Learning Reflection

This week has been interesting to see the different areas of HR that our classmates wrote about. We all are unique and have different interests that we want to find out more. I really liked all of the presentations. Everyone did a great job! I learned a ton about different aspects of Human Resources. The more I look into HR the more I find out how much a company needs a good HR to make the company run efficiently and effectively.

Learning Reflection

I feel that every company should have a corporate culture that values ethics and has an ethical backing that shows through the ways their employees work. Ethics is a very broad subject and is not really measured, but it has a large impact on everyone in the business world. A company that lacks ethics is a company that will fail for many reasons. Either no one will do business with them or they do something wrong that makes them go under. Many unethical businesses have been able to stay afloat for a little while but everything just comes down on them like a pile of bricks. Take for instance, Enron. They tried to hid all of their mistakes and were cooking the books to make it look like they were growing and their stocks were increasing. Then one day things started falling and everything came crashing down.
It is important that companies are ethical in their goals and objectives. They should be looking out for the benefit of everyone in the transaction. Businesses should not act in a way just because they are required to do it but they do it for the benefit of society.

Learning Reflection

High performance work systems all lead to higher profits. What kind of company doesn't want higher profits? I would imagine that all companies would want a high performance work system that they work with and are always changing to get the best out of what they have. Not all companies are big enough or have the resources needed to be able to have high performance, but it should be a goal for every company. Performance evaluation is key because it helps with knowing how efficiently and effectively everything is running. It is important to get the best performance out of all of your employees. You do this by being fair and equitable with everyone and having all the resources needed to get the job done. Having a rewards system will motivate employees to do their best and get the job done right. A company needs to create a culture that rewards good behavior and disciplines bad behavior. For a company to really have a high performance system they need to have information sharing with others. Communication is key, and hoarding of information will only hurt the company and everyone else involved with projects.

Learning Reflection

It is very important for a person that is working outside of their native culture that they are respective to others and their culture. A manager needs to be culturally sensitive and be aware of the different cultures there are around them and to not offend anyone. It would be very hard to learn a new culture and embrace it as your own or adapt to it. If you are working in a different culture and you are the only one who isn't from their then you need to learn and adapt to that culture and how they do things. If your family or social support is not with you in a different country then your chances of succeeding are very low. There are pros and cons with working internationally. It takes time and a lot of effort to adapt to the changes that come with working abroad.

Discussion Topic

Concept and Brief Overview:

Analyzing Programs

Analyzing the effectiveness of a program is essential in the business world because if there is no profitability in the program then the company will not use it. The programs should be able to have more value than what the dollar costs are. If they aren’t, then the program is not going very far. Efficiency is the main ingredient and HR should always be trying to become more efficient in the programs that they run. HR affects the whole company and when something is not going right with HR then something needs to be done to fix the problem. HR is in place to help the organization achieve their goals and also help individuals achieve their own goals also.

Emotional Hook:

Wouldn’t you want to work for a company that had a HR management established that was concerned about your goals in life and helping achieve those objectives? They are concerned about the well-being of the employees and hope to keep employees for the long run.

Key points to elicit in discussion:

HR Management is in place to help make the company more profitable and increase productivity while also decreasing turnover and costs. Analyzing the effect of HR is important to show that their programs are working and are in place for the benefit of the company as whole.

Facilitative Questions:

Wouldn’t the company benefit to analyze the profitability not just in the programs of HR but also the programs in place in the whole company? If all sectors of a company are efficient then the company will be even more productive on increasing revenue?

Discussion Topic

Concept and Brief Discussion:

International Employee Benefits

The benefits that employees receive depend a lot on the person and where they are from. With paid vacation, the US actually isn’t the best country to work in if you are expecting paid vacation because the work hours in the US compared to other countries is relatively high. In Germany, a worker on average works 500 hours less than a US employee. So if you value paid vacation then you might want to go to Germany and work. Also in the US employers don’t give much time off to their employees. HR really has to do their research when they employ workers in other countries. They can offer different benefits for different workers. It depends on the culture of the country and how they do things their.

Emotional Hook:

What if you came from a country that valued paid time off and worked in the US that doesn’t offer many days of paid vacation? Wouldn’t you think twice about moving jobs? If your family liked going on vacations because they were used to the paid time off then they would still want to go on those vacations. How would you be able to keep that same family tradition in a place that does not value time with family but they value hard work and getting the job done?

Key points to elicit in discussion:

Since in the US benefits are worth 30% of the total compensation of workers salary then HR can expect that benefits are worth quite a bit to US employees. In other countries they might not value certain benefits but just want to be paid money for their compensation. Foreign cultures also might expect more from the employer than the employer really wants to give out.

