Introduction
Phil Knight and Bill Blowerman founded “Blue Ribbon Sports” in nineteen sixty four. The two contributed around five hundred dollars to the partnership. They managed to sell three hundred pairs of running tiger shoes in a period of three weeks. About 8 years later, they introduced an athletic foot ware that they named it after the Greek goddess of victory, “Nike.” In 1972, Blue Ribbon Sports introduced to the world Nike line of footwear. In 1980, Nike went public and some years later it became the predominant wear in the athletic world. In 1990, Nike underwent a period of substantial expansion. The company started with the acquisition of Cole Haan, which was an American Luxury brand. This acquisition was followed by other such as Ice hockey brand in 1994 and converse in 2003.
Question
Problem or Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome, Context (PICOC) (Appendix 1) was a method that used in coming up with a search strategy. The population that was examined was the employees, the intervention was outsourcing working condition that do not meet proper standard, and comparison was poor working conditions at Nike compared to the world standard, and the intended outcome was Improvement in the working conditions. Lastly, the context is Nike Inc. and it poor working standards. The question that was examined was: Outsourcing working condition that do not meet proper standard.
Search Strategy and Results
Searching strategy included two databases through the university library: Inside the Nike Matrix, Nike workers 'kicked, slapped and verbally abused' at factories making Converse. The search included peer reviewed and empirical study in examining the working conditions in Nike Inc. and yet it is the richest and most popular company in sports apparel, equipments and footwear. Key words that were paid keen interest were sweatshop labor, harassment, and poor management, mental and physical abuse among others. Google scholar also proved to be useful in the search. Articles as the one on the Daily Reporter were found on the Google scholar. Article searches results that were critically appraised are summarized in Appendix 2.
Critical Appraisal
Despite the company having a good reputation in terms of doing businesses and dominating in the business world, there are claims that workers are mistreated. There was an article that featured in the, Daily Mail Reporter, 13 July 2011 Unleashed a report which said that workers in Nike companies were mistreated; abused and kicked. There was also the claim of child labor in the same company. Nike is the world’s leading producer of sports brand and yet they are dogged for sweatshops and child labor. Workers making converse shoes in Indonesia said how they were being abused both mentally and physically by the employers. Other employees at a plant in Jakarta expressed their feelings of how their supervisors called them names such as pigs and dogs. Furthermore, the supervisors threw at them shoes, kick them and slap them. When such allegations are taken to the top management, the managers agree to the allegations claiming that those were the contractors who harass workers. The top management says that there is little it could do to help the workers from such abuses.
A document released by Nike together with The Associated Press showed the company still had very much to cover in terms of meeting appropriate working standards. This involved doing away with relying on sweatshop labor. One of the workers in Taiwan said that she was thoroughly kicked by her supervisor after making a slight mistake of a cutting a rubber for soles. The woman continued by saying that they were powerless. Others who were interviewed on the same matter said that they do their work out of fear. The only remaining choice is staying and suffering or coming out and being fired. Most of the workers are women and they are paid as low as 50 cents in an hour (Daily Mail Reporter, 13 July 2011)
More workers who were interviewed by Associated Press between March and April said that one man was beaten in the workplace until he bled. Other workers say that they were fired after they filed their arguments. A twenty year old woman told the news that the manager threw shoes at them and often beat them up. She continued by saying that the managers growled and slapped them when they were hungry. Another woman by the name of Mira Agustina came out clearly and said how abuse and harassment was part of the daily struggle. She was kicked out in two thousand and nine for taking a sick leave despite producing a doctor’s note (Daily Mail Reporter, 13 July 2011)
Basing on the human resource knowledge, the conditions that the workers in the well known, most popular and a billionaire company “Nike” are subjected to are below the standards. Workers unions and other employees federations have to intervene to make sure workers are paid and treated like human beings. Not slaves. A worker being paid 50cents per hour is like an abuse to them. That is far much beyond disrespect. The best term to be used in such a scenario is torture.
Several questions have been running in the minds of many CEOs and managers on how to create a good working place, how to define one and factors that contribute to such an environment. The subjects and questions have been subjects of matters. The research has led to companies like “Fortune” magazine to identify and publish best one hundred best performing companies. Among the considerations that make companies appear on the top one hundred companies is the tradition of the company. How workers are treated and their complaints are handled also place a very big role in company rankings.
There are attributes that have to be put into consideration for a good working environment to be achieved. Hard work, team work among employees, coordination among different departments of the organization and performance appraisal is considered to be key attributes. Discussed below are some of the best practices at work place.
In the analysis that was performed by Buffalo Organization for Social and Technological Innovation, an average employee spends fifty percent of his/her time at workplace. A good working space is one that is free of destructions and stress yield/ boosts the performance of the employee. Destruction may be in form of being harassed, yelled a, being abused among other minor actions. Impromptu interaction and collaboration at work places is also among the most needed and recommended practices. In the business environment, vast amount of information need to be passed from one employee to the next. This method is known as information sharing. Furthermore, information needs to be analyzed, discussed and distributed. Working place that allows interaction is vital for allowing information exchange program. Interactions in work place also lead to learning experiences. This experience helps in advancing the product to market. Depending on the traditions of a company and culture, team work helps in a number of goals. Interaction areas may be in the break rooms, coffee stations and cafeterias.
Workplaces should have spaces that may support undistracted meetings and team work. Organizations are increasingly relying on teamwork and group based goods/ products. Good coordination and teamwork in a chain of production helps in making the production process faster and easier. Team work leads to individuals appreciating each other in the same production line. The objective ensures that high speed is achieved, there is no time wastage and there is production of high quality products as well as adding value to the products. Furthermore, the method ensured that there was maximum utilization of the scarce resources.
A good working environment ensures that a worker gains a going self control technique. This technique is achieved by motivating workers, taking to them nicely and making sure that there are frequent meetings. The meetings ensure that pressing issues are aired and a way forward/ solution to the problem are sorted out before becoming a menace. Each year, international facility association makes a survey of company managers to take the complaints of the employees at various levels. Thus a good and conducive environment ensures maximum output from an employee.
A good working environment ensures that the employees can access the day light during the day. Residing indoors for the entire day makes workers lazy, dull and dizzy, therefore, workers should always have time for sunlight. Sunlight raises neurotransmitter in the brain known as serotonin. This chemical plays a very big role in handling of stress, mood and disposition. Time has passed when the employers and the managers used to enclose workers inside the premises. Time has come to an end when workers were being harassed by their employers and the managers. It is time for a new era and for rights of individuals to be respected.
However, there are limitations that make critical analysis impossible. Such limitations are harassment at work places. Harassment may be physical, mentally and even sexual harassment. Such behaviors hinder a good working environment for employees. Another very huge hindrance to a successful working environment is fear. Some of the managers and instill fear among workers. The employees work in uncomfortable environment. This leads to low production rate.
Another limitation to this critical appraisal in companies working environment is low payment. Payment motivates the employees to work better and faster. Good paying companies produce quality products and at a faster rate.
Companies like Nike Inc. should maintain their big name in all areas. Not taking advantage of workers and using them to produce the maximum they can without motivation, good salary and better treatment. Performance appraisal should be introduced by the management structure. Hard working employees ought to be rewarded by their good work.
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