An Investigation into the Factors that Impact on the Retention of Dissertation

An Investigation into the Factors that Impact on the Retention of Generation Y Workers in Nestle South Africa - Dissertation Example 89). Other terms have been used synonymously to pertain to the same group, such as â€Å"Millenials†, â€Å"Echo-Boomers†, or the â€Å"iGeneration†. These young individuals possess a set of common characteristics and expectations distinct from older generations who have preceded them. This generation can create considerable impact both as employees and consumers, meriting an investigation of the factors that influence their cognition, affect, and behaviours at work. The Nestle brand has continuously created an extensive range of products with superior quality, targeted towards consumers at a global scale. The multinational organisation, has been acknowledged internationally, owing to their research and development capabilities, geographic presence, and the premium that they place on their employees and their culture. Over 3,300 employees work for Nestle, 82% of whom are Black and 32% being females. Because of the organisation’s concern towards enhancing e mployee performance and well-being, Nestle has devised employee assistance programs that promote emotional and psychological support and financial stability, among others, towards maintaining employee wellness and effectively reducing employee turnover. Owing to the substantial influence of Generation Y employees on achieving the organisational bottomlines, the current research aims to ascertain the factors that influence their retention. ... Individuals who have grown up at different periods of time are likely to be characterized by a unique set of attitudes, values, beliefs, and expectations which exert a significant impact on their mindsets, behaviours, and their response to the culture of the workplace they belong to. As members of Generation Y enter employment, work forces have become more generationally diverse, being composed of four generations, spanning over 60 years- the Traditionalists, Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Generation Y (Glass, 2007, p. 98). Generation Y, which represents the latest generation to join the workforce, can be considered as the â€Å"most technically literate, educated, and ethnically diverse generation in history† (Eisner, 2005, p. 6). Gen Yers value personal development, achievement, and continual learning. There are inherent challenges in teaching and learning Generation Y employees in the contemporary workforce (Jonas-Dwyer and Pospisil, 2004). Differences exist among these ge nerations particularly as regards their preferred work culture, and such leanings are reflected in their preferred values, work styles and management (Eisner, 2005). As argued by Westerman and Yamamura (2007, p. 150), a profound understanding of work environment preferences, work motivation, and other work-related outcomes, is essential at strategizing for effective recruitment, training, retention and rewarding of the young generation. The current study thus further examines the factors that contribute to the motivation and retention of Gen Y employees in the South African context, specifically in the Nestle organisation. 1.3 The Research Problem There has been no systematic

Life after college Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Life after college - Term Paper Example Additionally, high numbers of job seekers with similar qualification have flooded the job market creating another significant challenge among the fresh graduate of proving their uniqueness before the recruitment panel (Carol, para10). This study therefore, will investigate the challenges that college students undergo through immediately after graduation. In above connection, the study will focus on unemployment and high debts among college graduates. Challenges student come across after college graduation, including unemployment and high debts Higher education has greatly been attributed to numerous benefits such as; improved standard of living, higher income, increased productivity and reduction in production cost among other benefits. Additionally, numerous states provide higher income to those with higher level of education as compared to those with lower education levels (Roksa, Josipa and Richard, para2-25). For instance, high school graduates were anticipated to receive lower i ncome as compared to diploma and degree holders. However, there have been some variations in respect education to level of education and income. ... Connectively, most college graduate faced the challenges of securing a job because most of the courses they took at their respective universities could not correlate with the market demand. This forced many employers to recruit college graduates from other foreign countries (Coy, paras1-6). In above connection, lack of adequate academic engagement such as working while still in college, especially during vacation has contributed greatly to unemployment among the college graduates. This is because through academic engagements students not only acquire new experience but also experience tremendous growth in their career life. This provides them competitive edge of securing a job after completing their college education (Roksa, Josipa and Richard, para17). Additionally, some college students may found that employers are not hiring on their geographical areas and therefore, some may find it quite challenging to move into new areas to look for a job due to housing and income problems (Car ol, paras1-5). On the other hand, most college graduates do not make to the interview room despite sending their application. This is because of improper writing of their resumes which denies them a chance to be invited for an interview despite being qualified for a job. However, some who make to an interview room fails to get a job due to failure of expressing themselves properly such that an employer can become convinced that they are the best candidates for a job. Connectively, majority of the college graduate tend to be confused on what to do after completing their college. This is because some do not know where to start (Carol, para5). Research report indicates that most students after graduation lacks financial freedom and tend to rely heavily on their parents

Improving the processes of patient care to improve outcomes Essay Example for Free

