Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Reflection
Today Tyler talked about employee morale. According to Tyler, we need to be aware of problem low moral employees, because as Tyler said, "A bad employee will murder everyone in your company!" You can motivate employees through incentives, focusing on the things they accomplish (praise), and trust.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Class Reflections Tues 4/13
I enjoyed the presentations today. They focused on the glass ceiling, the recession, and unions. I found the summaries of the students research interesting. Megan presented on a very similar topic to mine. I was happy that we arrived at the same conclusions. Hyrum presented on startups. This was a subject of particular interest to me as an entrepreneurial major. I thought Melissa did a SUPER job!
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Chapter 16 Discussion Post
1. Creating and maintaining high performance organizations. Hr definitely plays into the larger role of keeping organizations efficient and effective. HR managers need to take a customer-oriented perspective and identify: who are the firm's customers, what are their needs, and how will the firm meet their needs? The answer almost always comes down to committed and competent employees. Any HR project you undertake needs to be evaluated to determine whether it accomplished what you intended it to accomplish and whether it brought money to the firm.
2. Have you ever witnessed a failed hr program? Has a company you worked for or knew about implemented some plan that didn't accomplish its purpose or if it did, didn't bring economic value to the firm?
3. That is really the key. A financial return. If it doesn't bring a financial return in some way there is no point in doing it. Everything a firm does is to make profit. Human Resource Managers have a huge opportunity, and play a major role in the overall performance of the firm. HR managers also need to remember that just like every other function of firm, the purpose is to generate revenue.
4. If you were an HR manager, what programs would you implement in your company to provide more value to your customers and bring greater returns to your firm? How would you measure the success of those programs?
Reflections
In class we discussed all the factors that affect HRM in international markets. These include: culture, education, economic, and political-legal. You have to decide how stable the political situation is. With culture, you must identify the way in which a country's culture differs from yours. Education plays a huge role in how people are able to receive products and services. And obviously economic ability has a very large impact on HR.
Reflection
Today we discussed effective work teams. Someone made a valid point that "effective work teams" are basically just the way all teams should work. Unfortunately, however, so many teams and things don't perform and work the way they should. I think by applying the principles of effective work teams, every facet of management and team projects will be enhanced.
2. Have you ever witnessed a failed hr program? Has a company you worked for or knew about implemented some plan that didn't accomplish its purpose or if it did, didn't bring economic value to the firm?
3. That is really the key. A financial return. If it doesn't bring a financial return in some way there is no point in doing it. Everything a firm does is to make profit. Human Resource Managers have a huge opportunity, and play a major role in the overall performance of the firm. HR managers also need to remember that just like every other function of firm, the purpose is to generate revenue.
4. If you were an HR manager, what programs would you implement in your company to provide more value to your customers and bring greater returns to your firm? How would you measure the success of those programs?
Reflections
In class we discussed all the factors that affect HRM in international markets. These include: culture, education, economic, and political-legal. You have to decide how stable the political situation is. With culture, you must identify the way in which a country's culture differs from yours. Education plays a huge role in how people are able to receive products and services. And obviously economic ability has a very large impact on HR.
Reflection
Today we discussed effective work teams. Someone made a valid point that "effective work teams" are basically just the way all teams should work. Unfortunately, however, so many teams and things don't perform and work the way they should. I think by applying the principles of effective work teams, every facet of management and team projects will be enhanced.
Chapter 15 Discussion Posts (see ch. 14 comment)
1. This chapter focuses on International HR. This is a very interesting subject. Because HR is so heavily people based, I can see how HR could totally change in a different culture. Consider for example how societies have different values. What may be important to one set of people in one country may be entirely different for a different set. For example, in America we value performance. In Asia however, education is given heavier emphasis. Your HR needs to reflect that.
2. Have you ever lived in another country besides the US? What differences in values affect how work is performed or how employees need to be managed?
3. The key principle to take away from this is that as you expand your business operations to other countries, you need to put HR people in charge that understand the foreign countries people and values. An employee you send overseas is called an "expatriat." They either need to already understand a foreign country's culture or they need to be trained to understand. Those of us in International Business have learned about Hofsted's Dimensions. Power distance, uncertainty avoidance, masculine/feminine, individualism vs collectivism; these all affect the way a group of people perceive the world and understand the workplace. A expatriat needs to be intimately familiar with these cultural dimensions.
4. Can you identify the cultural dimensions in the foreign country you are familiar with? What negative impact would you expect if you tried to manage the people there like we do in America?
2. Have you ever lived in another country besides the US? What differences in values affect how work is performed or how employees need to be managed?
