Ethics and Human Resources

Why is it important for companies to conduct Ethics Training? Conduct Ethics Training is important for companies because it not only involves doing what is right and proper, but it is also good for business. Ethical conduct is the basis for long-term success in any organization. Here are some of the many advantages to ethical conduct at work: * Ethical conduct promotes a strong public image for the organization. People respect an organization that makes ethical choices. Customers like doing business with an organization they can trust. * Ethical conduct makes the best use of resources. Money, time, and effort are put into productive activities rather than diverted for questionable purposes or personal gain. * Ethical conduct on the part of all employees also helps maintain quality and productivity. When employees follow ethical standards, they do not cut corners or short-change the company or its customers. * Ethical conduct assists the organization to comply with laws and regulations. What is ethical is also legal. * Ethical conduct ensures good and proper relationships with customers and vendors. * Ethical conduct boosts morale and promotes teamwork. When employees can trust one another and management, they can work together more harmoniously and effectively. Week two: What are the most critical steps to successful implement high-performance work systems? First, work flows are organized around key business processes, and people are often grouped into teams to carry out those processes. Second, high performance work systems include a number of human resource policies and practices: staffing, training, performance management, compensation, etc. , that are intended to enhance employee skills, knowledge, motivation, and flexibility. These practices take different forms, but are based on the belief that people are a critical competitive asset of the organization. Third, most high performance work systems rely on new approaches to leading employees. Often this means fewer levels of management and new roles for managers. Managers become facilitators and integrators and share responsibility for decision making and results with their employees. Discussion Board: * Discuss how would you go about diagnosing poor performance problems If I find the problem, I can work in the solution. To figure out what's causing the performance issue, you have to get to the root of the problem. In my opinion, performances depend of the ability and the motivation of the employee. Someone with 100% motivation and 75% ability can often achieve above-average performance. If an employee is not making enough effort is necessary increase pressure to see if performance increase. If the problem is the ability; for example over -difficult tasks, increase the pressure can aggravate the problem. The ability can be lower when the employee was promoted to a position that is to demanding for him or maybe they no longer have the motivation to realize a good performance. * Suggest ways in which the motivating value of merit raises may be increased. Ethics and Human Resources Policy In the consulting industry, ethics play a very important role. Ethics are the baseline for every business decision that is made. For this reason, all employees of the AJ Consulting firm are required to adhere to our strict ethics policy. AJ Consulting’s ethics policy is based on three areas. These areas are as follows. People AJ Consulting’s employees are the most important asset that we have. All employees will be treated with the highest respect and trust. Management is expected to lead by example and set the tone for our ethics program.They are expected to act and behave in the highest ethical manner. Through these actions they will enforce ethical decision making and guide subordinates through the development process. Open and honest communication is key to providing an environment that supports the development of people and business. All managers have an open door policy for employees to voice any concerns regarding violations of company policy. The Employee s are the eyes and ears of AJ Consulting and should be comfortable bringing any violations to the attention of management without fear of retaliation.All reported concerns of unethical behavior will be addressed and investigated in a timely manner, and the findings of the investigation will be shared company wide. The report of findings will be nonspecific to protect the privacy of our employees. We are an equal opportunity employer and take a zero tolerance stance against retaliation and discrimination. This includes all behaviors that are deemed harassing, abusive (both verbal and physical), and offensive. AJ Consulting is dedicated to providing an environment where every employee can unlock and reach their potential.All opportunities for advancement and self-improvement will be offered to all qualified personnel equally, thus allowing the employees of AJ Consulting to reach their full potential. Allowing employees to reach their full potential directly contributes to the success of our business. Employees should contact their manager or human resources if they feel that they have been harassed or discriminated against. Place (community) AJ Consulting is dedicated to improving the community in which we operate.To fulfill our