mgmt453

Throughout the search that I did on labor unions I decided that it would not be a good idea for me to join one. I completely understand the interest and reform that labor unions are trying to create, but I feel as though it is not for me. Labor unions want to protect the rights and economic status of workers, but what they are doing on their off time is protesting for these rights at times. That doesn’t seem to be a good use of their time. What they could and should be doing is trying to unite or climb up the ladder in their businesses and make the changes from within. Having signs and yelling isn’t going to fix the issues. Having an actual plan and being able to execute it effectively is most important.

There are some pros to having and being in a labor union. In the article and research that I found it states that a few of the pros are higher wages from demanding them to their superiors, higher job security, and family benefits. These are all great outcomes from having a labor union because they have fought for these, and they have been heard, but that isn’t necessarily the case all the time. Some of the cons were equal treatment may not be given, price increases because of higher wages, and firms are less interested in hiring new workers.

I do not know anyone that has been a member of a union or is in one, so doing this research was very helpful for me because I really didn’t know what they were at first. I have heard of them, but never knew the outcomes or the effects they had on corporations. I would not join a union because I feel if I wasn’t being treated well at work, I would just leave and try to find another job. If it is really that concerning to you then make a difference by quitting and finding another job, or try to make those changes within instead of doing something that is going to limit your pay potentially. I understand that rights for workers are very important, and I admire those who are a part of a union and trying to make a difference, but I just don’t see myself as a part of one.

This week we learned about all kinds of unions and what I particularly enjoyed learning about was the future of unions and what they can become. They seem to be making unions more civil and have positive employee relations with the companies. That is something I think can make a generous change is having that positive relationship with your employees that when problems occur, they can be comfortable speaking about it instead of going on a strike.

In this week, we were instructed to look at and learn about our stress levels by taking a few stress tests. After taking these four tests my results were as follows; for the Holmes-Rahe test I got exactly a 150. For the Type A personality test I got a 45. On the coping and stress management I received a 43. From these tests I learned briefly about my ability to handle stress or what situations cause me stress. On the Holmes test I was normal at the level of stress that is in my life and that I wont have any health problems down the road. That was an odd test I think in my opinion because most of the items just didn’t apply to me. I always knew that I wasn’t a type A person so scoring low as a 45 was not a surprise to me. I know that with stress levels increasing with situations I tend to lash out and get snappy with others, and that part didn’t surprise me. With the stress management skills I wasn’t surprised with my score either, if anything I thought I was going to score lower than normal. I think I have a good grip on how to mange my stress because over the years I have been so stressed that I learned through those years how to get an outlet and that outlet is exercise no matter what. I think it is an important aspect in life to know how to manage your stress levels.

I think that it is important to take these tests because some people are not sure how they act in stressful situations or with stress in their life. The unfortunate thing about our society is that stress is constant with school, work, and life. It is an unfair thing that we have to deal with because we are constantly loaded with stressful situations. People don’t realized how stressed they are and these tests can help with that realization. I know for sure I realized my stress levels and how to manage them.

This week we learned about motivating factors for employees and how that helps them keep their job, or leave their job. When I learned about incentive pay in lecture 4 I thought about commission. Commission is an individual based incentive pay because they work independently and make money that way while also getting paid on top of that at times. What comes to mind about commission is real estate. Real Estate is a commission based job where you work to sell houses and make a certain amount of money based on the price of the house they sell.

My dad is a real estate agent and this incentive is what motivates him to sell houses. Sometimes for realtors this is the only form of pay and that is an incentive enough to go out and sell houses. The more houses you sell and the nicer the houses you sell, the higher the commission will be. What motivated my dad into staying in this job at the company he is at was the types of houses they are selling. This is a luxury real estate company that buys and sells homes that are higher end. These homes need fix ups sometimes and additions to make it sell faster and for more. With homes this nice the commission is way higher and that kind of money makes people stay especially when you have multiple listings a week and can make commission off of each and every one of them. It also depends on the area you are in, that can determine the commission and the type of people you bring in. With an incentive like commission it makes people competitive but in a good way. They want to make their money, so they are working together to help make the money for themselves and the company.

Sources:
Week 8 Lecture 4: Overview of Incentives