Job Enrichment Essay

The cost of not applying this people-oriented philosophy is that workers become unmotivated, and dissatisfied which leads to low productivity and quality and high absenteeism and turnover rates. The average turnover rate in the building service industry is more than 100 percent. This means that if you have a crew of 10, you will have to hire more than 10 new people over the course of a year just to maintain your crew. You will spend a lot of time filling in for the employees who quit, adjusting work schedules, training replacements and answering a thousand questions from people who don’t have the authority or the knowledge to make decisions on their own. High turnover in the industry is even more significant for another reason: It means that we aren’t doing our job well as supervisors and managers. All levels of management must know how to work with people. Compensation and the work itself are factors, but management certainly shares responsibility when a worker quits. Study after study shows that workers can be motivated to work hard if they are involved, given responsibility and recognized. Job enrichment is one way to accomplish this. The Case For Job Enrichment Most employees are trying to reach the economic level at which their basic needs for food, shelter, health care, job security and the like will be fulfilled. Usually less fulfilled but equally important, are the employee’s intangible needs for knowledge, achievement and general self-satisfaction. These higher-level needs can be fulfilled only through work that is personally significant or meaningful to the employee. Meaningful work not only improves the motivation of employees and serves their human needs, but also increases their productivity and the overall effectiveness of the organization. 10 Meaningful work: ⠝‹ Involves employees in the identification and solution of problems that affect them and the organization. ⠝‹ Provides employees with the feeling – not the pretense – that they are personally contributing to the organization. ⠝‹ Provides employees with the opportunity to do the work they do best. If employees are performing meaningful work, they are highly involved in solving work problems that touch them personally and they share in the planning, organizing and controlling of what they do. With this comes increased understanding, achievement and stimulation, which combine to boost motivation and the organization’s effectiveness. One of the most effective ways to make work more meaningful is through vertical job loading or job enrichment. It goes a long way toward ensuring that the job satisfies people’s higher level needs and that employees are motivated to greater performance. Job enrichment can reduce turnover and give supervisors more time for work that cannot be easily delegated. Taking the time to build in motivators can result in increased job satisfaction and much smoother operations for your company. The argument for job enrichment can be summed up quite simply: If you have people on the job, use them. If you can’t use them on the job, let them go. If you can’t use them and you can’t let them go, you will have a motivation problem. Principles Of Job Enrichment Job enrichment is essentially a structured system of increasing employee responsibility and authority through effective, welldirected delegation. However, it is important to remember that only responsibility and authority can be delegated; accountability cannot. With that in mind, let’s look at the five principles of job enrichment. Principle 1: Remove controls. The first principle of job enrichment is to remove some controls while still retaining accountability. As dis- BSCAI Services Magazine November 2005 cussed above, the supervisor must always retain accountability but can remove or lessen some of the controls on subordinates when they are ready for it. Obviously, this can’t be done with employees who have just started on the job. If it is, they’ll be overwhelmed and confused, and the results will be disastrous— for them and for their supervisors. But it can and should be done when the employee is ready for it. Example 3. A lead person with a particular knack for training is made an on-the-job trainer. Example. When a cleaner has completed an initial training period, the supervisor checks on his work less often, perhaps weekly instead of nightly. Vertical Versus Horizontal Loading In this example, the employee has achieved a certain level of expertise. That achievement is recognized, not just with words, but also with actions. The fact that some controls are being removed demonstrates confidence in the employee. It increases the employee’s responsibility and control over his or her own work, and that improves motivation. Principle 2: Assign a complete natural unit of work. The second principle of job enrichment is to assign employees a complete project—a complete natural unit of work—whenever possible. Doing this increases their sense of accomplishment. They can see the results of their own work more clearly. It increases their accountability for that work and fosters pride in a job well done. Example. A cleaning team is given complete responsibility for everything within their area. Of course, the employees must see these as positive changes, and be interested in making them. Assigning new or specialized tasks recognizes some special ability in an individual employee, and it provides an opportunity for growth and advancement. One warning: It is important to distinguish between vertical job loading and horizontal job loading. Job enrichment involves vertical loading, or increasing the importance of the job upward. Horizontal loading merely increases the amount of work required without providing for growth and more responsibility. Here are some examples of horizontal job loading: ⠝‹ Rotating the assignments of a number of jobs that need to be enriched. This means general office cleaning for a while, then restrooms, then trash removal, etc. ⠝‹ Removing the most difficult parts of the assignment in order to free the worker to accomplish more of the less challenging assignments. ⠝‹ Challenging employees by increasing the amount of production expected. If the employee cleans 4,000 feet a night, see if he or she can clean 5,000. Principle 3: Give employees additional authority. The third principle of job enrichment is to give employees additional authority and freedom. Whenever possible, people should be given the authority to make decisions about their own work. Example. An experienced work crew is given responsibility for inspecting their own work. Obviously, the additional authority has to be realistic and consistent with the person’s job, and the person has to be ready for it. This is different from just piling on more work. It is giving the person some new authority and responsibility because he