Policy Presentation
eek 6 – Presentation
Policy Presentation
Congratulations, you are an entrepreneur! Welcome to the reality of running your own start-up. Applying all that you have learned in the past seven weeks, design organizational policies for your new company to sustainably support and leverage the talent of your employees within a competitive global market. Assume that you have 15-20 minutes to prepare your presentation for the Board of Directors.
As you develop the policies, be sure to include scholarly work to support the integration of the following:
- sociological theories of work
- the experiences and effects of policies on disenfranchised groups
- the use of social networks
- the effectiveness of previous/existing policies
- the effect of technology and globalization
As you apply the sociological theories to entrepreneurship, consider the demographics of entrepreneurs. Be sure to address the rates of disenfranchised groups. Are their advantages or disadvantages to those who hold a minority status? What about women who are not minorities, yet often face challenges in the workplace? Leverage the resources that you posted in last week’s annotated bibliography.
Feel free to be creative in how you choose to deliver the presentation. It could be a PowerPoint or Prezi presentation using slide notes to include the script that accompanies the slides; compose a full script; develop notes for index cards; and other options as approved by your instructor
Resources
Required Text
Click url to play videos
TEDx Talks. (2012, December). Gayle Tzemach Lemmon: Women entrepreneurs, example not exception [Video file] Retrieved from: http://www.ted.com/talks/gayle_tzemach_lemmon_women_entrepreneurs_example_not_exception
Xiao, L., & Fan, M. (2014). Does social network always promote entrepreneurial intentions? An empirical study in China. Neural Computing & Applications, 24(1), 21-26. doi:10.1007/s00521-013-1492-x
Recommended References
Kim, P. H., & Aldrich, H. E. (2007). Small worlds, infinite possibilities? How social networks affect entrepreneurial team formation and search. Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal, 1(1‐2), 147-165. Retrieved from http://www.researchgate.net/profile/Howard_Aldrich/publication/227718721_Small_worlds_infinite_possibilities_How_social_networks_affect_entrepreneurial_team_formation_and_search/links/0046352014d096ec57000000
Polarity Mapping
2
POLARITY MAPPING 5
Polarity Mapping
Mary Garcia
SOC 5620 Sociology of Work in Contemporary Society
Instructor: Alan Barton
December 16, 2019
Polarity Mapping
According to Levknecht (2013), polarity mapping entails a visual representation for handing interdependent challenges, and an individual can only ensure performance or success by supporting each other. In other words, although the interconnected perspectives or values results in tension, they must be balanced as well as support each other to maintain the high performance of each while avoiding the downsides. The technique can be used in various sectors to address dilemma issues. Regarding the experiences of women in employment, there is usually a conflict of balancing work life and home life. This can be referred to as the polarity of work-life vs. home life. Typically, focusing more on any of the values can result in downsides on the other. Maintaining the upsides can result in a sustained quality of life, while the downsides can lead to feelings of scantiness. As more women are entering the workforce in the United States and the world as a whole, they are often faced with the challenge of balancing work life and home life (Kavitha, 2017). The primary reason for this is that women are known to be homemakers. They are responsible for taking care of their children and husbands, which makes it tricky to balance work life and life at home.
Moreover, the dilemma can be addressed using polarity thinking or mapping. To begin with, focusing more on home life can result in several upsides. First, it would lead to more family bonds because women, especially those who are parents, can get adequate time with their children and husbands. Staying close to the families can enhance healthy and robust ties. Second, one can get time to relax and rejuvenate away from busy work life. In other words, you can get enough time to watch your favorite TV series or sport. Third, focusing on home life can provide enough time for plays and hobbies, which can lead to a more fulfilling and happy life. Lastly, it also leads to more comfort, unlike the pressures that are often present in the workplace (Kavitha, 2017). However, concentrating more on home life without balancing the work-life can result in various downsides. For instance, one cannot get the right rewards or promotions from work. This can hinder women workers from meeting specific financial needs, which can be demoralizing. It can also impact work relationships adversely since there will be no time to network and connect with colleagues. Such concentration can also prevent career development or growth as a result of missed opportunities.