Improving the processes of patient care to improve outcomes Essay Improving the processes of patient care to improve outcomes is fundamental to quality patient care and requires skills in change management. Porter-OGrady, Tim; Malloch, Kathy. Leadership in Nursing Practice (p. 3). Jones Bartlett Learning. Kindle Edition. The term innovation, rather than change, is often used to gain attention and infer that something new and special is happening. One of Porter-OGrady, Tim; Malloch, Kathy. Leadership in Nursing Practice (p. 4). Jones Bartlett Learning. Kindle Edition. the reasons there are significant variations in the descriptions of change and innovation can be attributed to the various underlying assumptions about the environment and the nature of change. Porter-OGrady, Tim; Malloch, Kathy. Leadership in Nursing Practice (p. 4). Jones Bartlett Learning. Kindle Edition. Linear change does not recognize the multiple, unanticipated human actions and communications that occur and the dynamic context in which the change is occurring. As a consequence, the linear perspective often becomes rigid, control driven, frustrating, and unsuccessful. Porter-OGrady, Tim; Malloch, Kathy. Leadership in Nursing Practice (p. 5). Jones Bartlett Learning. Kindle Edition. The world is in continual motion, and movement occurs in more than linear ways. A change in one area can result in numerous, unanticipated changes in areas not considered. Porter-OGrady, Tim; Malloch, Kathy. Leadership in Nursing Practice (p. 5). Jones Bartlett Learning. Kindle Edition. Interactions in a complexity perspective are characterized by creativity, interdependence, unpredictability, and collective knowledge. Porter-OGrady, Tim; Malloch, Kathy. Leadership in Nursing Practice (p. 6). Jones Bartlett Learning. Kindle Edition. Change is †¦ †¢ Something new or different †¢ To make or become different †¢ To alter; to make different; to cause to pass from one state to another; as, to change the position, character, or Porter-OGrady, Tim; Malloch, Kathy. Leadership in Nursing Practice (p. 6). Jones Bartlett Learning. Kindle Edition. appearance of a thing; to change the countenance †¢ To alter by substituting something else for, or by giving up for something else; as, to change the clothes; to change one’s occupation; to change one’s intention †¢ To give and take reciprocally; to exchange; followed by with; as, to change place, or hats, or money, with another Source: Webster’s Dictionary (1991). Innovation is †¦ †¢ Anything that creates new resources, processes, or values or improves a company’s existing resources, processes, or values (Christensen, Anthony, Roth, 2004) †¢ The power to define the industry; the effort to create purposefully focused changed in Porter-OGrady, Tim; Malloch, Kathy. Leadership in Nursing Practice (p. 6). Jones Bartlett Learning. Kindle Edition. an enterprise’s economic or social potential Porter-OGrady, Tim; Malloch, Kathy. Leadership in Nursing Practice (p. 6). Jones Bartlett Learning. Kindle Edition. evidence-based practice, linkages between clinical practice and scientific standards, the quest for consistency, minimizing idiosyncrasies, and providing a scientific basis for policy construction are the basic reasons for a change in health care. Using an evidence-driven model serves to provide focus and organization of change initiatives; evidence-based practice is the platform for nurses’ work. Porter-OGrady, Tim; Malloch, Kathy. Leadership in Nursing Practice (p. 10). Jones Bartlett Learning. Kindle Edition. chaos is normative in health care. Porter-OGrady, Tim; Malloch, Kathy. Leadership in Nursing Practice (p. 14). Jones Bartlett Learning. Kindle Edition. Personal knowledge and accountability for one’s own strengths and limitations specific to change and innovation, including technical capability and computer literacy †¢ Understanding the essence of change and innovation concepts as well as the tools of innovation †¢ The ability to collaborate and fully engage team members— that is, relational competencies Porter-OGrady, Tim; Malloch, Kathy. Leadership in Nursing Practice (p. 14). Jones Bartlett Learning. Kindle Edition. †¢ Competence in embracing vulnerability and risk taking Porter-OGrady, Tim; Malloch, Kathy. Leadership in Nursing Practice (p. 14). Jones Bartlett Learning. Kindle Edition.

Factors affecting employee commitment

Factors affecting employee commitment Over the last ten years, the study of commitment has advanced in many different directions. A variety of disciplines have adopted the topic as a theme in their research and these have offered fresh and significant insights. These recent advances include new approaches to both the conceptualization of employee commitment and the particular human resource practices intended to increase it. Current research concerning employee commitment highlights the pitfalls of viewing commitment as a one-dimensional construct that can be enhanced by a particular human resource policy. This assumes that a particular practice, for example offering flexible working arrangements or more training, will have a significant and beneficial effect on employee commitment. Unfortunately, in practice it is not that simple because there is no single solution. All employees wants and needs cannot be addressed by a single policy. The effective functioning of an organization highly depends on the commitment of its employees. In fact, the commitment of employees may be a key factor that determines the success of a company in the modern world since, in the situation of the growing competition and the constant implementation of new technologies a company needs to have well-qualified and reliable personnel to maintain its position in the market. At the same time, the effectiveness and productivity of work of employees still remain the major factors that can contribute to the progress of the company. On the other hand, nowadays it is obvious that financial stimuli solely can hardly motivate employees to work more effectively and productively. In such a situation, employees commitment turns to be of a paramount importance since it is due to the high commitment of employees they can perform positive results of their work, increase its effectiveness and productivity, while low commitment leads, as a rule, to poor results of the functioning of the entire organization. DEFINATION OF TERMS. COMMITMENT Meyer Allen 2001 define commitment as is a stabilizing force that acts to maintain behavioural direction when expectancy/equity conditions are not met and do not function. An obliging force which requires that the person honor the commitment even in the face of fluctuating attitudes and whims. (Brown 1996) The relative strength of an individuals identification with and involvement in a particular organization (Mowday et al 1979) According to Salancik (1977) commitment is a state of being in which an individual becomes bound by his action to beliefs that sustain his activities and his own involvement Allen meyer,1990, commitment is a psychological state that binds the individual to the organization. EMPLOYEE COMMITMENT It is the psychological bond of an employee to an organization, the strength of which depends on the degree of employee involvement, employee loyalty and belief in the values of the organization. As defined by Poter (1974) Employee commitment is the relative strength of the individuals identification with and involvement in a particular organization. It consists of three factors:A strong desire to remain a member of the organization; A strong belief in, and acceptance of, the values and goals of the organization A readiness to exert considerable effort on behalf of the organization MODELS OF COMMITMENT A THREE MODEL CONCEPTUALIZATION OF ORGANIZATION COMMITMENT. This model of organizational commitment model was developed by Meyer and Allen. According to the model, organizational commitment reflects at least three general themes. 