Facilitative Questions:

Would workers be more motivated to work for a company that values employee benefit or a company that pays out more money for the lack of benefits offered? Are workers more attracted to the larger salary or the larger amount of total compensation?

Learning Reflections

There are so many different decisions that people can choose if their employer has the options. For the larger companies it is very important to have many options for their employees because it is a good selling feature to recruit the best talent. If benefits are 30% of total compensation then I would want to get the best benefits that benefited me and my family. It is really neat that some companies offer on-site health care and they have an on-site fitness center that offers instructor classes and personal trainers. Health is very important to the employees and also to the employers. Companies want their employees in the best health so they are efficient in their production and healthy employees don't cost as much with medical expenses. Companies need to have well-being programs that use physical fitness and healthy eating practices that influence their employees to change bad habits to healthy habits.

Unions are an interesting topic. When we did the mock trial in class it was interesting to see what everyone did. I think that unions are pretty much useless now but they might have a couple of uses. I feel like they are just their to take money from the workers. Cooperation on both sides of the line would benefit everyone but it seems like the employees have more power than they need. Companies should have a lot of the say on what goes on, but there should be compromise on both sides. That is why a good HR management would be able to replace a union.

Discussion Topic

Concept and Brief Description:

Labor Unions

The trend in recent years has been that unions are not being organized among workers any more. It is based on cost and efficiency. Workers don’t want to be forking over all the money for their labor union to sit on their fanny and do nothing. They are built up to keep management in line to make sure that their needs are met and that they feel like they are getting paid what they think they should. Also the pay scale is interesting. Groups who are unionized I would think would be less productive. They are being paid a certain amount each hour so why should they work harder if they know what they are making won’t change. Also getting fired is even more difficult in a unionize workplace. There are so many rules that are created and set up. Workers are given so much leeway on what they can do. I just feel that a company would suffer more with a union than without.

Emotional Hook:

The book claims that people who belong to a union are on average paid more than none unionized workers. What if you were unionized and someone you knew who was not unionized was getting paid more for the same job? What would you do? Would you go to your union and say that I need to be paid more?

Key Points to Elicit in Discussion:

Ways to eliminate unions in a company is to have an HR Management that will increase the commitment of the employees and communicate well with them. Employees just want to know that they are heard and valued. If a company does this then their workers will be happy with the system and not rebel by organizing themselves into a union. This will cost a lot less for the company compared to paying wages for the union.

Facilitative Questions:

What are the benefits of being part of a union? Is it cost effective for the employee and employer to have a union in place?

Learning Reflections

We learned in class that it is important to get the opinions of the employees about incentives and other aspects of incentive pay. I would think that more companies would include the opinion and say of their employees because if they are paying out an incentive that no one really wants or uses than it would be pointless to have. Employees need to be part of the business therefore they need to have a say in things. Through the whole book they talk about communication and making everything transparent so everyone knows what is going on. This must be a big issue in the real world because you would think that would just be a natural thing, but I guess it isn’t.

There have been many examples of bad executives throughout the last couple of years. Are they paid too much? Normally I would say yes. How is it that some are paid $40 million or more a year? I just don’t understand how that works. That is a ridiculous amount of money to pay someone for just one year. They should pay their regular employees more if that is the case and make things more equal for everyone.

Discussion Topic

Concept and Brief Summary:

Wellness Programs and other benefits

Obesity is a growing concern for the working people of America. Over a third of the population is obese or overweight. I feel that it is necessary for a company to get involved and have an active role in preventing and helping cure these problems. If a company takes the initiative and helps their employees get in shape and create good behavioral habits, the company will be able to save money and also get more productivity out of their employees. This is a benefit that should be essential and it will be more cost effective than other benefits provided by the company. Exercise can also help with the way employees feel. It is a stress reliever and helps them stay energized and more productive with their daily activities.

Emotional Hook:

What if you were overweight and unable to do certain activities? How would you feel? What if your company provided you with a recreational facility where you could have an instructor teach you how to exercise and eat right, helping you get physically fit and healthy. Wouldn’t you be more loyal to that company for changing your life and providing a way to live better and healthier?

Key points to elicit in discussion:

Everyone can benefit from a wellness program and access to recreational facilities.
This is a growing part of our culture. It is important to be healthy and learn how to eat right. Many people don’t have these pleasures and are unable to do so. I know that companies are responsible for their employee’s wellbeing and should help with improving it.

Facilitative Questions:

Wouldn’t you enjoy an onsite gym or recreational facility at your company? Would having healthy foods available to you be more appetizing than having junk food and soda?

