Of Mice and Men Literary Criticism Essay - 1941 Words

At the mention of the name, John Steinbeck, many associations can be made to the classic works produced by the man. However, he did not begin his life as a successful writer. Growing up in Salinas, California, Steinbeck lived the life of a common man, working to survive in the Land of Promise. He began to develop a taste for writing; however, he studied marine biology while he attended Stanford University. Without graduating with a degree, Steinbeck began working as a laborer and reporter for the American in New York City. After realizing that he was not meeting his goals, or at least coming close to them, Steinbeck moved back to California where he continued to work in various odd jobs while he pursuing his career as a professional†¦show more content†¦When Candy thinks back on his dog, he becomes sad and says to George, I ought to of shot that dog myself, George. I shouldnt ought to of let no stranger shoot my dog (61). Candy thinks that the right thing to have done would have been to kill his dog himself. Later in the story, George is faced with a similar situation. While Lennie is being hunted by the angry group, George decides that it would have been better to kill Lennie himself because Lennie was Georges companion, his best friend, his pet, and his responsibility. Candy continues to search for companionship by trying to get in on the dream to own land, which was originally shared by Lennie and George. Candy tries to contribute money to the dream but in the end, the dream is shattered when Lennie dies. This is Steinbecks way of saying that men are destined to be alone in the end. Even though Candy and George were still around, they both realized that there was no hope for getting out of the horrible hand they were dealt. This relationship between George and Lennie contrasts the loneliness that surrounds their everyday life. Every person around them is lonely in one way or another. Theres Candy, whose only companion was an old dog, Crooks, the isolated black man, Curleys wife, who is trapped and subjected to Curley in their marriage, and Curley, who doesnt even trust his wife. When GeorgeShow MoreRelatedEssay The Futility of Dreams in John Steinbecks Of Mice and Men1915 Words   |  8 PagesThe Futility of Dreams in Of Mice and Men    Everyone has a dream they hope to achieve, but dreams are not always possible to attain. In John Steinbecks Of Mice and Men, two ranch hands, George and Lennie, find work in Salinas Valley. Lennie, constantly getting into trouble, inadvertently causes the two of them to be run out of town and thus have to find new work regularly. 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Managing Human Resource The Art of Balancing

Question: Discuss about the Managing Human Resource for The Art of Balancing. Answer: Introduction Human Resource Management, or HRM, refers to a process of hiring and developing employees so as to make them more valuable to an organization (Yukl, n.d.). It usually incorporates conducting job analyses, recruitment of the right individuals for the job, planning personnel needs, management of salaries and wages, orienting and training, and evaluating employee performance. HRM also constitutes offering of benefits and incentives, communication with all staff at all levels, and resolution of disputes or conflicts. An organizations HR department is charged with the creation, implementation, and overseeing of policies that govern employee behavior and that of the organization toward its employees. It is impossible for any given organization to establish a good team of working experts without good human resources. Apart from employee performance, appraisals and motivation, HRM is also responsible for workplace safety and communication. This process is important to an organization because it encourages the staff to work as per their capabilities and offers them ideas that can assist them to bring about improvement in it (Duck, n.d.). Notably, a good work environment is an advantage that employees can expect from an effective HR team. By ensuring a healthy, clean, and safe setting, the management of an organization can bring out the best in an employee. Todays business world is quite diverse and this means that disputes can occur at any given time because of differences in cultures, values, beliefs, and norms. It is the duty of the HRM department to act as a mediator and consultant to sort out disputes or other issues that might come up, in an effective manner. Any organization that does not have a proper setup for Human Resource Management is bound to suffer from serious issues while trying to manage its normal business activities. Over time, organizations of all sizes undergo some form of organizational change. What many managers are yet to understand is that effective communication and just treatment of staff are usually deciding factors in the triumph or failure of any organizational change initiatives (Catlette Hadden, 2000). It is expected that employees will automatically embrace change, but it is critical that they understand the managements vision, particularly how this change will benefit the organization. Unmotivated employees tend to resist organizational change rather than welcome it. The HRM personnel must be prepared to address the various concerns and questions that employees will inherently have during the change process. There should also be a communication strategy that regularly reinforces the benefits and vision of the organizational change. If the change is with regards to leadership style, the top management and HRM should ensure that all employees are familiarized with the new leadership style and informed of the benefits that come with it. This business report will focus on a particular company, Top Trucking Company, which recently underwent an organizational change with regards to its leadership. It will look at how the contextual change affected or influenced the companys business