Workplaces, more often than not, are riddled with mixtures of different types of people. Undoubtedly, this means that any workplace is filled with different types of personalities. A stable work environment is crucial for any organization to function efficiently and effectively. That being said, a stable work environment is not always one that is easily found. This can be due to a variety of reasons, however, one of the most common reasons for trouble in a work environment can be a problematic individual or even group of individuals.

http://www.salon.com/topic/psychopaths/

“Psychopath” is often a term that is loosely phrased or used out of context. We tend to associate this term with the likes of serial killers or severe criminals. Contrary to popular belief psychopaths can often be found in work environments; where they have lasting, potentially detrimental impacts. The question then becomes: What constitutes a psychopath?  And how can we identify them in our workplace?

Psychopaths typically exhibit many qualities which directly contradict the popular image held of this type of person. A psychopath exhibits traits such as charisma, charm and fearlessness; traits we often associate with leadership. These characteristics can translate into bullying and manipulation. These individuals are often found in positions of high status in the business world, which is often a result of their disregard for others in their pursuit of success. Certainly not all successful, charismatic individuals constitute psychopaths, so identifying them correctly is crucial.

http://pure-consciousness.com/2012/09/20/the-corporate-psychopath-workplace-bullying/

The actions of a person are often the most telling of their true character. When it comes to identifying a psychopath in your workplace, this is the most effective way to do so. Someone with psychopathic tendencies will emotionally manipulate those around them, particularly using sympathy in order to get people to do what they want. In addition to this, psychopaths will also tend to micro-manage, redirect any negative blame that may be attributed to them and disregard others if it means obtaining higher status or more power. Another effective way to distinguish a psychopath is to analyze their decision making. A workplace psychopath is not afraid to make risky or impulsive decisions. This can be why psychopaths are so often found in positions of high status or are highly successful in the business world; they are essentially fearless and will do anything to get to the top.

Ultimately, narcissistic individuals, such as workplace psychopaths, supress those around them, and although may seem to contribute to the productivity of a workplace, are often harmful to it. Identifying these individuals in work environments can help people to avoid choosing a workplace where they may feel uncomfortable and instead select one where they will be able to achieve their full potential.

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http://recruitloop.com/blog/11-ways-to-spot-a-psychopath-at-work/

I believe everyone has a different and unique motivator, and although many people have money as a motivator there is usually something behind what that money is going towards. What I find interesting are the different and unique things people find as motivators, such as the video clip we were showed in class about the guy who wanted to be the mascot for a game. To me those are the most interesting things because today so many people are focused on getting paid more or getting more time off, while a minority finds ways to improve their life that is not monetary. One thing that I find very cool is when small things can be what motivates people, and it is all they need to be motivated.

coffeeconnectionhilliard.wordpress.com/2016/05/16/saying-thank-you/

Nathan Yip talks about how a simple thank you can motivate someone to be happy and content with what they are doing in life, and to stick with the job even though they may not enjoy other aspects of it. Personally, I have worked at the same place for the past 4 years and it is not because it pays extremely well or I get great hours, but instead I get to work with great people whom make work turn into play. However, I have gotten to a point in my life where things begin to get more expensive and you must become more independent, which is why this upcoming summer I must sacrifice the job with the people I enjoy working with for the money. This, soon to be prior, job has taught me that although money is a big motivator for me you can not put a price tag on the people you work with.

www.haskell.org/happy/

Through self reflection, I have decided over the past few months that I would work for a company which pays well but will also have a high chance of hiring people I would consider cool people. After searching I did find a job that pays less then some of the other ones I applied for, but I know a couple of people who work there and learned the entire work force is university students. I am sad to leave my previous job, but I am excited to start fresh with a new company and hopefully meet a bunch of cool people.

