to ensure that employees are treated fairly. For instance, the government’s role ranges from the formulation to the implementation of laws, which promote equity at workplaces in the country. In essence, the government drafts laws, describing the need for workplace equity, designated groups, penalties for defaulters, and the implementation process (International Labor Organization 63). Without such initiatives by the government, it would be hard for institutions to promote equity at different workplaces. Besides formulating laws, which govern workplace equity, the government is mandated to ensure that the laws are followed as stipulated in the act. In other words, no achievements would be realized if no mechanisms are instituted to enhance the implementation process (Zanko 73). In most cases, governments adopt compliance review, which allows institutions to present their progress in terms of workplace equity. Similarly, follow-up compliance review may be undertaken as a way of assessing the efforts initiated by institutions in implementing workplace equity plans. Depending on the provisions of the law, compliance reviews can take place after a definite period of time, say, after every two years or randomly, to ensure that employers remain committed to complying with the law. The government also plays a pivotal role in initiating reviews of the law, in order to address the changing needs of the labor market and the dynamic demographic patterns. Such reviews are important in addressing new issues and eliminating errors, which may have been witnessed during the implementation of the laws (Zanko 73). Moreover, through its implementation, the government takes legal action against those who do not comply with the law through court decisions or fines as stipulated by the law. Such legal actions discourage other institutions from engaging in practices, which go against the law. In addition, the government creates awareness among its citizens in order for them to understand their rights. Public education is therefore necessary in enlightening the public and the employers on the need of having a fair working environment. Through such forums, citizens also realize their responsibility in the overall process of implementing employment equity programs (Zanko 73). Importantly, this education ensures that the public is aware of the designated groups of people, and how they ought to be represented at workplace. In essence, it would be hard for an employee to realize the unfairness of the manager if the rights of workers are not known. On the other hand, an enlightened citizen can easily evaluate the performance of an institution, depending on established parameters. Workplace Equity Challenges Whilst workplace equity has a wide range of advantages, it has been found that its implementation is faced with various challenges, which may vary from one institution or country to another. For insta nce, some institutions resist equity programs because they believe that the quality of people hired is likely to be compromised. While this may be the case, it has been argued that the presence of a limited characterization of potential candidates further complicates the issue (Gottfried and Laura 256). In some cases, employers tend to ignore the immense role of employee diversity during recruitment and the manner in which the management relates with its employees. When qualified candidates do not portray fair representation with regard to existing designated groups, it becomes hard for the institution to comply with employment regulations. This is also based on the fact that one cannot be forced to apply for a given job position, merely because he or she belongs to a minority group. Another challenge emanates from the perception of most disadvantaged people who resist being considered in a special way because of their shortcomings. Others argue that such appointments and promotions are likely to promote stigma and discrimination against the minorities in the society (Gottfried and Laura 256). Since disadvantaged people may have equal needs with other groups of people, there is usually a likelihood of people thinking in terms of favoritism. In this line of thought, promotions done within such a context may be considered to be biased. Implementation of workplace equity challenges also face public and private organizations, some of which may have streamlined command structures. In particular, implementation of such programs highly require the input of senior managers, who have to be convinced exhaustively about the value of intended moves in advancing the agenda of the firm. This has been found to be hard especially in organizations, which are characterized by decentralization and cultural diversity (International Labor Organization 63). When the organization is highly diverse, a single policy on workplace equity may not be effective in promoting equal represent ation of designated groups of people. In some cases, professionals believe in their autonomy, a state, which cannot easily be changed by allowing disadvantaged people to join them. Similarly, most equity efforts around the world face intersectional challenges. For instance, a program, which is aimed at increasing the number of women, may end up recruiting more white women than black (Peetz et al. 406). Furthermore, efforts to promote gender equity face a wide-range of challenges in cases where the workplaces are dominated by men, coming from traditional societies that undermine women. In such a state, it might be hard to convince employees and other managers about the need for gender equality at workplace. Nevertheless, religious diversity equally plays a major role in implementing workplace equity in most parts of the country. This is widely common in cases where faith intersects with sexuality, thus limiting fairness in handling employees. For instance, traditional religionists co nsider homosexuality and gender non-conformity as sinful and harmful. In the event that a workplace is dominated by such employees, who strongly subscribe to religion, it would be hard to accommodate people with contradictory behavior and religious standards (Peetz et al. 406). Even