Learning Reflections

It was interesting to learn all about the different types of incentive pay that companies use in their businesses. I really wonder if it is really profitable for the company or is it an asset to attract new and experienced talent to the company. It may also help the employees that are already established in the company. Pay incentives are a way to motivate employees to work harder and faster, but will it benefit the quality of the work? Workers always want to get more money, who doesn't? I feel that the quality of the work will be sacrificed for more pay in less time. How does a company compromise but still keep its employees satisfied with the compensation they are receiving for their labor?

If an employees expect incentives every time they will become part of the pay check and then employees will start wanting more money for their labor. Incentives should be paid every once in a while to keep employees motivated but not relying on the incentive pay. It should be a privilege to get an incentive rather than an obligation. People should always work hard for the business that they are working for. That is why the company is paying them to work. The company should be compensated for the money they are paying out.

Discussion Topic

Concept and Brief Summary:

Incentive Pay for Executives

The executives of companies have a great force on the other employees. They are the ones that make sure everything is running right and smoothly. Everything is in their responsibility so when a company does badly it is all on the shoulders of the executive. The executive position is very sought out by business personnel. The risk is high but the rewards are great. They are usually only concerned with the company’s profits and stock price. When both of these are high, that means that the executive gets big money also. The sad part is that lots of companies don’t link pay to performance. Companies provide high paychecks for the best talent.

Emotional Hook:

What if your company wasn’t making the profits it normally did but the executive was still receiving millions of dollars in pay and bonuses? Would you feel like the company was compensating its employees fairly and equally?

Key points to elicit in discussion:

Incentive pay for executives is linked to how well the stock price is. Many executives have become victim to “cooking the books” by making it look like the company is worth more than it really is. There have been many examples of this ethical dilemma in the recent past. Many large companies have gone under due to the dishonest acts of the executives and financial personnel. Executives are able to buy and share stock when they know that the stock will skyrocket due to future financial deals that only they know about. There are many perks to being an executive of a company.

Facilitative Questions:

Why did company executives get the bonuses of many millions of dollars when there company had to get bailed out by the government? Why is it that there are contracted bonuses when there should be only bonuses based on performance? Are these people stealing tax payer money? Do they deserve or have they earned these so called bonuses? These companies were going bankrupt yet their executives are still reaping the rewards.

Learning Reflections

Mr. Weber made a very good point when he said that salary and wages are an investment to the company. Therefore they need to make sure they are getting the best out of their investment. I feel very strongly about this. People who don't work hard and to their potential for their company are taking advantage of them and not giving them what they are paying you for. If there is a slack in the work place then I feel that the company should either reprimand them or get rid of them. The employee knows that they are taking advantage of the company by not doing their best.

Communication is very important between the company and their employees. Employees need to know what is expected of them and the company needs to follow up on their goals to make sure they are being done. If a company gives an objective for everyone to follow and no one actually gets it done, some companies just brush it off and some will get rid of those who don't reach their goals.

It was also interesting to hear Mr. Weber talk about compensated factors of certain jobs. He was talking about jobs that most people don't want to do like work up in Alaska on the oil rigs. That is what my dad does. He flies up to Alaska every two weeks and works on the oil rigs and the surrounding buildings. They are paid more because of the conditions that they have to work in. During the winter it gets to -60 degrees and sometimes the weather is so bad that they can't go out and work. He has some pretty cool stories to tell sometimes.

Topic Discussion

Concept and Brief Discussion:

Pay Structure
It is amazing at how large companies are able to develop pay structures that work for the employees and also make money for the company. It seems to me that that would be something very complicating and a hard thing to manage because the labor market is constantly changing and so is the minimum wage. Companies are probably constantly changing the pay scale because people also ask for raises or there are cuts in pay. This is a constantly changing structure in the company that needs to be updated and corrected often. The differences in each job require different skills that people have and their skills are usually more valuable or less valuable. It is interesting to find out how the companies can pay all of their employees and still come out with a profit. Sometimes it may not be much profit, but it is still something.

Emotional Hook:

What if you were running a company and there were so many employees that the company was not making a profit? What would you do? Would you cut their hours or would you get rid of some of them and keep the most valuable ones? How would you choose?

Key Points to Elicit in Discussion:

There are different evaluations that people have developed to put a price on the labor that is needed for the job. They are all different but have the same basic goal in mind but they take different aspects of the job and put a price on what the labor is worth. The company needs to make money but they also want to have employees that want to be there because they are paid well and they will stay with the company.

Facilitative Questions:

Wouldn’t you want to be paid the most for your job? If you felt valued to the company, would you stay with them rather than move to a different company?

