Responding to another students discussion board post
This assignment is to articulate a meaningful response that provides respectful and constructive feedback to another students discussion board post. These are the requirements when responding:
Reply to at least 2 classmates. Your replies must be typed in separate Microsoft Word documents. Your replies must include meaningful and substantive contributions to the discussion. Each reply must be 200–300 words. Include a reference page, and be sure to have in-text citations for the following sources:
- At least 1 citation from Mello (2019).
- At least 1 citation from Hardy (1990).
- At least 1 citation from a related scholarly journal
Here is the students original post you are responding to:
Work life balance is on the mind of many employees and organization are actively pursuing initiatives that are designed to minimize this conflict while enabling employees to optimize effectiveness inside and outside of work (Parakandi & Behery, 2016). Mello (2019) discusses extensively about work life balance and how employees are seeking a better balance and how organizations are changing work/job design to accommodate the growing demand. Organizations are creating opportunities for teleworking and using flexible scheduling to deal with the concerns (Mello, 2019). These initiatives have created some positive results including reduced turnover and increased productivity (Mello, 2019). The Patagonia corporation creatively embraces the work life balance by providing day care, closing and locking the headquarter offices at 8:00pm on the weekdays and all weekend (Mello, 2019). This commitment demonstrates a reinforcing corporate attitude toward providing a proper work life balance and subsequently Patagonia has virtually 100% retention (Mello, 2019). Hardy (1990) also discussed the need for a proper work life balance and God calls us for many vocations. Hardy (1990) states that not only is he called to work but also,
I am called to love, honor, and encourage my wife; as a parent, to care and provide for my children; as a citizen, to be an informed participant in the political process; as a parishioner, to identify and make use of my spiritual gifts, edifying the community of faith; as a teacher; to instruct and advise my students (p. 112).
It is important to work and serve to glorify God, but we are also called in life to serve our family and community so we must find the proper work life balance. Some people are fortunate enough to have their paid work be their vocation but others often use their paid work to be able to participate in their vocation (Hardy, 1990) While even others paid work does not serve the community well, they can use the skills required for that task to serve the community outside of work (Hardy, 1990). An example of this is a plastic surgeon paid for cosmetic changes but using those skills free of charge to fix physical deformities in poor countries (Hardy, 1990). Whatever God has called you to do, a good work life balance is always desired to prevent idolizing work and succumbing to burnout and to create time for personal reflection and growth.
Job satisfaction was also discussed in depth by Mello (2019). Organizations investing in employees and are redesigning jobs to give employees what they want including feeling useful and being valued. (Mello, 2019). Raharjo, Nurjannah, Solimun, and Achmad Rinaldo Fernandes, (2018) state that “a job that provides employees with autonomy and variety therefore strengthens employees’ feeling of being competent and self-determined” (p. 1351). Companies are also redesigning jobs to offer greater responsibilities and initiating job rotation to promote additional skill learnings and value all in the effort to increase job satisfaction (Mello, 2019). Creating and building teams as well as interaction and interventions with employees to prevent monotony and disengagement are active human resource development initiatives (Mello, 2019). Hardy (1990) discussing choosing the right job based on your calling and talents that God has provided you and without selfish motives so that you have job satisfaction and don’t fall into disengagement from work. Full job satisfaction can come when your paid job and vocation are one and the same as you are fulfilling your calling (Hardy, 1990). Job satisfaction can also involve learning new skills that can be used in your vocation outside of paid work in service for the glory of God (Hardy, 1990). Hardy (1990) makes a great statement about job seekers wanting job satisfaction along with security and salary, but only a few look for the social responsibility of a company to which God calls us to.
References
Hardy, L. (1990). The fabric of this world. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing.
Mello, J. A. (2019). Strategic human resource management (5th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.
Parakandi, M., & Behery, M. (2016). Sustainable human resources: Examining the status of organizational work–life balance practices in the United Arab Emirates. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 55, 1370-1379. doi:10.1016/j.rser .2015.07.095.
Raharjo, K., Nurjannah, Solimun, & Achmad Rinaldo Fernandes, A. (2018). The influence of organizational culture and job design on job commitment and human resource performance. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 31(7), 1346-1367. doi:10.1108/JOCM-07-2017-0286.