though, there have been efforts to promote equality, discrimination of this nature is still common in most parts of the world. Resistance of this nature is usually strong in cases where the condemnation comes from a traditional Christian or ethno-religious minorities. Workplace Equity and Politics It is evident that politics play a major role in country, especially in making national decisions and formulation of laws. Based on this, it is important to consider the impact of politics in addressing the issue of workplace equity. Leaders of political parties may influence the kind of laws to be ratified in promoting employment equity. Importantly, politicians primarily influence the society through decision s taken by the government in implementing and reviewing workplace equity rules (Peetz et al. 406). It is therefore important for such leaders to understand the need for equity and existing factors to be addressed by managers in public and private institutions when recruiting, promoting and relating with employees. In rare cases, some employees or potential candidates may be discriminated based on their political affiliations. Even though this might be the case, people have the freedom to belong to a given political party without being undermined at their workplaces. The future of Workplace Equity With the changing labor needs and demographic patterns, the world is likely to experience an array of changes regarding workplace equity. This will also be determined by the growing awareness of different designated groups of people in the society and the need of treating them with dignity. For instance, governments around the world identify the classes of people who require consideration d uring recruitments, training, remuneration, and promotions (Bailyn 97). This is likely to be achieved through public awareness, which equally helps minorities to champion their rights in a competitive working environment. Monitoring of public institutions is likely to improve, especially with advanced technology. During follow-up and compliance review, better methods can be employed in order to obtain a more accurate view of how different managers consider employment equity while running public institutions (Anenson 10). A good example would be the use of the internet to carry out online surveys in order to determine the achievements realized in promoting fair treatment of workers. Online surveys may save time since the process does not involve the movement of supervisors from one place to another. Recommendations As seen from the case of Canada, legislation plays a major role in promoting workplace equity in the world. In essence, it gives expansive guidelines on how institutions a re supposed to address the issue of minorities in their labor forces. Of great significance is the need for these legislative statutes to be expanded in order to address the changing demographic patterns like the growing number of lesbians, gay, bisexual and transgendered (Cadrain 44). With regard to compliance, the review should address all questions of representation at all levels within the hierarchy of the institution. Additionally, these legislations ought to be tougher in order to compel institutions to consider equal representation of demographic constituents of a given society or country. Additionally, massive public education is highly recommended in equipping the masses with knowledge about workplace equity. Even though one may belong to a group of minorities, it might not be easy for them to push for their rights in terms of being treated by the employer (Budd 2). Through training forums, people will understand the meaning and implication of workplace equity. Besides equi pping the public, managers need to be trained in order to implement workplace equity laws effectively. This would also help them in understanding the fines and consequences of breaching the law. Conclusion From the above analysis, it is evident that workplace equity remains a debatable issue in most parts of the world. Oftentimes, workplace equity is encouraged to motivate employees and bridge the gap among employees. Of great significance is the fact that workplace equity has a wide-range of benefits, which enhance the performance and growth of institutions. For instance, organizations are able to retain employees, develop a larger market and promote cultural diversity. On the other hand, the process of implementing workplace equity has always been faced with challenges, including cultural and religious differences. Additionally, equal representation of various minority groups may be hampered by the attitude of employees. Nevertheless, the effectiveness of workplace equity can be a chieved through several approaches, including but not limited to training, public awareness, strong legislation, and compliance review strategies. Above all, the success of workplace equity requires collective responsibility for all the parties involved. Anenson, Leigh. The Role Of Equity In Employment Noncompetition Cases. American Business Law Journal 42.1 (2005): 1-63. Print. Bailyn, Lotte. Redesigning Work For Gender Equity And Work-Personal Life Integration. Community, Work Family 14.1 (2011): 97-112. Print. Budd, John. Employment With a Human Face: Balancing Efficiency, Equity, And Voice. New York: Cornell University Press, 2006. Print. Cadrain, Diane. Sexual Equity In The Workplace. HR Magazine 53.9 (2008): 44. Print. Catano, Victor. Recruitment and Selection in Canada. Connecticut: Cengage Learning, 2009. Print. Gottfried, Heidi, and Reese Laura. Equity in the Workplace: Gendering Workplace Policy Analysis. Maryland: Lexington Books, 2004. Print. International Labor Organi zation. Equality at Work: Tackling the Challenge : International Labour Conference 96th Session 2007, Report I. Geneva: International Labour Organization, 2007. Print. Peetz et al. Workplace Effects Of Equal Employment Opportunity Legislation: The Australian Experience. Policy Studies 29.4 (2008): 405-419. Print. Pravin, Durai. Human Resource Management. New Delhi: Pearson Education India, n.d. Print. Zanko, Michael. The Handbook of Human. United Kingdom: Edward Elgar Publishing. Print.