Besides, focusing more on work-life can result in getting better rewards because of the accomplished tasks and targets. It can also ensure that women establish healthy working relationships that can impact work performance and productivity positively. In other words, better relationships can improve motivation to work as well as achieve both personal and organizational targets (Russo et al., 2016). It can also stimulate professional or career growth because women are likely to utilize various opportunities in the workplace. For instance, they can engage in training programs or even get financial support from the company to increase their education. Lastly, concentrating more on work can play a huge role in addressing gender inequalities in the workplace because it increases the chances of women to get specific employment positions that might be considered male-dominated. However, more focus on work-life can lead to particular downsides. Firstly, it can result in stress and exhaustion due to the need to accomplish many tasks and lack of enough time for relaxation. Secondly, concentrating on work-life without balancing home life can destroy family relationships because one will not get time to bond with the family members. For instance, mothers would not get adequate time to connect with their children or husbands. It can also limit personal pursuits, such as engaging in hobbies and plays.
Nevertheless, to maintain the upsides in their home life while balancing the work-life, female workers should schedule specific times to be with their families. For example, they can spare two hours every day for family bonding. Also, they should utilize massage therapy to minimize the stress and tiredness that often come along with a busy schedule at work. To maintain upsides in their work-life while balancing their home life, female workers can consider working at home so that they can be close to their families (Misra & Strader, 2013). Learning new skills can also enable them to accomplish tasks efficiently and spare enough time to be at home.
Action Steps Home-life Upsides Work-life Upsides Action Steps
Schedule time with the family
Maximize massage therapy
Healthy family bonds And
Enough time to relax
Comfort
Time to play, hobbiesHome
Better rewards
Healthy working ties
Stimulates professional growth
Address gender inequalities Work
Working at home
Learning new skills
No rewards
Work relationships impacted adversely
Prevent carrier advancement
Stress and exhaustion
Destroys family relationships
Limits personal pursuits
Home-life Downsides Work-life Downsides
References
Kavitha, V. (2017). The relationship and effect of role overload, role ambiguity, work-life balance and career development on work stress among call center executives of business process outsourcing (BPO) in Selangor (Doctoral dissertation, University Utara Malaysia).
Levknecht, L. (2013, January 8). Using polarity thinking to achieve sustainable positive outcomes. Retrieved from http://www.elsevier.com/connect/using-polarity-thinking-to-achieve-sustainable-positive-outcomes
Misra, J., & Strader, E. (2013). Gender pay equity in advanced countries: The role of parenthood and policies. Journal Of International Affairs, 67(1), 27-41.
Russo, M., Shteigman, A., & Carmeli, A. (2016). Workplace and family support and work–life balance: Implications for individual psychological availability and energy at work. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 11(2), 173-188.
Running Head: GLOBALIZATION: CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES 1
GLOBALIZATION: CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES 2
Globalization: Causes and Consequences
Name
Institution Affiliation
Date
Overall, globalization refers to the interdependence of the world’s populations, cultures, and economies fuelled by cross-border business in commodities, information, people, and technology (Price & Chambers, 2016). According to the World Affairs Council (2006), the significant economic causes of globalization include improved transport, improved technology, and growth in multinational enterprises. Typically, enhanced transport tends to make global transportation easier, thus promoting the movement and interaction of nations across the globe. Improved technology also makes communication and sharing of information easier across the world. The rise of multinational firms like Microsoft Corporation and their presence in many economies have resulted in globalization. Besides, globalization has resulted in numerous consequences, both positive and negative.
One of the positive impacts of globalization is that it has resulted in the widespread use of technology, especially to developing nations. Price and Chambers (2016) stated that due to globalization, developing countries could use modern technology that helps them in communication and sharing of information. These nations can also buy and sell products online at a reduced price. They are also able to work remotely as well as interact through social media and other online platforms. As an employee, Price and Chambers’ findings are similar to my experiences. I have witnessed this impact while working with my son’s company. Today, my son can interact with customers from Asia and Africa via the internet without much effort. However, despite this advancement, globalization has increased competition, something that has been detrimental to his business.. Many firms can now access consumers using various technology devices and the internet, and this has increased the level of market rivalry.
Another consequence of globalization that I have experienced entailed the improvement of education. Because of advanced technology, individuals can enroll in online courses from any part of the world. According to Assare et al. (2016), globalization has facilitated the sharing of technology, which has enhanced online learning and training. I am a beneficiary of online education because I completed my bachelor’s degree program and working on my master’s degree an online basis. As such, these author’s findings are similar to my experience.
