MacGyvering Bacon-tines Day

MacGyvering Bacon-tine’s Day I like being around people who can creatively keep themselves entertained. This can be an unproductive quality while alone; I have a terrible tendency to sit fascinated for hours by the refraction of light through pens with hexagonal cross-sections at various angles, the physical properties granted by the structure of a shoestrings weave, internal discussions on particularly weird or ironic evolutionary imperatives, or by producing really awkward writing. When these kinds of people pool together, though, its like a positive feedback loop that generates entertainment. While I dont personally observe Valentines Day, enough humorous sentiment pointed in its general direction managed to leak into my late evening tonight that I thought Id share. Coherency is left as an exercise to the reader. Around midnight, my hallmates lady-friend presented him with an enormous bouquet of delicious homemade bacon roses, which we all had entirely too much fun with. A Facebook friend shared the most amazing faux valentines Ive ever seen. Political incorrectness is comedically inspiring. We happened to have a spare copy of Twilight lying around. Since it held no value to us other than that of the dried wood pulp from which it had once been flattened, we naturally decided to indulge in a little Twilight bashing. All in all, we extracted far more utility from that book than we would ever have gotten from reading it. It didnt stop at Twilight sledgehammer golf, either; frustrated by the books softness and high air resistance, which prevented it from flying satisfyingly, we quickly evolved the game into Twilight soccer and then Twilight sledgehammer-bat baseball. It inevitably tore in half, relegating us to the simple luxuries of book-jousting, book-skating, book-football, book-bocce, and book-scooter-curling. Finally, Paul13, who grew up in a traveling circus, started balancing the sledgehammer on his bare toes while standing on one foot, and we all stopped to stare in horror. And then, psets, which we really should have been doing all along. Happy February 15th!

Essay on Discipline of Management - 1274 Words

In today’s competitive landscape, organizations must utilize every resource to its fullest in order to achieve profitability. Peter F. Drucker, who is known as â€Å"the founding father of the discipline of management†, informs us that employees are assets, which should be treated as a company’s most valuable resource. The key players involved in utilizing this valuable resource are the managers of a company. Managers have a vital role in a company and the effort they put forth into their tasks and responsibilities will directly affect the success of a company. In Drucker’s book Management: Tasks, Responsibilities, Practices (Revised Edition), he explains the role of a company’s management team and the secrets to becoming a great manager.†¦show more content†¦This mission must take into account and balance the present with the uncertain future. It is an important administrative task for a manager’s mission to strive for the com pany’s full potential. As Drucker states, â€Å"What is the business’s theoretical optimum? What prevents us from attaining it? Where are the limiting and restraining factors that hold back the business and deprive it of the full return on its resources and efforts†? (32). Determining and adapting a productive mission requires a manager to be an entrepreneur, a risk taker, and an innovator. A good company mission is adaptable, and will allow the modern business to survive and perform in a new and unpredictable future. Once the mission has been determined the next responsibility of a manager is to make the work place suitable for all employees. In addition to stressing that employees are a company’s most important resource, Drucker explains that they are the only one capable of the growth and improvement. Encouraging and helping the employees to be happy will create a more productive and hardworking environment. A manager that meets the needs of the employees will often encourage more productivity, which will result in meeting the needs of the consumer. Drucker’s third responsibility for management is to realize how the institution is affecting society. Management must recognize that freeShow MoreRelatedDiscipline And Classroom Management1456 Words   |  6 Pages As I being to develop my discipline plan I have become more aware of the values I want in my classroom. I want the students to know that the values I hold for myself are the same ones I would hold to any one that walks into my classroom which are; respect, compassion, trust, and structure. I believe that these are important values to have in classroom because I want to create a classroom that students feel like they will be heard and understood with any concerns they might have. I. SummarizationRead MoreThe Management of Employee Discipline3158 Words   |  13 PagesThe Management of Employee Discipline I. Problem and Its background a. Introduction Discipline is regarded as the training of the mental, physical, moral, and development of individual character inherent in an organizational system. It is also the training that corrects and strengthens personal values and the development of self-discipline. It is the