Top Ten Management on Labor Unions: An Overview of Their History and Growth

Image via Wikipedia

This overview of the history and growth of labor unions was prepared by Amanda Dickson while a Business Management major in the College of Business at Southeastern Louisiana University.

Introduction

A labor union is “an organization of wage earners formed for the purpose of serving members’ interests with respect to wages and working conditions.” They have come a long way since the 18th and 19th century and continue to evolve through strict policies and new legislation.


The Idea in a Nutshell

The evolution of labor unions in America began as far back as the 1700s attributable to the dangerous and harsh conditions workers were facing. To add insult to injury, they were earning low wages and working long, grueling hours. Workers began to realize if they came together, it was easier for them to persuade their employers to answer their demands.

The Top Ten Things You Need to Know About Labor Unions

1. One of the first types of labor unions were called craft unions. These were skilled workers who specialized in a certain trade. For example, the Philadelphia shoemakers in 1792, the Boston Carpenters in 1793, and New York printers in 1794.

2. In 1827 industrial unions began to form. These were members of the same industry such as the steel industry, regardless of their individual jobs.

3. In 1886 the American Federation of Labor was formed. Samuel Gompers was the first president of the AFL. His objectives were clear and precise. Better wages, hours, and conditions were of top priority.

4. The AFL continued to grow larger in membership until the 1920s when there just were not many skilled workers left to become organized. Over three-fourths of workers in the United States that were organized, we members of the AFL.

5. The Industrial Workers of the World was formed in 1905. This organization, though its life span was brief, was the first to initiate a sit down strike and mass picketing.

6. In 1936, a group of industries not agreeing with the AFL’s structure decided to split and form the Congress of Industrial Organizations. This centered on complete industries, not individual trades, which was a good way to deal with industries involving mass production. The CIO, in a short amount of time, became as large as the AFL.

7. In the eleven years between 1933 and 1944 the modern labor movement was born. Many factors such as New Deal labor legislation, AFL and CIO competition, and World War II cause union membership to quadruple.

8. The AFL and CIO came to an agreement in 1955 and united to form one massive organization. With the exception of the National Education Association, all the major unions in the United States are affiliated with the AFL-CIO.

9. Since the 1980s labor union membership has fallen. Many factors such as the labor legislation, better employee-management relationships, and the shift from a manufacturing to a service economy.

10. One of the acts passed in the 1980s was the Plant-Closing Notification Act of 1988. This made it mandatory for employers to give employees a warning of plant closings or mass layoffs no less than sixty days in advance.


The Video Lounge

This video discusses the origin of labor unions.

My Take

I believe labor unions have made a huge impact on this country. Without them employers would have continued to determine the wages and conditions of employees, which for most was low wages and poor conditions. In today’s society I do not feel they play such a major role. I feel that they have paved the way for industries and companies to treat their employees better. Also there has legislation that regulates wages and hours so that labor unions are not needed as much. Granted there are labor unions today and they do serve their purpose.


References

Luft, Paula “Business Encyclopedia: Labor Unions” retrieved from www.answers.com/topic/labor-union

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Contact Information

To contact the author of “Top Ten Management on Labor Unions” please email Amanda Dickson and Amanda.Cook-2@selu.edu.


BIOGRAPHY

David C. Wyld (dwyld.kwu@gmail.com) is the Robert Maurin Professor of Management at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, Louisiana. He is a management consultant, researcher/writer, and executive educator. His blog, Wyld About Business, can be viewed at http://wyld-business.blogspot.com/. He also maintains compilations of his student’s publications regarding management concepts (http://toptenmanagement.blogspot.com/), book reviews (http://wyld-about-books.blogspot.com/), international foods (http://wyld-about-food.blogspot.com/).

AN INVITATION TO WORK WITH US, TODAY!

If you enjoyed this publication, why not make one of your own with us! Are you a college or university student from anywhere in the world who would be interested in publishing your work in an edited online journal appropriate to your topic? Such a move can help put muscle into your resume and make a great impression on potential employers and graduate schools (and needless to say – and perhaps most importantly in the age in which we live – likely be the first thing that companies/universities view about you when “Googling” you)! If so, we can help you get that first publication for free (and more if you desire)! Visit Wyld Publishing Services (http://wyldpublishingservice.yolasite.com/) for details. We can work with you to publish your quality essays, research articles/papers, reviews, etc. – and even audio and visual media and PowerPoint presentations – given our network of edited publications and relationship with publishers around the world who want to work with you and your work. Contact us today to get your work published at dwyld.kwu@gmail.com.


