December 11, 2005
It's over
Well, it's over. Honestly, I learned more this semester in management than I originally thought. I used to think that a human resources manager should take things on a case by case basis. But instead, there are certain rules that a smart manager can follow to maximize morale, productivity, and quality. Also, managers should follow certain protocols before firing or hiring an individual to avoid lawsuits.
Beyond these human resources aspects, I became more self aware. The learning plan forced me to try to understand why I am the way I am. This made me realize my strengths and weaknesses. The various networking events made me more consious whenever I meet someone for the first time. I think I now know how to make a better impression. Based on this semester, I am looking forward to what kinds of new things we can learn in Management 251.
December 10, 2005
HR Simulation Wrap-up
I think the HR simulation was very good at teaching us the textbook principles of management. For example, morale and productivity are usually related. However, we need to understand that this was only a simulation.
In the real world, there are probably a lot of random events that affect morale, productivity, accident rates, quality, etc. This is why HR management is so interesting. Even after we can learn about seemingly bland things in the classroom, we might still not be prepared for an actual management position. Learning is simply a guide here to teach us the general principles of being a good manager. For this reason, it will be interesting to see how many of the theories we have learned throughout the simulation actually hold true in a real workplace environment.
December 08, 2005
Tom Mendola
Tom Mendola should be fired. He had been warned consistently about his poor work ethic, and it is not management's job to look after the needs of all of its lower level workers. Some people made comments in class that we should give Mr. Mendola the benefit of the doubt since his is so young, and I disagree. Not only is this unfair to the other harder-working members of the factory, but is unfair to Tom. He needs to learn that businesses have little tolerance for slackers. It is better he learn this sooner than later.
December 01, 2005
"Gray is Good:Employers Make Eforts To Retain Older, Experienced Workers"
In today's issue of the Wall Street Journal, there was an interesting article called "Gray is Good:Employers Make Eforts To Retain Older, Experienced Workers." Basically, the author argues that woerkers are sacrificing the flexibility of young workers for the experience of older workers. Companies like Home Depot target customers who seem to prefer dealing with older workers who generally care more about the customers' questions.
I found this article interesting because it seemed to refute our arguments from earlier this year on the article "Are Older Workers Good Buys?" Here, most people in te class said that it is not worth it to pay more for experienced workers who are set in their ways. Instead, younger workers should be employed because of their adaptability and their lower costs.
November 14, 2005
CNN.com Article
There was an interesting article on CNN.com today talking about holiday bonuses. Basically, many companies are donating the money that would have been given for bonuses to disaster relief funds. This came from a survey by a company called Hewitt Associates. In a statement, a leader for the company said the following:
"Employers recognize that the value in tying awards to performance, as opposed to the holidays, better connects employees to the company's goals and objectives, eliminates 'entitlement' issues, and leads to increased productivity and improved business results."
(full article is here)
This seems to apply to our simulation project too. Rewarding employees just for making it to the holiday season does not give them any incentive to work harder. Only if the workers deserve some sort of bonus, then companies should reward them. Otherwise, the employees may feel disconnected from the company.
November 06, 2005
MGMT 250 so far
Before taking management 250, I didn't really know what it meant to be a management major. I thought that in companies, there were certain leaders in their fields that worked their way to the top. Managers were simply the bosses of the common workers. But now I am beginning to understand that all companies need specialized people to "manage" all of the employees. These managers must have good instincts, be creative, and empathetic to their fellow peers.
HR simulation update
The HR simulation so far is somewhat confusing. For example, when we increase the wages of all of our employees equally, the level 1 workers get "VERY discontent." So we tried to beat the system and give the level 1 employees a slightly higher wage increase as compared to the other employees. Still, morale went down because of this. My only explanation to this problem is that maybe the level 1 workers think that they are solely responsible for increased productivity and don't think it's fair for others to get rewarded for it. But then again, maybe this is just a glitch in the system.