...A manager faces several challenges in motivating his or her employees in today's workforce. Three challenges are diversity, organizational restructuring and fewer entry-level employees. These challenges did not exist in the workforce of 50 years ago. In today's workforce, managers face both genders instead of one, different sexual orientations, different ethnicities, races, and religion. The American workforce of fifty years ago had more men and they were primarily Caucasian. The second challenge is organizational restructuring. Today there is a trend of mergers and acquisitions that did not exist fifty years ago. Mergers and acquisions leads to layoffs. Layoff's impact an employee's job performance, leaving managers unsure how to reassure them in the face of political upheaval. Lastly, today's workforce has fewer entry-level employees because the workforce is growing slower. Managers are faced with hiring qualified applicants for entry-level positions and then must also motivate those individuals to pursue higher job positions. One challenge that managers face is diversity. It is hard to come up with one motivational technique and apply it to everyone. Today's workforce is comprised of different job performance styles that are impacted by gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, race, and religion. Several challenges are entertwined with diversity. These variables affect how the manager interacts with his or her employees. For example, communication is one area that is hugely...
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...A manager faces several challenges in motivating his or her employees in today's workforce. Three challenges are diversity, organizational restructuring and fewer entry-level employees. These challenges did not exist in the workforce of 50 years ago. In today's workforce, managers face both genders instead of one, different sexual orientations, different ethnicities, races, and religion. The American workforce of fifty years ago had more men and they were primarily Caucasian. The second challenge is organizational restructuring. Today there is a trend of mergers and acquisitions that did not exist fifty years ago. Mergers and acquisions leads to layoffs. Layoff's impact an employee's job performance, leaving managers unsure how to reassure them in the face of political upheaval. Lastly, today's workforce has fewer entry-level employees because the workforce is growing slower. Managers are faced with hiring qualified applicants for entry-level positions and then must also motivate those individuals to pursue higher job positions. One challenge that managers face is diversity. It is hard to come up with one motivational technique and apply it to everyone. Today's workforce is comprised of different job performance styles that are impacted by gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, race, and religion. Several challenges are entertwined with diversity. These variables affect how the manager interacts with his or her employees. For example, communication is one area that is hugely...
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...An Interview with Management Professionals Management refers essentially to the method of getting things done in an effective and efficient way, through and in conjunction with other people. Management activities comprise of planning, staffing, organizing, and leading an organization. All of these tasks support each other and doing all effectively will ultimately help to achieve an organization’s goals and operational effectiveness. The main purpose of this interview report is to gain more insight into the management process. The experiences of these management professionals will better equip me to improve my own management skills and overall effectiveness. Effective management is one of the most important factors in driving and maintaining an efficient workplace, regardless of the specified industry. My interviewees are Patricia Brown, an employment manager with New York Presbyterian Hospital and Therica Reid, a human resources manager with T-Mobile. Both interviews appear below in their entirety: 1. How long have you been in management? Patricia: “I have been in management a little over three years”. Therica: “I have been in management for approximately five years”. 2. What was your first job in management? Patricia: “My first job in management is my current job as an employment manager at New York Presbyterian Hospital”. Therica: “My first management job was as a staff support supervisor in a financial institution. 3. How did you get into management? Patricia:...
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...Running head: THE IMPORTANCE OF DIVERSITY IN THE WORKFORCE 1 The Importance of Diversity in the Workforce Michael O. Russell Southern New Hampshire University THE IMPORTANCE OF DIVERISTY IN THE WORKFORCE 2 Abstract The basis of this study is to describe the importance of having a diverse age difference in today’s workforce. It will also describe how age discrimination, in particular with elderly people, presents challenges to organizations. It will also describe what policies and practices management my use to alleviate these challenges, and how continuity in the workforce is important for future generations of workers as the workforce continues to age. THE IMPORTANCE OF DIVERSITY IN THE WORKFORCE 3 The Importance of Diversity in the Workforce With an uncertain economy and the rising cost of living, more and more senior personnel who are eligible for retirement are staying in the workforce instead of retiring at the traditional age that generations before them did. This is not just happening in the United States, it is happening all around the world. As Robbins stated, “U.S. legislation has, for all intents and purposes, outlawed mandatory retirement. Most workers today no longer have to retire at age 70, and 62 percent of those aged 45 to 60 plan to delay retirement” (Robbins, pg 46). The fact that people are foregoing the traditional age of retirement forces management to focus on ways to create a diverse atmosphere...
