Johnson Control

Johnson Control is a global diversified company in the building and automotive industries. As such, it operates three business units namely: Automotive Experience, Building Efficiency and Power Solutions. Building Efficiency is a leading provider of services for heating, air conditioning, air ventilation, security systems as well as refrigeration. On the other hand, the Automotive Experience deals with automotive seating, door and instruments panels and electric vehicles. Additionally, Power Solutions centers on lead-acid automotive batteries and advanced batteries for Start-Stop, hybrid cars.

As such, the company relies on the effective HRM department in ensuring the organizations of the company as well as the employee function effectively. HRM functions to provide the knowledge to help people have healthy relationships in their workplace, which will improve their mental wellbeing. Arguably, it assists in maintaining the relationship of the workmates and superiors. In fact, this paper seeks to establish the HRM functions for Johnson Control Company in maintaining the organization workforce.

Human relations involve the use of knowledge about human behavior to improve personal and job effectiveness. It is much more than the simple concept of politeness. It involves treating people in a manner that they feel better and are productive at the workplace. This field of study relates to the field of organizational behavior. Organizational behavior is an investigative field of study that deals with how individuals, groups and organizational structure affect the behavior of individuals. The effect on behavior is then useful in enhancing the effectiveness of the organization. It has three elements. The study of individuals and groups in an organization, how the structure of an organization affects their behavior and the application of the knowledge gained on organizational effectiveness. HR function, therefore, forms only a fraction of organizational behavior. It focuses on application of knowledge from this field on a personal basis.

Organizational effectiveness is the level to which an organization is profitable and meets the demands of the interested parties (Dubrin, 2011). The most effective employees are those that have the best relationships in and out of the workplace. Employees work better when they feel free in their work environment and when they have the motivation from their workmates. Knowledge on human relations is helpful to both the individual and the management in an organization.

With retrospect to the social element of the analysis, the augmented expectation as well as higher demand for quality services by its consumers has meant Virgin have had to shift to the customer satisfaction. As such, company is already customer driven as McNerney, advocates that, “one of the most pioneering and customer-focused airlines in the world.” Therefore, this advocates for more focus on the quality of service to its customers. Consequently, with an augmented demand for higher safety measures, the company has had to augment measures in the inclusion of higher airport screening. Therefore, security is of high consideration as the air security is paramount.

HRM function

Human Relations and Personal Improvement

People have different life situations, adaptation mechanisms, social and family lives. Working or doing business in the same place requires the alignment of these aspects of life. It needs employees to communicate with one another in the workplace and foster a constructive relationship between them. Interpersonal relationships are essential to the success of an organization because they influence the process of knowledge transfer. The transfer and attainment of tacit knowledge provides a business firm with significant competitive advantage.

The study of human relations helps a person highlight the importance of interpersonal relationships in knowledge transfer. Knowledge is a combination of data, skills, experience and contextual information which assists in understanding solutions to the problems. Knowledge comes in two kinds in a business setting. Tacit knowledge is complex and not easily transferrable from one person to another verbally. Explicit knowledge is easily comprehensible. It is easy to transfer information in symbolic form from one individual to another.

In order to fit in with people in and out of the workplace, it is useful to know how people think and act. The study of human relations helps people to deal with aspects of life such as self-esteem, interpersonal relationships and conflict resolution. If one knows how people think, then it is easy to resolve disputes with them and create a win-win situation no matter how difficult they are.

Career aspirations need people to be able to act confidently. One of the personal requirements of higher management is the ability to communicate. The study of human behavior teaches how to communicate with different persons in different circumstances. People have different points of view and cultural beliefs. The study of human relations helps in relating with people and developing interpersonal relationships whether working in a group or being the leader.

Work and personal life have a complex relationship. Job satisfaction contributes to general life satisfaction. Problems in the work place often lead to problems in the personal life of the individual involved. Unsatisfying job can lead to physical health deterioration. An unsatisfied employee runs the risk of stress-related difficulties like ulcers, skin and intestinal disorders, and even heart diseases. Individuals satisfied with their jobs tend to live longer because of their better mental and physical state, as well as, their zeal for life. People cannot live their whole lives without experiencing problems related to human relations. These problems occur at the workplace, home or in other aspects of life.

Given the interdependence of these situations as highlighted, it is vital to know how to solve these problems. The study of human relations also assists in solving personal problems relating to issues like self-esteem and self-defeating behavior.