Learning Reflections

It was interesting to learn about how companies use employee development to prepare their employees for the future challenges. Employees are responsible to take advantage of their programs because they are not required by the company to attend. I feel that these developmental classes that a company gives are extremely important to the employees because they allow them to develop skills that they don’t have. They allow the employee to build their skills and knowledge in new things that the company will be utilizing in the future. Why wouldn’t an employee take advantage of the classes available to them through their company? Usually they are free of charge to the employee. It is a great opportunity to develop their status in the company also, making them a valuable asset to the company that will allow them to stay longer and maybe even be paid more money. It is the responsibility of the individual to take these developmental classes for themselves. If they don’t want to then that is their fault. Those who do utilize that resource will be grateful they did in the future.

Discussion Topic

Concept and Brief Summary:

Job Satisfaction
If a person is not satisfied with their job they will either move to another one or stay in the position that they are in and not work effectively. There are certain aspects that make a job interesting to the individual. It might be the amount of pay they receive, the job complexity, the meaningfulness of the job and how it relates to the company, and the quality relationships that the individual has with their supervisors and coworkers. Retaining employees is just one of the challenges a company has.

Emotional Hook:

What if you were stuck in a dead end job with no real future to advance in the company? Wouldn’t you move to another company that respected you as an employee and helped you succeed?

Key Points to Elicit in Discussion:

Companies also need to let go of the people who don’t work effectively. It is a hard process to go through and there are usually hard feelings when that happens. No one ever wants to be fired from their job, so companies try to make the transition easier on the employee and on the manager.

Facilitative Questions:

Is it important to provide incentives for employees that you want to stay in your company? Wouldn’t it be nice to have a company that valued your efforts in helping the company achieve its goals and objectives?

Learning Reflection

We are able to get more done with all of the technology that has been developed in recent years compared to 20 or 30 years ago. That may be true, but we are also more distracted by all of the things going on. When it comes to the internet people have to be multitasking and looking through three things at once. We try to multitask so much that we actually get less done. The quality of the things that we do is lower than what it should be.

On PBS there was a documentary that I watched called “Digital Nation” and it showed how people are being distracted by their life in the digital world. Students don’t pay attention during class anymore. They are busy doing something on the computer. Teachers are trying to make class more stimulating, but are unable to compete with the internet. Grades are supposed to be higher but they aren’t because they are not paying attention during class. We have all seen other people on their laptop during class searching for things on the internet, looking at their facebook, or playing games.

They also showed the impact of the internet on our brains. There is more brain activity, but it is bad for our brain. It is over stimulating our brains to the point were we are unable to think well and clearly. It said that those growing up are becoming the dumbest generation. As kids get older reading and writing skills degenerate. Their basic skills are worse than they were a decade ago. There are constant interruptions. The writing of college students is getting worse. Students write in paragraphs, not in full papers. The reason is that they write one paragraph and they do something else and then they write another paragraph. Students get distracted by email, facebook, chatting, and just staying connected to their digital lives. There is an information overload in all of our lives. I can see it happening in mine.

Discussion Topic

Concept and Brief Description:

Job Experiences
As the book says, “Most employee development occurs through job experiences.” It is a combination of tasks, demands, problems, working with other people, and getting the job done. It is important to a person to have experiences because if they don’t have any experiences that stretch a person’s ability, they will not be able to grow and become successful. There has to be challenges that push a person out of their comfort zone. There is value in the experiences that we all go through, good and bad. We all learn better from situations that we have been through. Having a positive attitude and outlook on everything we do is also an essential part of job experiences.

Emotional Hook:

Has there been a time where the only way you could have learned something was by doing it yourself? We are not able to learn everything by reading a book. There is only one way to improve you and that is by taking action and doing something positive.

Key Points to Elicit in Discussion:

There are key events that a person needs to go through to have the experiences to become a good manager. They need to accomplish challenging job assignments and create relationships with fellow workers and supervisors. Going through situations that are tough; they may not be right for them at the time, but they will learn to develop the skills to accomplish the task.

Facilitative Questions:

Do you grow more when you are challenged or when you are doing routine things? Will certain job experiences give you the skills you need to become a successful manager?

Learning Reflections

I cannot believe that people put misleading information on a resume. That just seems to just defeat the purpose of a resume. What if everyone did that? No one would ever ask for a resume from an applicant ever again. I feel that honesty is the best policy and if a person doesn’t have the integrity to put the truth on paper then they shouldn’t get the job. I know that resumes are a way to sell yourself to the employer but I feel that they should be a good representation of the applicant.