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blogs.ubc.ca/nathanyip/2017/03/28/motivation-thank-yous/

A social workplace can be a good thing and a bad thing depending on how you look at it. First off, most people enjoy socializing with other colleagues while they go about their day. However, when socializing begins to get too workplace focused employees tend to forget about the boundaries to which they are allowed to talk about. The problem is how does one know when they have crossed the line with what they are talking about, and how can they go about fixing it when it has already happened.

http://diversitymbamagazine.com/mixing-business-with-pleasure

Jason Ng talks about his view on this behavior in the workplace and how he agrees it can also be harmful at times. After reading over his blog it became more evident that the things employees speak about during the spare time must be free of any shaming of other people. I and Jason do both agree that a positive social environment can be very healthy for any business to thrive. The thing that I liked about Jason’s blog post is his ability to talk about when this line of good and bad jokes is crossed. While humor can be a good way to ease tension it is important to remember how far one should go, and how by taking the joke to far can have a bad impact on the environment.

For me, humor is a great way thing to have in conversations as it allows for a positive mood change, but when the joke is bad it can leave a lasting impact on whoever may be involved. What some people find funny others may not, and to remember this can be hard during small talk or a quick conversation.

http://neocortexconsult.com/pitchsmarterII/2014/09/15/theres-a-rumor-going-round-about-you/

What is worse is rumors, which is something Jason also talks about, when a rumor is spread it can be devastating to the person behind it. I personally have seen friendships broken up over something small that turned big as it continued down the grapevine. A social concept such a rumor being spread can turn any workplace nasty quick, and the smaller it is the more potent a rumor gets. Although smaller workplaces can be more prone to rumors directly impacting someone, bigger workplaces can have their entire work force erupt over something that may not of ever been an issue, such as certain people getting laid off.

Everything being said it is important to remember, although employee to employee interaction is crucial for many businesses, be careful of what type of interaction is happening.

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https://blogs.ubc.ca/jasonmcng/

President Donald Trump’s travel ban has sparked a global outrage. The “extreme vetting” promised by Trump throughout his presidential campaign now restricts refugees and immigrants from 7 predominantly Muslim nations (Iran, Iraq, Syria, Sudan, Libya, Yemen and Somalia) from entering the United States. The recent ban promises to have long term consequences for companies and their employees. Seeing as seven of the world’s largest companies were made entirely possible by immigrants, the response from these global employers shows anything but support to Mr. Trump.

Since the implication of the travel ban, a large number of companies have issued statements in opposition of Trump’s executive order. One of the companies at the forefront of this is Amazon. CEO of Amazon Jeff Bezos wrote in an email sent to all employees, “We are a nation of immigrants whose diverse backgrounds, ideas and points of view have helped us build and invent as a nation for over 240 years”. Further contributing to Bezos’ statement is Beth Galetti, the company’s vice president of human resources, who is now telling employees working or living in the United States to refrain from international travel if they might be prevented from re-entering the country due to the new restrictions.

The general reaction amongst nearly all major corporations mirrors that of Amazon. The discrimination being demonstrated by Trump goes largely against the values and standards that these enterprises hold.  CEO Muhar Kent of Coca-Cola recently stated to Bloomberg: “Coca-Cola is resolute in its commitment to diversity, fairness and inclusion, and we do not support this travel ban or any policy that is contrary to our core values and beliefs”. These companies are not just expressing their opinions on the ban but are taking direct action against Trump and to protect their employees. Following Amazon’s promise to support the lawsuit being prepared by the Washington State attorney general, Google has recently announced a $4 million fund to help those affected by the immigration order. CEO Brian Moynihan of Bank of America said in a memo to employees, “We are working to ensure we have the most accurate and timely information to best assist potentially impacted teammates”.

The revolt against Trump’s implication has only just begun and is rapidly gaining support. The upset expressed is a direct display that the strong values and beliefs held by major corporations will not be abandoned to conform to inhumane political demands.

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http://fortune.com/2017/01/31/donald-trump-immigration-ban-responses/

http://fortune.com/2017/01/30/amazons-jeff-bezos-weighs-in-against-trump-travel-ban/

After looking at some of the best companies to work for, I have decided to look at the other side at the worst companies to work for. Some of the companies that I found to be the worst companies to work for do not generally surprise me. Many of the companies that I have come across while looking up this topic seem to have major problems with transparency between the workforce and corporate. Additionally, the companies give little to no motivation for their employees to want to work at the company or even make it a better place. Giving nothing to relieve stress towards their employees, such as generous vacation time, competitive wages, or even extended benefits all contributing to their title of worst companies to work for.

