Analysis of Contemporary Media Reporting on the World of Work

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Choose Four Media Articles discussed in four different tutorials between week 2-12 and complete the following template for each article

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Media Article One

Topic No.:       2 

Title of Media Article: Samsung surges after Intel is said to consider chip outsourcing

What are the key ideas presented in the media article as they relate to concepts of work and employment raised in course readings? (Max 200 words):

In the global economic discipline, Samsung Company has been a leader in the production and manufacturing of semiconductors. Until 2018, the company has been earning an increasing revenue. However, the revenue falls in the fourth quarter of 2018 when it was realized that there is an oversupply of the products in the market. The oversupply resulted in the decrease in the memory revenue that the company used to receive in the previous years ("Samsung surges after Intel is said to consider chip outsourcing", 2021). Upon analysis of the situations, the over-supply was a result of the abrupt demand fall in the market. The firm was later forced to reduce the price of the products up to the average price to see that what is in the market has been sold.

The concept of strategic outsourcing discussing in the course was not considered by Samsung Company. The failure made Intel regained a top spot in the market although its revenue dropped when compared to the previous years. The fall was because of its partnership with Apple. Major chip manufacture plans to supply Intel with 4-nanometer chips. This will improve the productivity of the company. The plans of Intel to make this a success amid the high demand will increase the possible number of sales that can be done at any given time.

At a global level, both Samsung and Intel companies have been creating non-standard employment among their staff. According to Hipp (2015), this type of standard is good in enhancing work availability but it does not promote job hunting. The standard also does not facilitate career expansion as well as income security. Since Samsung’s major focus is on customer satisfaction, the company has invested much of its capital and resources in the production and manufacturing of chips annually. It is through this step that the brand can come up with modern market products which are in line with what the customers need and what technology demands as of now. Similarly, Intel has opted to offer generous holidays to its staff members grant them tuition support for its employees to grow economically. Despite these challenges, however, advancement in technology for both Samsung and Intel has significantly reduced the number of employees. This is because many duties available are executed by machines and not people anymore. Continued advancement in technology has resulted in social disruption which has remained difficult to contain. The disruption has increased reliance on communities. Hence, the company management ought to focus on core competencies of the firm only.

The abrupt oversupply and reduction in demand is a business issue that might have been prevented by the management or even the policies in place. The manager or policymakers would have done the following to resolve the situation. The first is having a supply chain emergency plan. When developing the supply plan, the firm ought to think in all ways and consider having an emergency plan in case of any disruption. This helps the organization continue running well. The second issue that can be addressed is carrying out a supply chain vulnerability audit. The company needs to take some time to carry out a risk analysis. This will enhance the understanding of the weak areas as well as forecast what is expected shortly. Diversification of the supply chain is also important. This will ensure that the situation at hand in the market has been tested for more than one part and hence, their results can be contrasted before making a decision. Partnering with logistics experts can also help the organization have viable projections of the issues that the organization might be about to face.

Media Article Two

Topic No.:   4 

Title of Media Article: Work is a fundamental part of being human. Robots won’t stop us from doing it

What are the key ideas presented in the media article as they relate to concepts of work and employment raised in course readings? (max 200 words):

The key idea presented in the media article is how human jobs have been threatened by automation. If machines that have been invented can perfectly take duties that humans are currently doing, the working hours for humans would be reduced drastically. As pointed out in the course concepts, impacts of technology on workers is determined by the nature of technology and its capabilities (social determinism theory). This is absolutely true when the case is being analysed. The article further points out that work has been tied to the constitutional species as a human being and that humans cannot survive without work ("Work is a fundamental part of being human. Robots won't stop us doing it", 2021). With the rapid advancement in technology, particularly artificial intelligence, even the highly skilled specialists present will cease to be relevant because all their duties would have been taken by machines.