I was talking with my cousin just recently and she was telling me that she has been on a panel that has done some interviews and she was grateful to have other people with her. It makes the interview less stressful on the person doing the hiring. It also gives the hiring company legal protection. They can have multiple opinions on who should be hired rather than just having one. Taking notes during the interview is also important so you can go back and say why you did not hire a certain person. My cousin said that one of the applicants that she was interviewing called back after she found out that she wasn’t hired. She demanded to know why she wasn’t hired because she felt that she was the most qualified person. My cousin was able to go back to the notes that were taken and tell her which statements they felt were red flags for the position. It was a group decision and not just a personal one.

Discussion Topic

Concept and Brief Discussion:

Organizational Behavior Modification

This is the best way of changing a vital behavior that employees need to have to be successful. No one is perfect and no one person is the same so a company needs to implement certain behavior changing techniques that support company goals and objectives. When performance is assessed and measured then there needs to also be a system of feedback and reinforcement. These methods can be very effective if implemented correctly and used with consistency.

Emotional Hook:

What if you owned a company where employees were not working towards the company’s goals and objectives? Wouldn’t you implement certain ways of modifying their behavior to me the goals of the company? It can be done.
Key Points to Elicit in Discussion:
Many companies in the world have been able to change the vital behaviors of their employees. If you want to learn more about this topic then you need to read the book “Influencer” and you will get a better understanding of how behavior can be changed and stay if certain things are in place and carried out.

Facilitative Questions:

If left to themselves people develop bad habits which therefore look bad for the company. Shouldn’t the company be able to have available to employees ways to change these bad habits so they can improve their own lives and also improve the way they do their job?

Learning Reflections

The saying “You are only as strong as your weakest link” really hit hard to me. I have invested in a business and we are trying to get it off the ground right now. When the teacher was saying that we need to make sure that we have a good team on our side I was really analyzing what kind of team I have with my business. Our business has had a couple of people fall short of what they said they were going to do so things have been getting off to a really slow start. Actually, we as the investors are taking over the assets because other people were trying to take advantage of us, so we decided to split up the company, but that is a completely different story and subject for another reflection.

It was fun having the guest speaker come and give us some good insights on HR and training employees in a company. He really gave some good points that were really helpful. I thought it interesting that “training ultimately impacts top (revenues) and bottom (profitability) lines in the company.” I never really thought that training was really that important, but I can see why it really is important. I liked his saying that, “Teaching someone new skills will improve their performance incrementally. Helping someone cultivate a passion towards a vision will increase their performance drastically.” We need to help people get motivated about what they are doing. They need to feel that they can make a difference in the company and can partake in the vision and objective.

Discussion Topic

Concept and Brief Discussion:

On-the-Job Training
On the job training is a very important aspect for those who are learning a new trade and would also like to earn money as they are training. An apprenticeship enables a person to work with a professional in that trade, while learning all of the ins and outs. They gain a better experience and are also able to pay for their education while they do the apprenticeship. An internship is a good way to prepare yourself for the real world because it lets you work with a company that you may be interested in. If they like you as an employee then they are able to offer you a job. Simulations are a great way of improving job performance because it helps a person internalize a situation that they really have never encountered or need to work on. Through simulations the employee gains essential skills that will help them improve and become more efficient in their work.

Emotional Hook:

If you were to learn a skill or trade, wouldn’t you want to learn side by side with a professional that will be able to give you immediate feedback on the work that you have done? Wouldn’t the professional be able to guide you with instructions and a visual demonstration and then let you do it? Isn’t this a better way to learn than just by reading a book?

Key Points to Elicit in Discussion:

There are many different ways of learning. In a classroom an instructor is able to present everyone with all of the material that everyone should know and practice, but there usually is no follow up and lots of time there is no practice of the principles learned. With on the job training, people are able to get immediate feedback that will help them learn a lot faster and are able to work with professionals in their field. I know that I would want to know if what I was doing was wrong or not rather than just doing it wrong for a while letting myself get into bad habits.

Facilitative Questions:

People develop bad habits when left to themselves to figure things out. Why not have a professional teach them how to do it correctly and have the learner practice the correct way so they know which way to do it? This way, wouldn’t employees be more capable of doing things correctly, and in the process become more efficient with their time?

Learning Reflection

It was interesting to find out the reason the US is still in competition with the rest of the world is because of our technological innovation. If it wasn't for that then we would be a country in need of a lot of help. I feel that we are on the border of being a country that will lose its worth in the world and get surpassed by growing nations. The US used to be the known superpower of the world but now we have been knocked down into the top ten countries in the world. We are no longer number one.
When it comes to human labor in the US the market is saturated with it. We have so many people looking for jobs. There are people with MBAs working at fast food restaurants and being waiters. Companies have their pick of the best talent out there in the market. Right now is not the time for a person to be coming out of college and looking for a job because they will have really no or little job experience. Therefore they probably will be overlooked because of the stack of applicants to a job. They won’t be able to stand out because everyone is applying to any job they can get. There are so many people with college degrees that they really don’t mean a lot now days. Hopefully soon the market will be able to balance out.