obligation to improve our community, and to better understand our nonprofit customers, all employees will be required to volunteer eight hours per calendar year. Volunteer time can be during business hours and regular wages will be paid by AJ Consulting for this time. We will build trust in the community through our actions and credibility. To gain the public’s trust we will follow through on our commitments and operate with honesty and integrity. Under no circumstances will an employee of AJ Consulting act unethically or immorally without disciplinary action.If questions arise when considering a certain action or business deal consider the following questions. Will this action be perceived favorably by the public? Can AJ Consulti ng fulfill this commitment? Will this action help build trust within the community? Is this action legal? If you cannot answer yes to these questions, seek guidance from management. Profit AJ Consulting is not in business to make a profit. We make a profit to stay in business. A portion of our profits will be reinvested into our people and our community, thus reinforcing our commitment to the community and our people.No business should be done and profit made thereof, by violating our code of ethics or our high standards of integrity and honesty. Any violation or possible violations should be reported to a member of management. Ethics in Business Dealings While we strive to be competitive in the market; we will offer our services based on quality and ethical business decisions. AJ Consulting will not coordinate any of business decisions with our competitors to create an unfair and unethical advantage in the marketplace.We will also not accept gratuities or gifts from our customers o r competitors to gain an advantage. All of our services will be competitively priced based on company guidelines and not outside influences. AJ Consulting will conduct its business in accordance with all applicable laws, regulations, and company policies. To ensure that employees are familiar with and understand these laws and regulations; employees will be required to attend regular update meetings on a quarterly basis. It is every employee’s obligation to see that we are in compliance with governing law and regulations.Managers should be made aware of any violations or possible violations of laws, regulations, or company policies. Managers are then in turn, responsible for investigating any concerns brought to their attention in a timely manner. If the suggested violations are substantiated the manger is then required to take the appropriate steps to correct the violation. Gifts While negotiating a contract with a potential customer, no gifts or gratuities shall be given or received. Business dinners are permissible as long as they do not present the appearance of favoritism or any attempt to influence business decisions.We need to reinforce our reputation as a fair and ethical business and the appearance of favoritism can severely tarnish our reputation. Under no circumstances may an employee of AJ Consulting solicit gifts from their customers. After a contract is awarded, small gifts may be given or received if they are unsolicited and are of menial value. If you have any questions regarding whether or not a gift is appropriate contact a member of the management team to verify if accepting the gift violates company policy.Confidential Customer Information Our customer’s confidentiality is of the upmost importance to AJ Consulting. In order to build a trusting relationship; employees of AJ consulting will under no circumstances, use any information about our customers for the purpose of personal or financial gain. To avoid a conflict of intere st, no employee with a vested interest shall make recommendations or consult the organization in which they have stake in. Nor shall any employee divulge any sensitive or confidential information to anyone outside of the company.Our customer’s sensitive information shall be kept secure, and be used for the sole purpose of making recommendations for process improvement. We shall also ensure recommendations do not include our customer’s sensitive information to minimize the risk of leaking such information to the public. Ethics Training Program Within the first 90 days of employment, all new hires will attend an initial ethics training. This training will be facilitated by the Human Resources Department with the support of the employee’s first line supervisor.During the initial training the President and Chief Operating Officer of AJ Consulting will discuss the importance of ethics in the consulting industry. The human resources department will inform the new hire of the policies and procedures of AJ Consulting’s ethics program. Included in this training will be an overview of the laws and regulations that govern the consulting industry, AJ Consulting’s position on ethics, proper use and disposal of sensitive information, how to file an ethics complaint, resources available for ethics questions, and the disciplinary consequences of ethics violations.After the initial ethics training employees will be given and annual refresher training. The annual refresher training will cover all ethics violations or potential violations and how they affected the company and its reputation. Role playing will be used to