Unlike animals, humans are not able to fit in the work environment they are placed in, they try manipulating the environment to fit in them. Different generations of humans are working towards particular skills and knowledge. The contemporary world according to the media article has affirmed that labor has turned out to be the prime human want. Despite the degree to which automation will occur, human skills and intelligence will still be needed. Automation will result in serious economic and social disruptions in the very short term.

What are the benefits and/or challenges workers confront in the article, and how does this connect with the course readings? (max 200 words):

The benefits of the automation and can be seen in the futurism theory. However, practically the theory does not hold because cons of automation outweigh pros. Automation in workplaces comes with several benefits and challenges as well. The most significant benefit of automation is enhancing the efficiency and profitability of the organization embracing it. When processes in a workplace environment are automated, they save on time and allows resources to be channelled in the right direction. This implies that companies will remain agile and small at the same time. Efficiency and productivity will directly lower the cost of production, increasing the revenue that is being earned.

Although automation will bring changes and efficiency in the organization, a good number of analysts have agreed that most human jobs will be lost. Many more jobs will be created but they will require little human input. After automation, human labor will end up being costly when compared to machines on employers. This implies that employers will go for machines and reduce human labor as much as possible. This directly means that people humans will lose their job. Another challenge will involve wastage of skills that specialists have spent time doing over years. Their relevance in the organization will cease to exist.

Reflecting on the issues identified in the media article and relevant readings, what actions do you think managers or policymakers should take to resolve them? (max 200 words):

For managers and policy developers to address the issues pointed out in the case, the following procedure should be adhered to. First, the managers should formulate a policy and procurement committee. If the committee will comprise a solid team, this implies that issues of employees will be represented and substantial discussion will be carried out before making any decision. Secondly, the installation of technical aspects in the workforce should be taken into account. These typically involve the necessary hardware and software that will be needed for automation and their impacts on human labor. If the machines will require human control or assistance, the duties are also discussed at this level. Sharing the plan with a broader human labor workforce is important because they will be prepared for the changes that are yet to take place. Managers should also prepare refresher courses for the employees which will make them fit for the new and automated environment. Adhering to these guidelines will ensure that the challenges that people are facing are at their least and transition to machines would have been done in the best way possible.

Media Article Three

Topic No.:      5 

Title of Media Article: 2 in 5 workers polled faced sexual harassment

What are the key ideas presented in the media article as they relate to concepts of work and employment raised in course readings? (max 200 words):

The major idea presented in the media article is sexual harassment in workplaces. The survey carried out in Singapore revealed that workers subjected to sexual harassment are in smaller positions/ranking when compared to those bullying them. Sexual harassment comes in several ways. These include rude responses, distressing remarks, and even some gestures which have been linked to sexist nature. The perpetrators of sexual harassment have not been punished. Their deeds equally go unpunished. According to the media article, employers have failed to give statutory obligations on what every employee should do just to ensure that sexual harassment issues have been avoided.

The issues presented are directly related to the concept of moral detachment. Where high end workers exploit the others. The actions taken for the perpetrators have not been revealed, perhaps, the reasons as to why new perpetrators are doing the same. The harassment comes with several effects on the workforce. These include an unconducive working environment, lack of motivation, and insecure issues. Failure to address the challenges results in deteriorating productivity.

What are the benefits and/or challenges workers confront in the article, and how does this connect with the course readings? (max 200 words):

There are no direct benefits that come with sexual harassment in workplaces. Moral detachment is the major issues, which creates an avenue for more problems. Presented challenges of sexual harassment include but are not limited to; the first issue entails emotional and physical challenges. Sexual harassment victims end up suffering psychologically and physically. That is, they are subjected to stress, anxiety as well as depression. Physical problems that might arise include loss of sleep, loss of appetite, and headaches. Secondly are financial and professional issues. Sexual harassment can impact the motivation and morale of workers. This directly impacts their performance. The fear can also make some employees withdraw from the job that they are involved in (TAN, 2018). Another challenge is reduced productivity in the company. It is with no doubt that sexual harassment is damaging to the organization. This is an infestation of discrimination amongst organizational members. This results in absenteeism and low morale among the employees. These are the causes of low productivity. The last issue affects the whole company at large. That is affected reputation and lawsuits. If an organization fails to handle sexual harassment, then it is obvious that it can be subjected to expensive lawsuits for failing to protect the employees.