1.Affective commitment to the organization 2.Continuance Commitment The perceived cost associated with leaving it 3.Normative Commitment- The obligation to remain with it. Affective Commitment Its the employees emotional attachment to, identification with and involvement in the organization. Employees with a strong affective commitment continue employment with the organization because they want to. Continuance Commitment The individual commits to the organization because he/she perceives high costs of losing organizational membership including economic costs (such as pension accruals) and social costs (friendship ties with co-workers) that could be incurred. The employee remains with the organization because he/she has to. I t refers to an awareness of the costs associated with leaving the organization. The potential cost of leaving an organization include the threat of wasting the time and effort spent acquiring non transferable skills, losing attractive benefits, giving up seniority based privileges or having to uproot family and disrupt personal relationships. It also develops as a result of lack of alternative employment opportunities. Employees in this category remain because they need to. NORTMATIVE COMMITMENTS Refers to a feeling of obligation to continue employment . Employees in this category remain in the organization because they feel they ought to. Organization can develop normative commitment by providing reward in advance e.g. paying college tuition. Normative pressures may also make an individual feel that they ought to remain within the organization. Acknowledging these investments makes employees feel a sense of obligation to reciprocate by committing themselves to the organization until the debt has been paid . One important point is that not all forms of employee commitment are positively associated with superior performance (Meyer Allen, 1997). For example, an employee who has low affective and normative commitment, but who has high continuance commitment is unlikely to yield performance benefits. The main reason such an employee remains with an organisation is for the negative reason that the costs associated with leaving are too great. THE HIGH COMMITMENT MODEL. ( IN STRATEGIC HRM.) This model embraces workforce commitment and identification with the organizations values and goals. The main features of high commitment model are 1. Development of career ladders and emphasis on trainability and commitment as highly characteristic of employees at all levels in the organization. 2. A high level of functional flexibility with the abandonment of potentially rigid job descriptions. 3. The reduction of hierarchies and the ending of status differentials. 4. Heavy reliance on the team structure for dissemination of information (team building) structure work and problem solving. 5. Job design as something management consciously does in order to provide jobs which have a considerable level of intrinsic motivation. 6. A policy of no compulsory layoff or redundancies and use of permanent employee with possible use of temporary workers to cushion fluctuation in the demand for labour. 7. New forms of assessment and pay system and more specifically merit pay profit sharing 8. A high involvement of employees in the management of quality. CONCEPTUALISATION OF COMMITMENT: MODEL DEVELOPED BY OREILLY AND CHATMAN. (1986) OReilly and Chatman(1986) developed their multidimensional framework on the basis of the assumption that commitment represents an attitude towards the organization. For them, commitment takes on three distinct forms, which they labeled 1. Compliance 2. Identification 3. Internalization Compliance occurs when attitudes and corresponding behaviors are adopted in order to gain specific rewards. E.g being very considerate towards people so that you get that promotion Identification occurs when an individual accepts influence to establish or maintain a satisfying relationship Relationship / Internalization occurs when influence is accepted because the attitudes and behaviors one is being encouraged to adopt are congruent with existing values. Employees thus become committed to organizations which they share value e.g. an organization that encourages integrity is likely to win the commitment of an individual who believes in integrity. TYPES OF COMMITMENT . OMalley (2000) contends that a review of the commitment literature produces five general factors which relate to the development of employee commitment: Affiliative Commitment: An organizations interests and values are compatible with those of the employee, and the employee feels accepted by the social environment of the organization. Associative Commitment: Organizational membership increases employees self-esteem and status. The employee feels privileged to be associated with the organisation. Moral Commitment: Employees perceive the organization to be on their side and the organization evokes a sense of mutual obligation in which both the organization and the employee feel a sense of responsibility to each other. This type of commitment is also frequently referred to in the literature as Normative Commitment. Affective commitment: Employees derive satisfaction from their work and their colleagues, and their work environment is supportive of that satisfaction. Some researchers (eg Allen Meyer, 1991) suggest that this is the most important form of commitment as it has the most potential benefits for organizations. Employees who have high affective commitment are those who will go beyond the call of duty for the good of the organization. In recent literature this form of commitment has also been referred to as engagement and is the form of commitment that is most usually measured by organizations. Structural commitment: Employees believe they are involved in a fair economic exchange in which they benefit from the relationship in material ways. There are enticements to enter and remain in the organization and there are barriers to leaving. This type of commitment is also frequently referred to in the literature as Continuance Commitment. FACTORS AFFECTING EMPLOYEE COMMITMENT. The workplace is a dynamic field and to remain competitive, employee commitment is important..The following factors affect employee comittemnt: Workplace values. If employees believe that their organization values quality products they will engage in behaviors that will contribute to high quality. If employees are