evaluate how well employees understand the ethics program and how they use this knowledge in real life situations. The training will also update the employee on new rules and regulations governing the consulting industry. It will also review the disciplinary actions that may result from ethics violations.The violation reporting procedures and resources for ethics questions will be updated and passed on during the annual refresher training. Reporting Suspected Ethics Violations AJ Consulting takes the issue of ethics very seriously. That is why it is the responsibility of every employee of AJ Consulting to report all actual and suspected ethics violations in a timely manner. The likelihood of diverting a crisis is dramatically increased if we can respond to potential violations quickly. We have developed a quick and anonymous way for our employees to report ethics violations.If you wish to report an ethics violation anonymously we have set up an ethics hotline. The number for the ethics hotline is (800)ajethics. This hotline will direct you to our ethics officer during business hours. If you are calling outside regular business hours you will be directed to their voicemail. We have also setup an email account for those personnel who prefer to report ethics violations this way. The email address is [email  protected]consulting. com. You will receive a response within 48 hours of submitting a violation.The third way of reporting is by contacting any member of management or any member of the ethics compliance committee. Remember when reporting a violation, supply us with as detailed information as you can. This information should include dates, times, names, and companies. While all of this information is not required to file a complaint, it will help us investigate the issue. We do understand that ethics can be confusing, so if you have any questions about ethics or how ethics is applied in a given situation please reach out to our ethics officer who is also our human resources manager.If they cannot provide you with an answer they will research the situation and respond as quickly as possible. Monitoring the Ethics Program AJ Consulting is dedicated to providing the most efficient and stable work environment possible. Since a solid ethics program is the basis for our core values it i s very important for us to monitor and evaluate how effective this program is. Monitoring and auditing our ethics program allows us to become proactive in preventing ethical and illegal misconduct whereby the public’s trust and the company’s reputation may be damaged beyond repair.To fulfill this requirement AJ Consulting has implemented a compliance committee. The committee will consist of the president, chairman of the board of directors, human resources manager, and the accounting manager. They will be in charge of evaluating all aspects of this program. Quarterly first line supervisors will observe 10% of their employees. During the observation the supervisor should note any behaviors or decisions that could be seen as unethical. The observation should be documented and turned into the human resources department.Semiannually they will review all financial documents to ensure they are complete and accurate. They will look for any anomalies in the financial documents and investigate any discrepancies. The compliance committee will also verify that all financial reports are filed on time and give an accurate view of our company. Under no circumstance is it permissible to file reports that are misleading or false. Annually the committee will send out a workplace survey to gain the employee’s perspective.These surveys will be anonymous in order to allow employees to question or comment on any decision making or instances that they feel may be unethical. No place on this survey shall it ask for any information that may identify the person filling out the survey. This will allow honest and open feedback without the fear of retaliation. The compliance committee will review the annual training attendance, roll playing, supervisor observations, financial reports, and employee surveys and compile a state of ethics report that will be kept on record.This will allow AJ Consulting to look for trends in our ethical behavior and ensure that we are on the path to success and allow us to reevaluate and adjust our program as necessary. Biannually AJ Consulting will contract an outside agency to audit and evaluate our ethics program. They will look at our financial records, ethics reports, and reported violations to provide an unbiased assessment of our ethics program. AJ Consulting will use our internal audits and external audits to improve the ethics program and align our values, mission statement, and direction with ethics.Summary While every manager is responsible for the day to day ethics at AJ Consulting, every employee is responsible for doing business in an ethical manner every time. Under no circumstance is it permissible to conduct yourself in an unethical manner. We have assembled an ethics compliance committee that consists of the president, chairman of the board of directors, accounting manager, and human resources manager. The human resources manager is also the ethics officer for AJ Consulting. If you have any questio ns about ethics please contact one of these members.

