Management , Work and Society - Essay Example

?Management, Work and Society Assignment Table of Contents Introduction 3 Findings 4 Conclusion 15 References 16 Bibliography 20 Introduction The word ‘occupation’ refers to a person’s employment, job role, career or profession among others. Occupation is the principal business or work which engages a person’s time in exchange of payment. And ‘choice’ is the word which describes the right to select a particular opportunity. Both these words together represent the choice of occupation, which is also known as occupational choice. Choosing a career or an occupation depends on various factors or situations and also upon the person who would choose the occupation. An occupation can be a job or a business or any other work which gives a return as payment and utilizes the time and effort of a person. Choosing an occupation can be influenced by different factors and those factors can have several barriers. The occupational choice barriers often force an individual to go against their personal choice of occupation. The major objectives of this study would be to highlight the various occupational choice theories, and identifying the barriers of occupational choice and its impact on the process. The paper would also involve the various measures to overcome the occupational barriers through the occupational choice theory (Hitchcock & Mabry, 1971). Findings Different Theories of Occupational Choice The occupation is the key means of living for every individual of the world. There are several different theories to support the occupational choices. These theories provide certain mathematical models to analyse the different factors of choosing an occupation for every individual. The theories include Super’s Development Self-Concept Theory of Vocational Behaviour, Holland’s Typology Theory of Vocational Behaviour, Roe’s Theory of Occupational Choice, and Ginzberg’s Theory (Brown, 2002). The first theory of occupational choice is Super’s theory, which is a very old theory and represents two main themes, i.e. significance of self–concept in relation to vocational development and the observation that the vocational development is the practice which occurs constantly throughout the lifetime. The first element of the Super’s model states the self-concept of an individual which reflects the behaviour of the person in a distinct manner such as, ‘I am strong’ or ‘I am smart’ among others. These behaviours help an individual to choose the right occupation by eliminating the occupations which do not suit the self-concept of that particular person. If the person is from commerce background, he or she would never go for the engineering or any science options. Super has also involved the Trait-Factor Theory. This theory relates with the occupational choice regarding various personal traits of an individual and the type of job such as, the aptitudes, the personality, the interest and the features and the requirements of the job. According to Super, an individual has the freedom to choose his or her own occupation and which is very much helpful for the occupational choice (Hotchkiss & et. al., 1979). The other theory of occupational choice is the Holland’s typology theory of vocational behaviour. This theory was proposed in the year 1959. According to Holland, the preferences or the orientation of career depends upon the types of personality. Holland has given six most important career courses i.e. the realistic, which involves the career orientation which is described by the aggressive behaviour, activities interests, physical strengths and skills, and masculinity. These people have a preference of ‘acting-out’ problems. These kinds of people ignore the task which involves verbal and interpersonal circumstances. These are the people who achieve low score on communal skill and sensitivity and score comparatively high on the activities of physical power and concreteness. The other orientation of career is investigative. In this part of the theory, an individual thinks much more than he/she acts, the individual understands and organizes more than he/she dominates. These people do not prefer any close interpersonal links. There is a difference between the behaviours of the avoidance by realistic group and this investigative group. The social group of people in the career orientation process tries to please their requirements for the attention in a beneficial circumstance. These people avoid the physical skills and problem solving; rather they get involved in various interpersonal affairs. The other characteristics are the conventional group of people. These are the people who have a strong belief in rules and regulations, they also have concerns for the personal requirements, and they have a huge self-control, and also have a strong recognition of the status and power. These kinds of people have a preference for orders in the workplace and structure. The enterprising group of people have a good verbal ability, but they do not use the trait to help others, rather they use it for domination and manipulation on others. They value status and power like the conventional people. According to the theory of Holland, the last group of career orientation is artistic. These are the people who prefer to keep relationship with others in an artistic manner. These kinds of people do not like structures; they love tasks which include interpersonal communications and physical talent. These people are very emotional, relatively feminine and they have little self control. These factors represent the type of personal relationships and the life styles of an individual and the work atmosphere (Jones, 2011). The next theory of occupational choice is Roe’s theory of occupational choice. This theory involves the study of the classification or categorisation of the occupation, study of the differences in the personality of the research scientist, and the study of the differences in psychology of the employees in various occupational groups. The other theory which supports occupational choice is Ginsberg’s theory. This theory involves cross sectional learning of chosen groups of people and investigates in human resources (Hitchcock & Mabry, 1971). The theory of Ginzberg focuses on the factors like, emotional factors, reality factors, individual values, and emotional influences. More particularly the theory focuses on the factors which state the occupational choice as a developmental procedure, which has been into action from last ten years. The theory also says that the occupational choice and its methods are principally irreversible. It also involves that the procedure of occupational choice comes to an end compromising between capacities, interests, values, and