convinced that their organization values participation they will be more likely to feel as though their participation will make a difference. They will thus be motivated and be more willing to seek solutions and make suggestions to contribute to the organization success. Subordinate supervisor interpersonal relationship. Supervisors behavior include sharing appropriate information, allowing mutuality of influence, recognizing and rewarding good performance and not abusing the vulnerability of others . The extent to which the supervisor displays these behaviors will thus largely determine subordinate commitment level Job characteristics. The extent that a job is structured to provide regular feedback and autonomy as well as a sense of task completion An increase in perceived control strengthens emotional bonds with an organization. A heightened sense of personal control has a positive consequence for employees attitudes and behaviors at work. When tasks are Intrinsically satisfying, employees tend to be more committed. Commitment is low when employees are given repetitive routine tasks to complete. A job that allows a high degree of autonomy and the absence of close supervision increases commitment. Demographics AGE. A range of demographic variables have been found to be related to employee commitment (Mathieu Zajac, 1990). For a variety of reasons, age has been found to be a positive predictor of employee commitment. As Mathieu Zajac (1990) suggest, the older employees become, the less alternative employment options are available. As a result, older employees may view their current employment more favourably. Dunham et al. (1994) suggest older employees may be more committed because they have a stronger investment and greater history with their organization. GENDER: With regard to gender, a number of studies (eg Mathieu Zajac, 1990) have reported women as being more committed than men. This is typically explained by women having to overcome more barriers than men to get to their position in the organization. MARITAL STATUS Marital status has also been shown to relate to commitment, with married employees usually showing more commitment (Mathieu Zajac, 1990). However, it is suggested that the reason for this is because married employees will typically have greater financial and family responsibilities, which increases their need to remain with the organization. Note, however, that this refers to structural commitment (or continuance commitment) in that the cost associated with leaving the organization increases commitment to the organization. As mentioned previously, structural commitment does not necessarily relate to increased performance. Recruitment Procedures OMalley (2000) suggests that organizations need to pay more attention to addressing employees social need to affiliate and belong, in order to create commitment, the organization must have the right sort of employees in the first instance. Employees feelings of belonging start to develop long before employees join the organization. The following information should be shared with employee to enhance commitment à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ share details about the organization à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ provide employees with help and support throughout the recruitment and selection process à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ convey the interests and values that the organization shares with employees. Organizations need to be attractive to the right sort of people; thus the initial contact between the organization and the prospective candidate is very important. DEVELOPING AN EMPLOYER BRAND. As Troy (1998) points out, increasingly organizations are attempting to communicate with prospective employees in a coherent manner by developing an employer brand The brand should condense the basic nature of the organization, what its values are and what it would be like to work there. The principal purpose of the brand is to efficiently bring employers and employees together in order to establish a relationship. Thus, a good brand should convey both the unique benefits of the organizational environment and the type of person who is likely to do well in that setting. The organization must then ensure that it delivers these promises to its employees, or its efforts will have been wasted. Employers should, therefore, devote a portion of the selection process to assessing cultural fit. Met Expectations Employees will be more committed if there is a good match between what the person is looking for in a job, and what the job provides . Commitment will be greater when employees experiences on the job match their expectations. Unmet expectations are a source of low morale and dissatisfaction. Such expectations usually relate to the type of work employees are given to do and the opportunities they receive for training and development. Factors affecting commitment. By Kochan and dyan as cited by Armstrong 2005. 1. Strategic level -supportive business strategies -Top management value of commitment -Effective voice of HR in strategy making Supportive business strategies may include activities that increase employee involvement thus reinforcing commitment. When top management is commited to its employees the employees too become commited. Fair human resource policies e.g a policy of promotion based on merit will also increase commitment 2. Hr policy level -staffing based on employment stabilization investing on training and development -continent compensation that reinforces cooperation Training increases employees efficiency making them more commited because they enjoy what they do.(Affective commitment) 3. Workplace level Selection based on high standards -Job design and team work -employee involvement in problem solving -climate of cooperation and trust. Selecting people with the right skills for a job will ensure that the employee remains commited as they will be efficient in their duties. Efficiency increases commitment. Designinh jobs e.g allowing flexi time,job enlargement,job enrichment and job rotation ensures that monotony is kept at bay and commitment is enhanced Other factors that affect employee commitment by Purcell et al (2003 in Armstrong ,2005) include i. Received training last year ii. Are satisfied with career opportunities iii. Are satisfied with performance appraisal system Think managers are good in people management (Leadership) v. Find work challenging vi. Think their form helps them achieve a work-life balance vii. Are satisfied with communication or company performance Benefits of employee commitment High level of employee commitments means that employees are really enthusiastic about their job and, their performance will be better as well as the effectiveness and productivity of their work higher. Employee commitment also evokes a profound interest of an employee to his/her work. This means that he/she enjoys