or she has demonstrated competence in other areas. This gives people recognition and a sense of achievement, and that again improves their motivation. Principle 4: Make reports directly available. The fourth principle of job enrichment is to make periodic reports available directly to employees rather than just to their supervisors. Example. Inspection reports are given directly to the crew responsible for cleaning the area. Again, this lets employees know that they are important. It gives them recognition, keeps them informed, and gives them direct feedback on their performance. Principle 5: Assign new or specialized tasks. The last principle of job enrichment is to assign people new or specialized tasks, enabling them to become experts. Example 1. A general cleaner is trained to become a floor machine operator. Example 2. An employee is given responsibility for quality control for an entire account or series of accounts. Circle No. 11 on Free Inquiry Card November 2005 BSCAI Services Magazine These examples of horizontal job loading do nothing to make a job meaningful and should be avoided at all costs. They actually reduce the employee’s personal contribution rather than providing an opportunity for growth within the job. In confusing horizontal for vertical loading, supervisors and managers often merely enlarge a job’s meaninglessness instead of enriching it. Developing A Job Enrichment Program Whether or not you apply these job enrichment principles depends on you and the people who work for you. While nearly everyone needs recognition and a sense of accomplishment, not all employees want more challenging work, additional responsibility, and a chance for advancement. Some workers may be meeting their higher level needs off the job, they may have other needs entirely, or they may simply lack the ability. Other employees, though, will have the potential and desire for more. They may need to be coached because of fear or a sense of inadequacy or they may need to be prodded because of a lack of ambition. But they should be encouraged to take advantage of opportunities, if they have the potential to better themselves and the company. For those employees who have the potential and the drive to move up, managers and supervisors have a responsibility to provide opportunities for further training and advancement. According to Steve Garcia, CBSE, of SMI Facility Services of Albuquerque, New Mexico, job enrichment begins when the employee is hired. The employee needs to feel that his or her employment is not a dead-end job. It should be explained to him or her that the goal of the company is to train, develop and promote employees.   And, notes Garcia, it is important that the company follows through with this process. â€Å"In most cases, company training involves learning only how to clean, which is fine, in the beginning, but I think shortly thereafter it should go a step further by teaching employees how to inspect, how to interact with customers and how to train new employees.† â€Å"Imagine telling your cleaner that you will be stopping by tonight to review an inspection report he has filled out himself,† he continues,â€Å"I think you will find in most cases the facility will meet or exceed the expectations of the company and the customer. Your employee will also feel his role with the company is more than just a janitor. He will realize he plays a key role in the entire process.† In addition, Garcia believes job enrichment allows a company to have a pool of well-qualified, loyal employees, which can move into higher positions within the company. Approach these jobs with the positive attitude that they can be changed even though years of tradition may have led managers and supervisors to believe that the content of the jobs is unchangeable. Get Employee Input Once the jobs are selected, the next step is direct participation by the employees whose jobs are to be enriched. Get a group of workers together to develop a list of changes that may enrich these jobs. They will be a valuable source of ideas and their participation will help ensure the success of any changes. Do not be concerned about the practicality of their suggestions at this time. Just generate a list without getting sidetracked into discussions about how they could be implemented. Once the list is complete, you and the group should screen the list to eliminate suggestions that involve dissatisfiers rather than actual motivation. (You may want to implement changes that eliminate dissatisfiers as well, but right now your focus should be on job motivators.) You should also screen the list to eliminate any horizontal loading suggestions. Be sure suggestions are specific and concrete. Generalities, such as â€Å"Give us more responsibility,† are very difficult to implement and are virtually meaningless. You want things you can carry out and measure or observe in some way. For example:The work team will inspect their own work nightly and the supervisor will inspect weekly. This actually gives the team more responsibility but in a specific, defined way that can be implemented and observed for its effectiveness. Use direct participation by the employees whose jobs are to be enriched. They will be a valuable source of ideas and their participation will help ensure the success of any changes. Implement The Program Once the job enrichment program begins, there may initially be a drop in performance. This is because changeover to a new job or way of doing things can lead to a temporary reduction in efficiency. But don’t lose faith! If the above steps are taken and the principles of vertical job enrichment followed, your employees will be motivated to achieve the growth and self-fulfillment they need and want. Clearly, job enrichment takes some work. It has to be built into a job. That takes some time and effort at the beginning but like good training, it will pay off with more motivated employees who are willing to work hard and capable of working independently. Ultimately that means improved motivation and job satisfaction. Select The Right Jobs The first step in putting job enrichment into practice is to select those jobs as candidates for job enrichment that meet the following criteria: $ Current attitudes are poor Motivation will make a difference in performance Changes will not be too costly This article was excerpted from the Building Service Management Program Volume Three – Motivation And Training. The program is a multi-volume training course that covers the technical aspects of cleaning and maintaining buildings as well as the management skills required in an increasingly complex and demanding industry. For more information on the program, contact BSCAI’s Information Central at 1-800-368-3414 or visit www.bscai.org go to the on-line store and click on publications. BSCAI Services Magazine November 2005