manner in which, member of the organization conform to the established rules and regulations which experience has shown to be desirable. Read MoreA Business Perspective Of Management Discipline1299 Words   |  6 Pages 1. From a business perspective why is management discipline important? Compare and contrast the management discipline to medicine and law (how are these similar and how are they different - be specific in your explanations and provide examples to support your response). From a business perspective management discipline is as important as the next key factor to company success because it, â€Å"...drives the field forward† (Magretta, 9). Having discipline can help to set measurable goals, stay on trackRead MoreDifference Between Management And Discipline1048 Words   |  5 Pagesbelieve that there is a difference between management and discipline, and establishing the rules early on, with student input, helps a teacher better manage her classroom while disciplining when necessary. The difference between management and discipline, is that discipline are actions that you must take to ensure the safety of your classroom. Management is the preventative measures that you have in place, to prevent misbehaviors that require discipline. To communicate these expectationsRead MoreImportance Of Discipline In Classroom Management1514 Words   |  7 Pages As I begin to develop my discipline plan I have become more aware of the values I want in my classroom. I want the students to know that the values I hold for myself are the same ones I would hold to any one that walks into my classroom which are; respect, compassion, trust, and structure. I believe that these are important values to have in a classroom because I want to create a classroom that students feel like they will be heard and understood with any concerns they might have. I. SummarizationRead MoreEssay on Discipline vs. Management675 Words   |  3 PagesDiscipline and Management: Different Yet Related Classroom management and classroom discipline share a correlation with one another yet; they are uniquely different issues and should remain a separate focus of the teacher. (Cantor, 2006) Behavior and misbehavior also share a connection but represent different degrees of infraction. (Charles, 2008) This essay focuses on the differences and similarities of these topics and their relation to the classroom. Classroom management focusesRead MoreRisks Of Risk Management Discipline Essay913 Words   |  4 Pagesis the chance that the actual return from an investment may differ from what is expected. (Hickman, K. A., Byrd, J. W., McPherson, M. 2013) Risk management discipline has evolved and expanded over the years and has shifted the focus from financial risks to a broader perspective with strategic risks. (Bugalia, J., Kallman, J. 2012) Risk management involves; organizing, planning, controlling, leading and allocating resources and make decision for the organization for a success path. To achieveRead MoreClassroom Management And Discipline Plan1219 Words   |  5 PagesClassroom Management and Discipline Plan EDPD 4350-70 Spring 2017 Jamie Nall #898216 Mrs. Nall’s 9th Grade Life Science and Biology 1. Introduction †¢ I believe Classroom Management is the key component in any educational setting. I believe that if students are in a safe environment, then learning can take place. This doesn’t necessarily mean punishing behavior problems but rather a combination of setting the tone in a class, preventing behavior problems with interesting and engaging curriculumsRead MoreThe Business Management Academic Discipline1216 Words   |  5 Pages Teaching Case Details Discipline Focus The teaching case will be focused within the business management academic discipline. Teaching Topic Area The teaching case will be concentrated in the area of organizational behavior and will examine the employee interactions with the company’s business environment. It will address the organizational change component within the organizational development (OD). More specifically, it will evaluate this construct from the context of a proactive component.Read MoreEssay on Classroom Management Discipline3569 Words   |  15 Pagesï » ¿ Classroom Management Discipline Emily Rickertsen EIS 450G: Classroom Management Dr. Georg Gunzenhauser Fall 2014 Classroom Management Related to Discipline Teacher-Student Relationship Student-teacher relationship is a vital role in managing a classroom and discipline. As a teacher, being able to connect with students is a key to academic instructional success; students are more likely to show respect to a teacher if that teacher has a connection with the students. Every teacher

AP HISTORY-Jacksonian Democracy Essay - 676 Words