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...gentleman. Today I am going to talk about some of the challenges facing labor unions today and how we can rise to meet them. Government policies may vary from province to province but we are fortunate enough to have some of the strongest labor legislation out there. The economic recession has been hard on everyone and unions are no exception, with the lay-offs or closures of plants and businesses, the union faces the challenge of ensuring we stay strong and effective. In the workplace there are many challenges relating to diversity, changing human resource management and organizing one of the largest sectors of workers in Canada, the service and retail industry. (Very good introduction!) Economic and political change, globalization and restructuring have made people question the effectiveness or need for unions. With the changes in the workplace and workforce, such as shrinking public sector and primary industries and the growth of the private sector coupled with the changes in work arrangements, unions are faced with challenges relating to their survival and vitality. (McQuarrie, 2003) Traditionally unions were structured to represent employees in industries with a fairly stable workforce and hierarchical relationship with management. Today unions face the necessity of “having to adapt to new realities of work and proving their relevance to a new generation of workers in a variety of workplaces.” (McQuarrie, 2003) Workforce demographics are changing, with more young people joining...
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...companies to develop innovative ideas and find human capital to develop capabilities and share expertise. Globalization has changed the face of 21st century workforce. In today's fast paced and growing economy, there is an exponential increase of cultural diversity within big businesses and corporations. There is an opportunity to "achieve higher levels of productivity and extraordinary performance" (Nykiel) for large corporations with a multicultural workforce. At the same time, it may also "be more challenging in a multicultural work and managerial environment" (Nykiel). Workforce Diversity Statistics The term "multicultural workforce" which represents the personal characteristics of employees in an organization is today superseded and replaced by a much broader term, "cultural diversity". Diversity refers to the way organizations respond to a multicultural workforce. The strategy in large organizations is to leverage differences in employees to increase creativity and have a competitive advantage in a fierce market. In the 2014 survey conducted by Diversity Inc; which is the leading publication for the education and benefits of large organizations, 1215 companies participated in an empirically driven and ranked competition for a diverse workplace. It was carried out to help acquire and retain a multicultural workforce. . Competition got assessed on the talent pipeline, equitable skill development, CEO commitment, and supplier diversity. The top ranking companies had 76...
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...Workforce diversity is a valuable asset for any business that seeks a competitive advantage in the global economy. Learn about the issues associated with workforce diversity and take a quiz to test your knowledge. Definition of Workforce Diversity Have you ever learned about another culture from someone you met at work? People from all walks of life come together in today's business world. Many companies pride themselves on having a diverse workforce, one that is made up of individuals with a wide range of characteristics and experiences. Some of the key characteristics of workforce diversity include race, ethnicity, gender, age, religion, ability, and sexual orientation. A company that embraces diversity can broaden its skill base and become more competitive and innovative. Workforce diversity also brings with it a number of issues and challenges. Issues and Challenges You may know someone who has experienced unfair treatment based on a personal characteristic.Discrimination occurs when someone is denied opportunities on the basis of a personal characteristic that has no bearing on job performance. Discrimination causes great harm and is illegal in most cases. It's natural that tensions will arise among individuals in a diverse workforce, so it's important for employers to have diversity management policies in place. Most large organizations have taken steps to promote diversity awareness and understanding. These diversity initiatives contribute to a positive work environment...
