Words: 2003
There are six different perspectives to study about society: Scientific Management and Psychological Humanism, Durkheim, Marx, Weber, Symbolic Interaction, and Post-Modernism. These different perspectives are very useful in the society. Most of the employer used these perspectives to organize or manage their organization.
The strength of the rganizations depend on the perspectives used in their management. Both employees and employers have the same goal which is minimized the cost and maximize the profit for their organization. The main cost of organization is the cost Of labour. Most Of the Organizations tried to get the large amount of labour effort by paying low salary. James T. B and Ellen, G (2011) said that there was conflict between employees and employer because the employees always want to get the highest pay that can be equal or more than the effort they had been pay; even organization had hired undocumented immigration or child labour.
Based on Reuters (201 2), there was 11. 5 million of undocumented immigration in the United States. Kim (2009) said the undocumented immigrations “live in the shadow” because they run the risk of deportation and incarceration and suffer in the discrimination. undocumented immigrations are those people who live and work in a country without legal visa or permission of law, the people that used illegal and smuggling ways to get into the country, and those who travel in the country but ‘disappear’ after three months of their social visa. The legal visa be known as ‘green card’ in United States. According to United States
Department of Labor (2010), the undocumented workers are the workers that work without green card and the child workers that under 16 years old. Most of the undocumented workers are low skills worker. They work as a factory labour, house cleaning, driver, restaurant worker, etc. Kim (2009) said that the undocumented workers are low-paid, casual, onerous worker. Normally, undocumented workers have to work for long hours. They don’t get extra pay even if worked overtime. They have no contract to protect their benefit so they get fire easily. In some work place, they don’t treat these undocumented workers well.
Because of lack of job opportunity, a number of the undocumented worker worked in the black market. It is the only place that they can work ‘legally’. To solve their financial problem, they still work even if exploited by their employees. Mama restaurant case study is a case study that related to the undocumented workers. Mama is a middle aged Korean woman and owner of a moderate size Korean restaurant in United States. She hired 4 undocumented workers. Mama doesn’t have to pay high salary to her workers because they have not qualification and high level of skills to work.
Based on scientific management theory, using the efficiency ways that anage by management to achieve the lower cost, highest production and earn the highest profit. Mama managed different tasks for her workers based on their skills. For example, she managed Alejandro as chief in the restaurant because Alejandro is an experienced cook; he worked at an Italian restaurant before she hires him. Based on Joseph, M. J, (1994), the employees are willing to pay more effort in the strong motivation system. This meant they will produce more than the average output.
In Mama’s restaurant, Mama will pays her workers depend on their effort, how they contribute to her restaurant and duration of working. Maslow (1943) said that the theory Y is the motivation holding that people are naturally energetic, growth- oriented, self motivation, and interested in being productive. For example, Mama pays 5350 for her worker per week when they started their jobs. Then, she will observes the workers performance, whether they can ‘fit in’ to the job or not. Ifthe workers performance is good, Mama will raises their salary. This is one of the rewards for the workers.
According to Maslow (2002), workers are easily motivated by different benefit in the workplace. Rewards can be leading the workers to done the better jobs. This case study reflects two different perspectives between how Mama manages the restaurant and how she treats her workers. In this case study, the perspective using in Mama’s restaurant is psychological humanism which is related how Mama treat her workers. Psychological humanism is a theory that emphasizes the study of the whole person. Psychological humanism also focuses on each individual’s importance of self actualization and growth.
For example, Mama treats her workers like her own child, they seem as a family and she is her worker’s ‘Mama’. Mama respects and hasn’t discriminates her workers even though they are ndocumented workers. Because of that, the workers felt they were treated well. Scientific management and psychological management are different theory. For example, employer gave a poor environment for the workers but used them to gain high production and profit. In contrast, Mama gave a good workplace for her workers. When the restaurant closed, Mama allowed her workers to relax and took their idle time to watch TV.
There are different types of people in the workplace. Based on McGregor (1960 cited in Tony, J. W, 2008), in the scientific management, human are naturally ‘bad’ and sychological humanism, human are naturally ‘good’. In addition, scientific management was represented by theory X where as psychological humanism was represented by theory Y. Durkheim (2003) said that the functionalism discussed about everything in the society had their own function. For example, Alejandro’s play a role as a chef in the kitchen. The division of labor can create the organic solidarity.