DBQ: Jacksonian Democracy Jacksonian democracy was created during the antebellum America. The Jackson democrats made an attempt to grant power to the lower classes while decreasing the influence of the rich and potent. The Jacksonian democrats viewed themselves as saviors of the common people and ruled by the means of a powerful executive branch who attempted to destroy aristocracy in America. In reality, they were typically very wealthy, they disregarded the capability of the federal government, and they desired equality only for the white man. The Jacksonian’s view of themselves was pompous because of their political views, their animosity towards minorities, and their economic policies. Although viewed as defenders of all†¦show more content†¦As multiple advancements resulted in a huge increase in population the old economy was replaced by cash-crop agriculture and capitalist manufacturing. A split between the industrializing, urban North, agrarian, rural South, and the expanding West was forming. The Jacksonians passed the Tariff of 1828, helping western agriculture, and northern manufacturing but was detrimental to the South. Also, Jackson vetoed the US bank’s recharter in 1832. As Andrew Jackson’s veto message (Doc B) explains, he did this because he believed the US bank gave too much power to the wealthy few. Although, this seemed to be a step to increase equality, his replacement state â€Å"pet† banks only led to the destabilization of the national currency, and favoritism towards Jacksonian policies. This policy of Jackson was done with good intentions, but like many of Jacksonian economic policies it ended up doing more har m than good. Many of Jacksonian policies did help America. When a British author came to American he viewed that in America every man is free and independent (Doc D). Andrew Jackson himself was considered by most to be a common man. Daniel Webster even feared that the Jacksonian’s were attempting to turn the poor against the rich (Doc C). Also, the Jacksonian democrats were strict constructionists and made attempts to preserve the constitution. This led to events such as

The Concepts Decision Making And Reasoning - 1806 Words

Humans have gained a decisive advantage as far as cognition, which is how we acquire information and understanding through thought and experience and use that knowledge in everyday life (Dessimoz, 2016). Cognitive concepts include attention, consciousness, memory, langage, problem solving, creativity, decision making, and reasoning (Sternberg, 2016). The focus of this paper will be of the two concepts decision making and reasoning and how they relate to the recent shootings of African-American individuals. Since the media has brought attention to this topic, the country has begun to split. African-American individuals group all Caucasians into the racist category due to the behaviors of a select few, and the presidential election didn’t help at all. The reunification between races, and realizing not all â€Å"white people† are out to get you is what brings importance to this paper. Decision making is implicit or explicit behavior that requires a judgement and deci sion to be made (Dong , Du, Qi, 2016). Reasoning is the process of drawing conclusions from principles of evidence (Sternberg, 2016). Previous experiences can effect both decision making and judgement. This is apparent in the police shootings as they are subject to stereotypes, biases, and heuristics. Even before taking this class, I knew there was something more that was influencing the shooting of the African-American males rather than the simple fact of the officer being racist. Even as family membersShow MoreRelatedThe Ethics And Human Sciences1364 Words   |  6 PagesOur conclusions on any occasion are direct consequences of any developed concept in our minds. We see the world as we want to see it through our personal perceptions. When we are categorizing anything as desirable or otherwise, we judge using the concepts that we hold to us. Although different concepts may shape different conclusions, they are all influenced by beliefs and experiences. So, to what extent do our beliefs modify the conclusions that we may reach? The knowledge obtained through out someone’sRead MoreCritical Thinking And Clinical Reasoning1163 Words   |  5 PagesCritical Thinking and Clinical Reasoning Critical thinking and clinical reasoning are terms often used interchangeably throughout the history of nursing. However, they are not the same, and distinguishing the difference amongst them is important. The purpose of this paper is to define critical thinking and clinical reasoning, discuss each concepts similarities and differences, as well as share this author’s perspective on how critical thinking and clinical reasoning have developed and evolved throughoutRead MoreAnalysis of Leadership Ethics, by Lamar Odom 1176 Words   |  5 Pagesquestion presented in the book’s title, the reader is alerted on the fact that simply doing the right thing is not usually the most appropriate decision when a leader experiences a complex ethical dilemma or situation (â€Å"Professor Odom’s Book Examines Ethics in Leadership†, n.d.). The author wrote the book in order to provide insight on ethical decision-making from a practical perspective. He noticed a void in st udents’ and corporate executives’ understanding of the essential tenets of ethical leadershipRead MoreCritical Analysis : Critical Thinking1245 Words   |  5 Pagesskills are essential to make better informed and more balanced decisions. Also, it helps an individual in dealing with new risks and challenges more efficiently. According to Dash (2016), â€Å"critical thinking is an umbrella term that covers six key skills: problem-solving, analysis, creative thinking, interpretation, evaluation and reasoning.