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...A manager faces many challenges in motivating their employees now opposed to fifty years ago. Three challenges are diversity, fewer entry-level positions, and more employees longing for motivation. These challenges did not appear in the workforce 50 years ago. Now, managers face both genders, all ethnicities, and different sexual orientations rather than mostly Caucasian males. The second one they face is having minuscule entry-level employees, requiring people with experience that are qualified for the job. The last challenge manager's face is having employees that are in need of constant motivation and incentives. The first challenge a manger has to face is diversity. It's hard for a manager to come up with a motivational technique for everyone. Today's workforce is comprised of different job performance styles that are impacted by gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, race, and religion. Several challenges are entertwined with diversity. These variables affect how the manager interacts with his or her employees. For example, communication is one area that is hugely impacted by diversity and cultural differences. Communicating tasks to a diverse workforce can prove to be more difficult due to socioeconomic or even linguistic challenges such as a heavy accent. If a manager does not pay attention to cultural nuances when doing business, huge misunderstandings can occur. Communication will suffer and the employees' morale will as well. Conflict between employees can...
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...changes in the workplace will include a balance of virtual and physical work locations. Technological advances will create new careers and multiple skill requirements that will challenge the jobs as we know then now. The recruiting process will change in the methods we use to find talent as well as the specific skill requirements. The benefits of diversifying a workplace, is an extensive pool of talents as well as a better perception in the international market. Besides the pool of candidates , diversification shows an understanding of the global market (Bowes, Barbara). Four distinct, age-based associates exist in the workplace with a generation gap of fifty or more years between the oldest and youngest employees. Traditionalists created our current work structure. They entered the workforce when the economy was growing and experienced how hard work led to advancement. Baby Boomers entered the workforce in a time of growth but had to come to work early and stay late to stand out from the multitude. Generation X got held up by the Baby Boomers and missed some advancement opportunity because the position was filled by those who entered the workplace a few years ahead of them. Generation Y (also known as the Millennia) 1970 to the early 1990’s is the fastest growing segment of today’s workforce. Generation Y grew up with technology and depend on it for better job performance. Generation Z - late 1990s to the late 2000s. They are the first generation to grow up with...
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...Thoughts on new challenges for managers in regards to Age Diversity Age diversity is a reality in today’s workplace, and will only increase in the future. Workplace demographics are shifting, and the number of mature workers will steadily increase in the years to come. US Bureau of Labor Statistics. Today’s workforce spans four generation: Traditionalist, Baby Boomer, Generation Xers and Millennial. As mature adults remain employed, we increasingly need to understand the strength and challenges inherent in multigenerational workplace and find ways to leverage age diversity. The reality, according to research, is that generations are different in some ways, but similar in many more. More gap than chasm, generation difference has subtle impact, not the dramatic conflicts portrayed in the popular press. Research by Jennifer Deal, Author of Retiring the Generation gap. Clearly, managing a workforce that spans four generation, represents tremendous challenges to the manager that want to be in tune with social trend, progressive thoughts and political correctness. It involves recognizing the value of difference, combating discrimination and legal action against the organization. Devoe 1999. With perception that older workers are dinosaurs when it comes to innovation and technology but are portrayed as loyal and hardworking. Younger workers are viewed as innovative and technological inclined but disrespectful, lazy and egocentric. Taken this view on the face value, these...
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...Running head: MOTIVATION Motivation August 31, 2013 Achieving goals, dealing with underperforming employees, hiring the right people, responding to emergencies, and continuing to improve an organization, are all challenges a manager faces in the workforce.(Harwell) Another significant challenge that managers face is motivating their employees. Motivating employees is a key element to a positive work environment and a successful business. Over the past 50 years many things have changed in the workforce, including the types of challenges managers face in motivating their workers. Generational differences, technology, and cultural differences are three challenges that managers face in motivating employees today. Veterans, Baby Boomers, and Generations X and Y, are all working side-by-side in the workplace as opposed to 50 years ago. With four different generations in today’s workplace there are individuals with different ways of communicating, different ways of getting things accomplished, and different morals and values. In an online article its said that each generation had distinct attitudes, behaviors, expectations, habits and motivational buttons.(Hammill) These generational differences play a significant role in managers motivating their employees. The following is a workplace scenario in which a manager tries to use the motivational approach of monetary incentives and encounters a generational difference. At annual appraisal time, a manager from the Veteran generation...
