Managerial Ethics

When I was reading the articles in preparation for today’s discussion I was not really following along that well. Two of the articles I found kind of difficult to follow along with, and did not have a very good understanding when I was done reading them. After the discussion we had in class though, I feel as if I understood them pretty well. There were three different sets of ideals that we discussed. In the pursuit of self interest I can see why someone might favor any of these doctrines over another. Obviously if you are looking out for yourself a Machiavellian approach would seem quite logical. By using this method you are going to benefit more than anyone else. Not only do you benefit from this but it is going to help ensure a perpetual benefit. I think that the Wal-Mart example we used points this out pretty well. The fact that the company is exploiting their employees to benefit another group shows their disregard for all stakeholders of the company.  Also the fact that they are spending such a large amount of money to give the façade of actually being a caring company exemplifies one of the main points in the Machiavellian ideal. With regards to the Agent approach taken by Lincoln, I think there is an interesting dynamic going on here. Although I do think that all of what Lincoln conveyed in his message is truly how he felt, I feel that the justifications for his actions could be twisted if used by others to seem as if they are doing what is right, but actually to be in self interest. Lincoln said the only reason he wanted to free the slaves (a self interest of his) was that in would help achieve saving the Union (agent duty). By using a justification system like this it is apparent how someone could act as if they are performing their agent duties but actually acting with their own interests in mind. Even though the Agent and Platonic ideals seem as if they are acting for the good of all, I feel as if though there is a paradox and they are inherently flawed to allow for those in charge to act to benefit themselves. An example of this is with the Platonic way of doing things. If there is an elite group that is chosen to make the decisions for a group, it is natural that those in the position of power will not want to give up this power and will act in a way to perpetuate that power.

Motivation Theories

Through our discussion on Monday regarding the case we have been assigned I realized that the four theories on motivation we have learned about are pretty sufficient to explain essentially any situation regarding why we are motivated, or not motivated to do something. I think that Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is a good model to help understand the psychological aspect behind our decisions.  I know all of these theories are based at least somewhat on psychology, but I feel as if this one relates very closely to what we value within ourselves. Even though we are all similar in that we all need these same needs fulfilled, we all go about fulfilling them in different ways. Also I think that some of us may be able to fulfill certain needs easier than others. By this I mean that people may be able to fulfill needs at any level of the hierarchy rather than having to fulfill them in a specified order. I think that the hygiene motivation theory is the most interesting theory that we discussed. The thing I found surprising about this theory is that salary is considered a hygiene factor. By it being categorized as this it means that people do not see it as a motivator. Before we discussed this theory I thought that it would have been the most motivating factor there was. After the discussion however, it makes sense that people will be more motivated by factors other than money. Up to a certain point, money will not motivate someone. Ways in which to get them to be more productive are to do things such as give them opportunities for achievement and recognition. I think that the equity theory is a good tool to help explain motivation related to workplace inequality. It makes sense that people who putting in the same amount of effort but not receiving as much in return will feel they are getting the raw end of a deal. Because of this, it is logical that they would take steps to make their equity ratio equal to that of others.

Equity Theory

I think that our discussion today about equity theory is something that everyone can relate to. It seems pretty logical that in our social interactions we would want to at least attempt to convey a sense of equality if we have the better end of the relationship. Considering we focused more on if we are receiving the less advantageous end of a deal this is what I will focus on. I have experienced something similar to the example we discussed in class of being paid less than coworkers. I found out that people who were working at my job much shorter than I had been were being paid more than me. Even though the amount they were making more than me was very small, this frustrated me a great deal. I considered myself a very loyal, hard working employee and I felt cheated by my circumstances. Even though I definitely think that the equity theory is valid and I agree that one would want to equal their equity ratio with others, this is not really how I felt about the situation. I didn’t really fell that I should put less effort into my work just because I was not making less than some of my coworkers. I think an explanation for this is that, since it was a pretty menial job that did not require a great deal of effort or mental exertion I had an outlook that I am already stuck at work so I mine as well just do my job since it might take as much effort to consciously slack off. This makes me think that equity theory and equity ratios may be more applicable to work and jobs that require more effort and/or mental capacity. Even though I mentioned this point in my last post I think it is worth noting the fact that money is not the always the most motivating factor for people. I think it is very interesting that up to a certain point it will be but once that point is reached people want to gain things that are going to be valued from within.