† In addition, the most of the critical thinking concepts are intuitive and to integrate these concepts in our routine tasks it requires effort, study and reflectionRead MoreDefinition Of Problem For Sales Department916 Words   |  4 Pagesquick to push the negativity onto other departments, taking no blame for any failures. Concepts that Address the Problem -Over Confidence- The next year’s projections by the sales team are considered by Mr. Sparks and Ms. Cash to be high. They do not agree with the numbers because of their experiences and data known by them. To correct this issue the reasoning by the sales team must be understood. The concept of Over Confidence (Ricciardi, 2000) entails the manner in which humans often think moreRead MoreThe Verbal Comprehension Index Measures The Ee107’S Ability1016 Words   |  5 PagesThe Verbal Comprehension Index measures the EE107’s ability to access and apply acquired word knowledge. Specifically, this score reflects her ability to verbalize meaningful concepts, think about verbal information, and express herself using words. On the Similarities subtest, EE107 had challenges with identifying how two words are alike. Similarly, on the Vocabulary subtest, EE107 could provide correct definition of basic words, but she struggled to provide definitions of higher level words. OnRead MoreCritic al Thinking Essay example1031 Words   |  5 PagesDMBA 610 Individual Paper Assignment Week 2: Critical Thinking and Decision making Assignment: Individual Paper Assignment: Individual Paper (15%) Your instructor will post a business memo that you will need to analyze applying the critical thinking model discussed in Asking the Right Questions. In a short paper (7-8 double-spaced pages) apply all of the steps of the critical thinking model  to assess the arguments made in the memo. Include all of the steps. Leaving out discussionRead MorePursuing A Career As A Financial Planner Essay1652 Words   |  7 Pagesrationale and thinking to distinguish the qualities and shortcomings of option arrangements, conclusions or ways to deal with issues. 5. Deductive and inductive Reasoning The capacity to apply general rules to particular issues to create answers that work well and the capacity to consolidate bits of data to shape general guidelines or decisions. 6. Sales and Marketing Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy andRead MoreEssay on Applying Psychological Theories to Board Games755 Words   |  4 Pagescategorization. Analogical reasoning is a way to process information that does a comparison on the similarities between concepts which are either new or understood. This is also known as a type of inductive reasoning because the reasoning will strive to give understanding of what could be true, other than merely proving it as a fact. This reasoning can be either used by adults or children alike as a persuasive argument (Bargh, 1996). One of the simplest ways to inductive reasoning which two or more objectsRead More The Ontological Argument Essay1446 Words   |  6 Pagesparticular concept of God - that God is that than which nothing greater can be conceived. Saint Anselm presents a convincing argument that many people view as the work of a genius. It is also quite often considered a failure because, in William L. Rowes words, In granting that Anselms God is a possible thing we are in fact granting that Anselms God actually exists. In other words, it assumes the point it is supposed to prove, primarily because is assumes that existence is a great-making quality

Christian Character

Question: Why Christian character Matters? Answer: A man should submit himself to the Holy Spirit, as it can guide our way towards righteousness. Character is a word that describes the thinking, and behavior of a person. A true person with true character is someone, who remains same throughout the process. While, there are some people, who change with time and their true character comes outside after we keep on digging in their true self. Building a healthy character according to the preaching of Jesus Christ is not an easy procedure nor can it be done automatically. But, it takes time to develop, and the person has to work on them to attain a true Christian character. If we want to develop a character of true self, than we have to surrender ourselves to the Holy Spirit. We can be a real character only if we allow Holy Spirit to guide our way, which may be unnatural, but at the end we will attain a pure Christian Character. We have to make the conscious choice of giving our conscious will to the Holy Spirit. According to the Bible, the spiritual growth of a person is compared to a seed, which grows slowly. Same way character building is a slow process, which includes many stages of development and growth. The active participation of us in the process is very important. Character of a person is the formed through his or her habits. Thus, habits are also important in framing a character. For building a Christian Character, the habits of wisdom, truth and justice are required. A person should have faith in the God and Holy Spirit and allow it to build character. Building character is very important in studies, business, work and different aspects of l ife. Three steps required to build a character is to set a goal; find out the steps to achieve goal; and third is to make those steps as habit.

