Alternate Work Arrangement, business and finance homework help

Question description

Alternate Work Arrangements
Various
alternative work arrangements exist for use in businesses and other types of
organizations; included among the options are compressed workweeks, flexible
work schedules, telecommuting, and job sharing. This case focuses on
alternative work arrangements in general rather than on a particular one
exclusively; however, telecommuting does receive additional attention.
The
case revolves around the potential advantages and disadvantages that are
associated with alternative work arrangements, and the factors that are
contributing to an increased use of various alternative work arrangements by
employers. With respect to the various advantages and disadvantage that are
identified in the case, the positives seem to outweigh the negatives.
“Organizations that offer flexible working arrangements are, and will continue
to be, employers of choice. ¼ Employees consistently rank flexible schedules
high on their list of desired benefits; employers who are reluctant to offer
these popular perks will find themselves falling short in the bidding wars for
talent.” The case identifies three underlying factors that are driving the
movement toward the increased utilization of alternative work arrangements in
many different workplaces. These factors are: (a) the needs, desires, and
expectations of workers for greater flexibility at work; (b) fuel costs and
fuel consumption associated with commuting, and the related carbon footprint
impact; and (c) the restrictive impact of the 2008-2009 economic recession on
job opportunities.
The
case concludes by pointing out that many nations have experimented successfully
with various flexible work programs and some countries have enacted legislation
promoting alternative work arrangements. It then poses the question: “Will the
United States government and American businesses be adequately prepared to meet
future economic challenges, at least in part, by embracing the movement toward
increasing use of alternative work arrangements?”
Case
Study – Alternative Work Arrangements: Possible Solutions for a Plethora of
Problems?
Alternative
work arrangements, such as compressed workweeks, flexible work schedules,
telecommuting, or job sharing, can have positive and negative consequences for
employers and employees. In general, alternative work arrangements can generate
beneficial outcomes, particularly for employers, such as “increased employee
retention, loyalty and morale; higher productivity; improved recruiting of
highly qualified workers; decreased employee tardiness and unscheduled
absences; and maximum use of facilities and equipment.” On the employees’ side,
telecommuting—one type of alternative work arrangement—has favorable effects on
perceived autonomy, the resolution of work–family conflicts, job performance,
job satisfaction, and the experience of stress. What is more, it does not harm
perceived career prospects or the quality of workplace relationships. On the
downside, however, are the challenges associated with making these programs
work for both employer and employees: handling issues regarding employee
training, work monitoring, and performance evaluation; maintaining lines of
communication with bosses and coworkers; and changing the attitudes of managers
who might be uncomfortable with anything other than traditional working
arrangements.
On
balance the positives seem to outweigh the negatives. “Organizations that offer
flexible working arrangements are, and will continue to be, employers of
choice.¼ Employees consistently rank flexible schedules high on their list of
desired benefits; employers who are reluctant to offer these popular perks will
find themselves falling short in the bidding wars for talent.”
Although
alternative work arrangements can be highly beneficial for both employers and
employees, we need to ask the question: “What seems to be the underlying
factors that are driving the movement toward the increased utilization of
alternative work arrangements in many different workplaces?” One factor
reflects the needs and desires of workers. “Many people today are seeking
flexibility at work. Parents ¼ may want more time for family. Students hope to
fit employment into a busy class schedule. And some people look for work after
retirement. Whatever their situation, they’re not alone in wanting a job that’s
a better match for their lives.”
Younger
workers and those nearing retirement age are two particular segments of the
workforce that can be meaningfully targeted by employers offering various
alternative work arrangements. Younger workers are entering the workforce with
different expectations than previous generations of workers. Whereas their
parents were work-centric, most members of Generations X and Y give priority to
their personal lives; or at the very least they desire to balance their work
lives and personal lives. Sharif Khan, vice-president of human resources at
Microsoft Canada, says, “Gen X and Gen Y are coming into the workplace with the
expectation that they’re going to be treated as individuals, [who] ¼ want to be
able to fit their life and their work together comfortably, as opposed to
focusing on work and dealing with life after the fact.”
Another
important demographic group in the workforce consists of those individuals
