ASSIGNMENT 1 (15%)
(INDIVIDUAL WORK)
Question 1
Rushdi just graduated from college with a degree in marketing. He wants to go into sales. He believes that if he works hard he can earn a lot of money. He wants to earn money fast to pay off his education loans. He is single with no dependents. Describe the type of variable pay program and flexible benefits package that would be the most desirable for Rushdi. (10 marks)
Variable Pay
Performance
We believe that variable pay reinforces the focus on performance and recognizes employees for the achievement of specific results, almost everybody has a performance-related element to their pay. Variable pay is used generally to recognize and reward employee contribution toward company productivity, profitability, team work, safety, quality, or some other metric deemed important. Variable pay changes depending upon the circumstances.
Benefits Package
Plans
Flexible benefit plans allow employees to choose the benefits they want or need from a package of programs offered by an employer. Flexible benefit plans may include health insurance, retirement benefits plans, and reimbursement accounts that employees can use to pay for out-of-pocket health or dependent care expenses. In the short term, companies obviously benefit from sharing costs with employees. But a business may also choose to cap its future contributions to benefits by passing along increased costs to employees through these plans. Flexible benefit plans have become increasingly popular with employers. This has had a major effect on a business' ability to offer benefits, yet most employees still expect to receive benefits as a result of employment. These companies, as well as larger ones, have subsequently sought palatable means by which their employees can contribute to the cost of benefits. One option is a flexible benefit plan. Indeed, many businesses have begun to offer flexible benefits in order to retain a competitive benefits package for employees.
Workers' Compensation
Workers' compensation laws make certain that an employee who is injured as a result of an accident on the job or who contracts a disease as a result of performing his or her job, will receive compensation and medical benefits. Every state requires that employers purchase workers' compensation insurance to ensure that employees, who are affected by illness or injury, and their dependants, are protected against significant hardships in case of injury, illness, or death.
Insurance
Health insurance is the foundation of a comprehensive benefits package for employees. Health insurance is the preferred benefit of the majority of people who work. Health insurance marks an employer as an employer of choice when desirable candidates select job opportunities. Dental insurance is an insurance that will pay specified proportions of the cost of dental and oral hygiene expenses or treatments. Employer-provided dental insurance policies offer employees many different options for insurance coverage. Life insurance is an employee benefit frequently offered by employers. Life insurance is an insurance policy that provides compensation upon the death of an employee. Life insurance marks an employer as an employer of choice when desirable candidates select job opportunities. Find out more about life insurance.
Flexible Benefits and Perks
Our benefits allow employees not only to meet their basic needs in line with local market and legal practice, but also to have a choice of options that suit their individual situation. These options differ per country and can for example include: pensions, medical insurance, housing allowance, scholarships for children or childcare support. Next to the structural rewards we believe it is important to provide on-the-spot recognition for strong contributions. We have recognition programs to celebrate individual and group achievements, while helping managers to recognize and immediately reward significant contributions and results. Programs are developed and implemented at the local level to ensure tax, legal, and cultural appropriateness.
Paid Holidays
Benefits are a form of compensation paid by employers to employees over and above the amount of pay specified as a base salary or hourly rate of pay. Benefits are a portion of a total compensation package for employees. A comprehensive, common set of benefits includes the following components.
Question 2
Elisa is upset with her supervisor because she was denied her requested vacation days, which were given to another worker. She is experiencing a very low level of job satisfaction, but cannot afford to quit her job. Describe five negative, passive responses that Elisa might take due to her dissatisfaction. If you are her manager, how will you deal with her responses? (10 marks)
1. the impact of dissatisfied and satisfied employees on the workplace
o Exit - Dissatisfaction expressed through behavior directed toward leaving the organization.
o Voice - Dissatisfaction expressed through active and constructive attempts to improve conditions.
o Loyalty - Dissatisfaction expressed by passively waiting for conditions to improve.
o Neglect - Dissatisfaction expressed through allowing conditions to worsen.
In early literature, individuals similar to those covered by the designation of passive-aggressive personality disorder were referred to as:
* dissatisfied people who acted as if they were perpetually wounded .
* depressives with ill tempers who were spiteful, malicious, and pessimistic.
