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Showing posts from December, 2012

Job Enrichment and Its Enhancement on Motivation, Satisfaction and Commitment

Job enrichment is a concept that entails the development of employee skills and expanding their area of work influence. However, job enrichment also includes the concepts of mastery of ones work environment which further leads to higher levels of motivation and satisfaction. Through appropriate employee development, organizations can further their business and financial interests while still meeting the needs and expectations of their employees.  Today's organizations must deal with trends such as rapid product changes, technology adjustments, global competition, deregulation, demographic changes, and a shift to a service economy in which organizations can no longer limit themselves to job descriptions (Raza & Nawaz, 2011). Employees can learn adaptability through job enrichment by being flexible through responsibility, autonomy, achievement, work, growth, development, and recognition. In the past job based approaches stressed that employees should complete jobs through spe

The History of "Three Ships in a Gale" 1673

Three Ships in a Gale 1673 Willem van de Velde was a Dutch maritime painter in the 17th Century. His paintings focused primarily on seascape painting which later influenced such English paintings in the next century. His father and brother were also painters which influenced his choice of occupation. He stayed in Amsterdam where an economic collapse sparked a French invasion and the family moved to England. His father found work in the Queen's House at Greenwich working for Charles II. Many of his paintings were about the open seas. "A Gale" was a painting in 1673 of Holland's naval power and trade. It is hosted at the National Gallery in London. Within the picture it is easy to see the waves washing over the fishing-smack and a frigate approaching in the background. The seas represented both ferocity as well as economic opportunities. Many investments were lost and made on the open seas. Such ships were subject to being lost at sea, attacked by other naval powe

Job Motivation Field: Three Factors to Consider

“This is a pipe,” I’d have been lying!” The Treachery of Images. René Magritte 1928 Job motivation is that intrinsic and extrinsic desire to accomplish certain goals within the workplace. It is the complex interaction of the inner and outer worlds of employees that pushes them to engage their organizations and work toward some constructive objective. Even though motivation can vary with individuals it is often in part predetermined by a nations economy, historical past, and cultural perspective (Savareike, 2011).  Yet, even with this knowledge it can be difficult for employers to create the right balance that encourages the intrinsic values to find avenues of attainment through the extrinsic mechanisms of the organization that fit within the employees understandings. A concept called the job motivational field helps to see motivation through the perspective of the individual and allows for a stronger analysis of individualized factors. Organizations that can understand the needs

Priming Organizational Motivation: A partnership of mutual self-interest!

Does employee motivation elude you? Even in the most progressive organizations the nature of motivation eludes the best of managers who throw their hands in the air in sulking defeat. Properly nurtured motivational goals and objectives can be realized through practical processes within the workplace.  Part of the problem lay in their managers perspective of what motivation actually entails. Motivation should not be forced but instead finessed. Like a great fisherman the motivated employee should be attracted and encouraged to take the bait that leads to a line of development. Employee motivation has two partners of which the first partner is the employee and the second is the organization. In essence, motivation stems from the employee but is fostered through business processes (Radovanovic & Savic, 2012). The will and the way must come together in a workplace marriage if higher performance is to be realized. Despite the benefits offered by the organization the employee is th

What is Behind the Painting of "The Bull" 1647?

The Bull 1647 When is a painting just colors on canvas? Painting is a representation of life and the figures, creatures, and landscapes represent important aspects of societal living. "The Bull" is a painting that is central to farm life and animal husbandry. Yet "The Bull" is much more than a beautiful piece of artwork as it also represents something spiritual and thriving.  Without the domesticated bull it is doubtful society could produce enough food to expand and grow. Paul Potter had a very short career in painting but during this lifetime he produced many great artistic works. He was born in the fishing village Enkhuizen and studied art from the warmth of his home. He lived with his father in Amsterdam for a while, went to the Delft for a couple of years and then to the Hague where he painted the famous work "The Bull" in 1647. After this time his career was plagued by crippling sickness and disease leaving a number of fine art works behind as