To grow in a person’s projected career path, there is a need to take advantage of opportunities. Knowledge about human behavior teaches key virtues like self-esteem, confidence, motivation and setting of goals. It also helps one acquire emotional intelligence, the right attitudes, moral and ethical values to succeed. Finally, it enhances one’s ability to find creative solutions to problems.

Employment relation and organizational behavior encompass the challenges met in managing employees and the extensive economic and social context in which they work. Tentatively, the human resources center on the wider relation between the employees and the employers is needed in the present competitive market. On the other hand, organization behavior as well as employee organization varies in different countries. As such, this paper seeks to establish the imperative aspects that affect employment relation.

The workplace acts as an imperative source of attitude generation. Tentatively, the employees’ attitude affects the health of the organization as well as the workplace attitude. Attitude represents the beliefs, behavioral intentions, as well as, assessed feelings towards an individual or attitude object. As such, emotions represent experiences, whereas attitudes are judgments. Attitude comprises of three fundamental aspects that include beliefs, feelings and behavioral intentions.

Beliefs are the establishment of an individual’s perception in retrospect to the object evidenced in the company. Undoubtedly, beliefs are facts perceived form past experiences. Tentatively, beliefs represent the motivation in involvement of negative or positive feeling towards the object. On the other hand, behavioral intention represents the motivation to engage in the behavior, in retrospect to the attitude object. An emotion operates automatically by “listening in” on the individual’s information of the emotions, in translating the beliefs into feelings.

The human relations approach dictates that a person will take the actions that are most likely to satisfy their needs. Human relations help managers understand the people and their needs in order to satisfy them hence making them productive. A need is the absence of something beneficial. It shows the gap between what an individual has and what he\she wants. A motive is the inner drive that makes a person desire satisfy his/her needs (business 101, p 3).

Psychologists have developed a list of needs based on several factors. The things that people need depend on what they already have. Those needs that people do not have are not motivators and do not influence behavior. Needs come in order of importance; once they meet one, the next comes.

The most significant needs are physiological needs. These are the basic needs of food, shelter and clothing. Every human being has these needs, and they must meet them before others. The needs hierarchy works like this: a hungry person has the overwhelming need to find food. Once that need is at least partially met, other needs come into the picture.

The second tier of needs is safety needs. These include job security and protection. People require protection from the unexpected and physical harm. Things like the assurance of annual wage or life insurance satisfy these needs. Social needs come next, and these refer to the desire for acceptance. People have the desire for acceptance by their families, workmates and organizations for which they work. People acquire motivation to work in places where they feel accepted and valued.

The next order of needs is esteem needs. These involve the desire to feel accomplished. It is a characteristic trait in humans and it closely relates to the need for belonging. Organizations recognize these needs by giving awards and additional responsibility. Involving employees in setting goals and decision making processes also helps raise their self-esteem. Self-actualization needs are at the top of the hierarchy. This is the motivation to realize a person’s full potential. This happens by providing challenging assignment and giving opportunities for training.

Knowledge in human relations trains managers to recognize these needs. It helps them know their importance and the value of fulfilling them to employee’s productivity. In the modern day workplace, human relations knowledge is essential for managers. Once there is realization of need, it no longer becomes a stimulus and the employee will move along to the next one. Firms have turned away from the traditional notion that employees are like an ingredient in the attainment of the final result. This led to motivation by money. Recent strategies, however, only recognize money as an emphasizing factor. It stresses the presence of different sources of employees’ motivation.

Openness

Johnson Control centers on promoting openness amongst its employees. This is imperative in developing a trust free environment. As such, this strategy improves the dependability of the workforce operating in the company. Arguably, the extent to which decision makers are open to key ideas is imperative during the decision making process. While the usefulness of considering a wider scope of alternatives (Alexander 1979), decision makers have influence from familiar alternatives close to the status quo (March and Cyert 1963) and opt for ‘off the shelf’ to ‘custom made solutions. As such, decision making process should be open to a diversity of ideas that affects it directly or indirectly. As such, openness provides a new way for participation to contribute in the decision making process.

Recursiveness

A sense of recursiveness is imperative in the Company during the implementation of decision making process. The need for a systematic examination of assumption is paramount in avoiding the nonlinear nature of decision making. Nevertheless, the recursiveness concept may be shifted to employ interplay between choice and implementation. As opposed to planning comprehensively, the decision makers often find ways of tentative steps, and plan after receiving feedback.