Reflecting on the issues identified in the media article and relevant readings, what actions do you think managers or policymakers should take to resolve them? (max 200 words):

In the efforts to address the challenges that have been presented, the managers and policy developers in various workplaces should undertake the following to ensure that the situation has been rectified. First, the management should come up with an anti-harassment policy, which must be adhered to by every member of the organization. The harassment policy should comprise of the following features. It should fully define harassment and give relevant examples and even give the penalties if one is found a victim. The management should ensure that employees and employers are held up to high standards. This will ensure that every member in the company has the necessary and conducive environment to execute their duties.

Review of the internal sexual harassment policies should be regular. This is to make the necessary adjustments that have been made which will help prevent more similar situations. Documentation of all issues revolving around the harassment will help enhance the understanding among the members and hence, make them remain loyal. The managers should develop a guidance and counseling unit that will be responsible for helping the victims who have undergone the harassment. This will be vital in keeping them rather than allowing them to leave the job.

Media Article Four

Topic No.: 6 

Title of Media Article: Workers’ compensation doesn’t cover gig workers – here’s a way to protect them

What are the key ideas presented in the media article as they relate to concepts of work and employment raised in course readings? (max 200 words):

The major idea presented in the media article is about the gig economy and the nature of the work gig workers are involved in. There have been situations in which the gig workers have been mistreated and proper care and compensation have not been done upon them. Therefore, the gig work, based on the concepts of work is a continuation of exploitation and its not a new thing.. In the contemporary world, technology is rapidly changing employment practices (Peetz, 2018). For these reasons, the employment laws also ought to be changing at the same pace with technology.

Gig economy helps address quite a number of challenges in the economy like flexibility and redefinition of boundaries, it comes along with many disadvantages. . This can be done by redefining the coverage of the workers. The coverage is in terms of laws governing employment and compensation policies that are currently in place. Another option available is having regular and right programs in place. The programs will be essential in notifying both the employer and gig workers on what needs to be done when there is need for a compensation.

What are the benefits and/or challenges workers confront in the article, and how does this connect with the course readings? (max 200 words):

The concept of job for life discussed in the course is directly related to the challenges and benefits of gig worker compensation. Including the gig workers in the worker’s compensation plan comes with several advantages. The compensation takes care of several aspects both in the working environment and beyond. The initial benefits are special add-on covers that the gig workers will be enjoying. The add-on includes the disability cover or even the accident cover where all the costs will be taken care of. The cover will also take care of lost wages compensation. There are situations in which employees end up working for a very short period, and the employers might deny them some sort of compensation. This is a common issue with gig workers because most of them are working without. Legal liability coverage is another advantage that comes with the compensation of the gig workers. The legal requirements in the contemporary world can be costly and demanding and most employees might not afford them. If compensation can cater for them, then it is an advantage to gig workers as the burden will be reduced.

Reflecting on the issues identified in the media article and relevant readings, what actions do you think managers or policymakers should take to resolve them? (max 200 words):

The following are the ways through which the managers or policymakers would avoid this challenge. Working closely with clients to come up with a return-to-work strategy. It should be understood that every time a worker stays at home because of being able to go to job accrues losses to the company because of the lost time. Educating the clients on the importance of having the injured employees back to work is important. This will positively impact the productivity of the company. Putting more effort into communication is another important strategy because it will create awareness amongst stakeholders. This remains a powerful tool for claim control. Besides, it will make the employees more proactive. Making claims management authority is also an important strategy. “As an agent your contracted claims management policies and procedures powerfully influence the outcome of a claim. Whether you work through a Third Party Administrator or rely on claims services for your carrier, you should be scouting an efficient, effective claims adjustment system.”

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