the job he/she does. Consequently, the level of employees satisfaction will be high if they are really committed to their work. Employee commitment may be also cost saving since committed employees are highly motivated that means that they do not need increasing financial rewards for their work, though it does not necessarily mean that employees should not receive financial rewards at all, but the expenses of the organization at this point may decrease. The performance benefits accrued from increased employee commitment have been widely demonstrated in the literature. To list but a few, these include: i. increased job satisfaction (Armstrong 2005) ii. increased job performance (Mathieu Zajac, 1990) iii. increased total return to shareholders . iv. increased sales (Barber et al., 1999) v. decreased employee turnover (Cohen, 1991) decreased intention to leave decreased intention to search for alternative employers (Cohen, 1993) vii. decreased absenteeism (Cohen, 1993, Barber et al. 1999) Employee commitment should be viewed as a business necessity. Organizations who have difficulty in retaining and replacing competent employees will find it hard to optimize performance. There are not only the immediate expenses of the recruitment process, but other hidden costs such as management time and lost productivity as new employees take time to become effective in their roles. Commitment also has the following effects: 1. I t results in self directed( self initiave) application to do the job 2. regular attendance, 3. nominal supervision 4. a high level of effort 5. it increases the intention to stay- loyalty NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF LOW EMPLOYEE COMMITMENT. Low commitment of employees may lead to negative results and undermine the normal functioning of an organization or, at any rate, decrease the effectiveness of work of employees considerably. The low employee commitment has a number of disadvantages which deteriorate the work of each employee and the entire organization (OMalley 2000). Low commitment leads to the low level of interest of employees in their work. Consequently, if employees are not sufficiently interested in their work they will naturally work worse than they can. In other words, the low commitment decreases the effectiveness and productivity of work for employees are not really interested in their work and its outcomes. Naturally, in such a situation, they can hardly be interested in a positive performance of the organization they work for. MEASURING EMPLOYEE COMMITMENT . This can be done through an attitude survey, employee satisfaction survey, employee commitment survey and performance appraisals. Questioners are usually administered to collect relevant data that management later uses when deciding ways of increasing employee commitment. Sample of a questioner attached(Annex 1) WAYS OF ENHANCING EMPLOYEE COMMITMENT Organizations can use various strategies to increase employee commitment. This strategies include: Induction and Training The induction programme should be the final step of the recruitment and selection process. A good induction programme will make new employees more familiar with and more at ease within the organization. Employees enter the organization with an assumption of compatibility and should be welcomed. Relationships with Managers This refers to how the quality of the relationship between managers and their employees relates to the development of commitment. Employees commitment reflects their day to day contacts with their line managers about their job, and the way in which objective targets are set. Effective communication on job-related issues is a key ingredient in securing individual performance. To a great extent, individual line managers are responsible for ensuring that these maintenance behaviours occur. With poor management, the most well developed organizational programme can break down at the point of transmission. Relationships with Colleagues Emotional attachment to colleagues in the workplace is an important element of commitment, though It is not enough on its own. Unless there is occasion for frequent and rewarding interaction, stronger feelings of belonging that can bind employees to the organization are unlikely to emerge. Organizations that want to build high levels of commitment should look for ways to build this through group activities both in and out of work Group Membership To build commitment, being a member of a particular organization must not only satisfy employees social need to affiliate and belong, but must also create a sense of collective identity that differentiates the group from other organizations. There are many situational features that contribute to a sense of group membership. The more exposure that employees have to these features, the more likely they will be to feel like a part of the group and to incorporate that membership into their concept of who they are. Organizational Justice and Trust It is also argued that employees evaluate their experiences at work in terms of whether they are fair and reflect a concern on the part of the organization for the well- being of the employees (Meyer, 1997). Treating employees fairly, communicates the message that management is commitment to the employees. This suggests that organizations wanting to foster greater commitment from their employees must first provide evidence of their commitment to their employees. When there is trust, employees are willing to suspend judgement and defer to the authority of others. In addition, trust permits organizational flexibility because a payback need be neither immediate nor of equivalent value. OMalley (2000) identifies four areas in which employees sense of trust in the employer can be increased: i. Growth: As most employees want to be more proficient in their job, a good way to instil trust is to attend to employees development needs. ii. Work-Life balance: Most employees would like organizations to allow greater personal time when needed. iii. Individual accommodation: Acts of organizational flexibility or benevolence toward employees. iv. Health and Safety: Organizations that are committed to protecting employees health and safety are more likely to be trusted Promotion Policies and practices concerning promotion can also affect commitment. . Among those who are considered for promotion, the outcome of the decision is likely to have an effect on commitment. But, for some, the perception of fairness in the decision-making process might be even more important. This suggests that organizations should communicate clearly how their decisions were made and why those who did not succeed were not suitable. Work-Life Balance A key issue emphasized by research, especially in recent years, is the extent to which employees perceive they are able to achieve the right balance between home and work. Organizations are beginning to recognize this, and are making more