Arguably, Johnson Control has sustainability plan aimed at the company’s policy alteration to better address the environmental concern. It has taken steps to reduce the development footprints to its stores with smaller parking lots and changeable landscape to lessen watering need. Additionally, its plan focuses on piloting retention systems that see the saving of 300,000 gallons of rainwater in Florida. Contrastingly, Johnson Control is interested in involving its consumers in addressing the environmental concerns. Johnson Control embarked on a research that focuses on the consumer (by using consumers’ meaningful unit of measure) emissions needed for each unit of packaging material for the usage of the product.

Arguably, the Johnson Control appeals to its employees in their lives at home in a program called PSP (Personal Sustainability Project). As a part of its commitment to sustainability, the program encourages habits that impact the environment positively, thus, augmenting its recognition that helps model its reputation amongst its consumers. The repackaging has not only seen reduced waste, but a reduced assembling cost, as such, effectively utilizing the available recourses. In retrospect to the environment, the waste from the company undergoes recycling as opposed to wasting emission. As such, Johnson Control will leverage its scale to bring affordable and renewable power to consumers. Johnson Control’s renewable energies focused on the installation and the development of new renewable projects has effectively shifted the dependency to renewable energy sources. Estimated 20 percent of the company’s electricity requirements globally receive clean energy. The company has instigated a rooftop solar that covers 75 percent of the sustainable energy source.

Johnson Control records regulatory obligations while managing capacious waste reduction and compliance data. Obviously, this new system assists them in tracking and ascertaining that timely completion for the 2000 hazardous waste report in addition to 400 licenses permits and other agency notification for the company’s facilities.

Recommendation

Reshaping the Company’s organization with Gen Y & Boomers

In the contemporary business world, the mangers operate in full recession mode whilst wrestling on the capability of weighing alternatives or head count reduction in the battle for attempting to get fewer. As such, the recovery of companies prompts the winning of highly capable professional to drive for growth. The composition of the workforce prompts the augment of generation Y advancing the ranks as Baby boomers refusing to retire (Sherbin, 2009).

A qualitative research centering on 30 focus groups and 40 interviews presented the idea that generation Y, as well as, Baby boomers are in search of “remixed” set of rewards”. On the other hand, it is challenging and liberating to most managers as it implies letting cash go off as the paramount motivator and battling with the complex task of incentive redesigning. Tentatively, it is liberating as it is less expensive to fund as companies can acquire proffered alternative means. As much, it presents the battling challenge that manager’s experience as they experiment the various means of rewards.

Uncertainly, with retrospect to UBS and the time Warner Company has presented proffered means of maintain talent, as the students graduate from the various universities, UBS initiated the new graduate deferral program where the newly employed persons would differ the employment opportunities. The program was proficient as the newly employed students would engage in a range of activities that developed their working skills. On the other hand, the Time Warner Company initiated the Digital Reserve Mentoring program where the savvy college students would mentor senior executives on the emerging digital trends as that included Facebook, Twitter and Web 2.0 applications.

As such, imparting technical skills, Generation Y mentors offer Boomer mentees with a peak into consumer behavior, communication criteria of the younger generation, as well as values into the business. Johnson Control will realize trims payroll cost while maintaining the invested talents, whereas mobilizing the employees to match the seasonal migration of the customers. On the other hand, the Company will enjoy the benefits of a market-attuned leadership team. Nonetheless, unlike the previous legion at its age, the two oversized “bookend” generation has an unexpected amount in common. As such, they are not undistinguishable but having common themes.

Generation Y’s and Boomers share a sense of obligation in the positive contribution to the society and planet’s health. Nevertheless, in comparison to generation Y, generation X in the late thirties is less likely to find this beneficial. Tentatively, 89% of gen Y and 87% of Boomers proffer the flexibility of the workplace. As such, the capability to choose when and where work presents a 110 % effort in work performance. On the other hand, gen Y seeks boomers for advice as compared to Xers as they enjoy working with Boomers. Parental relation presents the growth of keepers (for Kids in Parents’ Pockets Eroding Retirement Savings) as the child parent bond connects generation Ys and Boomers.

With retrospect to reward remix, generation Ys and Boomers share the notion that financial gain should not be the determinant factor in sticking with employers. Nonetheless, they rate other forms as valuable as money: a great team, range of experiences, explicit performance and recognition. For a proficient workplace, five crucial elements should be considered.

Modularity

It implies the chucking of work allowing  Boomers scaling their hours and breadth.

