Working in Modern Society - Essay Example

? Working in Modern Society Introduction Work has drastically changed in modern America this is because societies, firms, and factories industrializing. Modern work in factories, industries, offices, and any other place are characterized by supervision, speed, and subdivision, which are characterized by differentiated concepts between traditional work and modern work. The transition from traditional to modern work has brought many changes in industrial systems, which are used in enlightening present problems and patterns. Work in America has great influence beyond its borders and most people in other countries have migrated to this country in search of investment and employment. Factors that are influencing the modern workplace are service oriented economy, increased productivity demands, and proliferation of global markets. It is very important to understand the changes in the workforce because they have relative impact on the employee’s motivation (Zafirovski, 2009). To understand an individual’s work ethics and work habits, it is very important to consider the extent to which employees like their jobs. A research, which was done earlier in 1930s, and 40s indicated that job satisfaction is important in assessing the behavior of the workforce. A portion of the current researches done is questioning the impact of job satisfaction on productivity. A larger portion of available data suggests that job satisfaction influences employee absenteeism, turnover, and commitment. Job satisfaction has remained one of the main tenets of organization theory. Many people claim that it is a fundamental understanding of workforce dynamics. Some people claim that job satisfaction does not have any direct effect on productivity, but they recognize the potential indirect impacts of satisfaction on productivity measures. An overall American workers report shows very high levels of satisfaction with their current jobs. In a survey conducted in 1999, nearly 89% reported that they were satisfied with their current jobs. In addition, the survey indicated that 55% of the workers were very satisfied. Such findings of high job satisfaction are not new in United States. Another survey (General Social Survey) has been conducted by NORC since 1972 (Carroll, 2000). The percentage of workers satisfied has been ranging between 80% and 85% and the average of those very satisfied ranges between 45% and 50%. CSRA survey of 1999 shows higher results of satisfaction than those of GSS of 1998. This is not seen as a surprise when compared to high level of public confidence and current unemployment rates in the nation’s economy. American workforce is not monolithic because demographic characteristics of the workforce are diverse and many different kinds of jobs exist. American workers differ based on structural factors associated with their workplace, qualitative factors related to their jobs, and demographic characteristics. Generally, 55% of men and women in CSRA survey reported that they are satisfied with their jobs. Older workers tended to report a high level of job satisfaction when compared with younger workers. The survey indicated that 57% of workers between 30 to 49 years, 58% of workers between 50 to 64 years, and 61% of workers between 65 years and above were very satisfied with their jobs. On the other hand, 48% of the workers between 18 and 29 years are satisfied with their jobs. The differences noted between these groups include income level, but it was not determined by only age. The level of education attained did not lead to any differences in job satisfaction (Reeve, 2006). When the data is determined by race, it shows a slight difference in percentage between the white and non-white workers. Among the white, 56% were very satisfied while 50% of non-white were very satisfied. Higher income workers showed high levels of satisfaction with their jobs at 59% while lower income workers at 47%. The survey indicated that self-employed were very satisfied with their jobs at 68% while those people who work for public at 54%, private at 52%, and non-profit making at 56%. The findings are consistent across both waves because of the relative small sample of the self-employed in each survey. The results are only statistically the same when the data are pooled. Knowledge based economy is the production of goods and services based on knowledge intensive activities, which leads to an accelerated pace of scientific and technical advance. The important element in knowledge-based economy is greater reliance on intellectual activities than on natural resources or physical inputs (Zafirovski, 2009). Many commentators and scholars have argued that the leading part of the economy in the developed countries is driven by technologies based on knowledge and information. Economic history has undergone some transformations from agriculture based to manufacturing based economies over time. The transformation has some effects on the social structure of the communities. This is because new styles of living evolved from metropolitan culture and new jobs were created in the manufacturing industries. In the side of business, the same transformation is now taking place. Business has grown globally in the last years making the current business atmosphere competitive, fluid, and fast (Reeve, 2006). A political and technological event-taking place all over the world is affecting the knowledge-based economy as it is happening in the neighboring countries. This is because where there is war; many properties are destroyed as well as residents being displaced. This will bring the knowledge-based economy to a standstill. In addition, foreign investors will not be willing to invest in the country because of security reasons, which make them shy away. Globalization is the main activity as the volume of products and global trade has increased many folds. This makes the world economies open-up to the new world horizons. The developments in the information technology sector have increased the pace at which the events are improving. This has brought new products into the market from all over the world