The first company that I have decided to talk about is Forever 21 because it was one that did surprise me by making it on the worst companies lists. I would have imagined big name stores to be where they are today because of their success in all aspects of business, but this does not seem to be the case. The employees receive benefits such as store discounts which boosts the companies score up a little. However, outspoken workers have said they are overworked and underpaid causing the satisfaction level to go down.

Another company that came up on the list was Sears, this one did not surprise me as much as Forever 21, mainly because every time I have gone into Sears the mood of the store is very dull and dead. The company has a very low satisfactory rating caused be the lack of morale the employees hold towards the companies. I believe this is caused by the lack of care the corporate has for its employees who are also underpaid. Unlike Forever 21 though, Sears has continued to have a net loss over the past years contributing to their fall down which goes to show maybe their only contributing factor to their current failure is their employee-corporate relationship.

I think that with all companies an employee must be satisfied or else the company will eventually be doomed for failure. Even though companies like Forever 21 who are still successful today, eventually the good employees will go and leave the bad ones behind. Hence, for a company to continue on for many years to come it must treat the people who are moving all the parts of the company to be satisfied with where they work.

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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/worst-companies-to-work-for_us_575b26b0e4b0e39a28ada793

We constantly hear about how google is changing the game when it comes to technology, but another thing they continually excel at is their workplace environment. Thus, to start off my posts for organizational behavior I wanted to look at one of the best places to work in the country. Over the years I have heard and seen through movies, such as The Internship, that Google is the place to work. Just the movie alone showed me so much about how Google wants their employees to view their work place, and it goes to show Google wants their employees to view their office as a second home. Additionally, I sought out some other reasons to why they excel so much in their high success rate as employers.

Employee satisfaction is one of the easiest ways to know if a company is doing a good job organizational behavior, and Googles satisfaction rating is at a high 86%. The high percentage can be due to their benefits and complementary services they offer in making sure their employees are always comfortable in their internal and external life. Some of the internal things they include is complimentary food, fitness facilities, and even laundry. Externally, they provide generous paid paternal leave, child care, and vacation time that all together will take away any external stress factors allowing for a clear mind while at work. Moreover, they make sure that everybody has a comfortable income with a median salary of $140,000 allowing for finances to be less of an issue to all.

However, not everyone is motivated to work hard because of rewards and benefits, many people do the work they do to make a difference in the world which to them is the greatest reward of all. Google undoubtedly does this as well, 73% of their employees find their job meaningful, which to me is no surprise because so many internet users today prefer Google as their main search engine. I am sure the employees knowing they are apart of so many peoples lives can be very motivating.

For a company to be successful they have to cover a wide range of wants and needs demanded by their workforce. There is no doubt in my mind the reason Google is so successful today is in large part due to the fact that they treat their employees so well, and in return those employees make Google a better company everyday.

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http://www.businessinsider.com/google-is-the-best-company-to-work-for-in-america-2016-4/#more-than-one-quarter-of-googlers-telecommute-at-least-some-of-the-time-4

Donald J. Trump will now be the man behind the world’s most powerful country for the next 4 years. Since this surprising outcome of the 2016 presidential election there has been major controversy regarding whether or not Mr. Trump is indeed well suited for the job. Michael Moore, the famous documentary filmmaker, was one of few who predicted that Trump would be the presidential elect since the beginning of the election. Moore among many others has not been shy about criticizing Trump.

Donald Trump https://www.theodysseyonline.com/examples-of-donald-trumps-douchebaggery

Moore has recently been outspoken about how Trump will not finish the four years in office due to his lack of knowledge and understanding of political ideologies. I have been closely following this election since it began and, like many others, could not imagine the possibility of Trump taking over office. Moore believes Trump’s motives centre primarily around himself and his own benefits. I agree with Moore that Trump’s motives are primarily selfish. From the beginning, it was my belief that the sole purpose behind Trump’s campaign stemmed from his desire to become richer. I still believe this today. In my opinion, the U.S is primarily controlled by large corporations who use politicians to their discretion. Trump becoming the president-elect only furthers my belief in this. Like Moore and many others I have always questioned how someone significantly lacking political experience could be elected as President.