References
Assare, A. R., Mohammadi, M., Foroutan, M., & Salehizadeh, M. (2016). The Impact of Globalization on Education. Journal of Administrative Management, Education and Training (JAMET), 12(5), 27-33.
Price, T. E., & Chambers, M. L. (2016). Globalization And The Cultural Impact On Technical Communication. European Scientific Journal, (Special Edition).
Running Head: LINES THAT ARE BLURRED 1
LINES THAT ARE BLURRED 5
Lines that are Blurred
Mary Garcia
Sociology of Work in Contemporary Society
Alan Barton
January 13, 2020
Today, technology has made it easy for employees to stay in office long after they have gone home or even on vacation. In other words, it has made it impossible for workers to disconnect from the office. For instance, workers regularly check their emails and voicemails while at home or during vacation time. Access to the internet and the availability of devices such as computers, laptops, and smart-phones has made employees be virtually accessible 24/7 (Ollier-Malaterre et al., 2019). As a result, the line between professional and personal lives for employees continues to blur. Workers have access to better tools off and on the job. To some extent, employees are even using their devices to accomplish work-related tasks or activities. In other words, technology has eroded the line between home and work because employees are working in their homes despite getting out of office.
According to Ollier-Malaterre et al. (2019), technology such as the internet has made workers be accessible 24/7 because they do no longer have specific time and place to work. Many workers have become addicted to technology and the internet such that they tend to spend most of their time online at the expense of their personal lives. For instance, employees find themselves regularly checking their emails, thus sparing limited time with their families. They can no longer have adequate time to relax or go for a vacation since they are worried about a missed mail from the management or client. As such, workers are unable to disconnect from the office. Offer (2014) pointed out that workers at times cut down vacations or ignore them entirely because they either fear they would appear like slackers or because they think they are indispensable.
Moreover, organizational cultures and employee decisions comprise some of the significant factors that contribute to the blurring of the line between the professional and personal lives for workers. In some companies, employees are not allowed to disconnect from office because of the punishments and perceptions associated with missed deadlines. As a result, employees are forced to work even in their homes after office to accomplish specific tasks to meet organizational goals. Also, flexible work arrangements such as telecommuting tend to blur the line. Since it allows workers to operate from home, they are likely to spend a lot of time doing work-related activities at the expense of their families or spouses (Charoensukmongkol, 2014). It is also a choice of particular employees not to disconnect from office for the need to perform better or receive constant email updates from the firm.
Besides, organizations or employers that do not give their workers the right to disconnect from the office can cause both positive and negative outcomes. Positively, disallowing workers to disconnect from the office enables the organization to accomplish its targets efficiently because employees are accessible 24/7. Organizational tasks can be performed even from outside the office, therefore preventing the company from missing opportunities. For instance, since workers are available all the time, they can respond to client issues even while in their homes or during vacations. Blurring the line also motivates employees to work hard because the physical location of the office does not limit them. According to Noonan and Glass (2012), although telecommuting blurs the line between the professional and personal lives of workers, it makes them feel independent, thus enhancing their job satisfaction. Nevertheless, to leverage these positive outcomes, the administration should establish clear policies that govern the disconnection from the office. It should provide specific times and circumstances when to connect to the office as well as the associated compensation.
One of the adverse outcomes of blurring the line between the personal and professional lives of workers is that it results in anxiety that can lead to burnout. Burnouts can result in severe health problems for workers, something that can lower productivity in the long-run. Lu and Gursoy (2016) stated that employee burnout leads to stress and absenteeism, something that can impact their health adversely. The firm can spend a lot of money to treat such health-related conditions. Secondly, failing to disconnect from the office also prevents workers from having adequate time with their families, something that can result in divisions or mistrusts. Therefore, organizations should set out clear policies to recognize the line between the personal and professional lives of workers. They should be allowed to disconnect from the office to have time with their home lives.
References
Charoensukmongkol, P. (2014, July 01). Effects of support and job demands on social media use and work outcomes. Computers in Human Behavior, 36(71), 340-349.
http://www.looooker.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Effects-of-support-and-job-demands-on-social-media-use-and-work-outcomes
Lu, A. C. C., & Gursoy, D. (2016). Impact of job burnout on satisfaction and turnover intention: do generational differences matter?. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research, 40(2), 210-235.