concerted efforts to introduce a host of programmes intended to ease employees burdens. These include initiative such as: flexible work arrangements; child care; time off policies; elderly care; healthcare; information and counseling; and convenience services to name but a few. Job Satisfaction How happy an employee is in a job has profound effects on behaviour and commitment. In relation to commitment, job satisfaction and work-life satisfaction are very important. Job satisfaction is an enormous area; however, to be concise a satisfying job typically has three properties: i. It has intrinsically enjoyable features: Mathieu Zajac (1990) found that the strongest correlation with commitment were obtained for job characteristics, particularly job scope (enrichment). ii. It provides an opportunity for growth and development. iii. It makes employees feel effective in their roles (that they can positively influence organizational outcomes). Pay and Reward As mentioned previously, employees may remain with an organization because there are constraints against leaving and incentives for staying. It is important for organizations to structure the economics of the relationship in a way that will not obstruct commitment. One of the reasons to stay in a relationship is because it makes sense economically. Pay makes continuation of the employment relationship worthwhile because there is mutual dependence. PSYCHOLOGICAL CONTRACT Schein cited by (Armstrong 2005) defines commitment as attachment and loyalty Psychological contract is the degree people are committed to the organization (Schein 1965). It depends on 1. The degree to which their own expectations of what the organization will provide to them and what they owe the organization in return matches what the organization expectations are of what it will give and get in return The nature of what is actually to be exchanged e.g. money in exchange for time at work , social need satisfaction and security in exchange for hard work and loyalty Armstrong (2004) defines psychological contract as a system of beliefs which encompasses on one hand the actions employees belief are expected of them and what response they expect in return from their employer and on the other hand the behavior employers expect from their employees. It is implicit and dynamic ROLE OF PSYCHOLOGICAL CONTRACT IN DEVELOPING EMPLOYEE COMMITMENT, (ARMSTRONG) 2005 1. During recruitment interviews present the unfavorable as well as the favorable aspects of a job in a realistic job preview.- This will enable the candidate have a clear and achievable expectation of the organization and thus avoid setting very high expectations that the organization is unable to meet,leading to low / decreased commitment 2. In induction programmes communicate to new starters the organizations personnel policies and procedures and its core values indicating to them the standards of performance expected this enables them to remain committed in achieving the expected performance 3. Issue and update employee hand books and intranet entries which reinforce the message delivered in induction programmes. 4. Develop performance management process plans which spell out how continued improvement of performance can be achieved mainly by self managed learning 5. Use training and management development programmes to underpin values that define performance expectations. 6. Ensure thorough manager and team leader training that managers and team leaders understand their role in managing the employment relationship through such processes as performance management and team leadership managers should be very committed so as to pass the same message of commitment to employees. 7. Encourage a maximum amount of contact between managers and team leaders and their team members to achieve mutual understanding. 8. Adopt a general policy of transparency ensuring that on all matters which affect them employees know what is happening and the impact it will make on their employment 9. Develop personal procedures covering grievance handling, discipline , promotion and redundancy. Ensure they are implemented fairly and consistently. 10. Develop and communicate personnel policies covering the major areas of employment, development, reward and employee relations DEVELOPING HR PRACTICES THAT ENHANCE COMMITMENT. According to Armstrong 2005 the following ten (10) practice contribute to increase of employee commitment. 1.Advise in methods of communicating the values and aims of management and achievements of the organization, so that employees are more likely to identify with it as one they are proud to work for. 2.Emphasize to management that commitment is a two way process employees cannot be expected to be committed to the organization unless management demonstrates that it is committed to them. 3.Impress on the management the need to develop a climate of trust by being honest with people, treating them fairly justly and consistently, keeping its word and showing willingness to listen to the comments and suggestions made by employees 4.Develop a positive psychological contract by treating people as stakeholders rely on consensus and cooperation rather than control and coercion and provision of opportunities for learning and career progression. 5.Advise on and assist in the establishment of partnership agreements with trade unions which emphasiz

Jane Erye vs. Charlotte Bronte Essay -- essays research papers fc

Charlotte Bronte, born in 1816 at Thornton, Yorkshire, England, is an English writer who is one of three sisters, who are also famous for their writings. Bronte wrote Jane Eyre based on her own life experiences, which is why the novel is subtitled â€Å"An Autobiography†. Much of the romantic appeal in Jane Eyre comes from Bronte’s own personal history. Many critics argue that the novel is simply a reflection of Bronte’s life. Furthermore, there are several ways in which, Bronte’s life is similar to the life of Jane and the events that take place in the novel. Charlotte is described as simple, plain, and petite and the daughter of a clergyman just like Jane. Whenever, Charlotte wanted to get away from her daily life, she would absorb herself into the landscape and nature around her to relive her of stress and Jane is also deeply influenced by nature. After the death of her mother, Charlotte was sent to live with her strict and religious aunt, Elisabeth Branwell, who is like Jane’s aunt, Mrs. Reed. In addition, in the house that Charlotte stayed in, there was a small room upstairs that was about the size of a closet, which is similar to the room where Bertha is kept in. On the contrary, this room served as a playroom for Charlotte and her sisters. As a child, Charlotte attended a school specifically for the daughters of clergymen in 1824, which is comparable to Lowood School, where Jane went. Immediately after being a student at the school, Charlotte also became a teacher. In Jane...