Read more:
Top Ten Management on Labor Unions: an Overview of Their History and Growth

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HMMMMM: What's Bigger, 2% or 20%? Why Procurement Matters Big Time!

So, the person who is in charge of IT in an organization is automatically perceived to be far more important those in charge of procurement and supply chain operations, right? As ESPN's Lee Corso would put it, "not so fast my friend!"

OK, here's a question that even your 5 year-old could answer (well, simplified - maybe using pizza or a package of cookies - as they haven't yet started covering percentages in Kindergarten math, even trying to achieve higher math test scores :-).



Which would you want - 2% of something, or 20% of that same something? As Homer would say:




Recently, my friend Kevin O'Marah, a GVP of Supply Chain Research for Gartner, opined on the overall status of supply chain management in organizations is his article:

Chief Supply Chain Officers are still rising, but what is the job?

O'Marah had a great observation comparing the relative importance of IT and supply chain:

Think about budgets. According to our research, IT budgets typically represent anywhere between 2%-5% of revenue depending on industry. Meanwhile, supply chain management—encompassing direct materials sourcing, manufacturing operations, packaging, handling, and transport—is likely to account for as much as 20% of revenue including not only technology like order management systems or planning algorithms, but machinery, buildings, freight contracts, and more. Big money is spent each year in bets that merge good old fashioned industrial technology like conveyor belts and forklifts with information age technology like sensors, inventory tracking systems, and web order forms.

So, in your own organization or agency, think about the potential cost savings that could be achieved through focusing on savings across all spend areas - 20% of your entire budget, and not just counting on the "price deterioration" in information technology to achieve incremental savings.



As you know, we here at the Reverse Auction Research Center: (http://reverseauctionresearch.blogspot.com/) believe that competitive bidding can bring not just cost savings, but improved efficiency and heightened transparency to procurement in most areas of corporate and governmental buying - including yes, especially in buying information technology wares (see You Can't Fight Moore's Law: Why Price Deterioration Means That Reverse Auctions Make Sense and Produce Savings in The Acquisition of Information Technology Resources).



So, if you would like to learn more about how to focus on achieving substantial savings across 20% - or more - of your budget, contact us today on how to develop a strategy to take a big bite out of your procurement - and your IT - budgets through strategic use of reverse auctions as part of your overall purchasing and acquisition strategy.

David Wyld,
Professor of Management
Southeastern Louisiana University


From the Reverse Auction Research Center: http://reverseauctionresearch.blogspot.com/

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16 Most Outrageously Misleading Hotel Ads (PHOTOS, POLL)

Wow! Want to see the magic of marketing - and the creative geniuses (mad men) - behind advertising. Click on the link below:

Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

Ethical? Unethical? Fair or foul? Post your comments here on the blog site.

Regardless, this is Exhibit A as to what the magic of staging, angles, timing, decorating, and - when necessary - photoshopping - can do for advertisers. Consumers beware - this is exactly why the review sites with REAL PEOPLE reviews - and picture - of hotels and resorts are so vital to check!

David http://wyld-business.blogspot.com/

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Top Ten Management on The Decision Making Process: An Overview of One of the Most Important and Necessary Things That All Managers Must Do

Image via Wikipedia

This overview of the decision making process was prepared by Grace Nabasabala while a major of Health Education and Promotion in the College of Nursing and Health Sciences at Southeastern Louisiana University.




Introduction

This article talks about decisions and the process involved while making these decisions. There are eight steps in the decision making process that help managers in making a decision about a problem. These include: identifying a problem, identifying the decision criteria, allocating of weights to criteria, developing alternatives, analyzing alternatives, selecting an alternative, implementing an alternative and follow up to ensure effectiveness of the decision. Understanding these steps helps us deal with everyday problems. In order to become better decision makers, we need to learn from our mistakes, restructure thoughts and be rational when faced with difficult decisions.