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...The human resource department has become one of the most important areas of today’s corporations. Gone are the simple personnel departments that many companies used in the past. Today’s human resource managers are often responsible for recruiting, hiring, and training new employees for an organization, making it the true nerve center of a company. They are also tasked with maintaining performance evaluations, as well as providing job growth potential for employees. Today’s workforce is more diverse than ever before, too. Most major corporations have people from many different cultures included in their workforce. There is also an aging workforce, especially with the baby boomer generation nearing retirement age. Helping to balance the differences must be a challenge to a human resource manager. They have to find common ground among the different generations. Each generation has different needs and wants when it comes to employment. Human resource managers have to find the best way to communicate to all of them, and also find the best way to ensure they all get the training required and needed evaluations to move forward in their different careers. We have Millennials working alongside Gen Xers and Baby Boomers. There is a distinct difference in work habits and expectations between the generations, too. Boomers are a very loyal generation, and are more likely to stay in a job for a much longer period of time, where Millennials and Gen Xers stay a much shorter time...
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...industries such as financial services, so the contribution of the workforce to organization success is perhaps the most important lever to competitive advantage. In fact, the challenge of containing costs while developing a high performing workforce is a primary challenge facing most companies today. But, do organizations know enough about their workforce to optimize the workforce lever? We all know the US workforce is aging, with the number of people 55 and older holding jobs hitting a record 28 million in 2010. At the same time, the portion of people ages 16-24 in the labor market was at the lowest level since the government began tracking in 1948, falling from 66% in 2000 to 55%, just 17 million of the overall employment base1. Leaving aside the obvious issue of where we get replacement workers for the retiring workforce, these two employee cohorts are quite different. The ways organizations will hire and retain these workers going forward must be different as well. Retaining older workers requires retention programs that include part-time or project-based work. Hiring Gen-Xers and Gen-Yers requires new approaches and retention programs that must provide them with career development and choices about where, when and even how long to work each day. The older cohort is not yet as enamored with emerging social technologies that are becoming the primary means of communication and collaboration for the younger workforce. The older cohort has a wealth of priceless intellectual capital...
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...twenty years, there will be an enormous increase for adults 65 and over. This elderly population will definitely need primary, acute and long term care. In comparison with today’s 12% it has been predicted that Americans who reach 65 and older will be one in five. In this paper, I will discuss the challenges and issues about the aging adult population in America. Due to this expected growth of the adult population over the next 50 years, there will be a great impact on the health care system in regards to the supply and demand of health care professionals. Many of the elderly populations are living longer, some are continuing to work by reducing their hours of work and some are expected to retire and the need for health care services will increase. The healthcare workforce must be equipped, trained and prepared to provide services for this aging population (Institute of Medicine, 2008). People born between 1946 and 1964 are called the baby boomers, has an enormous effect on the health care system in America. The rising cost of health care is spiraling out of control, increasing the cost of hospitalization for the elderly patient population. As the century progresses the elderly population will increase to 54 million by 2020, this would equal 20% of the U.S. population increasing from today’s 12%. The elderly population will need more health care services and is more likely to use multiple medications, suffer from chronic physical mental illness, cognitive impairments...
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...made parking lots all in the 1930’s. Today there are over 1600 Safeway stores in the United States and Canada. Some of these stores operate under a different name, but they still hold true to the vision of M.B. Skaggs to offer the customer great value. They have stores in Northern and Southern California, Nevada, Texas, and Alaska. “We’re proud to be a part of local communities, and our customers can always count on us for great prices on the freshest produce and meat, plus thousands of everyday lower prices down every aisle” (“Our Story”, 2014, para.3). They offer recipes and more on their website and also the option of having your groceries delivered right to your door. This is available over the phone or on their mobile app. In today’s business world, it is so very important...
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