Contribution #10 - Chapter 16

After reading Chapter 17, I came across the Competing Through Sustainability article called “Managing after the Layoffs.” This article talks about how more and more companies have engaged in layoffs as a necessary component of reducing costs. Many employees feel tremendous uncertainty as they observe their companies’ downsizings. Trust in management is central to employee morale and this “fire at will” practice to cope with the economic downturn does not allow many employees to trust in management. This article also talks about strategies for building sustainable relationships with the workforce. These strategies involve quick and easy communication, allowing for emotional response, addressing work frustrations due to the cutbacks, demonstrating continuing long-term interest in the careers of the surviving employees, and assess whether the strategies are working, don’t guess.
I can relate this article to previous contributions I have turned in. Many companies in the United States resort to layoffs to cut back on costs through the “fire at will” practice. One article I previously read explained how this “fire at will” practice was outlawed in China and it also showed how the Chinese companies and firms coped with the economic downturn. Another article I also read showed how Indian companies coped with the economic downturn by using slower rates of salary increase and reconstruction. Maybe it is time for American companies to use or at least try these alternative ways to cope with the economic downturn that have been used by foreign companies.

Contribution #9 - Chapter 16

After reading through Chapter 16, I came across the Competing Through Technology article called “How Much Computer Privacy Do Employees Have?” This was a very interesting article to read. It talks about how employers and companies are able to obtain any information employees access or post on company computers. It also says that given to recent developments, companies can access information and other things even when employees use their own computer, accessing private sites , using their own personal email accounts. An example in this article is a case between a Houston restaurant and two employees. The two employees made a Myspace site devoted to their workplace where employees could vent about things that bothered them. The employees who created the site made sexual jokes and posted negative comments and were later fired. The employees tried to fight it but you can’t post something on the Internet and claim breach of privacy when someone sees it.
This was an interesting article to read because things people post on the Internet can affect one getting into a certain school or getting into a certain job. There have been instances where employers and schools will look at something like Facebook to see who you are and look at pictures and other things. People need to be careful about what they post on the Internet because certain pictures or posts that schools or employers see can prevent that getting into school or getting a certain job.

Contribution #8 - Chapter 15

After reading through Chapter 15, I came across the Competing Through Globalization article called “Managing the Economic Downturn: The Indian Way.” This article talks about the moral obligation that managers feel they have for their employees in Indian companies. It also talks about how companies in the United States quickly resort to laying off workers as a way to reduce labor costs and keeping headcount in line with production and demand. A professor of organizational behavior and human resource management at the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore says, “In India, losing a job has more than just financial implications.” Losing jobs in India is perceived as a reflection on their competence.
It is interesting to see how different companies and also areas cope with the economic downturn. I have read many articles on how companies cope with this throughout the book and there are many different ways to cope with it. Some Indian companies use slower rates of salary increase, reconstruction, and a hiring freeze. It was interesting to see how different these Indian companies are compared to American companies. The last article I read talked about the “fire at will” practice and how it was very common in the United States. It is illegal in Japan and it also seems like many Indian companies do not practice that practice.