Discussion Topic

Concept and Brief Discussion:

Content and Construct Validity
Tests and situational tests helps the employers know the actual ability of the applicant than any resume or application will ever tell you. If you see how the person works and their ways of doing things will let you know that they are qualified for the job or they are lacking the skills needed to fulfill the position that is up for hire.

Emotional Hook:

Take me for example. I really don’t enjoy interviews because I get really nervous and I am usually not myself, but if I was able to show an employer my skills in a particular job then I would be a lot less nervous and more occupied on doing the job well. Maybe my verbal skills aren’t that great but I am a hard worker and will get the job done.

Key Points to Elicit in Discussion:

People normally aren’t themselves in a one on one interview. When you get them in an environment that they feel comfortable in and let them do what they know best or have more confidence in then they will perform better. It will match their abilities rather than their weaknesses.

Facilitative questions:

If you were an employer looking for the best person for the job, wouldn’t you want to see them in action rather than telling you what they can do? Wouldn’t situational tests give you a better understanding of the skills the person actually has, rather than the ones they might have falsely put on the resume or application?

Learning Reflections

It is important to develop jobs that motivate because if you don’t your turnover rate is going to be really high. People won’t enjoy their job, so therefore they are going to go to a different company to work where they might have a more motivating job. A monotonous job is the worst thing in the world to have because there is no feeling of accomplishment. Yeah, you might have been able to produce this one thing many times but what is that thing worth to you after doing it so many times. It becomes of little worth. I am grateful that I have had jobs that were interesting and fun, even if it was working. This summer I worked on a construction crew, but we had fun because there was something different every day.

I enjoyed learning about the guy who is the CEO of General Electric and how he cuts the lowest 20% of the company. Everyone in the company knows that if you fall below that 20% mark that you are out. That is a motivating factor for everyone in the company. They know that they have to work hard to make the cut, and if they don’t they know that they are gone. It won’t be a surprise to them. When you hold people to high expectations, they should rise to those expectations. If they don’t, get rid of them. If they think they can get by on the bare minimum, then you need to show them that that is not how the company is run.

Discussion Topic #5

Concept and Brief Description:

Outsourcing and Temporary Workers
It is important to a company to hire temporary workers when there is a jump in demand and they know that it won’t last. They hire the temporary worker knowing that they will not keep them for long. If they are a good worker that will benefit the company in the long run, they will put him on their permanent workers list and pay him the normal wage. Outsourcing is a great way to cut costs and improve the overall quality of a company. Outsourcing lets a company concentrate on what they need to get done and hire out the other things that they don’t have the resources for. Most often it is cheaper than what the original company can do it for.

Emotional Hook:

What if your company was in a crunch and they were unable to hire full-time employees because of costs or time restraints, what would be the best option for the benefit of the company? Outsourcing is a way to get things done fast and at a cheaper cost to the company. Temporary workers let you have more human labor at a cheaper cost.

Key Points to Elicit in Discussion:

Outsourcing overseas cuts cost dramatically because the cost of human labor is much less. This problem takes away US jobs and puts those jobs in foreign hands. Especially in the manufacturing companies that develop physical products.

Temporary workers are not paid the full-time employee wages or benefits because they are not going to be there for long. Temporary workers can bring in new knowledge that they have been trained in with other companies, therefore you bet the benefits of their past knowledge. They also have different outlooks ore experiences that maybe full-time employees don’t have.

Facilitative Questions:

What if your job got outsourced and you were fired from your job? If your company hired a group of temporary workers looking to fill your position in the near future, how would you treat them?

Learning Reflection

In class we learned that rather than taking a case all the way through court, companies are just settling with people who are suing them. They are doing this because court costs are so high that settling is more cost effective. It is crazy to think this because I feel that this will lead to more people suing other companies because if they know that they won’t be questioned and they feel that their reason is legitimate, then they will sue every time. This will create a bad habit among our society if this keeps happening because we are rewarding those people who sue. The people who sue are just out for money and when they get it they will just keep on trying to sue other companies for stupid reasons.

I feel that it is funny when people think they should have privacy when they are on the job. They don’t understand that everything they use is provided by the company. The computer, the internet, the programs that they use on a daily basis is all provided by the company that they work for. When a person abuses those privileges and misuses the internet for their personal use and is also wasting company time, they should be punished for it. If they are not punished then they will just keep using the bad habit of abusing their work time and the things available to them in the workplace.