realistic prospects. Ginzberg has also stated that there can be three basic periods which would influence the occupational choice, i.e. ‘the tentative period’, ‘the fantasy period’ and ‘the realistic period’ (Cromwell, 1985). Different Barriers in Occupational Choice There can be several different barriers in choosing an occupation or a career. The top three barriers to occupational choice are the cultural transactions, the practical hindrance to employment and the career indecision. The barriers to occupational choice can arise in a very common way. These are not unusual and come with an experience. Barrier to an occupation is common for every single individual and it can happen any time in life, anywhere. The barriers to an occupational choice can be internal or external. Internal barriers to a person can be lack of motivation or low confidence, and the external factor can be poverty or lack of education to a person. According to O’ Leary, there are six types of internal barriers and four types of external barriers to occupational choice. Farmer recommended six types of internal barriers and three types of external barriers. O’Leary stated the barrier due to the interaction to restrained career objective with women. Farmer stated that the barriers happen due to the gap of the activities and the achievements of the women. There can be several different barriers in a work place which depend on the factors like, ‘self-reflective’ progresses and self referent insights of the office atmosphere. According to The Career Barriers Inventory (CBI) the various barriers in an workplace depend on the factors like, ‘sex discrimination’, ‘multiple role conflict’, ‘lack of confidence’, ‘racial discrimination’, ‘conflicts between career demands and children’, ‘inadequate preparation’, ‘disapproval by significant others’, ‘decision making difficulties’, ‘dissatisfaction with career’, ‘discouragement from choosing non-traditional careers’, ‘disability or health concern’, ‘job market constrain’, and ‘difficulties with socializing or networking’ (Swanson & et. al., 1996). Sex Discrimination Sex discrimination hampers the hiring process in a work place, the work climate and also the interpersonal relationship among the employees. While choosing an occupation, an individual can become a victim of sex discrimination, and even after getting selected in the workplace he or she can face the same situation. Sex discrimination hampers the interpersonal relationship within the organisation; it affects the women much compared to the men while getting selected for a job or in the workplace. It also causes inequality between the activities and the achievements of women (Creed & et. al., 2004). Lack of Confidence Lack of confidence is a very common feature in human beings either in career aspect or educational aspect. In a workplace an individual suffers from the lack of confidence that he or she is not capable enough to do a particular job. Due to lack of confidence an individual cannot perform in an interview as well. This factor affects the capability and the potential of a person. A person affected by this factor cannot even choose any career option for himself/herself (Sen Sharma, n.d.). Multiple–Role Conflict Multiple role conflict is the problem which is very general in nature. People who are playing different roles in the workplace at a time or those women, who are working as well as managing the house, suffer from stress and anxiety which falls within the purview of this problem. This is the barrier which harms the work process, the behaviour of the employees, as well as their personal lives (The University of Edinburgh, 2011). Conflict between Children and Career Demand This is the barrier which is mainly related to the women who works. This factor affects the relation between the career demand as well as the children at home. The women at times face a guilt feeling that they should not have worked while keeping the young child alone at home. This barrier affects the environment of the workplace, hampers the dedication of the employees, and also the personal life of the employees (The University of Edinburgh, 2011). Racial Discrimination The discrimination in the workplace is a huge problem in present days. The discrimination regarding race is one of the barriers in occupational choice. This barrier happens due to the differences among different employees based on the race and the colour. This factor would affect the choice of occupation for an individual. Discrimination in a workplace would affect the interpersonal relationship and also the job functions within the workplace (Ghatak & et. al., 2000). Inadequate Preparation When a person feels that he or she is not prepared enough to perform in an interview or in the workplace the person suffers from the lack of confidence, which becomes a barrier for the career. Inadequate preparation regarding decision making, communication and leadership among others and inadequate required skills affect the performance of the employees as well as the functions within the workplace. Inadequate preparation of an individual affects the opportunity to get a career option as well as upon the performance of an individual in a workplace (Zunker, 2011). Disapproval by Significant Other This is one of the most vital and common factors which create obstacles while choosing occupation opportunities. The disapproval from the near one is one of the toughest barriers to overcome. Once a child decides to choose his or her field of interest, they commonly face a problem of the disapproval from parents, siblings or from relatives and friends. This barrier prevents an individual to choose the career of his or her interest. It affects the mental stability as well as the confidence of an individual. It might also affect the organisation where those people would be working in future (Zunker, 2011). Decision-Making Difficulties Decision is the main factor while choosing an occupational option. The right decision would take an individual to a right occupation. In most of the times, the persons face difficulties to decide which field to choose and which job to do; they also face a problem in choosing between a job and own business. This is the barrier which mainly affects an individual and their occupational choice and it also harms the organisations they work with as they themselves are not certain whether the decision they have taken is right or wrong (Brown & Lent, 2005). Dissatisfaction with Career Dissatisfaction with career is one of the major issues in occupational choice. Once a person takes a wrong decision and enters into an organisation, the person faces the problem of dissatisfaction with the job they are doing. Job dissatisfaction can happen due to