activities, and the role of managers and changes in the organizational structure. The report will further discuss the challenges, if any, that Top Trucking Company faced in management employment relations. Employment relations, communication, performance management, and managerial styles will be highlighted with reference to the change at the company. A conclusion on the matter will be provided at the end of this business report. How do the new workplace practices introduced by the new yard manager complement one another? Top Trucking Company was considered to be a high-performance workplace and had held a firm position in the local product market. Recently, this organization was acquired by a big national transport group, forcing the old yard manager to retire. This meant that the management, leadership style and workplace practices would change following the introduction of the new yard manager. In the past, the company had been a tough place to work in that the old yard manager was very autocratic. He was not polite with the employees and entertained a lot of carelessness with regards to the safety of the staff. As stated in the case study, this old yard manager did not have ways of solving conflicts which were quite common during his leadership. It was apparent that most of the filing and book keeping was done manually. However, following the introduction of the new yard manager, things changed for the better. This manager had a different approach to handling employees and his leadership style was more democratic. He was willing to listen to and offer suggestions for any concerns that would be brought forth. The new yard manager simply made all employees feel important and contributing towards the organizational goals. This new way of carrying out business activities at Top Trucking Company had a huge impact on business activities for instance within a few years, it had won a number of new contracts (Anonymous, 2003). The old yard manager was not welcoming and this earned him a bad name with his potential clients. The employees were also not motivated and had developed low self-esteem; they did not believe in themselves since the old yard managers did not encourage them to be creative and innovative. However, under the new management and leadership, visitors would be seen from the head office and other yards around the nation. The company was now the representation of how organizations successfully implement organizational change. People from all over the country would now come to Top Trucking Company to observe how business activities were being carried out. The new yard manager applied and implemented participative change strategies which involved changes in rationales for action, percepts of the organization, attitudes, skills, and values (Abrahamson, 2000). Notably, top managers at this particular company had a role to play in addition to making changes in the organizational structure. Firstly, they were able to communicate the new changes to both the drivers of Top Trucking Company, and union representatives or stakeholders. Lack of communication is among factors resulting in resistance to change, and the new yard manager was well aware of this fact. Secondly, before, during and after the implementation of the organizational change, top managers were willing to listen to the employees opinions and concerns. They were in a better position of understanding the employees perspectives and feelings about the imposed changes. In addition, these managers were able to create and maintain a pleasant work environment for the employees, something which kept them motivated and eager to work towards organizational goals. Employees re-developed their self esteem, and their backs started to straighten (Burke Litwin, n.d.). They were no longer afraid to contribute towards the laid out company objectives, and their performance greatly improved. Top managers at Top Trucking Compan y were there to guide and encourage employees to embrace the new change. The organizational structure of the company is a valuable instrument in attaining coordination. Todays organizations are capable of operating within various different organizational structures, each possessing different pros and cons. With the old yard manager, the organizational structure was more centralized in that the decision-making power was focused at the higher levels in the organization. He would be the one to have the final say in a given project and would not allow employees to make any contributions towards the decision. On the other hand, the new yard manager implemented a more decentralized organizational structure where more decision-making power was given to lower-level employees, the outcome being a sense of empowerment (Burke, 2008). He used the performance management approach where by introducing a different way of operation and motivating employees, the number of contracts increased and employees felt more confident in their work. What are the risks to sustaining these changes if George or the yard manager moves on? So far, the changes that are taking place at Top Trucking Company have yielded positive outcomes, and it seems the company is off to a successful implementation of an organizational change after all. However, there may be a few risks to sustaining these changes if George or the yard manager moves on. There may also be some challenges in managing employment relationship issues. The new yard manager, unlike the old one, has managed to re-establish a comfortable, safe, and pleasant work environment where all employees feel valuable and needed. He has also managed to allow them to contribute towards the decision-making process. One of the risks to sustaining these transformations would be to have an employee trade the companys secrets. As indicated in the case presented, the new yard manager was not afraid to share information regarding the triumphs and pressures of the business (Conner, n.d.). This means that all information was readily available for