Radioshacks Woes free essay sample

This paper explores the recent difficulties RadioShack Corp. (RadioShack) has experienced pertaining to organizational culture, job design, job satisfaction, and employee policies. RadioShack’s difficulties were gathered from current and former company employees that were questioned about their experiences. In addition to discussing the trials that RadioShack has experienced, the paper will suggest a solution to get the company’s culture back in line with their mission statement as well as the corporate vision. Topics including employee motivation, supervisory leadership training, and workplace enhancement will be examined. The conclusion will analyze the steps that RadioShack needs to make improvements and ultimately how successful they could be. The analysis will be based on financial reports and independent employee interviews performed by the author on location at several local RadioShack locations. The opinions of the employees varied on many of the different topics but the overall opinion of the company’s culture and practices was very poor. We will write a custom essay sample on Radioshacks Woes or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page RadioShack’s Woes RadioShack is a familiar name in the American electronics retailing industry. They operate nearly 5000 stores across the country and deal in the highly competitive consumer electronics segment. The brick and mortar based retailer has experienced limited success in battling their â€Å"big box† competitors like Best Buy, H. H. Gregg, Target, and Wal-Mart to name a few. The emerging online battlefield has left them reasonably behind as well. Their well documented financial distress is tearing at the foundation that holds this company together and is threatening to destroy it from the inside out. The problem is escalating quickly and changing the behaviors of the people within the organization. Problems within the Organization RadioShack’s admits that the staying power of the company which has been in business for over ninety years is their customer oriented approach (RadioShack Corp. , 2012). The company website harps on the company’s diversity and commitment to sound corporate governance. These are very important factors in any business to say the least, but the biggest problem in the RadioShack equation is their lack of interest in their own employees. The employees are the ones that are task with engaging, educating, and serving the customers that are the key to the staying power motto. Yet these same employees face many challenges that limit their ability to perform this invaluable task. The employees complain about long hours, unfair commission structures, and unattainable rewards standards issued by the company. Organizational Culture The cognitive framework consisting of assumptions and values shared by organization members is the scientific definition of organizational culture (Greenburg, 2010). Having a healthy organizational culture is something that is the mark of a strong company. Companies where the employees do not feel valued are said to have toxic organizational cultures and that is where RadioShack will find themselves if they do not take steps to improve the culture from its current state. Organizational culture shapes, influences, and redefines training programs which in turn shape, influence, and redefine the organizational culture (Kissack, 2010). The function of organizational culture. There are three vital functions that organizational culture serves within an organization. The first is to provide a sense of identity for the members, give them something to relate to as well as a sense of purpose. Secondly, generating commitment to the organization’s mission will make employees rally around the ideals of the company. Lastly, clarifying and reinforcing the standards of behavior or stabilizing the behaviors or the organization’s members. Competing values framework. This tool utilizes two sets of opposite values to analyze the driving forces in an organizations culture. These two sets are flexibility and discretion versus stability and control; then, internal focus versus external focus. Using this framework in tabular form allows for the definition of four different types of cultures. Hierarchy implies companies that have an internal focus and emphasize stability and control. Market cultures are concerned with stability and control but they have an external focus. Clan culture is described by companies that have a strong internal focus while being flexible and discreet. Finally, adhocracy cultures are externally focused while being extremely flexible. RadioShack’s current culture is an attempt at market style; unfortunately it is not being properly maintained, ruining its effectiveness. The method has been unsustainable for the current management and is showing no immediate signs improving. To transmit a fresh an appealing organizational culture RadioShack needs to utilize tools such as symbols, stories, jargon, ceremonies, and principal statements. Utilization of these tools is not currently being pushed to the organization’s members. Job Design For more than two decades, research and practice in the field of  job design  has been dominated by two theoretical frameworks, exhibiting strong convergence in terms of the characteristics of individual  jobs  likely to impact on employee  job  performance and  job  satisfaction and the underlying mechanisms that lead to these relationships (Rehman, 2011). In RadioShack’s case, the job design is mandated by the size of the