leading to increased reach of the organizations and the global watch. This will automatically force companies to reduce the product development time and product cost of their products. The residents will benefit from the reduced product costs leading to improved standard of living. ICTs especially Internet/Intranet has provided means of acquiring knowledge and new channels, which open new ways of promising opportunities like e-business. The sharp decrease in the cost of computer software and hardware, and improvement in software development has increased the number of businesses using computers (Nolan, 1994). Computers have been proved a revolutionary tool for management as it is used in storing processing data and other information in the organization. The commentators, academics, and economists have agreed that an organization is a well-coordinated collection of capabilities, which is bounded by its own history. As productivity in manufacturing is increasing, work force jobs in the factory are declining. This is viewed as a negative aspect towards the knowledge-based economy as it affects the common residents, but the general economy is improved. Despite the fact that work force jobs are declining, jobs in the services sector are growing because firms and industries are organizing work around technology. Large labor pools that were very crucial in the old economy like customer markets, transportation routes, and access to raw materials are becoming less important. The new economic factors, which are which effective and successful in the homegrown, are entrepreneurship and technological innovation. The most important and valuable input in the firm now is the talent and skills of the workforce. Currently, the most important and locational factor in the industry is the pool of skilled workers (Zafirovski, 2009). There are many features, which are observable in the knowledge-based economy. One of the is the smart products produced by the industry as a result of using knowledge based economy to provide a service or functionality and commanding premium prices. Every industry is fighting to become more knowledge intensive as this is the crucial factor in the current industries. The industries have moved in considering the market of intangibles more than the tangibles. This is because of the use of technology in the knowledge-based economy. In addition, the industries are valuing the intangibles services than the tangible items or goods (Nolan, 1994). This is evidenced in a situation where the market value of most companies is much higher than the value of the physical items as recorded in the balance sheets. There is higher information to weight ratios in this economy. For instance, the financial value of American exports has increased many times more while that of the physical weight of goods exported is almost the same. In a knowledge-based economy, the source of economic growth is the production of ideas and not production of goods. Knowledge is recognized as the main driver of economic growth and productivity. The workforce in America is very diverse as it includes ethnic groups and individuals who are brought together by the aspect of professionalism. This has been brought about by the migration of different individuals to America and is from different ethnic groups. Many people have migrated to America, as they need to gain knowledge and new skills and improved working conditions in different jobs (Carroll, 2000). This makes labor availability easier in the country and leading to an increase in Gross Domestic Product. It has been noted that immigration has affected the earnings of American workers. It has been reported by opponents that immigration has reduced the salaries and wages of Native Americans, which affect the less skilled individuals. Many people migrated to America because of democracy in the country. Individuals in America work upon their environment directly or indirectly as they make their pursue careers, make decisions for themselves, enter into a relationship, and live their lives. The government system makes centralized rules and decisions, which affect all citizens and other individuals equally. Corporate power is a social invention, which is created to bring private financial resources in services of public purpose. It will allow and assist one or more individuals to leverage massive political and economic resources in private and clearly focused agendas and protect themselves from legal actions. This is what is practiced by the private individuals so that they can protect themselves and proceed in their day to day activities. Conclusion Work in America has changed to manufacturing and technological standards leading to improved standards of living. This changed is stimulated by the migration of professionals who are specializing in specific fields, which is very hard to replace them. All this is because of well-organized knowledge-based economy. America is a well developed country with advanced education level colleges and universities (Reeve, 2006). The employees working conditions are improved with friendly salary. This has made many people from other nations to migrate to the country to seek for better employment and education. The migration of many people to America has affected the remuneration for the unskilled laborers. This is because professional from other nations replaces them. As the work transition is changed from traditional to modern, many people lost their jobs, as work force is no longer used but machines. As compensation to the lost jobs, other jobs are created in the technological field but skilled people are required. References Carroll, M. (2000). Popular Modernity in America: Experience, Technology, Mythohistory: United States, SUNY Press. Nolan, M. (1994). Visions of Modernity: American Business and the Modernization: NY, Oxford University Press. Reeve, H. (2006). Democracy in America, Volume 1: Oxford University: Longman, Green, Longman, and Roberts. Zafirovski, M. (2009). The Destiny of Modern Societies: The Calvinist Predestination of a New Society: United States, BRILL. 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