Reflecting on the Nature of Business and Society - Coursework Example

Business and Society Professor (Tutor) The Name of the School (University) The City and State Date Business and Society I believe that business and society have a compelling relationship that is based on the elements that make up societies and how such relationships influence the nature of work. Employees are struggling to keep up with the nature of business and society. This tends to develop numerous issues such as finding the appropriate job, ensuring sustainability, and dealing with cultural changes. I personally find business and society to be a complex set or elements and relationships that require increased reflection as well as development. The following paper aims at reflecting on the nature of business and society. Job Crafting Reflective Job satisfaction is a key determinant of a successful career life as well as professional development. Everyone has their dream job or position they wish to occupy, but this does not happen often. The current economic times and nature of businesses does not allow people to choose between jobs that suit them well. According to Wrzesniewski, et al. (2010, p. 114) in about 5000 households surveyed, only 45% indicated they were satisfied with their professions. Most people cannot afford to find satisfying jobs leaving them working with reduced motivation unable to change their situations. Nonetheless, job crafting can be a solution in reimagining and re-engineering one’s employment life. According to Wrzesniewski, et al. (2010, p. 114) job crafting encompasses redefining one’s job to integrate one’s strengths, motives, and passions. This process or procedures allows one to visualize the work/employment, chart its features, and restructure them to better twinset individual needs. Moreover, this helps one to set personal touches or refinements on how one views their job as well as how they do their job, thus creating a greater sense of control. This ultimately leads to job satisfaction, but is best and effectively achieved when done by the individual. Personally, I have encountered numerous accounts where I find my job is not satisfying or does not fulfil my passion. While working as a customer service agent intern, I found that picking calls and communicating with clients was not motivating as well as making reports that used little technological tools. I have always been innovative in my work experience. During the internship, I was always open or had the idea of using social media and automated ticketing and complain booking systems. Nonetheless, I had no idea of how to make my idea known or even implemented, which would have made my job less stressing and more enjoyable. My situation during this time calls for job crafting. However, through this course I can be able to adopt job crafting to better handle similar situation in future. As part of my reflection, I will relate my experience as an intern to the elements of job creation. According to Wrzesniewski, et al. (2010, p. 116) job crafting involves three main elements including tasks, relationships, and perceptions. The elements of tasks call for understanding the current duties and responsibilities that I am required to do and how much time I take to accomplish these tasks. As an intern, I would first identify that picking calls and responding to emails are the main tasks where I spend much of mi time. Nonetheless, these tasks are not achieving the departmental targets of answering and resolving customer requests and complaints within time. The next idea is to focus on changes that would enhance my engagement at work. This requires developing a plan on what to do in a new visualized job. In my case, I believe that using technological tools would really boost the customer care performance. This idea calls for suggestions such as the creation of a customer care social accounts on Facebook and Twitter. Moreover, the use of automated ticketing and auto reply emails. These changes cannot be achieved without gaining support from workmates and management as well. According to Wrzesniewski, et al. (2010, p. 117) for one to win support for their job crafting, one must focus on developing value for others, developing trust, and recognizing people who can accommodate them. In my case, I would require help from then IT department who are well conversant with technologies that can be used in reducing the workload as well as enhancing efficiency. During my internship, I was always close to the IT department. Expressing the idea to the department is a way of creating strong relationships on transforming the customer care department. The last element of perception involves identifying my strengths, passion, and motives. In my view, I believe in achievement especially in team work. Rather than viewing my job as just picking calls and emails, I can act as a change agent and act as an innovator in redesigning the department. This can create a new and meaningful work outlook that tends to increase or achieve job satisfaction. Nonetheless, job crafting has its limitation and may fail or be stressful. I believe that by focusing on developing relationships, trust, and finding accommodative people is the key to finding job satisfaction in my future career life. Social and Environmental Sustainability The current business world is that of a capitalist nature. Businesses exist with one main duty or role, which is of making profits or honouring the desires of stakeholders. People have always and continue to view businesses as a way of making money or exploiting. Nonetheless, with the growing debate on social, environmental, and economic sustainability, this perspective is changing. Mackey (2013, p. 34) believes that business leadership does not only involve increasing profits for stakeholders, but also an opportunity to make positive impacts. These positive impacts encompass society, environment, and the planet that businesses operate within. According to Mackey (2013, p. 34) all organizations function in a wider system of deep with interdependencies. Again, these interdependencies include customers, employees, the environment, as well as shareholders. I personally believe that businesses have a wider impact and agenda in each element of their operations, which involves sustainability. Nonetheless, what remains a fact is that business will forever exist to fulfil their duty in terms of maximizing profits for shareholders. As I continue with my education, I am always looking forward to head a supply chain management department or become a supply chain manager or executive. Supply chain is one of the critical departments within a business that involves logistics, production, warehousing, distribution and inventory management. As a supply chain manager, I would be required to develop strategies