Interpretation on Scientific Article about Sense of Smell Essay example

Introduction The sense of smell is what informs an organism of the chemical composition of their surrounding environment. The sense of smell is called olfaction and in humans, it is less developed than in most other mammals. The olfactory system contains epithelial cells that are unique because they are capable of regeneration, unlike most other neurons. The receptors for both taste and smell are called chemoreceptors. They are termed chemoreceptors because they respond to chemicals that are in aqueous solution. The olfactory epithelium is what allows us to smell; it is located in the roof of the nasal cavity and contains millions of sensory neurons. It is a patch and contains approximately 50 million sensory receptor cells. The receptor cells being referred to are actually neurons. The olfactory epithelium is comprised of three different layers, which include supporting cells, olfactory receptor cells, and basal cells. Supporting cells aid in the production of mucous and they support the olfactory receptor cells. The basal cells are at the base of the epithelium and they are the source of newly developed receptors. Tiny hair like structures, called cilia, are found on the olfactory receptors and they are covered with mucous. If molecules entering the nostrils dissolve in the mucous, they stimulate the receptors and the sense of smell is evoked. The substances that can be smelled have to be able to evaporate at normal temperatures and should be fairly water soluble so they can pass through t he mucous. The molecules should also be lipid soluble because the cilia are composed of lipids. A mature sensory neuron is a bipolar neuron, meaning it has two poles, or ends. The neuron receives signals through a branch known as a dendri... ... but quite possibly most important, much research is being conducted involving the degeneration of the olfactory system. One of the first signs of Alzheimer's disease is the loss of smell. By understanding the plasticity of the receptors in the olfactory system, there may be a way to further understand why degeneration takes place and how it could be treated. The future of this science is far reaching and combined with gene expression, it will become a heated topic. There are exciting discoveries taking place, such as the odorant receptors in sperm and even products in the material world. The olfactory system should provide a long future of discoveries due to the intricacies of its circuitry and the vast network it encompasses. References Momberts. Nature. "Putting Smell on the Map". Volume 419. pg. 296-300. 19 Sept. 2002. 2002 Nature Publishing Group.

Performance Management Plan Essay

A performance management system allows a business to maximize its efficiency through the sum of all its parts. Controlling employee’s behavior, maximizing employee efforts, and minimizing unproductive down town, is at the heart of a performance management system. In fact, according to Clardy (2013), â€Å"†¦a performance management system is the total complex of factors that trigger, channel, and maintain productive task performance.† (pg.1, para.2) Making sure employees are doing their job is no longer an efficient method of performance management. According to Cascio (2013), performance management can be thought of as a compass (pg. 332, para. 3). A compass will indicate current location and be a guide towards a desired direction. Thus, performance management helps businesses understand the current state of an employee’s performance and the desired outcome and direction in which to monitor and measure. Ensuring that an employee’s efforts are having a positive effect on business strategy becomes a key component of performance management. Moreover, human capital and performance management involves understanding how to align human capital management efforts to business strategies. Therefore, understanding how to align limo driver behaviors towards business strategy will be an indicator of the effectiveness of Landslide’s Limo performance management system. To facilitate the effort of recommending a performance management plan several issues will be addressed. First, how to align performance management to business strategy will be examined. Second, the philosophy of the organization performance will be explained. Third, a job analysis process will be conducted to identify the skills needed by employees and methods for measuring those skills will be detailed. Next, the process or processes for addressing skill gaps will be explained and lastly, the approach for delivering effective performance feedback will be determined. Aligning Performance Management to Business Strategy What becomes apparent, in maximizing employee efforts, is how human resources aligns human capital and performance management with business strategy. However, according to Schiemann (2007), â€Å"It’s a tough challenge when you consider that, on average, fewer than 20 percent of employees know their organization’s business strategy.† Therefore, what becomes a key issue is ensuring that employees have a clear understanding of the organizations business strategy. Fortunately, Landslide Limousine has a straightforward approach when it comes to business strategy, however, a few recommendations for further growth will also be included in this assessment and how to align performance management with the recommendations. Landslide Limousine has a business strategy of being comparable to other limousine services in the Austin area, hiring 25 employees, ensuring world class customer service, and achieving five percent revenue growth over the next two years. In addition, we would recommend furthering growth opportunities within a specialty limousine market, offering non-traditional fleet options for non-traditional customers. The performance management system should be clear and concise and the recommendation would be for a simple but effective performance management system. The first recommendation would be to clearly communicate the business strategy to all employees and ensure understanding through a survey of acknowledgement. It is important that all employees, especially limo drivers, understand the importance of how excellent customer service will effect business strategy and secondary benefits like pay. Second, setting smart targets for service and sales, monitoring and evaluating how employees achieve smart targets and sales. From initial contact and during limo service, upselling services and upgrades on every customer interaction, are important smart targets. Like McDonald’s, when an order is placed, employees will ask if the customer wants fries or a drink with their order, the same can be done with smart targets. When a customer orders limo service, asking if they would prefer a larger or more exotic limo would help align smart targets with strategy. Furthermore, monitoring smart targets could be completed using costumer surveys. Ensuring employees are properly supported throughout the process; evaluating performance and finally, further support through training and development. After a customer has completed their limousine service, managers will evaluate customer surveys  and offer any performance evaluation if necessary and any further training to ensure employees are attempting to upsell customers on services. Following this framework is essential in aligning performance management with business strategy and maximizing employee efforts towards business goals. Organizational performance