新編大學(xué)英語第四冊(cè)u(píng)nit3 Text A: Making Word Meaningful: Secrets of th

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Making Word Meaningful: Secrets of the Future-Focused Corporation

1 Today's worker is no longer willing to work in an authoritarian and dehumanizing environment. Workers want meaning in their work and balance in their lives. They want opportunities to contribute and to know how their work is effective. Employees want to work for organizations that respect them as individuals. They also want to know that they are working for an ethical company that acts in a socially and environmentally responsible manner.

2 Today, and in the future, companies must design work so that employees can take responsibility and be rewarded appropriately. By changing attitudes and conditions in the workplace, organizations can help make work more meaningful.

3. Repetitive, factory routines and office work that simply moves paper from in-box to out-box are mindless tasks that destroy motivation and productivity. Research has shown that mental challenge is closely related to job satisfaction. Too little challenge in the work, as completely automated tasks, generally leads to boredom and lowered satisfaction. On the other band, too much challenge may lead' to failure and frustration. Thus success or achievement in reaching an accepted standard of competence is an important factor in job satisfaction.

4 Today's workers want to be a valued part of the whole. They want to know that their work is important and how it fits into the corporate strategy. They want to know not only how the work they do affects others and the organization's goals, but how they as individuals can make an impact. Employees will contribute their knowledge enthusiastically in a corporate culture that values the individual.

5 The profitability of a company is related to the quality and efforts of its workers. Therefore, a direct relationship between job performance 'and reward makes work more meaningful. Compaq Computers, for example, has an unusually low turnover rate among its employees. Like most companies in the computer field, Compaq expects its people to work long and hard to achieve big results quickly. In many companies an atmosphere of constant push would inspire people to seek employment with less pressure somewhere else. Instead, high quality people stay with Compaq. The company's culture emphasizes individual responsibility for results and high respect for individuals. Compaq benefits from creating opportunities for employees to perform to the best of their potential and to be rewarded for their achievements.

6 Quality of life, on and off the job, is more important to today's workers than ever before. Both men and women struggle to balance the requirements of their job and the needs of their family. Some workers care for both children and elderly parents. Even employees without family responsibilities want time to pursue personal interests. In order to maintain a stable and motivated workforce, companies must be sensitive to the personal needs of their employees. They can respond to these needs by establishing flextime, daycare and sports facilities, for example.

7 In today's ever-changing workplace, very few workers expect to stay in the same job for their whole life. They want opportunities to expand their knowledge and experience. To avoid boredom and to increase their capabilities, they want to try different kinds of work. They also expect ongoing job training that makes them more marketable both inside and outside the company. The Land's End Company, Dodgeville, Wisconsin, offers employees the possibility of trying a new job temporarily without losing their current position. If they like the work, they can request an official transfer.

8 Employees, investors and consumers are also beginning to judge companies by how they deal with issues like ethnic diversity, harassment, hiring and firing, profit sharing, and other labor / management policies. A number of companies recently in the news know all too well the public impact of internal decisions. To cite just two examples, AT&T created a very negative impression when it laid off thousands of workers in a year of profits. And Texaco's failure to handle racial discrimination within its own ranks will remain in the public consciousness for years. Prospective employees are reluctant to join a company that has a history of treating its people badly. Investors are also watching companies carefully because the connection between a stable workforce and profitability has been made quite clear.

9 More and more companies are celebrating differences among people and making active use of the varied perspectives that workers from different backgrounds bring to the job. The Hearst Corporation, for instance, celebrates the unique talents and contributions of all its employees, whether they are high-profile reporters, secretaries, or operators of printing presses. When someone at Hearst does something worthy of recognition, flowers are sent to the employee's spouse. Really special contributions call for a small gift from a prestigious department store. Receiving the gifts at home brings the family into the celebration and helps connect the worlds of home life and work experience.

10 Employees also want to know that they are working for an ethical company that respects the environment. Younger workers today are much more concerned with environmental issues than employees were in the past. Whether a company applies environmental considerations at every stage of its operations or ignores these issues unless it gets caught can make a major difference in employee loyalty and market acceptance. A company that takes an active role in protecting the environment, both in its own products and through community involvement, will have a stronger position in the marketplace.

11 Successful future organizations must be mindful of all their relationships and act with integrity at all times. But the most important relationship is between a company and its employees. The ability to build strong, collaborative relationships with employees will determine whether a business evolves through time or is lost along the way.