Journey in the Faculty of Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Journey in the Faculty of Education - Essay Example From the knowledge and experience that I had gained I provided my students with study materials, answered their queries, conducted tests to ascertain their level of understanding of the subject and finally assessed the student’s performance. In addition to my principle role as an educator I also donned the role of a counselor and I strongly believe that through counseling teachers can develop reciprocal and supportive relations with students. From my experience I have learnt that in some cases teachers are expected to intervene and solve some problems connected with the student’s personal life due to its influence on the student’s academic performance. Being a counselor also implies giving the right motivation and encouragement to students. However, at times problems can arise if a student misunderstands such an encouragement from teachers and get too personal with the teacher. At such situations, I believe that it is the concerned teacher’s responsibility to make the student understand the limits of their relationship by effectively communicating their views. This would help to provide the right motivations for the students and prevent any form of deviant behavior. Such clarifications will make the educational process more effective and at the same time enjoyable for both the student and the teacher. It is common knowledge that a teacher’s roles is to be a bridge to the community. Apart from imparting academic knowledge, building character and behavior of the students, I also strongly believe that teachers need to teach community and societal responsibilities to their students. Teachers must teach their students to stick to the rules and norms of the society and community in which they live and duly perform their responsibilities. They should also provide moral and ethical underpinnings of life to their students. This would help children grow in to socially responsible individuals and prevent

Consumer Behaviour Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 7

Consumer Behaviour - Essay Example Therefore in this context, when a marketer wishes to grow and prosper then it’s necessary for him/her to consider the entire world as their consumer. This is true for products as well as services. Marketers majorly aim at improving brand image through several avenues. In most cases, the marketers aim at addressing the social and psychological needs of their customers to buy their brands over their competing brands in the market. The marketers also intend to identify the sociological and psychological drives such as attention and perception drives and motivations, consumer learning and memory, personality and self-concept, and attitude formation and change. The sociological needs include the peers and reference groups of the customers, the impact of social class and culture, family, and social categorization on the buyer behavior. The report at hand focuses on the marketing mix of a brand and the means through which the brand convinces and satisfies its customers. This current research paper delves into the marketing mix of Coca-Cola, a global brand in the soft drink industry, which has been a leader of the market. The Coca Cola Company has been successful in its operations commanding a large portion of the soft drink industry. Despite competition from other companies such as PepsiCo, the company has always been firm in its operations. The marketing strategies of the company have been very influential and its advertising appealing. The Coca Cola company license or owns and markets more than 500 non-alcoholic beverage brands, mainly sparkling beverages in addition to still beverages such as juices, waters, sports and energy drinks, ready-to-drink coffee, and enhanced waters. The company serves the global market, which include Europe, Africa and Eurasia, North America, Latin America, Pacific, Corporate and Bottling

Capital Structure and Dividend Policy Theory Essay

Capital Structure and Dividend Policy Theory - Essay Example instance Sainsbury's being a retailer basically having a huge presence in the UK, has been described as one of the least leveraged firms with 1.6 billion in debt capital and 8.4 billion in equity. Its total capital value has been estimated at 10 billion (www.j-sainsbury.co.uk). The dividend payout for the financial year 2007/08 was 12.0p per share. Sainsbury's retails sales made profits of 543m on sales of 20.4 billion in 2009 (ending May). This shows an 11% rise over the previous year. Dividend cover is calculated by suing the formula (after tax profits/total dividend paid out). For example if a company made an after tax profit of 75 million and paid out 25 million in dividends in the same period, then (75 m/25 m) 3 is a better dividend cover. Any dividend cover less than 1.5 is considered to be a sign of future trouble for shareholders because there is more likely to be a cut in dividends. In fact Sainsbury's dividend cover for the three years - 2006, 2007 and 2008 - was 1.3, 1.5 a nd 1.63 respectively (Friedrich, 2007).This demonstrates that Sainsbury's is having a difficult time because of its lower leveraged position in the capital/financial markets. Though the company has been making efforts to keep the dividend cover between 1.5 and 1.75, right now its dividend cover is coming down due to the lower leverage. The company has been advised to increase its debt capital by borrowing in financial markets against debentures and bonds rather than issuing ordinary shares. This is where the agency problem plays a pivotal role. Theoretically agency problem arises when managers (agents) have more information about investment related outcomes as against shareholders or owners (principals). This principal agent problem is very strongly seen at Sainsbury's. 2.... The capital structure of the firm refers o the ratio of debt to equity and therefore it’s relevant to know how the dividend policy of the firm is influenced by the theoretical underpinnings of the firm’s capital structure determination process. For example, Sainsbury’s as the retailer in the UK has been seeking to raise more equity as against debt. Next, its inability to increase dividend cover in the recent years to match with its expectations between 1.50 to 1.75 shows that the company has depended on the less risky way of equity financing its capital rather than adopting the riskier way of debt financing. Thus the dividend policy at Sainsbury has run into difficulty. On the other hand, Easyjet has adopted a policy of non-payment of dividends to its ordinary shareholders since its launch in 1995. Just now under pressure from its principal shareholder, Stelios, the Board has agreed to pay dividends from next year. Currently, the company has a debt ratio of 53.72 % thus achieving a marginally higher debt financing ratio. However, its position is no better than that of Sainsbury though the company has made good profits.