Michael Moore  http://www.showbiz411.com/2016/09/28/michael-moore-filming-one-man-show-at-theater-supported-by-glenn-beck-in-republican-heavy-ohio-town

In addition to discussing why Trump is not fit for the job, Moore talks about how he assumes Trump will eventually lose his presidency as a result of breaking the law. I think this is a very reasonable assumption, particularly due to the fact that Trump has no prior experience in politics. I believe a job which affords an individual as much power as a presidency, would require the individual to be well aware of the laws pertaining to that job. It is more than likely that there are many “less significant” laws, which are fairly easily broken, that an individual lacking political experience would not be aware of. I feel as though it would be highly questionable if there were not a law that would impede Trump in the future. This is solely based on the bigotry which Trump has spread throughout the entirety of his campaign and which he will likely continue to spread throughout his presidency.

In the best interest of the United States and the rest of the world, I hope that the man famous for firing people, is the one to be fired. I truly believe there is no happy ending with a Trump presidency and that the only solution to this immense issue is to remove him from office as soon as possible. 

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Blog Post: http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/305577-michael-moore-trump-wont-finish-his-term

Samsung is currently facing a very big problem, their phone the Note 7 is exploding. This is a major problem for tech giant, as the phone industry has little room for error because of the intense competition. I have come across two of my peer’s blogs, Noah and Karen, who outline the situation very well. Who have helped me conclude how this phone crisis has caused Samsung major problems.

Samsung Logo http://www.brycomm.com/certifications/samsung-logo/

Samsung has been faced with huge losses, and the worst has only begun. Noah counters this by mentioning, similar things have happened to big companies like this in other industries, like Volkswagen. I disagree however because unlike the car market, the phone industry is much quicker and people tend to switch phones much more frequently then cars. Also, the cars have an impact on the environment, whereas these phones have had physical damage on the customers who bought them. It is upsetting that people do not care as much for the environment as they do for themselves, but in reality when someone is physically harmed by a product I am very sure that they would not go back to the same brand. This is a major issue for Samsung because they will surely lose loyal customers and new customers.

Burnt Note 7 http://www.phonearena.com/news/Six-year-old-boy-gets-burned-when-a-Samsung-Galaxy-Note-7-explodes-in-his-hand_id85305

I think that losing loyal customers in the phone industry is a huge hit against Samsung. Now, their once loyal customers, will head over to another company who they will begin to have more trust into. Karen does a great job mentioning this in her blog, that big companies such as Apple, will take this opportunity as a blessing. When a major competitor screws up as bad as Samsung does here, everyone else in that industry will jump all over the non-contracted customers trying to pull them towards their phones. She also made me think about how this is like a life-line lost for Samsung, they are walking on a thin line and one more mistake will surely cause them to fail drastically.

Samsung Stock Collapse http://bgr.com/2016/09/12/galaxy-note-7-explosions-samsung-market-cap/

All in all, it will be interesting to see how Samsung will turn this problem around. How will they recreate trust among their customers, and how will they make sure they do not do something like this again? I think it is very true that if Samsung slips up one more time the repercussions will be much more severe the second time around.

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Karen’s Blog: https://blogs.ubc.ca/ckaren/2016/10/02/samsung-galaxy-note-7-then-samsung-washing-machines/

Noah’s Blog: https://blogs.ubc.ca/noahcrumbs/2016/10/16/samsungs-gone-up-in-smoke/

This past week Google announced the release of their new phone, the Pixel. The release of the Pixel has already allowed Google to make some bold moves against their competitors. The Pixel was announced after Google released a new line of products. However, the Pixel outshines the release of these other products because it, for the most part, is the first phone Google has created entirely on its own.

New Google products http://thenextweb.com/google/2016/10/04/google-pixel-event-october-2016/

For the software giant this is a huge move. Not only will they provide the software but also the hardware to run the Pixel. Having a role in both these categories allows Google to have more flexibility in the modification of their product than other companies. For example, other phone producers can modify their phone’s hardware but rely primarily on platform providers, such as Android, to take control of their software specifications. One of the only other companies where control over both these functions is seen is Apple. I believe Apple is Google’s largest competitor. In order for Google to be successful they will need to overcome Apple, which will surely be difficult. Overall, Google’s recent entry into the phone market displays an attempt by the company to further differentiate themselves from other companies present in the market, which will largely benefit their overall brand.