3. The key principle to take away from this is that as you expand your business operations to other countries, you need to put HR people in charge that understand the foreign countries people and values. An employee you send overseas is called an "expatriat." They either need to already understand a foreign country's culture or they need to be trained to understand. Those of us in International Business have learned about Hofsted's Dimensions. Power distance, uncertainty avoidance, masculine/feminine, individualism vs collectivism; these all affect the way a group of people perceive the world and understand the workplace. A expatriat needs to be intimately familiar with these cultural dimensions.
4. Can you identify the cultural dimensions in the foreign country you are familiar with? What negative impact would you expect if you tried to manage the people there like we do in America?
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Chapter 14 Discussion Post
1. Collective Bargaining and Labor Relations: This chapter brought to mind an episode of the office I saw the other night. Michael is down in the warehouse hanging out with the dock workers. They decide to form a union, and Michael, desperately wanting to fit in, goes along with it. Jan, getting wind of the situation, immediately shuts it down. Why do workers want unions? Why do corporations oppose them? Workers of an industry stand to gain power by unionizing. They gain greater advantage through power in numbers. This puts them in a better position to negotiate as a union for better pay, better working conditions, etc. From the business side, managers often feel that unions will make it harder for the corporation to make money. This is because with unions come contracts! These contracts stipulate pay, benefits, and other conditions. Are unions good or bad? They have definite pros, and definite cons.
2. Have you ever or do you now belong to a union?
3. From a workers perspective, I can't imagine anything better than a union! Without one, it is just you against the firm! How much negotiation leverage do you have? Almost none! Someone else can replace you if you don't take the job. With a union the worker has a voice. They now have the size needed to really negotiate with firms. From the firms perspective I can see how unions would seem like a very bad thing. All of a sudden you have to deal with all these new stipulations. Is it fair? I think so.
4. What do you think? Are unions a good thing or a bad thing? Are there specific examples you are aware of or have experienced where unionizing turned out great? Turned out bad?
2. Have you ever or do you now belong to a union?
3. From a workers perspective, I can't imagine anything better than a union! Without one, it is just you against the firm! How much negotiation leverage do you have? Almost none! Someone else can replace you if you don't take the job. With a union the worker has a voice. They now have the size needed to really negotiate with firms. From the firms perspective I can see how unions would seem like a very bad thing. All of a sudden you have to deal with all these new stipulations. Is it fair? I think so.
4. What do you think? Are unions a good thing or a bad thing? Are there specific examples you are aware of or have experienced where unionizing turned out great? Turned out bad?
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Chapter 13 Discussion Post
1. This chapter was about Employee Benefits. This was another subject of interest to me. I've found it enlightening to realize that so much more composes how you compensate your employees besides just monetary compensation. And often the things that your employees value above pay are things that end up costing you a lot less money. Unfortunately benefits are not one of those things. They are very expensive for the company, but are necessary to recruit and retain. Federal law requires employers to offer some benefits, but many are optional. A brief list of benefits for employees include: social security, unemployment insurance, worker's comp, medical leave, paid leave, group insurance, retirement plans, paid-time-off, personal days, life insurance, and other quality of work-life benefits like having a gym or subsidized cafeteria on site. The chapter also focuses on the need to communicate what your benefits are, so that your employees and prospective employees know all the wonderful things you are paying for them to get.
2. Have you ever had a job that included optional benefit programs? (These are included in the list above from "paid leave" on.) What were they? Did you perceive them as a benefit?
3. I think perception is the issue. The book touched on the fact that when you are designing your optional benefits program you need to consider what your employees will actually care about. Maybe none of your employees would care about on-site dry cleaning. If they don't consider that a benefit, don't waste money on it! It is also critical to communicate your benefits to them. If they don't know it exists, its not a benefit!
4. Have you seen any trends in the amount or the mix of optional benefits employers are offering employees? Do you think optional benefits matter in recruiting and retaining? Would you rather just be paid more than have the benefits?
Reflections
We touched a lot on transparency this class. Its an interesting subject. As a salesman, I understand that in every negotiation situation, one party starts high and negotiates down, and one starts low and negotiates up. This is true on the car lot, in the privately owned retail store, in the private sale of items, in the music store, buying tickets from scalpers, and at your prospective employers. Is this fair? Should the best negotiators get the best deals? Well whether you love it or loath it, negotiating is an ancient art, deeply rooted into humanity. This presents a problem though. What happens when neighbors find out they paid totally different prices for the same car from the same lot? What happens when coworkers with the same experience and time find out they are being paid differently. This creates a problem. You can either hide the numbers, or level the playing field. Personally, I'm against transparency in this context. I don't want the playing field leveled cause it means I can't negotiate higher pay for myself!
2. Have you ever had a job that included optional benefit programs? (These are included in the list above from "paid leave" on.) What were they? Did you perceive them as a benefit?