Managing Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Managing Project - Essay Example This paper includes the study of two cases using the Project Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) or network diagram. In case 1, network diagram was shown using the activity node. Calculation of Earliest start time (EST) and Latest start time (LST) was done to be able to show the Slack or total float of the activity. Critical path was used to be able to complete the given task without budget constraint. The study will be able to show the importance of the said technique in managing a project. Cost estimation was presented using principles and other theory. Diagram and other tables were presented in the appendixes. At the later part of this paper the difficulties and risks in project management were discuss to further develop the needed project. The purpose of this study is to be able to show the importance of project managing in a company that needs to be developed and managed well. It also allows us student to be able to demonstrate the learning and competence in respect of management of resources generally but in particular elements of time, finance and human resources. In case 1 The Design and Print limited is a printing SME in the UK supplying design and printing services. The project manager is planning for a new project. To start a network diagram using the activity on the node was structure. We will be able to construct the diagram using the table below: In the network diagram shown in appendix 2, each... 1 L N Packaging for Delivery 2 M O Delivery 5 E,N P Payment collections 10 O Appendix 2 F(5) A(1) B(2) C (2) D(1) H(1) L(3) M (1) N(2) E(10) G (4) I (2) J(2) K(2) P(10) In the network diagram shown in appendix 2, each node (circle) represents an activity and is labeled with the activity number and the associated completion time (shown in brackets after the activity number). The network diagram (appendix 1) assumes that activities not linked by precedence relationships can take place simultaneously. For example activity L is preceded by H,K therefore we can do L after H or K. (see diagram). It means that Printing can be done after sizing or type-setting. In the above diagram the activity start at Enquiries (A) , preceded by Quotation (B) you cannot proceed to B without finishing the first task (A). Finance checks on customer (E) and Order confirmation (C) can be done simultaneously since it is not linked by precedence relationship. After task (C) is completed 3 activities or task can be done at the same time since these three are all preceded by C, Purchasing (F), Scheduling (D) and Design (G). The task continues up to the last task the P. To be able to determine the total float, we must need to calculate for the earliest start time and latest start time. This allows scheduling of the work in such a manner that project duration is minimized. Some activities can be implemented simultaneously, and some activities can be delayed while efforts are concentrated on completing other activities which impose a time

Business ethics Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Business ethics - Research Paper Example Business ethics is defined as the rules that govern the operation of an organization. Every business operates with a view of making profits. A business that adopts an ethical approach to their operations are more profitable than those that lack a clearly stipulated code of conduct (Weiss 72). Therefore, it is necessary for those businesses aiming to raise their profits to adopt and set an ethical approach that will govern the conduct of the employees and their mangers to enhance discipline and integrity. The levels of business ethics Business ethics is classified into the following three classes; the macro level, the individual and the corporate level. The macro level of business ethics defines and stipulates the role of business in the international fraternity. It further elaborates the different political and social systems like the free enterprise, centrally planned economies among others. The business tends to differentiate between ethical and unethical; this is usually called th e proper behavior at this level. Finally, this level defines the international ties and the role of business on the international scale (Weiss 74). The corporate level brings out the corporate social responsibility (CSR). This is usually defined as the obligations that different companies and business have in society, for example, education, health and others. This level also discusses the ethical issues facing individual and corporate entities (both private and public) when formulating and implementing strategies (Weiss 75). At this level, the behavior of employees both inside and outside the business is also checked. This is done to avoid mistrust, abuse of office and the separation of ownership within the management team, which is checked against business and personal interest. The individual level looks at the behavior and actions of individuals within organizations. An individual’s business ethics may be reliant on the