Politics and Propaganda

Political advertising is often considered a deceitful and scheming idea. Advertisers carefully word everything they include in an advertisement to give off a claim that many viewers do not realize is not really there. These false claims are meant to alter the public's outlook in favor of the advertisement. Barrack Obama and Hillary Clinton's advertisements are primary examples of the devious techniques that are exemplified in the works of William Lutz and Donna Woolfolk Cross through the use or weasel words, stroking, and euphemisms. During his first presidential election in 2008 for the Democratic candidate, Barrack Obama launched an advertisement titled Defining Moment. He says he will launch a rescue plan for the middle class and provide a tax cut for ninety-five percent of working Americans and will make low-cost loans available to small businesses. Obama promises to focus on our urgent national priorities by reducing the cost of health care and provide children with the education help they need to compete. In order to raise the money he needs for these promises, he plans to eliminate programs that do not work (Political Communication Lab). According to Lutz's essay about weasel words, Obama's advertisement is full of words that can force the audience to make assumptions that they should not. In the first part of this advertisement, he promises a tax cut, but never specifies the quantity of percentage of the tax cut. The tax cut percentage could be so slight that it does not make a difference at all, and really would not affect a viewer's judgment. However, this advertisement is designed to allow the audience to assume the cut will be of a large sum and will benefit them. Obama also never declares what he considers to be a low-cost loan or a small business. What he considers to be low-cost and small may very well be different than that of a viewer. Obama adds those cunning words ‘help' and ‘reduce' that Lutz was sure to warn about in his article. These words, like low-cost and small, mean nothing at all and he is not really making a promise to do anything. The word help only means to aid or assist and reduce simply means lessen in amount (Lutz 443). This advertisement could also tie in with Cross's essay â€Å"Propaganda: How Not to Be Bamboozled. † Obama is saying anything and everything the public wants to hear him say in order for him to become the more desired candidate. Cross defines this technique as argumentum ad populum, also known as stroking (Cross 126). Advertisers used strategies included in both Cross and Lutz's essays to scam the viewers into believing he was making this sincere promise to them. An advertisement created by Obama titled Need Education was solely aired on television to attack statements made by opponent and Republican John McCain. This advertisement stated McCain â€Å"opposed a law to give women equal pay for equal work † and â€Å"he dismissed wage gap saying that women just need education and training. The woman speaking throughout the advertisement claimed that â€Å"John McCain is the one who needs an education on the economy † (Political Communication Lab). The last statement of this advertisement is easily associated with Lutz's essay â€Å"The World of Doublespeak. The advertisers are using the phrase â€Å"needs an education † as a euphemism. They chose a more appropriate and not as noticeable way of calling McCain stupid and not knowing what he is talking about when it comes to the economy (Lutz 160). This statement alone could alter a viewer's opinion of McCain because they would not want a non-educated man in office. Hillary Clinton, also a Democrat running for president, aired her advertisement Voice during the 2008 election. Clinton states that she hears everyone in America. They are asking for affordable health care, less foreclosures on homes, more affordable gas prices, and make college more affordable. Clinton claims she will bring more to the White House than just her experience and will bring your voice (Political Communication Lab). The advertisers sneak in words such as less and more all throughout this advertisement. How much is much and exactly low less is less? The answer is different for every person and Clinton never indicates her meaning of these words. More and less are two prime examples of weasel words that correlate with Lutz's article. These words are meant to fool the audience since they do not have a true meaning and were carefully selected for this advertisement (Lutz 450). By saying she will bring the voice of America into the White House, she is putting into action a strategy defined by Cross. Just as Obama, she is using the argumentum ad populum tactic to convince viewers that she truly is the best interest for America (Cross 126). Advertisers strategically use these lines of attack to make their candidate seem to be top of the line and clearly the best option for everyone. Understanding the techniques described by both Cross and Lutz that are used in political advertising is crucial to the people of America. If viewers are unaware of these tactics then they are more likely to be fooled when the outcome of these so called promises don't turn out to be what was expected. Educating the public of the manipulating intentions in advertising can save a person from having their opinion decided for them and allow them to truly make the best decision for their country.