Discussion Topic #4

Concept and Brief Description:

Designing Jobs that Motivate
It is important to have a job that is both motivating and enjoyable. That is why some companies design jobs that motivate their employees. If a job is motivating, the employee will be more likely to enjoy working, therefore they will stay at the company for a longer period of time. This not only cuts costs for the company but they also have more effective employees that are loyal to the company.
There are many ways to design a job that is motivating. If companies would just use more of these motivational options, employee retainment would be higher.

Emotional Hook:

How would you enjoy a job that you hated going to because it was repetitious, doing the same thing day in and day out, without seeing anything through the whole process, and having somebody telling you what to do constantly? Would you stay at that job for long?

Key Points to Elicit in Discussion:

There are certain things a company can do to make the job motivating for the employee. Some of these things are skill variety, task significance, autonomy, flexible schedules, telework, and job enrichment, just to name a few.

Facilitative Questions:

Wouldn't a job be more exciting and motivating if you were able to work with others on a project that is important and has a purpose in the company? Wouldn't you be more motivated to do a good job if others were counting on you to complete your part of the project?

Learning Reflections #3

For our last class I learned more in depth about the different amendments, laws, and acts that were created most recently that had a major impact on Equal Employment Opportunities. It really is important to have equal opportunities for everyone to be able to work and sustain their families, providing them with the necessities of life. As a country we are not perfect, but with these laws and regulations in place we can create a society that is just and fair to all.
I feel that it is important to have jobs for people who are disabled because they need to feel like they are part of the community and are able to have a job also. A lot of the time it isn’t their fault that they are disabled. We need to focus on the things and the abilities that they do have and create a position for them that they can handle and progress in.
I think that it is good of employers to give veterans and people who have served in the military their jobs back when they return and with the same pay. That is pretty honorable of them to do that. It lets the soldier know that when they return home they won’t have to look for another job, but that they will have one waiting for them.

Discussion Topic #3

Concept and Brief Description:

The business world is ever changing so a person needs to continually upgrade and update their knowledge in the field. That is why University programs are now offering specialization in the field of Human Resource management in post-graduate studies. In the past, human resources were part of the hiring and played a passive role. Today, human resources are an active group in consulting and participating in the process that helps the company grow to its highest potential. They communicate closely with business managers to provide the right solutions for progressive development.

Emotional Hook (provocative question/claim/real-life problem):

If you are in a changing world that has something new developed everyday, wouldn't you want to be taught and learn about the new developments that could improve your company and create a better work area?

Key Points to Elicit in Discussion:

Sometimes people get stuck in the company culture and they need outside sources that will help them break the ice and create useful ideas for their company. Continuing education in a university or other institute will bring you up to date on modern technology and ideas for you to implement in the company. A person should be constantly learning new ideas so they increase their knowledge and also for the benefit of the company and themselves.

Facilitative Questions:

Wouldn't it be wise in continue your education so you are more valuable to the company, rather than being the one that never has any new ideas and is next on the transfer or firing list?

Learning Reflection #2

Class was very interesting today going over the rest of chapter 2. I really didn’t realize that there was going to be such a deficiency of people to fill the positions that will be open when the baby boomers retire. There is an aging workforce that we are dealing with right now. We will not be able to fill the void of jobs. We don’t have the labor supply to fill these jobs. The jobs are high level positions and there won’t be enough people who are in the position to fill those jobs. It is hard to fathom this concept because there are so many people in the US, but supposedly it is going to happen in the next 10-20 years and we need to prepare ourselves for it. If this does happen, then there should be minimal unemployment in our country, which is a drastic change than what it is now.
Employee empowerment is huge to the success of a business. Employees need to feel that they are a part of something larger than themselves and that they have a say in what goes on. They need to feel that they are cared for and they are important. I feel that this is not happening in many companies and that that is why there is no loyalty to companies anymore. Many companies have a high turnover rate because everyone is selfishly looking for something better, watching out for only themselves, and not caring about the needs of others.

Discussion Topic #2

Concept and brief description:

The OSH Act has been a very important and monumental act that has created a safer atmosphere in the work area. When it comes to construction sites and building sites where there is lots of manual labor going on, then this act has changed the way they do business. Before the act the workers were in harm’s way and they had many accidents where their life was threatened and some even died. Now the employers are responsible for what happens to their employees. If they don’t take into consideration the many safety practices that are now required by OSHA they will be penalized very heavily for the violations they make in their safety on the job site.

