Is it time to invest in adult diapers?
- sghani
- Sep 9, 2019
- 4 min read
Imagine your manager prohibits your bathroom breaks due to a few that are using said break as an excuse to smoke? I’m already fuming at the idea, but as an individual that is employed due to financial or family crisis, you would have no option instead to follow. This week’s blog post focuses on the Jim Beam Sour Bathroom policy that caused outrage among employees and was in violation of the OSHA laws.
Using the critical theory approach, the use of the bathroom policy was a means to oppress the company’s employees by their managers. The theory highlights that power, managers, are seen as the initial end of an administrative battle. In the case study, the managers used a new policy to keep an eye on each employee and how they utilized their break times. As an employee representing an organization, a company’s time and pay should be respected, and vice versa. Using a harsh system to scare and manage a group causes riots and in severe cases, death. One of the main key points of the critical theory approach is to challenge the “societal order” such that there is a change. Instead, the Jim Beam business used problem solving methods to force change. As result, not only the company faced severe black lash and criticism from employees but, also human rights activist’s groups.
In addition, one of the biggest discriminatory factor of the bathroom break policy was, the management didn’t follow it. This right there is one of the main points discussed in the theoretical approach. Un-rightful domination or control of people causes an imbalance in the workforce. Further, it dehumanizes the persons’ and leads them to believe that they are not an important part of the business. Taking into account the mental abuse, Jim Beam Sour could have conducted a poll to figure out the inconsistencies in the break policy instead. Lastly, using one’s place of power as a means to get things done is totally frowned upon today. Living in the 21stcentury, the employees should be given both thought and considerations to their ideas and being as a whole.
One of the most important mechanism in an organization if the ability to effectively communicate with in each department and its employees by keeping them updated on its changes or news. In contrast, Jim Beam Sour Bathroom Policy, didn’t use communication as a means for a productive change. According to the “system theory approach”, the organization is viewed as a whole instead of its smaller parts. System’s theory approach uses holism, interdependence, goals, equifinality, feedback and entropy to produce balanced outputs through the process of “data”. The use of negative feedback in this study from both employees and other affiliations forced the company to reconsider the new policy. Moreover, they were portrayed constantly in bad limelight and caused an imbalance in the hierarchy of the business. The whole PR debacle showed a disconnect between the hierarchy of management and employees. The system’s approach theory uses interdependence for the success of the institution, instead the lack of communication between the different departments showed a lack of morality and unlawful practice. Entropy or disorganization of chaos was interpreted throughout the issue because the company couldn’t a few bathroom breaks by employees.
Likewise, using the critical approach, the only specific idea that was portrayed was, through tight fists we reign our business. The article uses feminist prospective to communicate the policy as abhorrent. Using the female voice to communicate the distress and abuse being dished out is always treated as a powerful thing. As a woman myself, hearing the distress caused to another female or human, immediately causes a reason for empathy to come out and play. Both men and women need the collective breaks to relieve themselves, but for women it is also a hygienic issue, especially if one is menstruating or just started her menstrual cycle. The female perspective as a critical approach, makes the company look bad and sexist, especially if majority of the workforce is female and the management is male dominated. Lastly, the case study used females to voice out their issues, because the issue would have been communicated with great importance.
In conclusion, managing or timing other’s bathroom or lunch break is quite disturbing. Being in such a hostile environment sends a message that management or its employees are not in good place to be part of the company. As a human and an employee, we should be treated as an intelligent species by respecting and understanding our limits. As a result, an employee should also respect the organization’s time and rules. I believe this policy could have been better worded and used effectively after a lot of research and data collected to ensure the best use of outcome from the policy. I do wish the management hadn’t used dominance as a way to force its people to follow but, instead have a meeting individually and collectively to have approached a better deal.
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