The Idea in a Nutshell

Decision making is the ability of a person to mentally make decisions between several alternatives. People make decisions in every step of life, either consciously or unconsciously. Decisions have long existed as life itself. In the early century, people relied on dreams, poetic wisdom and instruction from leaders or prophets. However, technology today has made it easy for people to research information.
Every decision has a consequence. There are two types of decisions, simple and complex decisions. Simple decisions require routine procedures and less effort while complex decisions are uncertain and complex in nature and may require a lot of risk. Decision-making is important for management and leadership. That is why managers need to understand the decision-making process especially while dealing with complex situations.

 
The Top Ten Things You Need to Know About the Decision Making Process

1. The decision making process is a reflective thinking approach that was developed by the philosopher John Dewey in the 1900’s. The first step is identifying the problem. Since every decision starts with a problem, we need to understand its nature or complexity. We can also consider what needs to be addressed and the importance of reaching a desired outcome.
2. Gather information to help in solving the problem. Understanding the cost, risks and outcomes may influence people to make rational decisions when faced with relevant information. Managers must select appropriate criteria which may include the use of technology like the Decision Support System to help compile useful information to solve the problem.
3. Assess the situation. Develop a ranking system that possesses a valued weight to identify each criterion by importance. The higher the ranking means the more importance the criteria and vice versa.
4. Develop alternatives to come up with a possible option or solution. Brainstorm or write down all the possible alternatives and choices. These alternatives are only ideas and not tested.
5. Analyze alternatives to select the best option. Consider, compare the pros and cons, and test the alternatives. Evaluate the value of each alternative using a decision matrix. Each alternative must be ranked in order of value.
6. Select the best alternative. Choose the highest ranked alternative and follow up to ensure proper and effective implementation.
7. Implement the solution. Decision making is a nonlinear, recursive process. That is, most decisions are made by moving back and forth between the choices of criteria. It’s important to include people affected by the alternatives in the implementation process in order to rally support for the change.
8. Follow up to ensure the effectiveness of the decision. Evaluating the chosen alternative helps managers see if the decision achieves the desired result. If the decision doesn’t meet the desired outcome, managers should reassess the problem and find another possible solution. Bear in mind that not all desired outcome contribute to successful decisions. Many factors affect our decisions and a negative outcome may not necessarily be due to the final decision.
9. Our personal instincts play a big role in decision making. Some studies show that the use of intuition leads to 80% of successful decisions. Many decisions must ultimately rely on or be influenced by intuition because of the remaining degree of uncertainty involved in the situation.
10. Decisions can be based on our personal values. Values shape our behaviors as well as our choices. We learn our values as children and it’s very difficult to change later in life. This is why some people believe that our beliefs guide our behaviors.

The Video Lounge

This video talks about the importance of group decision making. Groups are more effective in making decisions. Factors that influence group decision making include a supportive group environment, members putting group needs ahead of personal needs, group members encouraging differences and collaborating with one another. The six step decision making process is essential in solving problems. These steps are discussed in details and the author explains how we can use them as we solve problems that occur in our daily lives.

Click on the link below to view:

http://www.5min.com/Video/The-Decision-Making-Process-169082939

My Take

The decision making process is still relevant today because of our changing environment. Decision making is an important part of management because making the right decisions differentiates one manager from another. Great decisions lead to positive outcomes and this may not only secure a manager’s job but also establishes confidence and self-respect. In decentralized organizations, managers play a big role in making decisions. On the other hand, employees may not be required to make the final decision at the work place but are also faced with decision making in their daily lives. It’s important that when faced with problems, they analyze the current situation and have the courage to make the final decision. Today companies empower employees to make decisions. This is referred to as employee empowerment. Employees are more responsible for their work performance. Those who continue making the right decisions are more likely to be given a pay raise or promoted to a better position.


References

Decision making. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.answers.com/topic/decision-making
Lopper, J. (2007, October 23). Development of personal values. Retrieved from http://personaldevelopment.suite101.com/article.cfm/development_of_personal_values#ixzz0t8rpBtO2
Introduction to decision making techniques. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTED_00.htm
Williams, R.B. (2010, February 11). What Managers need to know about decision-making . Retrieved from http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/wired-success/201002/what-managers-need-know-about-decision-making.