Emotional hook (provocative question/ claim/real-life problem):

I have personally worked on a construction crew many times where I felt my life was in my hands and if I made one mistake that I could have fallen off a building and hurt myself very badly. For those reasons, they make a safety harness for people who are high up on buildings. They are anchored down to a sturdy area of the building and they are able to move around in places they usually couldn’t without the harness and anchors. I was a roofer working on really tall buildings and homes with really steep roofs. That is why I needed the harness.

Key points to elicit in discussion :

Before OSHA, employers demanded a lot of risk taking by their employees because they were dispensable. Now if their employees get hurt then they are responsible for them and have to take care of them and pay for their injuries. That has a bad reputation on the builder, so he wants to be safe and not get any violations from OSHA because they are very expensive and they also slow down production.

Facilitative questions:

What if you were working somewhere and you felt that your safety was at risk? Wouldn’t you want to be safe and take certain precautions so you don’t get in an accident?

Learning Reflections

The movie “Management by Inspiration” really helped me see that there is a possibility for a company in any aspect of business to be world famous. It is about a fish market that was about to go out of business. They partnered up with a consulting firm that helped them go from a suffering fish market to a world renowned fish market that is known for its customer service and its high energy atmosphere. The owner of the company had to learn a new way of trusting people and give away the power that he had. He gave that power to the employees so they can feel that power of personal responsibility. They future was bleak when they were close to going out of business but the future was unknown. This company was able to create their future because anything was possible. They were also able to change their way of how they treated the customer. Before, it was the mentality that people were just a number and now they relate to the customer and interact with them which in turn makes fish buying a fun process.
Leveraging human capital is a very important aspect of a company and they want the most out of it. Empowering the employee is one way to get the most out of them. They feel a responsibility and that they are in control over it.

Discussion topic #1

Concept and brief description:

Higher Age in the Workforce:
There has been an increase in the age of workers. Our elderly are spending more of their retirement years working to make enough to be able to retire sometime soon in the future. The retirement age has also increased due to the economy and due to people’s inability to save money. We are a nation of credit and we are beginning to see the results that come from that. The fastest growing group in the workforce are people who are 55 years and older. This affects all of the job force because the younger generations are unable to fill those spots if people are not retiring from them.

Emotional hook (provocative question/ claim/real-life problem):

What if you are unable to get a job in the field that you want due to the older generation working longer into their retirement years or even until they die? Would this affect your ability to secure a stable job in your career? If you can’t get a job in the area that you desire, you will have to look at some other area that may not be so pleasant or interesting.

Key points to elicit in discussion

The older generation will need new training so they are able to have the skills needed to do a better job. Health insurance for the company will be more expensive to cover the costs of the older workers so therefore the younger generation will be forced to pay more for their own coverage.

Facilitative questions

How can we adapt to the growing age of the workers? Will this facilitate in growth or will it be an expense?

Introduction

Hi Everyone!
My name is Skyler MacDonald. I am from the great state of Oregon. I was born there and I grew up there. My family currently resides in Oceanside, Oregon which is right next to the beach so I always love going back home. It is a beautiful area! I am the only child in my family. I have been happily married for one year so I now have many brothers and sisters and nieces and nephews and I get along just great with them.
I have attended BYU and I was a javelin thrower for the Track and Field team for a couple of years. I tore my UCL in my elbow almost three years ago so I got the Tommy John’s surgery done and now I am training to compete in the javelin this spring. I really enjoy throwing so that is why I am continuing to throw. Don’t worry. I plan on not tearing my UCL this time!
This is my second year at UVU and I am majoring in Integrated Studies with an emphasis in Business Management and Outdoor Leadership. I have a year left for my bachelors and I am planning on getting my MBA, so I still have plenty of school left to do.
I enjoy the outdoors so I love to camp, hike, fish, and hunt. I really enjoy playing sports but mostly I enjoy basketball, track and field, soccer, football, and volleyball. I grew up in a town in Eastern Oregon named La Grande and it is in the middle of prime mountain area, so that is where I roamed as a young kid. I would always go hiking in the Eagle Cap Mountains or the Elkhorn Mountains. It is a sweet area if you like to be outside.
Some of my previous jobs have been fun and interesting. This past summer my wife and I went to Montana and I roofed for the whole summer. It was a good job because I learned a very important skill that I will always be able to use in the future. I also got really efficient at ripping roofs off and then replacing them with good roofing. I have been a real estate consultant and I just recently came off of that to concentrate on my schooling and javelin throwing. I have been in construction since I was 14 years old, so I enjoy doing all of that.
I hope you have enjoyed reading a little bit about me.