Class Reflection

We talked about the difficulties companies face when sending ex-patriots to foreign countries to train or work there for some period of time. This transition is very difficult both emotionally and culturally. Even for someone who knows the culture can have a difficult time with the transition. Therefore, companies should be sensitive to the needs of such employees who trans locate out of their native country.

Chapter 16

I am actually really excited about this chapter and learning how to manage a larger company well and maintain a high level of performance. This is a challenge many growing companies face. I believe those companies that are relatively new and have grown quickly are especially in need of these principles.
The challenge with a small company growing large is that the owners lose the close association with their employees that they once had and their constant oversight of operations. If a company does not put people in place to fill those needs as the company grows and the owners must pull out of the business farther then a disconnection will occur with the employees and they will not know where the company is headed nor what part they have in it.
Communication is always key in any organization; thus, for a large company, systems must be in place to allow employees to have their voice heard or else they may feel undervalued. Proper trainers and advisors must also be in place to insure that employees understand their responsibilities and how to accomplish them. Employees should also be notified of their compensation and benefits, so that they understand fully what they are getting from the company. If these things are done performance levels can be maintained throughout business growth.

Class Reflection

I liked the take professor had on the subject we discussed last class. We were talking about unions, and the time before the professor had defended unions in general. This last class he talked about how to avoid unionization if a business does not want unionized employees. He talked about how if an employer treats the employees well then there is no need for a union. A company cannot say that the employees will be penalized by unionizing, but the company can take away the need for a union by making the employees feel they are treated fairly.

Chapter 15

To be successful, a large business has to go where the best is, the best employees, the best resources, the best cost for running the business, etc. In today’s markets to stay competitive, large companies have to outsource to other countries. This is a crucial but difficult move, since so many different factors come into play when doing business in another country.
There are many things to consider when doing business in another country. The culture, local expectations, and ethics play a big role in the successful transaction of business globally. The Human Resources department must manage many of these cultural differences to insure the satisfaction of both the employer and employees. Because cultures can be so different, it is important to get someone who knows and understand the culture and language of the different countries in which the company is doing business so that misunderstanding and petty differences do not prove fatal.

Class Reflection

This class was really interesting. We ended class with an practical activity designed to give us "real life" experience with union vs. management negotiations. We did not negotiate any specific topic or item, but the activity was designed to help us understand how it is most beneficial when both groups works together. My group won; however, we would have received more points had we all worked together.

Chapter 14

This chapter discusses the basics of a union and how a union functions with a business’ management. Unions were first started and continue on the basis of protecting the employee from unfair treatment from his/her employer. I believe the concept and intentions of a union are good and noble. However, I do not believe that they are effective in caring out this purpose.
When I think of a union, I think of an employee who doesn’t work as hard and gets paid unfairly more because he/she is protected. There are too many problems with this system. Man’s nature is to take advantage of a given situation. If we provide employees with more power than their employer than they will treat their employer the way employees got treated when unions were created. I believe that a union also places employees on unfair grounds. When some of the employees are unionized while others are not, then there is unequal compensation and unfair treatment. I believe for a company to be most successful, all employees should be on the same “playing field” or have the same standards to which they must abide.

Class Reflection

This class period we discussed the topic of employee benefits. Employee benefits are an interesting topic, because they are an optional perk yet most employers are forced to offer benefits to be competitive. I am somewhat torn on the idea of employee benefits. Obviously they are nice to have, but who started expecting personal benefits from an employer. Isn't an employer just supposed to employ you. Now, I see how it is beneficial for a company to offer benefits to be competitive and how the employees can get better rates through their company, but in reality it decreases the amount the business can pay the employee in many instances. So, I guess what I am getting at is that employers should be open to what the employee values most and conveying the value that the employer is providing will eliminate miss communication and unnecessary dissatisfaction.

Chapter 13

“Employee benefits” is an interesting topic. I believe there is a lot of controversy concerning this subject. Most employees enjoy extra benefits, and some expect them. However, I do not see why an employer should pay for your health care of anything else. They are to give employment.

I see why some businesses have to offer these benefits, but I do not think that they are necessary. I believe in many instances, employers offer benefits because they need to or they would not be competitive. But, why are they expected in the first place.

I think that benefits can be used to motivate employees and keep them with the company for longer. I believe it is for this reason that many companies offer benefits. But, by doing so it creates a predisposition of expectation that burdens some small companies especially start-up-businesses.

Chapter 12

Rewarding employees’ good performance with pay is an excellent motivator. The introduction to chapter 12 discusses how Jamba Juice uses an effective rating scale for performance, and gives raises and bonuses accordingly. I think this is an excellent way to motivate employees and reward them for superior performance. I also think the opposite is true when poor evaluations are done. This can be a factor, which un-motivates the employees who should have received rewards and did not.The chapter also brought up the point through a study that organizations that give incentive pay have a strong correlation between employee performance and profitability. So, it pays to pay.

The chapter talked about the piece rate system. I have seen this in action with some of the jobs I have looked at and worked for. This is an interesting concept. Those who work harder get more done; thus, they get paid more. In this model, pay is directly related to performance, which motivates employees to work hard and is an easy way for an organization to give fair pay.

Class Reflection

I enjoyed our group discussion today. We talked about different ways a company can reward their employees via pay plans. We talked about piece rat, merit based pay raise, and a number of other methods that can be used to motivate employees via pay. I think that when performance is directly linked to pay, employees perform much better. However, this is a difficult task. Finding a method that appropriately measures performance is often difficult among organizations, and this is one of the biggest struggle in directly relating pay to performance.

Chapter 11

To whom is Pay Important?

This chapter discusses the creation of pay scales. The intro talks about how a law firm developed a new pay scale for their industry and talked about the importance of pay to the employees of this industry. We discussed in class how pay is not the main motivator that it is important for getting employees in the door but does not keep them there. I would like to propose a slightly different theory.

I believe that there are two main types of employees namely: those who are motivated by pay and those who are not. I believe that there are those who are motivated by pay, because pay determines there quality of life in many degrees. The level of pay indicates what they are able to do with such compensation. Those who are motivated by pay know how to utilize pay and can govern their own happiness and do not require their employment to create a realm of enjoyment for them. They are self-sufficient… capable of creating their own sphere of pleasure.

Those who are not motivated by pay are those who depend on the employer to create this realm of enjoyment for them. They are not creative enough or simply do not want to put in the effort of doing so themselves. These employees are affected more so by the changes at work then those who are motivated by play (unless such change is to their salary). These types of employees also gravitate to socialism and Unions.

I believe there are not only two defined groups but rather varying degrees of both sides. Therefore, I do not believe that only one side exists; that employees are not motivated by pay. However, I believe that there are as many degrees of motivation by pay as there are people.