Regulatory Requirements that Monitor and Govern the Relationship between Employer and Employee - Assignment Example

Analyze regulatory requirements that monitor and govern the relationship between employer and employee From one point of view, the current emphasis that is being placed by the SEC on corporate ethics is unique in that never before in history have ethical and moral imperatives been so closely linked to business activity, and this can be seen in acts like the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. The possible contradictions and paradoxes of this situation are of interest to many, as often for businesses, the bottom line of profit may mean more than an ethical or social responsibility or imperative to be part of the solution, rather than the problem as it were. But today’s point of view stressing ethics and accountability “argues not only that corporations are moral agents, but also that their moral agency has made the business world of the late twentieth century and of the coming century different from anything of preceding epochs. It is, in his argument, an agency of great potential danger and of great potential benefit, one in terms of which we can address nearly every ethical problem of business” (Kerlin, 1997). The generality of this goal, however, can also be contradictory, because it necessarily expands the very definition of the word ethics. In terms of pining down this definition and examining corporate ethics theoretically, on a base-line level, by putting out a quality product at a fair price, the business is seen to be fair and honest by the consumer, who will reward ethical behavior by being loyal to the business which s/he views as the most fair and even-handed in terms of production and pricing. This is one side of corporate ethics promoting ethical behavior. By treating employees fairly, the business practices what it preaches in terms of ethics, ensuring that its employees will treat both the business and its customers with the ethical equivalent of the way in which they are treated by the business. Ethics belies another dimension. Vendors and investors will appreciate the honesty with which they are treated by the business, and, like customers, will reward the business’ ethical practices with loyalty and fidelity. By acting responsibly towards the environment, the business will receive plaudits for being a company that is focused on the future of the interests of the community, not just its own future. This is a third facet. And by operating without secrecy and with a high level of accountability, the business will be looked upon as possessing integrity and fairness in its operations, and will gain the trust of the public and increase the level of responsibility required of its own employees and society as a whole. Theoretically, it all seems rather simple for codes of ethics to promote this sort of behavior. “Around the world, corporate codes of conduct on human rights, labor standards, and environmental performance are proliferating. These codes reflect the growing pressure being placed on firms by nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), activist shareholders, and the portfolio managers of "socially responsible" investment funds” (Kapstein, 2001). It seems to be a relatively simple equation of ethics and responsibility, when looked at on the surface, in terms of basic theoretical conscience mechanisms. In reality, however, the situation is much more complex even when the international element is removed, since a business is by nature made up of many different individuals. Moral and economic values differ from person to person within a corporation. A business is a large organizational structure, and within this structure, there may be individuals who are inspired to behave unethically for any number of reasons. Many of these reasons have to do with the goals of the individual. For example, if a person views monetary gain as their main purpose, they may be willing to put ethical issues aside in order to reach their goal with maximum efficiency. They may not pay attention to any code at all. Further complicating the situation, to put back the international element, what is considered ethically neutral in one country may be totally unethical in another, and vice versa. “Even if there were widespread cross-cultural agreement on the normative issues of business ethics, corporate ethics management initiatives which are appropriate in one cultural setting still could fail to mesh with the management practices and cultural characteristics of a different setting… multinational businesses risk failure in pursuing the ostensible goals of corporate ethics initiatives” (Weaver, 2002). In other words, corporate ethics may be something that is culturally relative to HRM policy. Analyze the changing demographics of the United States and how those changes impact the current conditions in a workplace. The race and ethnicity patterns that are changing in the area generally are put forth in terms of statistics about the changing demographics and their impact on the community. The United States is a nation of immigrants, and different immigrant groups thrive in different areas. Extant statistics show that in the most recent reckoning, there has been a change with Jamaican, Dominican, Italian, Mexican, Eastern European, and Filipino being the fastest growing immigrant populations in New York (US, 2010). These new immigrant populations mean changing cultural representations and cultural pluralism in the area, which is seen to bring new vitality and multiculturalism into the neighborhood and continue its dynamic