any employee, if they requested it. An employee looking to get back at the new yard manager or resist the change would be lured into trading such information to the companys competitors. Secondly, some employees may be tempted to take advantage of the new democratic leadership style by going against company policies. Since their contributions are welcomed and listened to, such employees may want for their opinions to push through, forcibly discouraging their fellow workers from airing out any suggestions or ideas (Anderson Anderson, 2001). Another risk would be in the management of employment relations issues. Considering the fact that Top Trucking Company has a diverse workforce, it is easy for conflicts to arise if not addressed soon. If George or the new yard manager was to move on, there might be conflict since each employee would want their opinions and contributions heard. That is why it is necessary for George and the new yard manager to find ways of addressing such issues, should they arise. Do you think tough blue collar unions like the Transport Workers Union are more or less likely to engage in workplace changes like these than public or service sector unions? Why? How would you find out if you were right? I think that tough blue collar unions are less likely to engage in workplace changes like these compared to public or service sector unions because they tend to operate by the book. Public or service sector unions are more democratic and believe in a fair and just organizational structure. Theirs is more decentralized compared to the tough blue collar unions. To find out if I am right, I would consider a few HRM theories, models or frameworks that are applicable to this particular case for instance, the Change Management Foundation Model which can be used to describe the conventional ways of the blue collar unions. In this pyramid-like model, the employees and those implementing change are at the base, while top management and leadership setting the direction for the organization are at the top (Phillips, n.d.). The leadership style existing in unions such as the Transport Workers Union is more autocratic than democratic. On the other hand, the Lewins 3-Stage Model of Change can be used to describe the situation present in public or service sector unions. This model, also referred to as the unfreeze-change-refreeze is currently being implemented by most organizations today. The unfreeze stage involves preparing the organization or staff to accept that the change is necessary. The change phase involves employees beginning to resolve their uncertainties and looking for new ways to perform their various tasks. They also understand the benefits associated with the change. In the refreeze stage, changes not only begin to take shape, but are also internalized and institutionalized through incorporation into everyday business activities (Little, 2014). Public or service sector unions operate under a more democratic leadership structure and are therefore more likely to engage in workplace changes compared to the tough blue collar unions. Conclusion From what has been highlighted in this business report, organizational change can take various forms, and may also incorporate a companys policies, technology, culture, structure, procedures, or strategy. A shift in the environment can force an organization to make sudden changes so as to keep up with the current business trends. With reference to Top Trucking Company, change is all about letting go of the old ways and embracing new ways. We have seen how the old yard manager was distinct from the new yard manager in terms of their leadership styles. HRM theories relating to the case have also been briefly discussed. Top managers in any given organization have an important role to play in ensuring successful implementation of organizational change. How they address change issues such as resistance to change and employment relations determines the success or failure of the change. Todays business environment is changing fast and organizations must also transform quickly too. References Abrahamson, E. (2000). Change without pain. Harvard Business Review, 78(4). Pp. 75 79. Anderson, D., Anderson, L.A. (2001). Beyond change management: Advanced strategies for todays transformational leaders. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Anonymous. (2003). Making change work for real. HR Focus, 80(1). S1 S2. Bernerth, J. (2004). Expanding our understanding of the change message. Human Resource Development Review, 3(1). Pp. 36 52. Bovey, W.H., Hede, A. (2001). Resistance to organizational change: The role of defence mechanisms. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 16(7). Pp. 553 548. Burke, W. (2008). Organizational change: Theory and practice. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. Burke, W., Litwin, G. (n.d.). A causal model of organizational performance and change. Journal of Management, Vol. 18, No. 3. Catlette, B., Hadden, R. (2000). Prepared to go, but eager to stay. Workforce, 79(8). Pp. 32 33. Conner, D.R. (n.d.). Managing at the speed of change: How resilient mangers succeed and prosper where other fail. Chichester: John Wiley Sons. Duck, J.D. (n.d.). Managing change: The art of balancing. Harvard Business Review, 71(6). Pp. 109 118. Harper, S.C. (n.d.). Leading organizational change in the 21st century. Industrial Management, 40(3). Pp. 25 30. Levasseur, R.E. (2001). People skills: Change management tools Lewins change model. Interfaces, 31(4). Pp. 71 73. Little, J. (2014). Lean change management: Innovative practices for managing organizational change. New York: Happy Melly Express. Phillips, J.R. (n.d.). Enhancing the effectiveness of organizational change management. Human Resource Management, 22(1-2). Pp. 183 199. Pietersen, W. (2002). The Mark Twain dilemma: The theory and practice of change leadership. Journal of Business Strategy, 23(5). Pp. 32 37. Yukl, G. (n.d.). Leadership in organizations. New Jersey: Prentice Hall.