nearing retirement. “Baby Boomers are reaching retirement age. While many
Boomers may choose to stretch their retirement date based on some combination
of lifestyle choice and recent market developments, many are opting for
less-demanding positions or reduced workloads.” “By 2020, 16 percent of the
U.S. population will be age 65 and over, up from 12 percent in 1999. ¼ Yet
leaders of many organizations ignore aging workforce issues despite the
potential problems they see coming, and some damage seems likely to occur
before the issues receive appropriate attention.” “[T]he size of the Baby
Boomer demographic group exceeds current graduating classes, and replacing
their experience will be a challenge for most firms.”
Increasingly,
business and governmental organizations are adopting alternative work
arrangements for economic reasons. For example, a May 2008 poll conducted by
the Society for Human Resource Management indicated that 18 percent of
responding organizations offered telecommuting in order to help employees with
rising fuel costs. Four months later, with fuel prices continuing to soar, the
percentage of organizations offering the telecommuting option had risen to 40
percent. In October 2008, when gasoline prices were peaking, Ann Bednarz,
writing in Network World, reported that “[g]as shortages in the Southeast
United States are prompting companies to consider expanding their telework
programs so employees can conserve fuel. Other options workers are weighing
include greater use of carpools and public transit, along with alternative
scheduling arrangements such as four-day work weeks.”
In
addition to the dramatic increase in fuel costs in the summer and autumn of
2008, concerns about global warming and long commutes have fostered interest in
alternative arrangements. Moreover, two recession-related factors could lead
more employees to seek out long-distance telecommuting options for at least
part of their time on the job. First, the slow housing market limits people’s ability
to move to new jobs. Consequently, rather than physically commuting a long
distance for a new job, part-time, long-distance telecommuting could be an
option. Second, the weak job market that has been caused by the recession
appears to be increasing the number of commuter marriages wherein the spouses
work in different cities. Here too, part-time, long-distance telecommuting
might be a viable option.
Many
nations have experimented successfully with various flexible work programs; and
indeed, some countries have enacted laws to make alternative work arrangements
more accessible to employees. Although the United States has not enacted such
legislation, the demographic and economic changes that are occurring may result
in alternative work arrangements laws that “could play an important role in
preparing the U.S. economy for the future.”
Will
the U.S. government and American businesses be adequately prepared to meet
future economic challenges, at least in part, by embracing the movement toward
increasing use of alternative work arrangements?
This
case was written by Michael K. McCuddy, The Louis S. and Mary L. Morgal Chair
of Christian Business Ethics and Professor of Management, College of Business
Administration, Valparaiso University.
In
your paper discuss the following questions with concepts from the course:
How can employees benefit from alternative work
arrangements?  Why?What are some of the possible negative outcomes for
employers and/or employees regarding alternative work arrangements? Please
explain your answer.What types of factors are influencing organizations to
consider using alternative work arrangements? Explain how alternative work
arrangements can address the problems/issues that are raised by these
factors.Should the availability of alternative work
arrangements to employees in the United States be mandated by law? Why or
why not?
The
requirements below must be met for your paper to be accepted and graded:
Write between 750 – 1,250 words (approximately 3 – 5
pages) using Microsoft Word in APA style, see example below.Use font size 12 and 1” margins.Include cover page and reference page.At least 80% of your paper must be original
content/writing.No more than 20% of your content/information may come
from references.Use at least three references from outside the course
material, one reference must be from EBSCOhost. Text book, lectures, and
other materials in the course may be used, but are not counted toward the
three reference requirement.Cite all reference material (data, dates, graphs,
quotes, paraphrased words, values, etc.) in the paper and list on a
reference page in APA style.
References
must come from sources such as, scholarly journals found in EBSCOhost, CNN,
online newspapers such as, The Wall Street Journal, government websites, etc.
Sources such as, Wikis, Yahoo Answers, eHow, blogs, etc. are not acceptable for
academic writing.  

A detailed explanation of how to cite a source using APA can be found here (link).  

Download an example here.

Grading
Criteria Assignments

Maximum
Points

Meets
or exceeds established assignment criteria

40

Demonstrates
an understanding of lesson concepts

20

Clearly
present well-reasoned ideas and concepts

30

Mechanics,
punctuation, sentence structure, spelling that affects clarity, and citation
of sources as needed           

10

Total

100