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Contact Info

To contact the author of “Top Ten Management on the Decision Making Process,” please email Grace Nabasabala at Grace.nabasabala@selu.edu.


BIOGRAPHY

David C. Wyld (dwyld.kwu@gmail.com) is the Robert Maurin Professor of Management at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, Louisiana. He is a management consultant, researcher/writer, and executive educator. His blog, Wyld About Business, can be viewed at http://wyld-business.blogspot.com/. He also maintains compilations of his student’s publications regarding management concepts (http://toptenmanagement.blogspot.com/), book reviews (http://wyld-about-books.blogspot.com/), international foods (http://wyld-about-food.blogspot.com/).


AN INVITATION TO WORK WITH US, TODAY!

If you enjoyed this publication, why not make one of your own with us! Are you a college or university student from anywhere in the world who would be interested in publishing your work in an edited online journal appropriate to your topic? Such a move can help put muscle into your resume and make a great impression on potential employers and graduate schools (and needless to say – and perhaps most importantly in the age in which we live – likely be the first thing that companies/universities view about you when “Googling” you)! If so, we can help you get that first publication for free (and more if you desire)! Visit Wyld Publishing Services (http://wyldpublishingservice.yolasite.com/) for details. We can work with you to publish your quality essays, research articles/papers, reviews, etc. – and even audio and visual media and PowerPoint presentations – given our network of edited publications and relationship with publishers around the world who want to work with you and your work. Contact us today to get your work published at dwyld.kwu@gmail.com.


Read More:
http://bizcovering.com/business/top-ten-management-on-the-decision-making-process-an-overview-of-one-of-the-most-important-and-necessary-things-that-all-managers-must-do/#ixzz0ubGWgZuG

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Despair.com - Bringing New Meanings - and Laughs - to Management Concepts

Kudos to our friends at the great site Despair.com (http://www.despair.com/) (and yes, they sell cool stuff, too)! Here's the results of their latest make=up a caption for these pics, and their contributors outdid themselves. See below for a LOL moment!


If you haven't checked their website before, they have a great collection of products - and their videos are great too. Not a shill for them, just really think they do cool takes on stuff! Even BP!

David

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Top Ten Management on The Contingency Approach: An Overview of Why The Ultimate Answer to any Managerial Issue is - It Depends

Image via Wikipedia

This overview of The Contingency Approach to Management was prepared by Andrew Easley while a Business major in the College of Business at Southeastern Louisiana University.

Introduction

This article is an explanation of how the contingency approach and its management principles effect and stimulate businesses. It is a report about how styles of management can incorporate one company, but may not be suitable for another. Also how the broad understanding of management cannot be simply categorized as one item that will work 100% of the time. This approach allows management styles to be flexible and adapt to the changes in the environment around it.

The Idea in a Nutshell

The original idea in a nutshell was that management principles where to be universally applicable for all situations. Thus bringing about the contingency approach, this states that organizations differ, are proposed with different situations, and require different types of management styles. If you were to try and sum up the contingency approach in a nutshell you would be left with no simplistic or universal rule to follow for this type of management. This concept leaves the manger up to the task of trying to determine what type of management will work best with their situation.