Flexibility

Employees’ flexibility is proficient in improving work effort in the workplace, thus increasing the returns

Opportunity to give back

These opportunities help on improving the employees’ skills as well as nurturing the individuals’ talent such as UBS gap program.

Progressive Policies

A progressive work environment builds commitment to the planet’s heath. Thus, Genzyme’s eco-friendly building bespeaks a commitment to planet’s health. Bloomberg’s office environment fosters collaboration and innovation amongst employees.

Inter Generation Mentoring

Mentoring goes a long way in developing informal training that runs both ways. Using of twits and blogs connects workforce who spend most of time on the roads, sites and home.

Importantly, the insight that every generation presents varied values that reflect the fundamental make up in the workforce. Mangers with an open mind and newly organized growth plans will present the satisfaction of workplace demands.

Diversity Strategies

In the present business environment, a diverse workforce presents a powerful advantage. It is thus crucial to assemble workforce that dedicates the company’s objectives and key business strategy. Tentatively, the cost of ignoring workplace diversity can be overwhelming. Having a part of the employee feeling marginalized because they are different presents a platform of friction, low morale and lack of dedication. As such, this paper seeks to understand the importance of diversity to an organization, as well as diversity strategies that an organization can use by using Big Time Investments.

According to Forsyth, diversity strategies are comprised of gender, sexual orientation, race, parental status, geographical location, ethnicity, religious belief and ancestry (Forsyth, 1991). As such, variation is of paramount importance to an organization’s success, performance interaction and employees’ motivation and thus it is vital that an organization understands them.

At Big Time Investments, women constitute 20% of the total work force whereas colored people make up 30% of the total work force. These are the current diversity initiatives at Big Time Investments. The main weakness that Big Time Investments faces are the unavailable accommodation for the diverse workforce, for instance, disability accommodation, ethnicity, elder care, child care, literacy and flexible working hours which need to be tackled so that it can achieve the organizational goals and goals. Increasing the number of women represented in an organization, managing growth in a diverse workforce and minorities is a critical human resource management issue for many organizations (Ely, 1995).

Lucidity of business motive assists in dismissing the subjective motive assigned by uninformed employees that have a tendency to lean toward workplace discrimination. As such, procedures and processes for hiring, promotion and growth opportunities must be transparent. This may be facilitated through open and consistent communication between staff and management.

Managing these attributes of diversity presents a distinct advantage to Big Time Investment especially during this era where creativity and flexibility play a significant role to organizations competitiveness. For an organization to be able to meet its new customer’s needs and thus achieve its goals, it needs to be adaptable and flexible (Forsyth, 1991).

Diversity enhances creativity and thus, diverse work force in an organization will facilitate better solutions to the problems, as well as high level of analysis to problems (Cyert, 1998). With successful management of diversity, an organization develops a good reputation whereby it is viewed as an employer of choice. As a result, the organization will attract highly skilled people from a decreasing labor pool. Tentatively, it will be able to save time and costs incurred in recruitment. Therefore, Big Time Investments has come with substantive improvements to the current diversity initiatives. Whereby, it will ensure proper accommodations for disabled applicants.

Secondly, recruit more diverse applicants particularly women and the underutilized minorities. Additionally, it will have a panel interview so as to ensure that the committee is diverse, whereby there are diverse life experiences, job classifications, unit affiliations and length of service. As such, the investment will have diverse perspectives and remove bias, both institutional and cultural during the selection process.

By doing this, Big Time Investment will be able to work towards achieving its objective, as well as will be attracted to invest in Johnson Control. Arguably, it offers cultural informed services to an increasing demand and diverse customer base and as a result, achieves its organizational and cultural goals. In the case that an organization declines or ignores to manage diversity it faces issues of efficiency, time and costs which will at the end affect the organizational and cultural goals.

Conclusively, by its nature, diversity in employment is ever changing dynamic. As a result of continuous change, companies should periodically assess their present situation with retrospect to achieving the present diversity goals. The study of human relations is vital for personal and career development. It helps to develop several aspects of the personal character of an employee. In order to fit in and work properly in the Johnson Control Company, the employee must understand, respect and be able to tolerate their workmates. They have to be able to fit into groups, communicate and share ideas and cultivate an atmosphere of mutual trust. The management also has to keep them satisfied, make them feel valuable and improve their feeling of self-worth. All these demonstrate the importance of strong human relations in business.

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