* passive resistance to fulfilling social and occupational tasks through procrastination and inefficiency;
* complaints of being misunderstood, unappreciated, and victimized by others;
* angry and pessimistic attitudes toward a variety of events;
* unreasonable criticism and scorn toward those in authority;
Five Step Problem-Solving Model
1. Identify critical behaviors
2. Develop baseline data
3. Identify behavioral consequences
4. Develop and apply intervention
5. Evaluate performance improvement
Question 3
Pick a local service firm. Explain how this firm can create team players to provide a quality service. (10 marks)
A team is a collection of individuals organized to accomplish a common purpose, who are interdependent, and who can be identified by themselves and observers as a team. Teams exist within a larger organization and interact with other teams and with the organization. Teams are one way for organizations to gather input from members, and to provide organization members with a sense of involvement in the pursuit of organizational goals. Further, teams allow organizations flexibility in assigning members to projects and allow for cross-functional groups to be formed.
TYPES OF TEAMS
There are six major types of teams: informal, traditional, problem solving, leadership, self-directed, and virtual.
INFORMAL TEAMS.
Informal teams are generally formed for social purposes. They can help to facilitate employee pursuits of common concerns, such as improving work conditions. More frequently however, these teams form out of a set of common concerns and interests, which may or may not be the same as the organization's. Leaders of these teams generally emerge from the membership and are not appointed by anyone in the organization.
TRADITIONAL TEAMS.
Traditional teams are the organizational groups commonly thought of as departments or functional areas. Leaders or managers of these teams are appointed by the organization and have legitimate power in the team. The team is expected to produce a product, deliver a service, or perform a function that the organization has assigned.
PROBLEM SOLVING TEAMS.
Problem-solving teams or task forces are formed when a problem arises that cannot be solved within the standard organizational structure. These teams are generally cross-functional; that is, the membership comes from different areas of the organization, and are charged with finding a solution to the problem.
LEADERSHIP TEAMS.
Leadership teams are generally composed of management brought together to span the boundaries between different functions in the organization. In order for a product to be delivered to market, the heads of finance, production, and marketing must interact and come up with a common strategy for the product.
SELF-DIRECTED TEAMS.
Self-directed teams are given autonomy over deciding how a job will be done. These teams are provided with a goal by the organization, and then determine how to achieve that goal. Frequently there is no assigned manager or leader and very few, if any, status differences among the team members.
VIRTUAL TEAMS.
Technology is impacting how teams meet and function. Collaborative software and conferencing systems have improved the ability for employees to meet, conduct business, share documents, and make decisions without ever being in the same location. While the basic dynamics of other types of teams may still be relevant, the dynamics and management of virtual teams can be very different. Issues can arise with a lack of facial or auditory clues; participants must be taken at their word, even when video-conferencing tools are used.
TEAM BUILDING
The most successful teams go through five stages of development.
Five Stages of Team Development
Forming
• Assess the ground rules
• Gather information about group goals
Storming
• Initiate conflict with other team members
• Find mutually acceptable resolutions
Norming
• Build cohesion
• Develop a consensus about norms
Performing
• Channel energy toward the task
• Apply problem-solving solutions generated in the previous stages
Adjournment
• Disengagement after successful completion of goals
• Regrets at team break-up
ORGANIZATIONAL BENEFITS OF TEAMS
In addition to improved productivity and quality, some of an organization's major benefits from the use of teams are improved quality of work life for employees, reduced absenteeism and turnover, increased innovation, and improved organizational adaptability and flexibility.
IMPROVED QUALITY OF WORK LIFE.
Effective teams frequently improve the quality of work life for the employees. An effective team is generally one in which members are empowered to make decisions about how to get work done.
LOWER ABSENTEEISM AND TURNOVER.
A satisfying and rewarding work environment helps to lower absenteeism and turnover. Membership in a work team gives an employee a sense of belonging, interaction with others on a regular basis, and recognition of achievements. All of these help to eliminate a sense of isolation within the organization.
Questions Should be Encouraged for Quality Customer Support
It is a win-win situation if properly handled as it also captures possible sales that may open up within the communication. Questions and Answers (Q&A) or Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) is in fact highly recommended on business web site. Follow @remy_zakaria
Tiada ulasan:
Catat Ulasan