Navigating Work Trends: Free Enterprise and Global Shifts

1. Career Decisions Objectivesfor October 19th, 2010 • We will compare and contrast employment opportunities in the free enterprise system with other world economic systems • We will identify five new directions that are shaping the world of work

2. Free Enterprise System • We live in a country that operates as a free enterprise system • This an economy in which individuals and businesses play a major role in making decisions • People can operate any type of business they choose, provided it is lawful

3. Economic Freedom • The following are reasons that the U.S. economy is based on the free enterprise system: • People are free to be creative and choose where they work • People are free to own private property and buy whatever they want • The government allows people to buy or sell whatever they wish, so long as it doesn’t harm others • Consumer wants and needs determine what products are desired in the marketplace • Businesses can compete against each other to make money

4. Economic Freedom • Freedom to own property and freely buy and sell goods began with the founding fathers • The free enterprise system is an outgrowth of their spirit of independence

5. Economic Freedom • In countries where the government controls the production of goods, it also controls their price and distribution • Under such a system, people must follow the government’s dictates regarding how to work and live

6. New Direction for the Workplace • The U.S. workplace is continually changing • The question no longer is: Will change occur? Instead, it is: How will change occur? • One thing you can count on in today’s exciting workplace is change, and you will be a part of it

7. The Five New Directions that are Shaping the World of Work • A Global Perspective • The Service and Information Economy • The Commitment to Quality • A Teamwork Approach • Family First

8. A Global Perspective • Today, search for costumers goes beyond our border to every part of the world • Instant communications through phones, faxes, and computers makes this possible

9. A Global Perspective • Customers are just one factor of the new global perspective • The other is labor • Companies constantly look to other nations for labor services

10. A Global Perspective • The global economy has caused a major shift in the U.S. workforce • Is reduced the need for unskilled labor • Instead, skilled, well-educated U.S. workers are needed plan develop, and deliver the products and services of tomorrow

11. The Service and Information Economy • The decline in manufacturing has paved the way for a new economy based on services and information • Services are nonmaterial assistance for which people are willing to pay • This sector of the economy has grown very rapidly in recent years • It will remain the area of greatest job growth for the near future

12. The Service and Information Economy • Another focus on today’s economy is information • The computer and the Internet are American inventions • These are the tools of the information economy • What we learn with these tools helps us to create new services, improved business methods, and lower costs

13. The Commitment to Quality • The pursuit of quality is an all-out effort by employers to be the very best in their field • A company’s goal is to grow and become more successful • In the workplace, quality means doing the job quickly and accurately the first time

14. The Commitment to Quality • Building quality into a product or service requires constant attention to the way work is done • You will be expected to watch for ways to do your job better and you will be asked to suggest ideas for improving quality

15. A Teamwork Approach • In the old days, a supervisor made all the decisions and the workers followed the orders • Today’s workplace used a team approach where everyone works jointly to seek solutions to problems • This makes working well with others essential

16. Family First • Programs in the workplace today help workers handle the demands of work and family responsibilities • Men and Women use these programs

17. Family First • Family friendly programs may include: • On-site child care • Adoption assistance • On-site dry cleaners or food stores with ready-to-serve food to take home • Vacation options

18. Summary • Several important trends indicate new directions for the workplace • Businesses today operate in a global economy • They search the world for customers as well as affordable labor • Product and service quality is continually examined to make sure it meets customer expectations • Teamwork is the primary way that work is accomplished • Family-friendly programs are helping to lessen the challenge of balancing work and family responsibilities