Durkheim (2003) identified that the organic solidarity can be described as people who have similar responsibilities and engaged in the similar task. Organic solidarity is the mutual need for ndividual in the society. For example, in Mama’s restaurant, Mama needs workers that do not have high skills so that she can pay lower wages for her workers. The workers need the job to solve their financial problem and hope that their employer can treats them well. This provides benefit for both the employees and employer. Solidarity produces more effective and efficiency works in a team or an organization.
It also creates a no mutual intrigue and a harmony working environment for the workers. In the 21 st century, the races and religions still are the obstacle of solidarity in the society. Racism will conflict because of between different races which contain different religion in the society. This will make people more self- existent. In Mama’s case study, we can know that Mama and her workers worked in a harmony workplace. Even though they have different races and different religions; they respect each other and live as a family.
For example, when Mama wants to clean up a table, her worker quickly stop her to avoid her does any manual labour. Her workers treat Mama as their mother and care about Mama. When the business is down during the summer month, Karl refused to get the salary rom Mama and said that the salary can be pay when the business picks up again. In this case study, we can see the loyalty of the workers that work hard for their employer because she treated them well. Marx sociology theory discuss about the exploitation and capitalism.
According to Armstrong (1 986), “The design, control and monitoring of work tasks and activities by managers acting as agents of the capital owning class to extract surplus value from the labour activity of employees”. Capitalism is a system which exists in every country in the world. Exploitation meant a social group is able take for itself hat is produced by other group. For example, Mama Restaurant’s business hour is from 10. 30 in the morning until 10. 30 at night, Tuesday through Sunday. This meant Mama’s workers are working for 12 hour per day. This is the exploitation in the Mama’s restaurant.
Marx split the society into two groups which are capitalist and labor. The amounts of workers are made to do by capitalist. In Mama’s case study, Mama hired the undocumented workers so that she can pay lower wages for her workers. If she hires a worker that holding a green card in US, she needs to pay the wages following the law for the workers. This is very expensive and she needs to pay the overtime fees for her workers. Besides that, employer needs to provide the day off and some benefit for the employees. Mama understands there are no contracts between her and her workers.
Mama also understands that her workers need a job to earn money. Therefore, the workers will accept the job because of the hegemony of capitalist. The workers also feel they can be treat well. They will feel respect and have no discrimination in Mama Restaurant. The workers do not care about the long working hours without the over pay fees; they just want to be respect and can have an income. Marx theory also said about the labor process which is the process of creating the value. Weber theory is discussing about the rationality. Rationality meant that the rationally to pursuit profit through the motivated work behavior and efforts.
Even the worker is undocumented immigration, Mama is using a friendly and not discrimination attitude treat the workers. On the other hand, before Mama opens the restaurant, Mama also is an undocumented immigration in U. S. So that, Mama will know her worker’s emotion. For example, when Mama’s daughter is wedding, Karl’s right arm tightly linked around hers, and alked Mama down the aisle. Karl also is very respect Mama. When the business is worst or no customer, Karl refuses to get the salary from Mama and say can pay his salary when business is start pick up again.
If undocumented worker can be treat as rationality behavior, then the worker can easily to get a job and will not self abased. Symbolic interaction is defined as the focus on the communication and interaction is depending on symbols such as gestures, word, skin colour and so on. Most undocumented worker cannot get the job because of the skin colour. Most people have contained he stereotype and discriminate the undocumented worker because of their skin colour. Most people will think undocumented worker is lower classes in the society, no enough knowledge and very poor.
This will produce the stereotype culture for the children. Then, the racial discrimination is more and more difficult to solve for the undocumented worker. However, based on Mama’s case study, the symbolic interaction between Mama and her workers are very good. Mama treats her workers like a family. Mama is not containing discrimination attitude because of skin colour. Sometimes, Mama also giving separate saving fund for Karl when return to Thailand. In conclusion, illegal immigrants are often seen as either crafty competitors for jobs or as pitiful, hapless victims of ruthless employers.
However, undocumented worker is the competitor for the citizen. This is because hire the undocumented workers are one of the choice for organization. Organization can cut down the cost and pay lower wages and they no need to provide any benefit for the workers. In contrast, the citizen always want to get the legally wages and benefit from the organization. Thus, most organization prefers to hire undocumented workers. On the other hand, if a lot of undocumented workers not hired, they will cause the big problem in the society. They maybe commit a crime because they don’t have any work to support their living.
From case study of Mama Restaurant, we can know that undocumented workers are treated well. Mama restaurant provides a good and harmony environment for workers. The performance of workers are based on the employers and organizations. If the employers treat them well, they will have the motivation to produce workforce efficiency and effectiveness.