The Top Ten Things You Need to Know About The Contingency Approach

1. The contingency approach was brought about in the late 1950’s after thinkers who proposed that their approach was inflexible to future changes and challenged the management principles of Henri Fayol and Frederick Taylor.
2. Fred Fiedler, an early adaptor of the contingency approach suggested that leadership styles would vary depending on the situations they were placed. For example the task they were given, the trust from subordinates, and the authority granted to the manager.
3. Location of an organization is going to have adverse effects on the management principles used. If a company decides to expand its reach across the county it’s going to have to change the way it manages its people and environment from one location to the next.
4. Management of an individual is always going to be different in terms of what their idea of growth and exceptions are for themselves. Managers will have to take that into account and then decide the proper way to lead and motive that individual.
5. Environmental uncertainty plays a big factor in the contingency approach, with the ever-changing surroundings management styles must be flexible and able to adapt to things around it. Management ideas cannot be set in stone and expect to survive.
6. A good way to look at the contingency approach is with an “if, then” attitude. Start by saying “If this is my situation, then this is the best way for me to manage it.” With this sort of management style you have to rely on what you know, can figure out, and determine how to solve the problem.
7. Work place technology is ever changing and managers have to be able to adapt and respond to the changes. The way you manage a company that relies heavily on technology, such as tracking and shipping orders will not be the same as a company that uses technology as a sole purpose to send emails.
8. Diversity with clients and employees is going to always demand different forms of management techniques. Whether it is cultural or ethnicity, special care is going to be needed to manage the different individuals.
9. Size of an organization can have an effect on the way it needs to be managed. An example would be of a group of 20 people who may require an informal management approach, where as a group 1,000 people tend to be formal.
10. Managing for the future demands contingency planning. Management styles have to be able to adapt to an ever-changing future. What may work now in this current economic climate may not in the future and management philosophies must be able to adjust.


The Video Lounge

J.T. Allen, the interviewee in the video, talks about how he and his company use contingency planning to help him manage for unexpected future events.




My Take

The contingency approach is an understanding that management cannot be summed up by one perfect management style. Managers have to be able to adapt to many different situations that affect them and their work place on a daily basis. The method is still valid in today’s every changing workplace and will continue to be as long as managers are needed.

References

“Contingency Approach to Management.” Encyclopedia of Management. Ed. Marilyn M. Helms. Gale Cengage, 2006. eNotes.com. 2006. 26 Jun, 2010 http://www.enotes.com/management-encyclopedia/contingency-approach-management.
Coulter, Mary, and Stephen P. Robbins. Management. 10th. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson, 2009.

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To contact the author of “Top Ten Management on the Contingency Approach,” please email Andrew Easley at Andrew.Easley-2@selu.edu.

BIOGRAPHY

David C. Wyld (dwyld.kwu@gmail.com) is the Robert Maurin Professor of Management at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, Louisiana. He is a management consultant, researcher/writer, and executive educator. His blog, Wyld About Business, can be viewed at http://wyld-business.blogspot.com/. He also maintains compilations of his student’s publications regarding management concepts (http://toptenmanagement.blogspot.com/), book reviews (http://wyld-about-books.blogspot.com/), international foods (http://wyld-about-food.blogspot.com/).


AN INVITATION TO WORK WITH US, TODAY!

If you enjoyed this publication, why not make one of your own with us! Are you a college or university student from anywhere in the world who would be interested in publishing your work in an edited online journal appropriate to your topic? Such a move can help put muscle into your resume and make a great impression on potential employers and graduate schools (and needless to say – and perhaps most importantly in the age in which we live – likely be the first thing that companies/universities view about you when “Googling” you)! If so, we can help you get that first publication for free (and more if you desire)! Visit Wyld Publishing Services (http://wyldpublishingservice.yolasite.com/) for details. We can work with you to publish your quality essays, research articles/papers, reviews, etc. – and even audio and visual media and PowerPoint presentations – given our network of edited publications and relationship with publishers around the world who want to work with you and your work. Contact us today to get your work published at dwyld.kwu@gmail.com.

Read more:

Top Ten Management on The Contingency Approach: An Overview of Why The Ultimate Answer to any Managerial Issue is - It Depends

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You Can't Fight Moore's Law: Why Price Deterioration Means That Reverse Auctions Make Sense and Produce Savings in The Acquisition of Information Technology Resources

Image via Wikipedia

Want more evidence of why reverse auctions are especially suitable for information technology acquisitions – especially in comparison to long-term, fixed price contracts? Look to the experience of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Introduction

Here is a quick analysis of a great piece that is hot off the presses from our friends at Contract Management magazine. Written by Lenn Vincent, who is the Industry Chair at Defense Acquisition University, this article chronicles how the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), under the leadership of Soraya Correa, who serves as the Director of DHS’s Office of Procurement Operations (OPO), has secured millions of dollars in price savings, achieved important process improvements and improved transparency in the process. You can read the full article here below:

“Moore” Money: How the Department of Homeland Security Captures Big Savings from Falling IT Prices

http://www.ncmahq.org/publications/CMMArticleDetail.cfm?ItemNumber=7496

This Contract Management article should be a must read for all procurement and IT execs, in government at any level and indeed, in the private sector as well. As shown in the case study of the Department of Homeland Security and Vienna, Virgina-based FedBid, Inc. (http://www.fedbid.com/), the private sector partner who provides DHS access to its online marketplace and large network of vendors, all organizations should question the use of long-term contract to acquire all forms of IT resources – hardware, software, networking. Why? Namely because of a phenomenon known as “price deterioration.”