personality, peer pressure, and the socio-political environment in which the person is exposed to. Importance of business ethics Business ethics can be regarded as an essential factor in the world of businesses. Ethics apply in all stages of development, starting from the production of a product, sales and marketing, customer handling, and finance. The role played at every stage is crucial in enhancing business success and gaining of corporate social responsibility. Therefore, it is critical for every business to adopt some ethics in its operations (Weiss 75). Every business strives to maintain the integrity in the face of the customer in an effort to build loyalty and respectful clientele relationships. It is also crucial to maintain goodwill of the business and to control the returns or try to maintain those returns, which in the long run bring the lasting solutions of the business success. The ethics also define the way the customer’s issues are handled, especially in the case of complains and seeking professional advice (W eiss 75). The customer tends to be influenced more by the services than the product a business is providing; therefore, handling such issues becomes a crucial issue for the business. When this is done ethically, the business creates a customer base, which is not easy to achieve without business ethics. It is essential for every wing or department to adopt an ethical strategy in various business responsibilities. This should extend to the various stakeholders including shareholders, employees and the community at large. Sometimes, it is hard

Foundations of Communication Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Foundations of Communication - Term Paper Example Epistemology aims to answer the following questions: How is the concept of justification to be understood? What makes justified beliefs justifiable? Is justification, in relation to one’s own mind, internal or external? From the Copernican Revolution (1600) to the Revolution in Germany (1848), there have been pockets of historical periods in our history that have addressed various issues regarding to the aspects related to epistemology that have been discussed by some of the most renowned scholars. They include: Copernicus and Gallileo, Descartes and Bacon, Spinoza and Hobbies – Locke, Hume, Kent and Hege. Copernicus main task was to carry out investigations on how improvements in methods of constructing the calendar, and Galileo never rejecting knowledge from his predecessors, used this as backing for his further arguments. Galileo’s epistemology aimed to separate ethics from knowledge (e.g. of nature) i.e. Separation of science from the legitimate domain of the church. The main issues about knowledge and communication involved the right of people to investigate questions which were capable of falsification in reasoning, while the religious leaders could confine themselves to determining what was necessary to go to heaven and avoid destructions of hell (Burke 77). Descartes and Bacon vehemently proposed the total discard legacy of the supposed knowledge from the past. They argued or suggested that knowledge should start from the beginning in order to build an adequate knowledge of the world. The epistemological issues that scholars struggled with here were rationalism and empiricism. The main issues about communication and knowledge addressed were separation of subject and object i.e. this also necessitated the aspect of priority to be given to the subject or the object which can be classified as an act of knowledge (Burke 33). During Spinoza and Hobbies – Locke’s period, Spinoza (Descartes admirer in Europe) and Hobbes-Locke (Bacons pupil in England), addressed with the separation and differentiating of a subject and object which did not have any relation i.e. did not know each other. (Period referred to as being concerned with the dichotomy of dualism and monism). The main issues about communication and knowledge included the connection between nature and consciousness. The objective existence of the material world is not questioned neither is the validity of the impressions made by nature upon the senses deemed in any way problematic (Burke 45). In the Hume and the enlightenment period, the main aspects of conflict were between dogmatism and skepticism. According to Hume, his skepticism is in some measure a reaction against the dogmatism of the mechanistic followers of Newton and in part an attempt to reconcile Berkely’s clerical and reactionary subjective idealism with the requirements of everyday life with science. Hume is the founder of Utilitarianism in ethics. He further declares that the satisfaction of human needs is the sole criterion of morality. The main issues about communication and knowledge is the fact that how can it be proved that the industrialist who produces the most is the most moral person of all. During this historical period, Kant tended towards empiricism (Was greatly influenced by scepticism of David Hume). In his philosophy, he attempts to establish a system of concepts and categories in order for the resolving of struggles