stores, products available for sale, and hours of operation. These are the boundaries that are set for retailers of all sorts. The main problem is the immense level of responsibility bestowed upon the store associates with the limited compensation that they receive. It is the equivalent of having the responsibilities of a sole proprietor with the compensation of an hourly worker. This job design instills a level of resentment in the employees from the start. This resentment caused job performance to suffer which yields lower productivity and sales for the organization as a whole. This poor job design also significantly inflates the turnover of the store level positions. Job Satisfaction Job satisfaction cannot be directly linked to the quality of service an employee provides (Makiko, 2008). However, the correlation is something that yields interesting results in practical applications. A hard day’s work, for fair day’s pay in the principal that goes hand and hand with job satisfaction. Even before getting into the issue of employee growth and retention, RadioShack has a problem with the compensation structure for the employees and it has made it very difficult for them to secure and retain key personnel in many levels of the organization. Without prematurely going into the detail of the policies and procedures that are in place for the employees the overall sentiment of current employees from a brief interview conducted at a few of my local RadioShack retail locations revealed three significant findings. First, 4 out of 5 of the group would take a new position at another retailer if it were available. Second, 5 out of 5 felt that they were under compensated for their current position. Third, 1 out of 5 felt that the organization truly cares about the store level associates. This study though limited in scope allowed me to get an idea of what the basic RadioShack employee thinks about their company and their job. Employee Policies The policies and procedures that govern a workforce are the most important tools when looking at the reason for particular employee behaviors. This is the biggest problem facing RadioShack currently. The policies regarding scheduling, compensation, training, and engagement are far below levels sufficient to build and maintain a dependable, reliable, and efficient workforce. Scheduling. A major concern for many employees is the long and unusual shifts that are scheduled weekly. The lack of consistency is frowned upon and leads to many conflicts with personal scheduling for the store employees. Compensation. A very low base pay is offered with a commission bases supplement. However, a large number of employees are not able to reach the sales goals required to benefit from the commission structure. The fact that the rates for the commission recently was downgraded also is problematic for employees since future achievements are not harder to obtain and worth less at the same time. Training. As in many retail based jobs the average employee requires training prior to being able to perform on the sales floor. At RadioShack, associates are trained superficially and then told what products to push to the customers. This lack of product knowledge limits the amount of value that the associates can impart to the customers. Engagement. Organizations with a health culture have many different ways to communicate, inform, and engage with their employees. In the case of RadioShack, employee feel that the only communication that comes from superiors is sell more cellular telephones. This unidirectional communication path does not allow the free flow of ideas that is so important in many of the world’s most successful operations. RadioShack has to fix the segmentation that exists in their organization that prevents the company from making a unified effort to achieve corporate goals. Solving the Dilemma In order to fix RadioShack’s organizational culture, an understanding of its effects and capacity to change is needed. The importance cannot be understated; however the strength of corporate culture shapes the organizations performance. That organization performance in turn aids the financial performance of the firm. Finance is something that each and every company is concerned about. RadioShack needs to change perceptions across the board. They need to make sure the mission and philosophy is clear. Spend more time communicating values and beliefs and be sure to hire people based on those beliefs. Start celebrating company traditions and milestone accomplishments. Form a standard set of values and tendencies that are shared by all members of the organization. Once the company has fixed the foundation, they can look to change the culture for the better. The tools of change for an organization of this size are few, but in this case the limited number of tools only makes the solution easier for RadioShack to select. To change the culture they need to make a significant change to the composition of the workforce. Changing the people that make up the working environment is a surefire way to enhance the culture of the overall organization. Bringing the skill level and education of the employees to a higher level will infuse new confidence into the culture. Becoming a leader in the marketplace and not just another face in the crowd will build loyalty and commitment in the organization and the mission of the company. This method can be supported by planned organizational change. My recommendation would be to implement both of the methods simultaneously. This would require bringing in a new CEO and