“Price Deterioration”

So what is price deterioration? Well, think of it this way – what happens every time you buy a new computer, a new flat-screen TV, a new electronic or computing anything. You know that wherever you ordered if from on the Interweb or what store you bought it from (even on “Black Friday”), you can rest assured that at some point in the not too distant future – the next quarter, the next month, the next week, heck, even tomorrow – that item can be bought at a lower price. The same thing happens to every organization – public or private – that enters into a year-long or multi-year purchasing contract in place for its information technology needs. The Defense Acquisition University’s Lenn Vincent, the author of the Contract Management article, described the impact of price deterioration on federal agencies in the following manner:

What is price deterioration? Put simply, long-term contracts, which have been foundational to the concept of strategic sourcing for years, provide perceived value by locking in an initially aggressive pricing structure. The downside is a minimal ability to capture future savings as IT items are refreshed and obsolescence drives real-market pricing lower. This can result in the U.S. government paying too much for its IT purchases, even within months after contract award.

So what was the experience at DHS? The Director of DHS’s Office of Procurement Operations, Soraya Correa, reports that in Fiscal Year 2009, the agency saved $27 million dollars on its IT acquisitions working with FedBid’s online marketplace for reverse auctions. The change to reverse auctions not only brought documented cost savings through increased competition and real-time market prices to IT procurement, but it also helped DHS achieve process efficiencies. For example, the shift to using FedBid’s online marketplace brought about an over 15% decrease in the lead times necessary for IT acquisitions to take place. In recognition for the change in procurement practices she spearheaded at DHS-OPO, Ms. Correa has been recognized with the Chief Acquisition Officers Council’s 2010 Acquisition Excellence Award and a 2010 Federal 100 award.

Analysis

So clearly, the DHS experience shows that real-time pricing through reverse auctions is better than long-term, fixed price agreements in acquiring IT resources. Thus, every procurement executive at every organization should recognize that long-term contracts may be good for acquiring a variety of goods and services, but as Vincent pointed-out, Moore’s Law (which in a nutshell holds that computing power will grow very quickly, and yet, grow increasingly cheaper over time – learn more at Moore’s Law) means exactly the opposite when it comes to the information technology area. Indeed, long-term contracts for IT will mean unnecessary, wasteful expenditures on what technology that may not be state-of-the art – even obsolete – when IT resources are bought through these contractual relationships that have become standard at all levels of government and in many large, private sector organizations. As the case study of DHS shows, reverse auctions can enable organizations anywhere to take advantage of Moore’s law to not only save money and time in their IT acquisitions, but to secure newer and better technology for their employees.

Would you like to learn more about how reverse auction-based procurement can help save your organization time and money on not just your information technology acquisitions, but produce savings across the scope of your purchasing? Contact us here at the Reverse Auction Research Center (http://reverseauctionresearch.blogspot.com/) today to learn more.

BIOGRAPHY

David C. Wyld (dwyld.kwu@gmail.com) is the Robert Maurin Professor of Management at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, Louisiana. He is a management consultant, researcher/writer, and executive educator. His blog, Wyld About Business, can be viewed at http://wyld-business.blogspot.com/. He also serves as the Director of the Reverse Auction Research Center (http://reverseauctionresearch.blogspot.com/), a hub of research and news in the expanding world of competitive bidding. Dr. Wyld also maintains compilations of his student’s publications regarding management concepts (http://toptenmanagement.blogspot.com/), book reviews (http://wyld-about-books.blogspot.com/) and international foods (http://wyld-about-food.blogspot.com/).

Read more:
You Can't Fight Moore's Law: Why Price Deterioration Means That Reverse Auctions Make Sense and Produce Savings in The Acquisition of Information Technology Resources

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