While doing a company research background on my aunt’s office for my operations management class, I was made aware of a problem which they used to encounter – that is, the presence of several employees under her who were already in their 50’s. Having been in the company for decades now, my aunt was not too keen on the thought of firing them because of the loyalty they had shown. However, this happened at a time when the costs of inputs such as electricity, raw materials, and labor rates were increasing rapidly. My aunt was stuck, and had to make several drastic changes to be able to maintain the company’s stability.
A friend of hers recommended that she consider laying off workers, particularly those who are already too old for the jobs that they have been handling. More than knowing that they would be better off without the stress provided for by having a job, laying off these employees and not replacing them with other people would, in turn, lessen their costs. Having close-to-senior-citizens as workers may sometimes be a hindrance to a company, as there are other qualified applicants who are more able and fit to work.
The law of diminishing returns tells us that there comes a point when even at an increasing number of inputs, the level of output diminishes. In reality, this is caused by many factors, such as failure to be productive when in a group, the lack of other inputs to support such increase in labor, and the like.
The same holds true when working for a school project in groups. While the saying “two heads are better than one” often make sense, it is not always the case, especially when these heads tend to clash and not make sense out of things. Back in high school, our chemistry laboratory report meetings would always result to clashes and unresolved dilemmas, both in the unanswered chemistry problems and personal issues. We were six in a group then. One day, when one of my classmates was absent, there was a sudden change in the working atmosphere. Although there was still the expected clashing of ideas, we were more or less able to get the job done faster since we had fewer members to deal with, which meant fewer arguments and more time to get things done.
It’s true that we deal with the law of diminishing returns almost everyday. The way I see it, it’s all about being productive and making the most out of what is given to you, regardless of the number of people around you.
12 comments:
great insight mm!
Yup, a lot of people are more effective when they work individually since it's less complicated. But since we can't always control who we work with and how many we are in a group, it's really a matter of balancing your work attitude with teammates with the good of the project. Easier said than done though. :P
I completely agree with your insights!
wow. good thoughts emers! and very relevant to life. hehe. quite surprising to us because we don't usually notice it, but the things you said here are true. :)
Interesting entry, MM!
Nice read! You were able to present this concept really well! :)
"it’s all about being productive and making the most out of what is given to you, regardless of the number of people around you."
very well said m!
Good point MM and very well said. Indeed, a firm can only do so much to maximize their profits and given certain financial constraints, they are left with no other choice but to do cost-cutting measures even if it means letting go of another person's only source of income.
interesting entry two heads aren't better than one all the time
"The way I see it, it’s all about being productive and making the most out of what is given to you, regardless of the number of people around you."
I agree. I think there are far more influential factors affecting output than just quantity. One factor is the group dynamic, or how each member of the group interacts with each other. It's important to see or watch out for the internal relationships so that you can more or less predict how your group will work.
On the other hand, there might be instances when you don't know your groupmates very well. Situations like that might be harder because you're completely unsure of the possible outcomes, and you have to adjust along the way.
ahh hicock! yihee willy :D
yup, studies have shown nga raw than 3-4 people is the optimal number of members in a group. it's extremely hard to coordinate when to meet and work if you're many.
whatever mm! kinikilig ka naman kay rey e!
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