Employment and Society - Assignment Example

Employment and Society Employers and employees have different expectations of each other both in terms of work generally and in terms of particular people and jobs - Discuss. The business organizations are in the state of change and competition these days. Due to the advancements in technology, quick pace of globalization, shifting trends of society and the growth consciousness, both, the business and the service sectors, are subject to changes, expansion, adaption and enhancements. Strategies are formulated plans are discussed; meetings are conducted; every possible step is being taken in order to align the internal environments of the organizations with their external corresponding elements. In such a complex situation, the relationship of two of the most important stakeholders, the employer and the employee, becomes crucial and significant to the sustenance and management of the business organization. Organizations mostly function with two of the most important factions: employer and employee. The role of the employer in an organization is to oversee the direction in which the business activities are being steered. While, an employee is the subordinate appointed by to work for the employer. In every organization, the employer and employees have different sets of expectations for each other. All employers want that their employees to meet their expectations and vice versa. In order to have a better service life with each other at the workplace, it is essential for both the parties to understand and meet each others’ expectations (Vancouver, Jeffrey, Schmitt, Neal, 1999, pp. 333). In order to understand these expectations beforehand, it is necessary that the participants of the group discuss and clarify the realistic and non realistic and the way in which the situations should b dealt with in case the expectations are not met. Clarifying all these elements can results into a better employee-employer relationship in the long term. One of the most common expectations, which have always been a definite part of this relationship, is that, the employers expect that their employees will perform the jobs and tasks that they are hired for. While, on the same angle, the employees are of the perception that they will be rewarded fairly and will be made to grow by the services that they are rendering for their employers. Besides this, there are some other major expectations that employers keep from their employees. Generally, the top priority of the employers from their employees is that they will prove to be presentable, dependable and will demonstrate themselves as the most skilled and effective human resources for the business (Shore, Lynn, Tetrick, Lois, 1991, pp. 637). They expect their employees to have a positive attitude, honesty and integrity, work skills, strong ethics, and maintain the confidentiality, privacy and respect of the company. They also expect that the employees will comply and abide fully by all the policies, laws and rules of the company. The employers assume that the employees will fit into the cultures and norms of the organization just as required. On the other hand, the employees also keep a pre-determined set of expectations and want their bosses to come up to it. Regarding their job duties and working upon the organizational strategies, the employers expect to have a clear agreement on the roles and responsibilities at their workplace. They expect full support from the organization, need good guidance, respect and consideration in the organization by their staffs and the co-workers. The most important thing that the employees expect is the career growth, good salaries, promotion opportunities, unbiased recruitment methods, and good working conditions. As soon as they look up to working in an organization, they expect a profitable relationship with the employers and the team that they shall be associated with (Schein, Edgar, 1977, pp. 90). Every employer wants to achieve the organizational goals and expect the employees to give in their cooperation. Jill Kickul (2001) conducted a research study and detected three types of promises which are normally held by the business for the purpose of employee retention in the organization. According to her, most of the employees formulate and implement the organizational strategies and achieve their goals by promising their workers promotion and advancement opportunities, benefits and rewards, platform to develop new skills for personal and professional grooming, increased roles and responsibilities, personal growth and the bonuses and extra pay tied to the performance based rewards (Sathe, Vijay, 1993, pp.15). The results which were concluded by his research indicated that these promises, if not fulfilled, can become a huge cause for the adverse impact on the workplace attitudes, intentions and commitment to leave the organization. Roehling, Cavanaugh, Moynihan and Boswell (2000), carried out a content analysis in order to study the expectations of employer and employee from one another. They noticed apparently universal agreements on the subject of the nature of employee and employer relationship and they found out the, it undergoes basic changes in every organization. The results of several other studies also indicated that the changes in the employee-employer relationships carry with them potentially huge implications for the attraction, motivation and retention of the talent and quality human resource in the organization (Presthus, Robert, 1995, pp. 21). There has been a clear consensus amongst scholarly articles, magazines and trade journals stating the fact that the relations between the employee and employer, and their expectations are generally characterized by the provision of training, skill and education development platforms to the employees by employer. Moreover, many employees also expect the empowerment and autonomy in the decision making process of the organization, two way, open and honest communication ladder, support and assistance in the career management, coaching, mentorship, and career counselling workshops or seminars, meaningful and challenging work, work/ non work life balance, and “new job security” through developing and maintaining skills (O'Reilly, Charles A., III, Chatman, Jennifer, & Caldwell, David, 1991, pp. 487). During the year 1990, Rousseau in his study also explored the obligations of the employers and perceptions and thoughts of new joiners at the workplace. He indicated the types of expectations by the new recruits from their employers and this include high pay, promotion, career development, job security, training and coaching and strong moral support with any personal problems (pp. 121). In today’s world, the labour market has been posing extreme challenges for the job seekers. People with countless expectations enter the market with hopes of higher salaries, good benefits and excellent jobs. Research and media suggests that the pool