Motivation

I really enjoyed our discussion on Monday regarding what motivates us. I feel as if I have examined Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs in almost every class since high school. I think this speaks to the importance placed on this model and the relevance it has, even though it is a relatively old model. Even though the validity of this model is debated among scholars I still think it gives some good insight as to why we do the things we do. Apart from some obvious discrepancies, such as the example discussed in class of sacrificing food for your family, I think that the hierarchy of needs is pretty accurate. Even though I think that this model is a pretty good representation of reality, I do not think that it is perfect. I think that it is very possible to fulfill a need while still being deficient in a lower need. A good example of this is that someone may be totally fulfilling their esteem needs while still being deprived in the loving and belonging need. Say someone is very successful, they have a good job, like what they do and feel great about their work. On the other hand, this person struggles with maintaining relationships with people and outside of work they do not have any close family or friends. This shows that someone may be able to move up in the hierarchy while not fulfilling a lower echelon. Apart from the discussion of the hierarchy of needs I found the motivator-hygiene theory of job satisfaction pretty interesting.  I was surprised that much of what makes up the hygiene factors do not play into us being satisfied. I would think that something such as salary would be the biggest motivating factor. I liked watching the video on Google and seeing all of the things they take into consideration to give their employees either satisfaction or no dissatisfaction. I think that this could be a highly effective way to not only attract high caliber employees but also improve the quality of work received from the employees and how the employees feel about their work.

Book report part 3

In this chapter of my book, the author focuses on the increased “uselessness” of educated workers in countries that have more industrialized economies. By using the term uselessness he is referring to the fact that there is an abundance of highly skilled, highly educated workers in the economy but many people are either unable to find work to utilize their knowledge and skills, or they are underemployed. The Author explains that there are three primary reasons contributing to this phenomenon. The first reason deals with the global labor supply. This relates to the increasing trend of domestic companies using outsourcing to foreign counties. There were two prime examples of this conveyed in the text. First, the use of call centers being used in India, as well as auto manufacturers moving their production to Mexico. Although everyone believes that companies are moving to foreign countries only for cheap labor, it is explained that this is only part of the story. Even though the ultimate goal is to save money on the part of companies, many of the individuals taking these types of jobs away from American workers are more trained and educated than their American counterpart. Not only are the companies benefiting by lower costs but they are also getting higher quality work at the same time. The second explanation is that there is an increased use of automation and the use of machines to do work once done by humans. Many experts believed that an increase in automation would create more white collar jobs but this is not turning out to be the case. More and more automation of labor is taking away jobs because of machines increasing ability to do tasks that humans are not capable of. A third reason for the increased uselessness of individuals is the factor of an aging population. People are living increasingly longer lives but conversely their skills are becoming obsolete at an increasing rate. According to the book people will need to relearn their skills on average three times throughout their career to stay at a qualified level. Apart from discussing the reasons for the uselessness of workers the author touched on aspects of the attitudes we take towards our work and some of the impact that has on this topic. The idea of craftsmanship was a large part of this discussion. The author put emphasis on the idea of putting pride into the work we do and doing something to get it right rather than to just do it. This is something that is not as emphasized as much nowadays and has led to a decrease in quality of work as well as innovation. Also, the author brought up the idea that organizations are supporting a system that stresses skimming over detail instead of dwelling on issues and bringing an aspect of craftsmanship to the table. These topics discussed can be related to what we have been discussing in class regarding culture. The fact that so many companies are resorting to outsourcing as a means of employment can be looked at from the organizations cultural standpoint. Since outsourcing has been such a heavily talked about topic, it is obvious that it is a concern of the public. The fact that companies are using outsourcing tends to be looked at negatively by most individuals. This is because it is taking jobs away from home and this is even more worrisome in the economic times we are facing. Even though it is important to the companies that are implementing these practices to save money, it is important for these companies to reflect and see if the decisions they are making are worth the negative social implications that are resulting. Even if it would cost more money to keep jobs domestic, companies need to determine if their core business values are going to include the idea of these social concerns. Also, the idea that there is a decreased emphasis put on craftsmanship is a reflection of the culture of big business. As a result of there being so many large corporations that are producing products on a mass scale, there is little room for entrepreneurs to compete and provide higher quality products to customers. I think it is important for business to reward those who strive to take pride in their work as well as do a quality job rather than doing a job just to do it.

Wal-Mart

I think that there were several good points brought up on Wednesday during our discussion on Wal-Mart and their employee attire.  I can definitely see why management wants to move away from having the smocks to having employees dress in khakis and a polo. I think that this would help improve the company image somewhat. I think that the new look would be a step up and a good way for Wal-Mart to lose some of its super discount store image. Even though this is what the company’s business model is based off of, it may help to attract some newer, higher income shoppers. One of the main points that we discussed was how the employees felt about the smocks that most of the stores currently wear. On the one hand I feel as if the smock is better for the employee because it can help them identify with their coworkers better as well as allow for personal expression through what they wear underneath the smock. On the other hand I feel that the business casual look may have the employees feel that their job is more important or worthy, but they may not like having to conform to wearing the same thing every day. Where I work back home, we wear a vest similar to that of the Wal-Mart smock. My personal opinion is that I would rather have to wear the vest than have to wear business casual. I am able to wear a t-shirt and shorts to work which I really enjoy. I would not like to have to wear khakis and a polo to work every day. Although, this may be influenced by the nature of my work and the fact that wearing this attire would make it less comfortable with the amount of physical activity I am involved in at work.