status. In terms of hidden populations, it is always difficult for census and other authority figures to get accurate demographic and population information regarding homeless people, because they tend to be very transient and may be using multiple names, or may not have the faculties to successfully participate in polling. The same can be said to a lesser extent of illegal immigrant populations, which may be another hidden population that is not accurately represented in existing census figures. Incorporate the effect of shifting ethical norms on the nature and implementation of human resource policy and procedure In terms of HRM operations, this will further create a sense of cohesion and shared objectives in the organization. In this case, therefore, HRM leadership is measured by how well the organizational professional is able to improve employee efficiency and contribute to growth in the revenue of the company. Management leadership can also be assessed in this manner, in terms of positive effects of the internal competency model. This model highlights the need for a first step in conflict management that employs the right conflict management strategies, and avoids those (forcing) which seem to have more negative results and repercussions in the organization, in its effective effective job design implementation. HRM is all about managing effectively and motivating employees, and this is best done in a relaxed, open atmosphere in which communication is facilitated. There are basically two types of employee motivation methods that have to do with benefits: financial and non-financial. It can also be categorized that there are basically two types of benefits: those that are required by the law, and those that are not required by the law or government. Workers’ comp, or worker’s compensation, is required by law in most states. This trade off involves the employees receiving the workers’ compensation benefits if they are injured on the job, but then agreeing that these benefits will replace any legal action or punitive financial damages that the employee would seek against the employer as a form of trying to punish the employer, even involving cases in which the employer could be proven negligent environment. Survey results suggest that perhaps the most important characteristics of a great effective job design motivator who is able to inspire workers are calmness under pressure, relaxation, calmness, contagious self-confidence, and the ability to make creative and dynamic decisions while still keeping an open mind to all possible solutions to a given problem. An open mind is definitely important in defining leadership in an effective job design situation, and leads to results that are often new and original. effective job design in the positive sense, therefore, as opposed to the positional sense, involves a type of motivation that is not merely positional or based on the heroic paradigm, but also involves people working in teams to create a more empowering workplace for everyone involved. Incorporate a values statement that expresses the spirit and purpose of the law, its application within a company's mission, and the joint commitment of manager and company to fulfill the law's intended purpose According to the needs of our organization, it is policy to amend current motivational programs. There are prizes that are reward-based, time-based, and individualized to the appropriate employee. Throwing money at the problem may be a popular solution, but sometimes monetary compensation is not properly allocated or is unavailable, and it becomes difficult to maintain the morale of workers who work for years without any salary increase. Through the processes of effective job design, teamwork as well as finance is the key to effective motivation for workers in forming and achieving team goals. “As organizations strive to uncover more and more innovative ways to motivate their employees many overlook the important and easily implemented area of job design” (Weaver, 2001). Analyze current and potential liabilities and propose strategies for prevention and recovery Personal contributions for prevention and recovery can differ. For example, an employee could manage others well, but overall, they may not pay much attention to motivation or human resources. This would, in turn, possibly lead optimally to both greater stability within the organization, and a satisfied base of employees who are still able to receive the respect they deserve as human beings. An underlying issue that applies to many personal cases is using this same sense of balance to adjust for new motivational programs within the organization, so that programs will be kept in an adjusted way that is cost-effective for the organization at the same time that it is amenable to the employees. This process should be completed in a way that stresses key tenets of human resource development operation such as effective communication with employees and the employment of dynamic leadership strategies. Thus, this solution would be cost-effective at the same time that it would be amenable to the employees. In communicating the abovementioned changes to the employees in terms of company, HRM objectives could be achieved, and the company could move forward proactively to meet the challenge of the future. REFERENCE Kapstein, E (2001). The corporate ethics crusade. Foreign Affairs. Kerlin, M (1997). Peter French, corporate ethics and the Wizard of Oz. Journal of Business Ethics. Weaver, G (2001). Ethics programs in global business. Journal of Business Ethics. US Demogrpahic trends (2010). http://pewsocialtrends.org/ Read More