philosophy Performance management is essential in creating an organization that is high performing and supporting employee development (Yale.edu, 2010). Therefore the organizational performance philosophy should align performance management processes towards the goals of performance planning, review, coaching, and development. First, employees are responsible for communicating about performance and ensuring that they are successful towards the development and continually striving for customer service excellence in support of organizational strategy. Next, management is responsible for ensuring that employees understand their performance goals and fully supported during and after development and assisted through performance reviews to ensure that goals are being obtained and that employees have all support and support resources. Ultimately, it will be the responsibility for the organization to provide an effective and impartial performance management system that encourages excellent performance, communication, and proper conveyance of a properly managed performance management infrastructure (Berkley.edu, 2014). Job Analysis and Necessary Employee Skills A job analysis allows an organization to clearly understand a position and the necessary skills employees must possess in order to functionally manage the position. In fact according to hrcouncil.ca (2014) Job analysis is a process for systematically collecting information to help you fully understand and describe the duties and responsibilities of a position as well as the knowledge, skills and abilities required to do the job. The aim is to have a complete picture of the position – what is actually done and how. With the knowledge and understanding of the expectations of a position, surmising the skillset necessary to competently fulfill positions becomes critical. Having a clear picture of the skills needed will be the frontline in aligning performance management with business strategy. First we must  define and identify necessary positions for Landslide Limousines. The necessary positions will be limousine drivers, customer service agents or office administration, fleet vehicle detailers or individuals who will be responsible for stocking limousines and detailing vehicles before and after customer use. Lastly, job analysis for supervisor and management positions must be ascertained for future purposes and to clarify the skill set necessary to help initiate the organizations performance management. Each position will require a broad spectrum of specific skills necessary, however, in general a job analysis will consist of: Summary of duties Details of most common duties Supervisory responsibilities Educational requirements Special qualification Experience Equipment/tools used Frequency of supervision Others the incumbent must be in contact with Authority for decision making Responsibility for records/reports/files Working conditions Physical demand of the job Mental demands of the job To identify the skills necessary for a limousine driver a few position details must be examined. First, drivers will be required to have the ability to drive limousine type vehicles such as stretch limousines and all over-sized limousines. Drivers must also be able to safely drive vehicles that can transport over fifteen people and have their Texas commercial driver’s license to accompany. Having the ability to clarify job duties as a driver will help ascertain the skills necessary to be a driver for Landslide. Support and administration positions must have the ability to communicate effectively and have attention to detail. Clarifying how support and administration positions will work in tangent with drivers will also be essential in understanding the skills necessary for both positions. Lastly, clearly defining management and supervisory so it becomes incumbent to have  a full understanding of how the entertainment and transportation industry works so that the individual can identify performance management aspects and how to properly align them to organizational strategy. Methods of Measuring Employees Skills and Addressing Skills Gap Having the ability to measure employee skills at initial hire and during employment can help in development and training and allocated support. Furthermore, understanding how to address any preexisting skills gap and any skills gap after training, can be critical for further employee development and maximizing human capital efforts. One method of measuring employee skills is to benchmark skills against a numerical formula that can translate skills into a measureable system. This measurable system can be done at initial hire or during an employee’s tenure. A team skills metric can be developed with the goal of benchmarking overall skills. A chart can be implemented with the Y axis and different job codes or specific work instructions across the top of the chart. A measurement of each can be labeled from A through C. The letter A would equal to being an expert and assigned negative three points, B would be classified as good, or trained in job and can work independently with minimum supervision and be assigned negative two points, finally, C would be classified as good or trained but needs moderate supervision (new) and assigned one point. From this numerical system score, each employee would have an average from all their skills and an assessment would be ascertained. Moreover, employees who were cross-trained or who possessed higher skills raised the score, therefore helping identify each employees overall score in relation to their skill set. Another method for measuring employee skills is to use a skills inventory management system. The skills inventory system can be deployed at initial hire or during employment. The skills inventory system would be an online assessment. According to brainbench (2002), A skills inventory begins with a skills measurement system that enables employees to access online skills assessments through the company intranet. When a company implements a new technology, for example, managers may have their employees take a test for skills related to that new technology. Furthermore, once the online test is taken the results are gathered and a numerical score system is assessed in which management can assess whether or  not further training is necessary and what skill gaps are still or continuously lingering. Both methods of measuring employees skills can be measured against a skills benchmark and addressing skills gap can begin. Addressing skill gaps can be addressed by training, development, and peer-mentoring. Further training to address driving issues can be done using defensive driving courses and customer service skills gaps can be addressed with more training as well. However, understanding how to develop better training to hinder further skill gaps is critical for further development. Development of skills should be addressed References Clardy, A. (2013). A General Framework for Performance Management Systems: Structure, Design, and Analysis. Performance Improvement, 52(2), 5-15. doi:10.1002/pfi.21324 Schiemann, W. A. (2007). Aligning people. Leadership Excellence, 24(8), 20. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/204619577?accountid=458 University of Berkley. (2014). Berkley HR. Retrieved from http://hrweb.berkeley.edu/about/philosophy/performance-management Yale.edu. (2010, July). Yale University’s Performance Management System. Retrieved from http://www.yale.edu/hronline/focus/documents/2010JulyYALEPERFMGMNTGUIDERev6-7-10final.pdf