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Applied Business Ethics

Human beings have for a long time been faced with the plague of making the right decision. In each and every day, the business world lives around making decisions and for most of them, making the right one needs one to be thoughtful and considerations while others have no conscious in thinking through a decision. Hospitality, an industry I would really like to join as a future profession is like any other business that is profit driven. In Singapore, in the efforts to increase the profits in the industry and to increase the revenues, the government was at one time seen to settle on decisions that came with a lot of ethical issues in societies. Ethical issues in the hospitality industry have been experienced mostly in the cruise ships engaging in casinos and gambling where the government of Singapore legitimized the gambling as a business like other businesses. In as much as the cruise ship might be having a beneficial advantage to the country, by generating income to and adding up to the economy in Singapore, it is quite unfortunate that it discharges bilge water, sewerage and other waste to the water a few miles from the coast. Such activities are never regulated and they may be a great danger especially to the fishing industry as the waste and other discharge from the ship may cause a massive death of fish (Lo, 2005). Many stakeholders are naturally concerned that these wastes might cause negative impacts to the environment but then, they might not want to interfere and disturb revenue generating business and a part of the Singapore’s economy. The profit that is enjoyed from the cruise ships does not mean that the directors and other staff should be less ethical. Clearly, a company can be profitable and at the same time reducing the ethical issues through integrity (Balfour, 2006). In the process of using integrity, ethics would be prevailing and the right choices would be made. In the same cruise ships in Singapore, one of the businesses carrying the order of the day is gambling. In as much as casino gaming may seem to be a business like others, it is surrounded with many ethical issues. People engaging in gambling are prone to addiction to the game, might have tribal issues and others may be forced into organized crimes and suicide. While others may find their ways into gaming casinos for business and fun, others might take the opportunity to organized crimes; others may be tempted to commit suicide after losing a lot of money and property as others get addicted to the game. It thus leaves questions as to why the government could just decide to legalize gaming considering it come along with many ethical issues (Grinols & Mustard, 2006).   The aspect of being right or wrong appears to differ from culture to culture although the defending fact is about a person’s behavior. An example is the principle of utilitarianism where it is about the good deeds for many people. Singapore is well recognized as one of the governments that are least corrupts different from many countries where corruption has turned to be a plague in the government (Walker & Jackson, 2007). Many corporate agencies are full of corrupt administrators and governments are full of graft and bribes and as such people might not question a government running a country being ethical. Singapore, after its government announced that they will be legalizing gambling and allowing the construction of mega resorts with gaming facilities, it appeared that the country was thrown in a debating field about the implications that could come along with the decision. Questions are thus rising on how ethical or unethical the governments are becoming and the implication s of the decisions made by these governments to allow building of casinos and the operations of the cruise ship (Lim, 2005). The government of Singapore came out to defend its decision to legitimize the integrated resorts claiming that the gambling and all the games in the casinos can be considered a form of entertainment and a worthy investment. Also, they based their justification on economic situations where they had to import some of the raw materials used in building the casinos and as a result, enhancing business relationships with other countries. Another major reason the government gave for legalizing the gambling was that the revenue of the country was falling and it was because many of their citizens were travelling to other states to gamble. One may look at it that the government of Singapore may have wanted to tap into its revenue to prevent the money from being spent out of the country (Banks, 2002). Tourism was also another reason that saw the government allow the construction of the casinos and the operation of the cruise ship. The decision by the country was seen to be aiming at increasing the demands for and the motivation of the tourists to the island state. The government also based its decision of the fact that Singapore appears to the third least corrupt states making their probability to attract many tourists around the world high. It was also anticipated that the casino would be a great opening of many employment opportunities (Sim, 2010).   