12 Angry Men

12 Angry Men Essay Twelve Angry Men is a classic movie depicting how one determined leader can alter an entire crowd. Through dedication, curiosity, and the pursuit for the truth he is able to persuade a group of twelve to second guess even themselves. Within this heterogynous group are a dozen different personalities some of which were leaders and most of which were not. The strongest leader in this movie by far is the Architect in the White Suit. Right off from the beginning at the original vote the Architect stated clearly his position in the matter. Against the rest of the group he strongly held his ground and fought for what he believed. Most people in his position would have changed their opinion immediately after realizing that he was completely outnumbered. However he continued to argue his points and reiterate the reasons why evidence needed to be questioned. His mind was simply brilliant. As he sat there listening to the other jurors reasoning he always found a way to prove them wrong or make them question themselves. Whether it was through logic, mathematical reasoning, or questioning of evidence he seemed to always wow the other jurors. His strength as a leader is that he is a natural born one. He wasnt trying to look smart or impress anyone. He simply was doing what he was born to do. He used both pushing and pulling tactics to influence his peers. His strongest tactic was the usage of rational persuasion. While other jurors were able to dismiss facts without consideration, he immediately noted a potential fault. Through the analysis of facts he was able to convince others to reconsider. One of the most notable discrepancies he proved was that of the witness across the street. Through common noises, known train speeds, and common knowledge he proved that the witness was anything but one. The architect also uses inspirational appeal to convince his colleagues. He makes the other jurors consider the humanity of the situation. A mans life is at stake and he realizes the impact that his decision as well the rest of theirs will have on the man. The importance of values is portrayed. Likewise he keeps his own position non-emotional stating that he will concur with the group about the guilt, but only if they can convince him that he should. Additionally, he uses consultation to try to help the group to come to a consensus. He seeks group participation to make the ultimate decision. Whereas others are set in their opinion perhaps based on the social normality of it (I.e. to fit in with the rest of the group), he is out to find the true belief of the individual juror. As with the inspirational appeal, he expresses his willingness to modify his decision based on what they discuss. Another influential leader is the Angry Father. He acted as the leader for the people who believed the defendant was guilty. He, like the Architect, is a natural born leader. He loudly argued his opinions about the case and refused to back down from his stance. Even in the end when he was completely out numbered he fought for his belief despite the persuasion of others. He couldnt care less what they thought of him. He was there to do his job and wouldnt be easily influenced by others. He perhaps was influenced by the pulling tactics. He used the tactics of legitimating. He tried to convince the group that they were there to protect democracy. A man had committed murder and needed to be punished for it. He was so overshadowed by the rules that he missed the humanity in the situation. He was in effect referencing the higher authority and the rules that needed to be followed. The government says that a murderer must be punished and he was going to see to it. He also uses pushing tactics with pressure. He threateningly reminds the other that a murder has occurred and that the accused must be punished. READ: The struggle for personal identity Essay He makes them feel guilty when they even consider for a moment that the accused may be not at fault. When the jurors slowly change their minds he becomes very defensive and tries to make the .