of young labourers approach the employers with little knowledge about employee rights, labour laws and their related legislations (Koys, Daniel, 1988, pp. 57). Not only this, but the fresh graduates and Masters expect a lot more then career counselling from the employers in tight labour market. The global labour market has been facing severe challenges for the last few years. Labour market is regarded as a significant connection between the poverty alleviation, macro policies of the economy and the GDP growth in the country and around the globe. The market, currently, is becoming more and more diverse comprising of people from various ethnicities, diverse educational background and different demographics who are hunting for appropriate jobs thus, making the labour pool more diverse and competitive (Katzell, Raymond A. & Thompson, Donna, 1990, pp.146). On the other hand, the increasing inflation, devaluing currency and recession conditions have made unemployment a more frequent fact in the changing economy. The developing countries such as India, China and other states of South Asian bloc possess a widening labour pool hunting for jobs. Though, in the countries like Canada and Australia, the demand for the workers is growing; however, the global economy, on the whole, is facing serious labour crises. The devaluation of money has resulted into declining wages and thus, lesser salaries are available to the workers. This factor creates a serious mismatch between the expectations of the employees and its fulfilment by the employers (Enz, C. A., 1986, pp. 123). The employers these days, in a widening market, are not able to meet the criteria and the expectations set by the workers. There are certain jobs in the fields of off shoring, Information Technology and other creative work which require the need for the skilled employees. The manufacturing industry in developed nations such as United Kingdom and United States has been widely engaged in the creative work such as designing, advertising and other related forms. Not only this but these specific markets also offer good salaries and wages to the labourers. Thus, the employee-employer expectations are most likely to be met in such cases (Bijlsma-Frankema, 2001, pp. 192), These employee-employer expectations can have little differences in the business segments and communities. The universal expectations of the employees from their employers are less likely to change for any purpose in the social or business settings. One of the essential parts of fulfilling and keeping up with the expectations is that the employer needs to assess and give feedback to the employees on regular basis whether they are coming up to each others’ expectations or not. Meetings, appraisal sessions and feedback periods are very important in order to maintain and keep the employee and employer relationship intact (Armenakis, Bedeian, 1999, pp. 293). Performance expectations, benchmarks and schedules are essential to the goal achievement in the organization. Guidance, encouragement and feedback are the potential tools which can hold the relations and expectations of the employee and employer in place. The employers need to understand that the satisfied employees work longer and harder in the organizations. While, the employees also need to make sure that they give the best time and effort in making the organization achieve its goals, and ultimately meet the employer’s expectations. Even in social and personal settings, both parties keep good relations and a level of respect with each other. A gap exists between them indicating them as the boss and the subordinate. A level of relationship is maintained between them. Thus, the level of commitment, authority and obedience is carried with the boss-subordinate relation. The researches indicate that the quality of communication, management of actions, behaviors, consistence of action and communication and the role played by the people in keeping up the commitments from the crux of shaping the change in perceptions assigned to the expectations. The entire study conducted at the topic suggests that credibility, trust, belief, fairness, honesty and integrity are the major tools to promising the expectations and then keeping them up (O'Reilly, Charles A., III, Chatman, Jennifer, & Caldwell, David, 1991, pp. 487). Whether it pertains to meeting the organizational goals, developing strategies, following the laws or meeting expectations, the factor of assistance, support and honesty is always essential. The content analysis of the researches and several studies indicate that the commitment and efforts play a pivotal role in meeting expectations and the communication is a prominent correspondent between the employer and employees. Moreover, the understanding between both the parties is also one of the major features which builds up expectations and lets the people meet them. The perceptions, commitment on working on the organizational strategies, establishing the linkage of pledges and influencing the importance assigned to expectations are the players responsible for fulfilling them. REFERENCES Armenakis, A. A. & Bedeian, A. G., (1999), Organizational Change: A Review of Theory and Research in the 1990s. Journal of Management, 25(3), pp. 293-315 Bijlsma-Frankema K., (2001), On managing cultural integration and cultural change processes in mergers and acquisitions. Journal of European Industrial Training, 25(4), pp. 192–207. Enz, C. A., (1986), New directions for cross-cultural studies: linking organizational and societal cultures. In Karlene H. Roberts & David M. Hunt, Organizational Behaviour. Boston: PWSKent Publishing, pp. 123-134 Katzell, Raymond A. & Thompson, Donna E., (1990), Work motivation theory and practice, American Psychologist, pp.146 Koys, Daniel, (1988), Human resource and a culture of respect: effects on employees, organizational commitment. Employees Responsibilities and Rights Journal, pp. 57 O'Reilly, Charles A., III, Chatman, Jennifer, & Caldwell, David F., (1991), People and organizational culture: a profile comparison approach to assessing person-organization fit. Academy of Management Journal, 43 (3), pp. 487-516 Presthus, Robert, (1995), Individual adjustments to organizations. In The Organizational Society. New York: Vintage Books, pp. 21-39 Sathe, Vijay, (1993), Implications of corporate culture: a manager's guide to action. Organizational Dynamics, pp.15 Schein, Edgar H., (1977), The psychological contract. In Tosi, Henry L. & Hamner, Clay (Eds.), Organization Behaviour and Management: A Contingency Approach. Chicago: St. Clair Press, pp. 90-102 Shore, Lynn McFarlane & Tetrick, Lois E., (1991), A construct validity study of the survey of perceived organizational support. Journal of Applied Psychology, 76 (5), pp. 637-643 Vancouver, Jeffrey B. & Schmitt, Neal W., (1999), An exploratory examination of person organization fit: organizational goal congruence. Personnel Psychology, 44, pp. 333-352 Read More