working from the top down as well as the bottom up the completely overhaul the organizational culture using and interior focus to further elevate member loyalty and commitment. Employee Motivation To motivate the employees, the management will first need to revise the policies and procedures that govern them. It is imperative to address the negative feedback on the compensation structure, the high turnover rate, the unconventional hours, and the lack of training and education available. Compensation. The low base and unrealistic bonus schedule is hindering the efforts currently at the store level. Switching to a plan where the base is elevated and the bonus is based on the overall store performance would be more of an incentive for better teamwork, more concerned management, and enhanced training and communication between associates. This would allow stores, and not individuals to win or lose as a team instead of creating an environment for commission theft and pushy tactics. Employee turnover. This problem needs to be quickly and abruptly halted. Investing more in your employees means that you want them to be with the company longer to reap the benefits of their growing skillsets. Offering benefits that suit the composition of the workforce will make the job more than just a paycheck. Scholarships, internships, and advanced training will make the workplace somewhere that employees treasure and long to be a part of. Recognition of associates that have gone above and beyond with their service will also encourage higher retention rates. Scheduling. Creating a format for scheduling that better suits the store hours an allocated payroll budgets will create a better work-life balance (Colley, 2010). Stringing together a series of shifts that no one wants to work is not a good way to maintain a workforce. This is the current practice exercise my RadioShack management. Proper scheduling with adequate coverage for seasonal and temporary requirements will cover the complaint very easily. Education and training. In the retail setting, knowledge is king to the customer. An associate that can explain the use, benefits, construction, and features of products is good; but one that is intelligent, knowledgeable, and confident is far better. When the customer can be educated about a product by the employee this builds loyalty and commitment with the customer. That will make that person frequent RadioShack instead of the other retailers due to the product knowledge and security available. Not only will this differentiate RadioShack from other retailers in the marketplace, it will take advantage of the investment in the human resources of the company. Supervisory Leadership Training I would also recommend special training for the store level leaders. This advanced training would prepare the supervisors to instill the mission and objectives into each and every new hire. Training would include how to hire people that fit the organizational culture, how to lead by example, how to train others to deal with customers and ultimately schedule and manage their associates. Workplace Enhancement This suggestion would require significant capital expenditure but I feel that it is needed to complete the over organization culture change. The layout and finishes of the stores need to be reworked. The ambiance and engagement within a RadioShack location is not well suited to today’s hands on consumer. With so many display cases and products that are inaccessible to customers hinders the sell through rates at the company which in turn hurts the associates and management. Creating an environment where the associates and customers can get acquainted with the products via display models and working units will make the job more enjoyable and the shopping experience better at the same time. RadioShack Today In conclusion, RadioShack has tried to create a spark with new marketing and more targeting product offerings. This approach cannot fully work until the core of the organization is changed. The recommendations within this paper are internally focus on making the foundation of the company more stable and transparent. To turn their focus from external perception and reflect on the element of their business that has the biggest impact on their bottom line. Taking my advice and ushering in a more employee bases operation will return RadioShack back to its place and one of the premiere consumer electronics retailers in the country. Motivating not only the hourly associates but the managers all the way up he line will build new loyalty and make organizational member want to be with the company for extended periods of time (Meyer, 2004). The recommendations will completely change the job design and transform the positions into more than just a paycheck. This will make working with RadioShack a journey into the world of consumer electronic retailing; a gateway where associates can ascend to well-payi ng salaried positions that demand more education and more training. This means that the overall job satisfaction will be significantly higher. Promoting a more comfortable and efficient work environment will simply become part of the strategic plan. In closing, RadioShack is at a crossroads where they can continue their current path which leads to an imminent merger or bankruptcy; or they can invest in building a better organization starting with the core corporate culture. This will be a sustainable, well planned change that will increase the intrinsic value of the firm and provide the organization with a responsive market for years to come.