Management of Information Technology. How can you improve Starbucks Essay

Management of Information Technology. How can you improve Starbucks with the use of IT (you have to use Porter's 5 and Porter's - Essay Example ... 5. Conclusion............................................................................................................... References EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Starbucks operates in a market environment where competitive rivalry is intensive and where differentiation of product offerings characterises market position. Starbucks is currently challenged by major competitors such as Costa and Pret-a-Manger that are each positioned differently depending on service conceptions and emphasis placed on satisfying customers. Starbucks currently utilises a premiumisation strategy, built on years of brand establishment and the ability of the business to express quality and human capital talent to make this business stand out from competition. In a market environment where changing consumer attitudes and lifestyles dictate the level of competitive responsiveness from key market players in this industry, the company must remain focused on the marketing function as the primary competitive advantages . Research into Starbucks identified many opportunities for where information technology could provide competitive advantages. These opportunities include linking technology to the marketing and branding functions, to improve human resources efficiency and training, and by opening lines of real-time communication with internal staff members and external supply chain partners. It is recommended that the business establish IT systems in areas of brand development, procurement, and for human capital development to achieve better market presence and brand reputation. How to improve Starbucks with IT 1. Introduction Starbucks is a global coffee company that has, in recent years, diversified its business strategies, procurement models, and market positioning in order to gain competitive advantages. Starbucks currently maintains 793 stores in the United Kingdom selling coffee beans, hot and cold beverages, snacks and sandwiches, as well as books, music, and a variety of Starbucks branded m erchandise offerings (Starbucks 2012). The company, in 2011, boasted revenues of approximately 14 billion USD, a significant accomplishment for a business that operates in very saturated competitive marketplaces and offers products that have reached their maturity against the product life cycle model. 2. Five Forces Analysis In the United Kingdom, Starbucks maintains very powerful competition with such major coffee houses as Costa and Pret-a-Manger. Costa, the second largest coffee house in the world, currently holds 37.6 percent of market share in this industry in the UK, backed by the notable cash and capital resources of its parent company Whitbread Plc. These main competitors continue to use their strong brand positioning to maintain consumer loyalty in key markets, representing significant competitive threats to Starbucks. Under Porter’s Five Forces model, there are several threats to maintaining current market leader position for this mature business model. The most sig nificant threat in this market is the degree of rivalry that exists between main competitors, associated with brand personality and associated promotions to gain consumer loyalty. Starbucks operates in an oligopoly, a market characterised by only a handful of major competitors and where competitive promotions and branding strategies influence competitive responses (Boyes and Melvin 2005). In this market, switching costs for consumers are very low, thus the intensity of competitive promo

Scheduled Installments comparison Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Scheduled Installments comparison - Essay Example Because of that, it is essential to look beyond the visible features and focus on the functionality of the two solutions to determine the best choice of a solution for improving the business. In the functional evaluation of micro to medium market Scheduled Installment solutions, the Accounting Library placed Scheduled Installment in low position in majority of the functional aspects but Microsoft Dynamics GP occupied almost the top position. The variation in functional ability gives a direct outcome on the productivity of the users.  A systematic analysis done in 2007 on the contribution of the Scheduled Installment solutions on the productivity of users revealed that users of Microsoft Dynamics GP had an average score 18% above users of Scheduled Installment solutions. Microsoft Dynamics has got three core strengths that enables maintain the top functional efficiency above Scheduled Installment. Dynamics GP operates together with Microsoft Office applications just in the same way as SQL products do. It also works in the same way as the Microsoft Office products.  It is therefore very easy for Microsoft Dynamic GP users to integrate them with Office applications such Access, excel, Power Point, Outlook and Word.  In addition, users who already are conversant with Microsoft Office applications need little or no training at all to use Microsoft Dynamics GP because they have similar interfaces.  On the other hand, Scheduled Installment is still in the process of working with Microsoft to construct their integration with Office applications. As Scheduled Installment gives an ordinary system user interface with real time accessibility to all of properties, Microsoft Dynamics GP gives each user a customized and personal interface, which is task oriented and with pre-defined, customized roles and information look. The role-oriented home pages provide each user with the necessary information

