Lauren Napoli August 28, 2012 Chapter 1 Discussion Questions BUS301N-111 Professor Nash

1.) Are people always an organizations most valuable asset? Why or why not? As stated by Thomas J Watson of IBM you can get capital and erect buildings, but it takes people to build a business. Change is crucial in any organization, without it your competition will continually exceed you. In this day and age, buyers are constantly looking to buy the newest technology available. Without a reliable group of employees dealing with all aspects of a company, whether it be from HR to product development, you will not stay afloat as a corporation. Once you have hired the staff you develop their skills and increase their human capital. This then enables these knowledge workers to improve the product or service being offered in every aspect of the company. With furthering globalization of business comes the need to have personnel that are able to: note any changes occurring in the industry, maintain and reengineer their product line, manage financial aspects (contain costs) and most importantly to be socially responsible. The employees of a company are the companies propeller to success.

2.) Suppose your boss asked you summarize the major people-related concerns related to opening an office in China. What issues would be on your list? Since the 1970s, every year, American citizens and businesses have purchased more goods and services abroad-including labor- than they have sold. Some of the major duties within the HR department are to develop and undergo strategies for: planning, recruitment, staffing, job design, benefits, training and development, appraisal, communications, compensations and labor relations. The major effect of having a company in China is that you must address and maintain each of the aforementioned concerns while at the same time being culturally relevant and sensitive to differences within societies. In other words, when managers talk about going global, they have to balance a complicated set of issues related to different geographies, including different cultures, employment laws, and business practices, and the

safety of employees and facilities abroad. Another challenge of globalization is the difficulty in training staff members that live abroad, either from foreign managers or ones that are relocated there; although collaborative software has significantly facilitated this process. The benefits of offshoring are that labor costs are often significantly cheaper and working regulations are immensely more relaxed. As a consequence of offshoring Americans are losing jobs and the virtual employee is taking over.

3.) Name a company you hope to work for someday. What is its track record in terms of CSR and sustainability? Are these factors important to you? Why or why not? After graduating Marist I hope to continue with my career as a Medical Laboratory Scientist. Once my student loans are paid off, I desire to fulfill my dream of going to medical school and upon graduating work for Doctors Without Borders. Doctors Without Borders recruits medical and non-medical aid workers to provide assistance in nearly 60 countries to people whose survival is threatened by violence, neglect, or catastrophe, primarily due to armed conflict, epidemics, malnutrition, exclusion from health care, or natural disasters. I couldnt think of any other organization that has better CSR than this. The funding for most expenses comes from donations and fundraising globally. Doctors (people who, when its all said and done, owe a minimum of $150,000 on postgraduate education) are given a stipend for their living expenses but are essentially volunteers. However in regards to sustainability while the organization remains a non-profit, its existence still flourishes with patrons support. Assuming these factors, I only intend on participating in DWB for a couple of years, it will provide me the opportunity to travel the world more, help individuals in dire need, learn about different ethnicities and cultures,

expand my knowledge in my field and potentially similar fields, and be exposed to cases that I would have never seen had I stayed in America to continue my work.

4.) Will technology eliminate the need for HR managers? With the introduction of the human resources information system (HRIS) came the eradication of personnel undergoing task such as payroll processing, employee record maintenance, and administration of benefit programs. Its utilization has lowered administrative costs, increased productivity, sped up response times, improved decision making and tracked a companys talent. In my opinion the use of high-tech equipment in various roles of HR positions will not ultimately eliminate the need for HR managers. We must keep in mind that a major role of HR deals with people to people situations. I would find it ridiculous if one day I was being hired, praised, trained, etc. by a computer. These are all actions that require gut instinct and personal connections. They require people to explain and elaborate thoughts into ideas and suggestions. A computer does not have these feelings and would therefore be unable to make knowledgeable decisions.