the unpleasant work environment, lack of knowledge about the subject of the job, due to the misbehaviour of others in the work place, and due to the lack of confidence among others. It affects the work functions, the work culture and the environment. It also hampers the performance of the employees and their relationships (Brown & Lent, 2005). Discouraged from Choosing Non-traditional Career In most of the cases an individual gets discouraged due to choosing a non-traditional career option. For instance, at times, a person might choose to be a painter after a certain period of time of completion of his or her post graduate in mathematics, which results into an unbelievable fact for his or her near and dear ones and the person might get discouraged by them. This barrier prevents an individual to pursue what he or she wants to do in life and also their future and career objectives (Creed & et. al., 2007). Disability/Health Concern Physically disabled persons as well as the persons who are affected by incurable diseases, frequently face problems regarding getting selected for any given occupation, even if they get selected they suffer from a different way of behaviour from their co-workers in the workplace. This problem affects the moral and the confidence of the persons, and also the work environment and the relationship among the employees (Creed & et. al., 2007). Difficulties with Networking/Socialisation People who live in rural areas and in remote villages do not get a proper scope of getting into a deserved job in spite of carrying ample potential, only due to the lack of adequate socialisation and networking. For instance, they do not get informed about the opportunities; even if they get the information at times it becomes impossible for them to come to the required venue on time. This barrier occurs due to the hindrances in the communication process of the villages, and it also leads towards wasting the potential candidates from the rural areas only because of the lack of proper networking (Fisher, 1998). The Measures to Overcome the Barriers of Occupational Choice The occupational choice faces different barriers at different times, and to choose a proper career option one has to overcome all these barriers personally as well as in the workplace. An individual faces different barriers in choosing an occupational option, and the different barriers are ‘sex discrimination’, ‘lack of confidence’, ‘multiple role conflict’, ‘conflict between children and the career demand’, ‘racial discrimination’, ‘inadequate preparation’, ‘disapproval by significant others’, ‘decision making difficulties’, ‘dissatisfaction with career’, ‘discouragement due to choosing non-traditional career’, ‘disability/health concern’, and ‘difficulties with networking/ socialization’ among others. These barriers can be prevented by improving the self efficiency of an individual and the work environment of the workplace. In an organisation the authority should be active to remove the discrimination regarding the sex, colour and race, which would increase the scope of getting into a right career for an individual. The person should also have to be confident enough to perform in the workplace, and the individual has to work hard to enhance the confidence level to an extent. The employees should get certain facilities and advantages in the workplace to maintain the balance in the career and in their personal lives. An individual has to conduct adequate study regarding the subject on which he or she has to perform. Every individual has to remain enough prepared (Fisher, 1998). The families and friends have to be more supportive towards the person who is looking for an appropriate career option, the family or friends should never force or negatively influence an individual to choose an opportunity. Especially the parents of an individual should support the decision taken by their child to choose a career option. At times, an individual takes a wrong decision, they face difficulties to take a decision regarding an occupation opportunity and they suffer from the dissatisfaction of the job. It needs to be ensured that an individual should always do a study before taking a decision and enter a job, which would go a long way in preventing job dissatisfaction. The persons, who are physically disabled, should always get a welcoming behaviour from their co-workers and from the employers and they should also get a deserved job opportunity. The networking between the urban and the rural areas has to be improved to avoid communication barriers, which would also decrease the occupational barriers. A proper information flow to the rural areas would cater the career industry with better potential and deserved candidates. All these measures should be kept in consideration while planning to overcome the occupational choice barriers, which would help every individual to get the suitable and the deserved opportunity and also support the organisational functions (Fisher, 1998). Conclusion In relation to the above study conclusively, it can be stated that occupational choice theory is basically a general prospective of choosing a career, there is no such specific or a single theory to support occupational choice. There would be many more theories regarding an occupational choice expect these theories given by O’Leary, Farmer and Ginzberg. It’s tough to explain by a particular theory the ranges of occupational choice. But still in relation to the above discussed theories, it can be stated that occupational choice basically depends upon one’s personality, interpersonal skills, confidence, behaviour, and ways of looking towards the life, perception and also the work environment and behaviour of the co-workers. In relation to the above study, it can also be noticed that there can be several different barriers in case of choosing an occupation by an individual. Those barriers can arise due to the lack of confidence of the individual, due to discouragement from the family members, due to negative behaviour in the workplace, due to lack of self-efficiency and also due to the lack of socialisation and proper networking. All these factors have to be taken care of while choosing an occupation. Until and unless, an individual overcomes these obstacles he/she would not be able to get into a proper career, which suits him or her. The occupational choice theories help to identify these issues and also help to overcome these issues. References Brown, D. (2002). Career Choice and Development. US: John Wiley & Sons. Brown, S. D. & Lent, R. W. (2005). Career Development and Counseling: Putting Theory and Research to Work. US: John Wiley and Sons. Cromwell, F. S. (1985). 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