Business and its Environment, Part 3
Question 1: Discuss the pros and cons of promotion from within.
Answer 1: One of the most important tasks of a business manager is the selection and training of new employees. “Promotion from within” is a straightforward concept, but besides indicating that a company tries to advance its own employees, it has come to refer more generally to the philosophy of establishing organizational loyalty. Many businesses claim to have a promotion-from-within policy because it is attractive to employees, though the company may do a considerable amount of external hiring. Sometimes the current employees of a company simply aren’t appropriate candidates for management. Furthermore, if a new area of business opens up for a company, it will always make more sense to hire an external candidate who specializes in that area.
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Question 2: Describe the open competition policy of hiring.
Answer 2: At present, most companies have what is known as an open competition policy. That is, they fill vacancies or make promotions based on who is the best candidate, not on any predetermined criteria. Obviously, this policy results in the best employees being hired, and is therefore seemingly in the best interests of the company. However, repeatedly hiring external candidates can have a demoralizing effect on a company, especially if current employees feel they are not being given a fair chance at promotion. If a company cuts staff development programs and then hires a series of external candidates, the workforce may have serious grievances. Most companies, though, find it to be in their best interests to encourage the development of their present staff.
Question 3: Describe how employee attitudes can be improved.
Answer 3: Some business analysts note a mismatch between the passion for personal liberty in the United States and the authoritarian hierarchies of American business. Over the course of the twentieth century, statistics have demonstrated a gradual decrease in the trust American workers have in their employers. At the same time, the average age of American workers and management has decreased, so there is reason to suspect that communication between employer and employee may improve. One means of increasing employee satisfaction is through the formation of quality circles, groups of people that meet to discuss work-related issues. Many statistics show that workers are now more concerned with being challenged and feeling important than with earning money to survive; the modern manager will have to do more than pay his employees to make them feel satisfied.
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