One of the ethical issues surrounding the casino and gambling business is the organized crimes taking place in these places. Crime is one of the factors that the anti-casino movements were seen to argue that will increase as a result of the legalization of the business. In other countries, there have been witnessed cases of assassinations around the casinos where the people gambling in these casinos seem not to be satisfied with the fact that they lose their money or property and thus, organize an assassination of their opponents (Garret, 2004). Before the government had legalized the casinos and gambling in Singapore, there were many forces and arguments for and against the case. Different people had different views concerning casino gaming where a group believed in the ethical part of casinos while others defended their opposition on grounds of the unethical parts causing an ethical dilemma in the case (Toneatto, Ferguson & Brennan, 2003). From the beginning, the policy makers in the country had acknowledged the possible negative externalities and gave an assurance that these would be controlled through different measures that were put in place. The government passed the casino control act that issued the license to build the two integrated resorts with casinos in them.   There are also statutory boards that were developed to limit the social impacts of the casino gambling and the state has been very strict in the act by progressively tightening the rules over time. There are exclusion measures and limits of visits to th e casino. The exclusion measures are seen to bar people from entering the casino while the limits of visits puts barriers on the number of visits a person can visit the casino, and that being imposed on registered members (Grinols, 2004). Another measure is on the people operating the casino where they are not allowed to accept credit cards from the local residents and they are as well not permitted to extend credit to the local visitors. In any case the operators appear to breach the regulations; they are to face some disciplinary actions including the imposition of fines, suspension or even termination of their licenses (Werker, 2007). Ever since the casinos in Singapore started working, the regulations governing them have been tightened progressively. The issue of addiction was to be sorted through the enrollment of education programs to through family service centers and community development councils. These bodies were to give gambling addiction information to the public and also trained the staff on the compulsive gambling and how to provide basic counseling to the gamblers (Anderson, 2005).     However, the government should have applied the consequentialism theory with the approach of ethics. The consequential approach emphasizes that an ethical morality is a contingent on the action outcome or its consequence. Therefore, any right ethical actions should produce a positive result (Walker & Jackson, 2007). The positive result should outweigh the negative outcome. The casino ACT mainly focused on the local residence hence benefiting them more than the residents. In conjunction with the shareholder's theory, the responsibility of the casino was to raise profits to the shareholders and benefit the residents positively. According to Banks (2002). Understanding the theories of justice comes from the business ethics. However, it has a political aspect due to the control of businesses by the government involvement. The government of Singapore defends its decision to legitimize the integrated resorts claiming that the gambling and all the games in the casinos can also be considered a form of entertainment. The claim is based on the economic conditions and the claim that purchasing of raw materials from other countries will support their relationships. The theory of justice mainly focuses on the creation of liberties equalization hence creating strong friendships and happiness between the other countries with a mutual benefit.   In each and every day, the business world lives around making decisions and for most of them, making the right one needs one to be thoughtful and considerations while others have no conscious in thinking through a decision. In as much as the cruise ship might be having a beneficial advantage to the country, by generating income to and adding up to the economy in Singapore, it is quite unfortunate that it discharges bilge water, sewerage and other waste to the water a few miles from the coast. Many corporate agencies are full of corrupt administrators and governments are full of graft and bribes and as such people might not question a government running a country being ethical. Singapore, after its government announced that they will be legalizing gambling and allowing the construction of mega resorts with gaming facilities, it appeared that the country was thrown in a debating field about the implications that could come along with the decision. The government passed the casino contr ol act that issued the license to build the two integrated resorts with casinos in them.   