Noonan, M. C., & Glass, J. L. (June 01, 2012). The hard truth about telecommuting. Monthly Labor Review, 135(6), 38-45. Retrieved from
https://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2012/06/art3full
Offer, S. (2014). The Costs of Thinking About Work and Family: Mental Labor, Work-Family Spillover, and Gender Inequality Among Parents in Dual-Earner Families. Sociological Forum, 29(4), 916-936.
Ollier-Malaterre, A., Jacobs, J. A., & Rothbard, N. P. (2019). Technology, Work, and Family: Digital Cultural Capital and Boundary Management. Annual Review of Sociology, 45.
1
COMPARISON INFOGRAPHIC 3
Comparison Infographic
Mary Garcia
Soc 5620 Sociology of Contemporary Society
Professor : Alan Barton
December 23 2019
Recommendations for Improvement
Based on the above comparison infographic, it is evident that the leave policies in the United States are not family-friendly. In other words, they are not family-oriented compared to the rest of the world such as Norway and the U.K. Typically, the U.S. does not offer paid leave according to the FMLA federal law. The leave duration is also variable and mostly two weeks (Alls-Hall, 2018). The period is inadequate for employees to address their family issues. Therefore, the first recommendation for the U.S. should be to offer paid leaves to employees. Money is among the most significant incentives to workers and offering paid leaves will motivate employees as well as increase their productivity. It will also demonstrate the value that the government and employers put on the family. Employees are likely to work hard when they can be guaranteed the chance to care for their families (Ray et al., 2009). Secondly, the U.S. should also increase the duration of the leave to enable employees to address their family concerns effectively. The current two weeks is inadequate. Lastly, leave benefits should be funded by both employers and the government to reduce the associated costs. This will increase overall employee performance and productivity.
References
Alls-Hall, A. (2018). Comparing Parental Leave Packages Across Countries.
Ray, R., Gornick, J. C., & Schmitt, J. (2009). Parental leave policies in 21 countries: Assessing generosity and gender equality. Center for Economic and Policy Research.
U.S. FAMILY LEAVE POLICIES
THE REST OF THE DEVELOPED WORLD (NORWAY)
VS.
COMPENSATION
Do not offer financial compensation during the time of leave
Offers financial compensation to both mother and father
LENGTH IN WEEKS
Parental leave is variable and not paid. Mostly two weeks according to the FMLA federal law
Parental leave is about 197 weeks and payable
EMPLOYMENT DURATION
One must be an employee for about 6 months to be eligible for family leave
To be eligible, one must be an employee for 12 months full-time or worked for 1250 hours as part time
FUNDING SOURCE
Funded by the government
Leave packages are funded by employers
Running Head: MEDIA 1
MEDIA 3
Media
Mary Garcia
Sociology of Work in Contemporary Society
Alan Barton
January 13, 2020
Today, social media has become an integral part of employees’ personal and organization’s professional lives. The primary reason for this is that it has become virtually impossible for workers and companies to survive without social media. The advancement of technology and the internet has also made the use of social media easy. According to Tajudeen et al. (2018), social media has taken center stage in both the lives of employees and organizations as a whole. Employees are using social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to interact share information with each other. One staff member only needs to post a particular topic or issue on social media, which can spark reactions from other members. Online interactions have enabled employees to keep in touch with each other, something that has enhanced job satisfaction. For instance, an employee can receive encouragement from interacting with colleagues on social media. Also, social media has provided employees with a better platform where they can raise their complaints against the organization or even specific clients.
Moreover, companies are using social media to advertise their products or services since they can reach a broader market. Research shows that over 1.3 billion people have subscribed to various social media platforms, thus providing organizations with excellent marketing source. Firms are also utilizing social media to interact with their clients, therefore establishing health company-client relationships (Razmerita et al., 2016). Nevertheless, to meet the needs of both employees and employers, social media should be used as a platform to communicate, develop social networks, and share ideas. In this regard, employees should not use social media to criticize the management or organization. They should try as much as possible to address their concerns internally and not publicly. Employers should as well use social media to communicate vital information to the staff as well as create healthy social relations with both employees and clients.
References
Razmerita, L., Kirchner, K., & Nielsen, P. (2016). What factors influence knowledge sharing in organizations? A social dilemma perspective of social media communication. Journal of knowledge Management, 20(6), 1225-1246.
Tajudeen, F. P., Jaafar, N. I., & Ainin, S. (2018). Understanding the impact of social media usage among organizations. Information & Management, 55(3), 308-321.