aimed at reducing costs, enhancing quality and customer satisfaction. I believe that supply chain management is directly and significantly related to social and environmental sustainability. Environmental and social sustainability involves developing and applying strategies and business practices that ensure reduced harm to the environment as well as society while working on enhancing their interdependency. As a supply chain manager, there is need to promote environmental sustainability by ensuring that business practices and operations reduce harm to the environment. Moreover, conservation of natural resources is also critical in ensuring sustainable business. Social responsibility is also significant in ensuring that business practices help uplift communities and support causes that reflect business ethics. The idea of sustainability in supply chain management is based on ensuring that organizations can develop sustainably while making profits. I believe that seeking sustainable ways to manage supply chain management has its advantages. In many cases, I have always been interested in sustainability. I have come to learn of numerous strategies sued in most supply chain operations that encourage environmental and social sustainability. For instance, the use of renewable energies or fuel for transportation and distribution can help in reducing the environmental harms caused by fossil fuels. Moreover, such a strategy is likely to reduce costs in terms of the amount of fossils fuel needed. Supply chain management can also focus on social environment by empowering their suppliers or communities where they source raw materials. For instance, a company manufacturing clothes may offer farmers higher prices for organic cotton. Such an initiative can effectively empower the community to use sustainable farming methods that preserve land and reduce use of toxic fertilizers on land. All these strategies are related to ensuring that social and environmental sustainability. I believe that sustainability is an important value in supply chain management. My interest in sustainability will be a great opportunity to acquire knowledge, skills, and experience as I prepare for a career in supply chain management. This is because businesses must achieve their goal of maximizing profits for stakeholders while creating positive impacts in society, the environment, and the world so as to maintain their ability to operate. Switching between Cultures Reflection The world is becoming smaller and smaller. I believe that the world today has no borders as people live, work, and travel across borders all over the world. The current world is increasingly becoming globalized indicating the need to adapt to different culture in order to achieve personal, business, professional, and life goals. According to Molinsky (2012, p. 140) people who struggle in foreign countries in terms of their profession lack the skill or capability of cultural code-switching. This is the ability to switch and adapt to different cultures in an effective and efficient manner. Cultural code-switching is the capability to adjust behaviour in certain situations to house differing cultural norms. This requires more than the right mind-set, motivation, and information. I believe that cultural code-switching calls for the ability to manage and adapt to psychological challenges that surface when one attempts to interpret cultural awareness into understanding (Molinsky 2012, p. 140). I believe that cultural code-switching can help me in developing my profession in a globalized world. In my experience, I have encountered numerous cultural challenges both inside and outside the work place. One of my main challenges involves adapting to the diverse cultural environment at school where I study with people from different cultural backgrounds. According to Molinsky (2012, p. 140) the first step while apply cultural code-switching is diagnosing the challenges one faces. I believe that the first step in my case is identifying my challenges in terms of adapting to different cultures. For instance, while working as an intern, I found it hard to communicate directly with the intimidating American employees. The second method in adjusting to a new culture is based on adapting one’s behaviour to decrease one’s distress (Molinsky 2012, p. 140). In this case, I believe that making small but significant changes can help in adjusting to a new culture. In the globalized world, this would require me to develop behaviour that supports both cultures. This means using behaviours that reflect both cultures. For instance, in my internship I would be open to the American colleagues while maintaining my in-direct communication behaviour. This could enable me to develop multiple communication skills that can be applied in numerous diverse cultures. The third method in the process of cultural code-switching is fully appreciating the value of cultural adjustment and adaptation (Molinsky 2012, p. 140). I believe by aligning my personal goals and values to my desired result are a great way of appreciating the value of cultural adjustment. For instance, if am working in America, my ability to communicate directly will ensure that I will become more effective and successful in my profession. I am a hard-working and ambitious person, who believes that success and efficiency are important as personal goals. Moreover, I believe in the value of team work and diversity, meaning that having the ability to work with Americans would be a good experience. I also believe that cultural code-switching can help me in terms of ensuring that I view my adjustment through other cultures. This means that I take time to appreciate what other cultures value in my personal culture. Through this perspective, a new perspective can be developed to ensure an integrated and engaging environment of effectiveness. In conclusion, business and society will forever co-exist. The need for me to develop into a dynamic and skilled professional requires the understanding of how business and society co-exist. I believe that my reflection in the aspect of business and society has developed a new chapter my career development and life development. I am now able to chart new goals, changes, and skills that will enable me become an effective and global business leader. I believe that the need to study business and society is significant in developing business leaders of tomorrow. References Mackey, J 2013, 'The Kind of Capitalist You Want to Be', Harvard Business Review, vol. 91, no. 1/2, p. 34. Molinsky, AL 2012, 'Code switching between cultures', Harvard Business Review, vol. 90, no. 1-2, pp. 140-141. Wrzesniewski, A, Berg, JM, & Dutton, JE 2010, 'Turn the Job You Have into the Job You Want', Harvard Business Review, vol. 88, no. 6, pp. 114-117. Read More