There are also statutory boards that were developed to limit the social impacts of the casino gambling and the state has been very strict in the act by progressively tightening the rules over time.   Anderson, J. E., (2005). Casino taxation in the United States. National Tax Journal, 58(2), 303–  Ã‚   324. Retrieved from https://ntj.tax.org/ Balfour, F. (2006). Macau gaming: Shady past, rosy future. BusinessWeek Online, pp. 6. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database. Banks, G. (2002). The Productivity Commission’s gambling inquiry: 3 years on. Presentation to    the 12th Annual Conference of the National Association for Gambling Studies, Melbourne, Productivity Commission, Canberra. Retrieved from    https://www.pc.gov.au/speeches/?a=7804 Garret, T.A. (2004). Casino gaming and employment trends. Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Review, 86(1), pp. 9-22. Retrieved from https://research.stlouisfed.org/publications/review/04/01/garrett.pdf Grinols, E.L. (2004). Gambling in America; Costs and benefits. The Press Syndicate of the University of   Cambridge, The Pitt Building, Trumpington Street, Cambridge, United   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Kingdom. Grinols, E.L., & Mustard, D.B. (2006). Casinos, crime, and community costs. The Review of Economics   and Statistics. 88(1), 28-45. Retrieved from https://www.terry.uga.edu/~mustard/casinos.pdf Lim, H. K. (2005). Comment by Minster for Trade & Industry Lim Hng Kiang.Ministerial    Speeches & Comments. Retrieved from Ministry of Trade and IndustrySingapore website: https://app.mti.gov.sg/default.asp?id=606 Lo, S. H. (2005). Casino politics, organized crime and the post-colonial state in Macau. Journal of Contemporary China, 14(43), 207-224. doi:10.1080/10670560500065454. Sim, A. (2010). Singapore already reaping benefits from IRs: Economist. Retrieved from https://www.asiaone.com/Business/News/Story/A1Story20100426-212421.html Toneatto, T., Ferguson, D., & Brennan, J. (2003). Effect of a new casino on problem gambling in treatment-seeking substance abusers. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 48(1), 40.Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database. Walker, D., & Jackson, J. (2007). Do casinos cause economic growth? American Journal of Economics & Sociology, 66(3), 593-607. doi:10.1111/j.1536-7150.2007.00528.x. Werker, E. (2007). Company town: Fixing corrupt governments. Harvard Business School,   Working Knowledge, Retrieved from https://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/5730.html

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Essay Question Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Question - Essay Example External factors are the forces that come from outside the financial industries and affect their normal operations directly or indirectly. In most cases, external factors are beyond the industries’ control. The management of financial institutions has no control over them. The factors demand a robust legal framework to regulate. External factors include demographic, political, technological the size of the industries themselves. The demographic structure is the composition and age of a population. The pupation is the primary market of the financial institutions. The age of population influences the financial services directly. The older and younger population is less productive to the financial institutions because they do not use the banking services very often. They are mainly consumers instead of investors. Some customers fail to honor their financial obligations such as timely loan repayment. The political environment has a critical role in determining the failure or success of the banking sectors. The government has direct control over the financial through central banks. The countries, the central bank, have the mandate to regulate interest rates. The government may also formulate policies that make it very challenging financial institutions to run their activities seamlessly. The state of political instability destabilizes the banking systems. Because of the advancement in technology, financial institutions face serious financial crimes ranging from money laundering to robbery of banks through technological means such as using guns to rob banks. Internal factors affecting the financial services industry are forces that emanate from within the industries themselves. The factors include industrial norms, ideologies, and management structures among others. Failure by the management to comply with the norms and ethics of the industries has a negative influence on the growth of the industry. The insider