Heres why your paycheck is disappearing

Heres why your paycheck is disappearing It’s not a magic trick- your paycheck may seem like it’s vanishing faster than you can earn it, but there are reasons why this seems to happen. It’s a common phenomenon: payday comes around and you start thinking about all of the things you’d like to do with your money when it comes in, but then reality hits, and your grand plans for your paycheck seems to evaporate into thin air, along with your funds. If you’re often struck by this disappointing occurrence, take comfort in the fact that you’re not alone. The simple truth comes down to this: for many of us, the size of our paychecks haven’t kept pace with the rising costs of the things we purchase, and when this occurs it should be no surprise that the â€Å"vanishing paycheck† is such a common phenomenon.What you’re earningThe statistics on historical wage trends paint a daunting picture, and goes a long way to explain why our earnings don’t seem to go as far as we’d like them to. According to a recent report by The Brookings Institution, inflation-adjusted wages have only grown around 10 percent over the last 45 years, with real wage growth crawling forward at a paltry .2 percent annually. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that when adjusted for inflation, real average hourly earnings have remained virtually unchanged for the American workforce over the last four decades.There are a number of factors that can be pointed to in an effort to explain this trend, from cheap labor overseas affecting supply and demand to globalized corporate competition and an economy weakened by the Great Recession and unexpectedly high inflation, but the bottom line is that this level of wage stagnation reflects a significant lack of opportunity for economic advancement for the average American worker.Furthermore, although companies have been earning massive profits in recent decades, largely due to rising costs of products and globalization o f markets and labor pools, this increased revenue simply has not made its way into the pockets of the employees who contribute to their success. The Economic Policy Institute reports that the average worker’s share of corporate-sector income in the form of wages and benefits has been on the decline since 1979.Wage inequality is another recent yet disturbing trend. According to recent BLS data, although there has been wage growth for those in the top earning percentile brackets, the opposite is true for workers in the bottom and lower-middle earning categories. This growing economic stratification creates a deep divide between the â€Å"haves† and â€Å"have nots,† leaving many workers with little hope that their financial situations will dramatically improve.What you’re spendingIf stagnant wages wasn’t challenging enough, consider the fact that the goods and services we purchase are taking bigger and bigger bites out of our paychecks than ever befo re. This includes everything from essentials like housing, food, and utilities to non-essential purchases like luxury items, vacations, and even expensive coffee (which has turned into a multi-billion-dollar-a-year industry), all of which gnaw away at our earnings faster than we thought possible.Current BLS data indicates that average prices for consumer goods are increasing at an average rate of around 2 percent a year; this may not seem significant, but when many workers don’t see steady wage increases each year, paying an extra 2% for everything they purchase can really add up. There’s also a wide array of expenses that today’s average worker shoulders that previous generations did not have to worry about- think student loans, smart phone bills, and numerous credit card payments to name just a few- all of which further stretches workers’ paychecks beyond capacity.The bottom lineWhat does this all mean? There’s a growing unbalance between what th e average American worker earns and what he or she spends, and it paints a bleak economic picture for many people. If you’re not a captain of industry or among the earning elite, chances are good that the money you’re earning just isn’t going as far as you’d like it to, due to a variety of disadvantageous economic forces and trends that are showing no sign of reversing anytime soon. With all of these factors at play, the magic trick known as the â€Å"vanishing paycheck† isn’t so mysterious or magical after all.