Android logo https://www.cnet.com/android-update/

I am excited to see what the Pixel has to offer. The release of this product could potentially make Google a dominant competitor in the phone industry. Additionally, I am excited to see how Google will react to extreme success in the market. If Google became a top player in the phone industry it would more than likely affect their relationship with other phone producers, whom they have been closely related to in the past. Many phones companies today rely on Google’s services to make their products more user-friendly. This is especially the case for Android phones — which brings into question — is Google trying to take over Android?

Side by side comparison http://www.androidcentral.com/first-comparison-google-pixel-xl-vs-iphone-7-plus

It is very possible Google is entering the phone market with the intention of becoming one of the (if not the most) competitive forces in the market. The newly released Pixel looks very similar to the new iPhone 7. Google even went so far as to release information and accessories allowing user to switch between the two products with ease. Because Samsung is in the midst of a huge phone exploding crisis (click here for more on the Samsung crisis), the timing of Google’s announcement could not have been more perfect. This will allow Google to acquire a large majority of unhappy Samsung customers who were affected by the company’s crisis. If there is any company that can overtake the phone market, it is surely Google.

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https://techcrunch.com/2016/10/04/everything-you-need-to-know-from-googles-pixel-event/

http://www.androidcentral.com/google-pixel-why-controlling-both-software-and-hardware-matters

http://www.phonearena.com/news/Want-to-switch-from-an-iPhone-to-a-Google-Pixel-Theres-a-Quick-Switch-Adapter-for-that_id86162

Hajin Shipping Co. is the seventh biggest container carrying company in the world. Recently Hajin has been faced with one of the biggest financial collapses ever seen in the shipping industry. Resulting in 14-billion USD worth of goods stuck in 26 countries around the world, this collapse shocked the global market. This collapse affected not the future of Hajin, but also the hundreds of businesses who have a stake in the now inaccessible goods. Companies such as Samsung, Nike, and Hugo Boss have found themselves in a situation where, if they want their goods delivered on time, they will have to find a different means of transportation, which will likely be more expensive. While this may not be a catastrophic problem for these big brands, smaller companies, such as Sung Wang Co. have $450,000 worth of textiles held up. This is equal to a quarter of the company’s profit last year. If they were to lose these textiles it would send them into a financial downfall. This situation is affecting everyone and will most likely begin the waterfall affect creating an even larger scale issue.

http://itm-corp.com/ocean_steam.htm Hajin Shipping Logo

This entire mess happened after Hajin’s liabilities largely outweighed their assets , causing them to declare bankruptcy and begin dissolving. The company got swallowed up by debt because of a decline in worldwide trade and slow demand for products. Although this decline has not yet destroyed another container carrying company , Hajin has been affected by it much more directly than some of the top competitors. This is worrying because if this is the beginning of a new trend, many more companies will likely follow in their footsteps.

http://www.businesskorea.co.kr/english/news/industry/15689-prevention-court-receivership-hanjin-shipping-suggested-officially-merge-hyundai Hajin Shipping boat

Looking into this story I was wondering how it is possible for a company of this size to become bankrupt so quickly. I have come to the conclusion that this situation happened because of numerous failures in the Supply Chain Management and Operations within the company. These two processes are some of the most important things in business and when they are improperly managed a company’s success is almost guaranteed to decline. These two factors are a major part of the company’s foundation; who’s services rely on assisting other companies in these two areas of business. They are another link in the chain that a company needs to get its product from beginning to end, and without that link nothing can move forward. It goes to show how important the two are in a successful business and how without them things go wrong quickly.  It will be interesting to see how this further unfolds and who has to step up to fix this problem.

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http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/international-business/hanjin-collapse-rattles-global-supply-chain/article31750345/

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/international-business/asian-pacific-business/kimchi-at-sea-hanjin-cargo-woes-deepen-as-bank-cool-to-plea-for-funds/article31762038/

Hanjin Shipping collapse leaves up to 15,000 cargo containers piled up

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-08-31/global-supply-chains-paralyzed-after-worlds-7th-largest-container-shipper-files-bank