3. I think perception is the issue. The book touched on the fact that when you are designing your optional benefits program you need to consider what your employees will actually care about. Maybe none of your employees would care about on-site dry cleaning. If they don't consider that a benefit, don't waste money on it! It is also critical to communicate your benefits to them. If they don't know it exists, its not a benefit!
4. Have you seen any trends in the amount or the mix of optional benefits employers are offering employees? Do you think optional benefits matter in recruiting and retaining? Would you rather just be paid more than have the benefits?
Reflections
We touched a lot on transparency this class. Its an interesting subject. As a salesman, I understand that in every negotiation situation, one party starts high and negotiates down, and one starts low and negotiates up. This is true on the car lot, in the privately owned retail store, in the private sale of items, in the music store, buying tickets from scalpers, and at your prospective employers. Is this fair? Should the best negotiators get the best deals? Well whether you love it or loath it, negotiating is an ancient art, deeply rooted into humanity. This presents a problem though. What happens when neighbors find out they paid totally different prices for the same car from the same lot? What happens when coworkers with the same experience and time find out they are being paid differently. This creates a problem. You can either hide the numbers, or level the playing field. Personally, I'm against transparency in this context. I don't want the playing field leveled cause it means I can't negotiate higher pay for myself!
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Chapter 12 Discussion Post
Employee Contributions and Pay
1. This chapter focused on the different ways to compensate employees for their contributions to the companies performance. When we think of getting paid, we typically think of getting a wage or salary, however, there are so many other methods of paying employees. In addition to wages and salaries, probably the next most common form of pay is commission. There are also performance bonuses that are awarded when specific objectives are reached. There are even team bonuses that are paid out to all members of a work team who accomplish a specific goal. Additionally, there are stock options that can be given to employees. This has long term retention benefits. Employees will want the company to do well so their stock will improve. It teaches them to think like owners.
2. Have you ever been on a payment plan other than wages or salaries? Have you ever received special bonuses?
3. To me, tying an employee's pay to the growth of the company is the most effective way to make sure employees are involved and concerned about the company's growth. After this, the next best thing is tying their pay to specific performance. I think the worst form of pay is to just pay someone a straight wage for their time. I recognize that this is the only method for a lot of jobs. From personal work experience however, wage jobs typically create a situation where you don't have much concern for company growth or performance. You often are just watching the clock till you can get out!
4. Could your current job be modified to include some sort of other compensation for your contributions to the company? Can anything that you do be quantified so you could receive a bonus for exceptional performance? Do you feel that a pay structure where you could earn more for performing better would incentivize you to work harder or be more involved in your work?
Reflections
As a group we seemed to have a common theme. We all discussed different methods of compensating employees. The three main categories that surfaced were: wages/salary, commission, or equity. One person in our group actually had her compensation tied to all three! She got paid a wage for her time working, she also would be given bonuses if her or her team met certain quotas or objectives, AND if her company performed well that year she would get a bonus. I think this is pretty effective. Its unfortunate this type of compensation can not be used in all types of jobs.
1. This chapter focused on the different ways to compensate employees for their contributions to the companies performance. When we think of getting paid, we typically think of getting a wage or salary, however, there are so many other methods of paying employees. In addition to wages and salaries, probably the next most common form of pay is commission. There are also performance bonuses that are awarded when specific objectives are reached. There are even team bonuses that are paid out to all members of a work team who accomplish a specific goal. Additionally, there are stock options that can be given to employees. This has long term retention benefits. Employees will want the company to do well so their stock will improve. It teaches them to think like owners.
2. Have you ever been on a payment plan other than wages or salaries? Have you ever received special bonuses?
3. To me, tying an employee's pay to the growth of the company is the most effective way to make sure employees are involved and concerned about the company's growth. After this, the next best thing is tying their pay to specific performance. I think the worst form of pay is to just pay someone a straight wage for their time. I recognize that this is the only method for a lot of jobs. From personal work experience however, wage jobs typically create a situation where you don't have much concern for company growth or performance. You often are just watching the clock till you can get out!
4. Could your current job be modified to include some sort of other compensation for your contributions to the company? Can anything that you do be quantified so you could receive a bonus for exceptional performance? Do you feel that a pay structure where you could earn more for performing better would incentivize you to work harder or be more involved in your work?
Reflections
As a group we seemed to have a common theme. We all discussed different methods of compensating employees. The three main categories that surfaced were: wages/salary, commission, or equity. One person in our group actually had her compensation tied to all three! She got paid a wage for her time working, she also would be given bonuses if her or her team met certain quotas or objectives, AND if her company performed well that year she would get a bonus. I think this is pretty effective. Its unfortunate this type of compensation can not be used in all types of jobs.
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