Six Motivational Potentials Employers Should Consider

Iron Workers Noon Time Job motivation is an important component for worker progression and organizational development. Motivation takes many forms but is often fostered through the conduit of organizational objectives. Employees seeking needs attainment search through their environments in order to find appropriate paths that create the most likely outcomes. Organizations that can create the right mechanisms for motivational expression are more likely to foster the aspirations of their employees. Motivational potentials is a concept that entails creating pathways whereby employee motivation can meet beneficial outcomes. In organizations where there are few motivational potentials, and appropriate pathways, it is doubtful employees will come to the conclusion that additional work will result in some level of reward. Without the desire, the pathway, and the reward the employee will continue to treat work as just another mundane task to engage in throughout the day in order to maint

Book Review: The Worldly Philosophers by Robert Heilbroner

Have you ever wondered how the world's economic system developed? If you have then you are not alone. Between the covers of The Worldly Philosophers: The Lives, Times, and Ideas of the Great Economic Thinkers you can quench your thirst for the knowledge of how both society and the economy developed hand-in-hand. Today's economic decisions rest on ideas of the economic thinkers like Adam Smith, Parson Malthus, John Maynard Keynes, Carl Marx, Joseph Schumpter and J.S. Mills. The book moves through the historical development of society and the economic system. Each concept provides further understanding of the nature of society and the development of modern commerce. The economists chosen as subjects have created larger influences on world development and understanding. It is through this understanding that we can see why the U.S., the European Union, and China have different currencies and different spheres of economic influence. Business owners, investors, and decision mak

Enablers Produce Organizational Results

Enablers are an asset to any workplace that seeks to solve market problems and continue to progress through environmental difficulties. People whom we consider to be enablers use multiple resources from the workplace in order to develop both the organization and themselves. They have the amazing ability to maintain motivation and capitalize on resources if given an opportunity to succeed. Enablers are able to connect resources to find solutions that help in encouraging business imperatives. At times they utilize the skills of other people and other times they use existing resources in unique and new methods. The skill of the enabler is in the encouragement of higher levels of organizational attainment. Enablers achieve results for organizations, employees and society (Ehrlich, 2006). Their approaches are divided into 1.) Enablers that produce 2.) Results. Enabling Factors: -leadership -people -policy and strategy -processes Result Factors: -people results -customer resu

Economic Art as Represented in The Merchant Georg Gisze

The Merchant Georg Gisze 1532 The painting entitled The Merchant Georg Gisze, or Der Kaufmann Georg Gisz, depicts a wealthy Steelyard merchant on the North bank of the Thames in London. The Steelyard merchants banned together in order to avoid the power of the princes, pirates, losses in shipping, and other factors that often impact the success of economic gain during this time period. When the artist Hans Holbein finished the work for Georg Gisze in 1532 he was unlikely to be aware that his work would be part of the pantheon of masterpieces. The Merchants of the Steelyard (der Strahlhof) were first known as the Hanseatic League at their establishment in London Knotor of the year 1320. Eventually they developed their own walled community with a church, warehouse, guards, offices and houses. The league was a defensive pack of guilds, connected to other economic outposts, that protected their trade on the Baltic and North Sea. At this time in history the world was a very dangerou

Conflict Modeling: Predicting and Resolving International Conflict

The Meeting of Leo the Great and Attila Raphael 1531 Painting All for Love! Actual Event 452 More at  Medievalists Conflict models are often used successfully in the workplace, labor relations, and on an international scale to understand conflict. Such models focus on the prediction and resolution of conflict in order to reduce its devastating impact. In international affairs these models help to frame a greater understanding of the components that influence the decisions which lead to conflict and war. The following article will discuss current and possible future models of conflict prediction. Modeling conflict often takes a theoretical and a mathematical approach. Once the theoretical components have been found they are written into mathematical models. Such models use regression analysis and other statistical approaches to predict when and where conflicts will occur. The more accurate the model is the more likely it will be able to validly predict potential conflict before erupti

Book Review: Choice Theory

Originally purchasing this book for inclusion in research it became obvious upon receipt that Choice Theory was not directly related to employment, management, and worker choice. Even though it did contain some references to these useful topics its benefit lay in a greater insight into control dynamics at both work and home. Choice Theory is a book written by Doctor William Glasser and puts within the family, educational, and career context the concept of personal freedom of choice.   Who doesn’t love choice? The book does create a deeper understanding of workplace relationships if applied appropriately to key management concepts. If we offer more beneficial choices, than edicts or unruly demands, we will be able to foster additional opportunities for employee motivation. Control based management culture destroys motivation and innovation, creates resentment, and encourages a culture of resistance.   As most of us are aware resistance is costly, develops waste within the syst