The Vioxx disaster and BP Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Vioxx disaster and BP - Case Study Example Some public management theories were overlooked such as scientific selection and training of workers. This concept entails scientific training, selection and placement of workers (Hopkins, 2008). It is proper to allocate employees on jobs they are best suited as far as intellectual and physical abilities are concerned. Incompetency contributed to both disasters, for example, medical researchers involved in the manufacturing of Vioxx failed to meet all the scientific/intellectual demands for safe production (Ellsberg & Gerstein, 2008). Mutual collaboration of workers and management is another important concept that could help avoid such disasters. Cordial relations and active cooperation between workers and management enhances communication at the workplace. Disconnect between workers and management primarily caused the BP tragedy and six workers were dismissed upon accusations from officials of negligence and failing to sound an evacuation alarm. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, Vioxx, into the United States’ market in 1999. The Vioxx disaster occurred between 1999 and 2004. More than one hundred million prescriptions were made in the United States of America alone and it caused enormous deaths and injuries (Abraham & Davis, 2013). It was established that the drug (painkiller) caused stroke and cardiovascular complications. Merck & Company, which was responsible for manufacturing the drug was accused of misleading patients and doctors about the drug’s safety; fabricating research results to suit the company’s interests and thwarting an FDA’s agent from revealing the complexities associated with the drug – it skirted federal drug regulations (Hopkins, 2008). Before its withdrawal from the market, in 2004, more that 25 million Americans who used the drug and it had caused over 38,000 deaths (Ellsberg & Gerstein, 2008). Texas City BP explosion occurred in 2005. It had resulted in 15 deaths

Why is Face to Face Selling Important in a Time when Technology is Essay

Why is Face to Face Selling Important in a Time when Technology is Seemingly Important - Essay Example When you are starting out small, you are probably going to have to do a lot of selling in order to jump-start your business. Your effectiveness as a salesperson will be an absolutely critical factor in the success of your business. Later, as your business grows and prospers, you may be able to delegate more and more of the selling process to your employees. The majority of the products and services being sold business to business, as well as many sold to consumers, require a personal sales talk. Now, one disadvantage of selling by telephone or any other high-tech means is the lack of face-to-face contact (Wiersema, 1996). When you are sitting with a prospect, it's much easier to read their body language. You can see the look on their face when their confused about something you said. You can see the delight when you hit a hot button for them. You can read the shifts in their body as they respond to your every word. Non-verbal communication is missing when you sell by phone or by e-mail. Selling over the phone or any other non face-to-face means puts you at a huge disadvantage because numerous studies have shown that 55% of what we communicate is non-verbal. This technique will give you back the advantage you might have lost. By asking questions that solicit a response from your prospect you will get an idea of what's going on inside the prospect's mind. Another disadvantage of selling through high-tech gadgets is that it is somewhat like to traditional selling. Traditional selling entails the use of sales "scripts" that are both awkward and unnatural. Dozens of memorized closes, questions rigged with "tie-down" lines tricks the prospect into saying "yes", etc. This traditional selling sequence is contrived, and goes against natural flow of the prospect. And even when customers buy as a result of these high-pressure tactics, it's not because they want the product but because they are cornered or intimidated into the sale. On the contrary, selling face-to-face can get you into the mind of your prospect. Mind reading, as used ethically in sales and marketing, is simply the process of observing and utilizing natural human tendencies to sidestep the natural defense barriers that are obstacles in the sales process. In this manner, your prospect is a voluntary and willing participant, and becomes happily involved in a buying decision that you have rendered painless and even enjoyable. The sales process becomes a matter of just providing only the specific information in the order and context that your unique prospects require to buy. Since you're going to your prospect's natural flow, and using a selling sequence to which your prospect is naturally inclined, you eliminate any resistance. Selling couldn't be any easier. Further, face-to-face sales are one of the most original forms of marketing (Stone, 1997). In the past, door-to-door sales accounted for a significant percentage of sales for many companies. Companies like the Fuller Brush Company, Avon, and others have had great success with face-to-face sales over the years, and continue to use door-to-door marketing today, expanding their sales around the world (Treacy, et