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sarahbunting

Punished by Rewards - 0 views

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    In Chapter 8 of Economics for Everyone, Jim Stanford brings up on multiple occasions the need for labour extraction, and the use of the carrot and stick (reward and punishment) model in all businesses. As soon as I was reading this it made me think of a book I read last year by Alfie Kohn on Punishment and Reward. Kohn believes that punishments are just as bad as rewards, and that using either reduces happiness, and productivity. The first section of the book focuses on the research showing that the use of both punishments and rewards is detrimental to people's ability to do good work. In the second section he looks specifically at punishments and rewards in 3 places, the workplace, the school, and the home. In the third section he suggests new methods of motivation for all three places. When I origionally read this I was focused on his his ideas about school, however he his theories are equally important to the world of work!
Melinda Mah

Distibuted Proofreaders: Welcome - 0 views

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    Distributed Proofreaders is a website that anyone can join, relating to the idea of co-creation in Chapter 5. OCR software reads the text of old books. People compare the software's output with the image of the original text to correct errors and formatting. Many languages are represented and many regional or other types of communities exist. Link to annotated version: https://diigo.com/04ed2x
sarahbunting

Celebrating Small: 3 Ways to Hone Your Competitive Edge | The Etsy Blog - 0 views

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    This article describes ways in which small independent artisans can fight back against the competition of large megacompanies. Although in Chapter 9 Stanford mentions that independent businesses are negligible in the large scheme of things, I think it is interesting to look at competition from this point of view. Also, upon reading this article, I think that these kinds of more personal purchasing interactions may become more popular in the coming world as Etsy is another online marketplace, similar to ones mentioned by Gratton in The Shift.
sarahbunting

Northern lights | The Economist - 2 views

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    This article takes an interesting look at how Nordic countries are reshaping their economies after the economic lows in 2007-08. Interestingly enough, much has been changing since Economics for Everyone was published in 2008. Very interesting read!
christinawright

Work/Life Balance - Canadian Mental Health Association - 0 views

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    Assessing our mental health is not as simple to do as measuring our physical health. There are no scales or endurance tests that rate mental fitness. But with the help of the Canadian Mental Health Association's Mental Health Meter, you can reflect on your unique strengths and identify areas where your level of mental fitness could be improved to help you cope with all of life's up and downs.
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    As a volunteer for the CMHA, I am an advocate for their website and useful resources! As part of this week's readings on what we are looking for in our working lives and what trade offs we will need to make, I feel that these resources are a helpful read. Take the time to see where you can make improvements to your mental fitness! I like to schedule "Christina time" every week :)
sarahbunting

Logo Design Contests $29 - Amazing Custom Logo Design Online in just 48 Hours! - 0 views

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    This website was used by an entrepreneur I know. Basically it is like the marketplace InnoCentive mentioned in Chapter 5 of The Shift, however it is based around logo design. Basically entrepreneurs put out a call or contest for the logo you would like, with an explanation of what its being used for, who the audience is etc. Then graphic designers place in entries. Once the contest is over you choose your favourite one and they get paid the prize. It costs $29 to start a contest and then whatever you are willing to pay for your prize. My friend who used it was very successful, and as soon as I read about InnoCentive it made me think of this! I can image there will be more websites like this in the future
meaghanpatrick

Pros and Cons of Employment - Interesting Article - 0 views

http://workathomemoms.about.com/od/Freelancers/a/Pros-And-Cons-Of-Employment-Compared-To-Self-Employment.htm Came across this article, found it to be pretty interesting to read. It was neat readi...

started by meaghanpatrick on 14 Oct 14 no follow-up yet
sarahbunting

FutureLearn - Free online courses - 0 views

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    Convergence 1 - (pg 204 of 3.0 edition, Friedman) "The convergence of the ten flatteners had created a whole new platform. It is a global, Web-enabled platform for multiple forms of collaboration. This platform enables individuals, groups, companies and universities anywhere in the world to collaborate - for the purposes of innovation, production, education, research, entertainment, and, alas, war-making - like no creative platform ever before" This website provides free online courses in a variety of topics. It collaborates with Universities, Libraries Museums, and Professional Associations across the world to provide these resources. It is really free learning, the only fee is if you want a Certification of Participation at the end. Otherwise it is a really great online set up for learning, that goes week by week (much like our D2L, or eConestoga) with activities, readings, articles, discussion boards, videos etc.
Rob Straby

The Canadian Journal of Career Development | Le Revue canadienne de développe... - 2 views

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    The September 2014 edition of The Canadian Journal of Career Development has excellent articles on trends applicable to our class in general and specifically "The Shift" text. I recommend reading the article "Beyond Green Jobs: Assessing Sustainability Enhancing Career Options".
shawnaderksen

Global warming at work: how climate change affects the economy and labour | Toronto Star - 0 views

  • Alberta’s oilsands crop up — the much-disparaged oilsands that also provide employment to tens of thousands of people.
  • f workers can be assured that by slowing the pace of development, technology can be improved to limit the effect on the environment, he says, “they will recognize that change needs to happen.” But, he adds, they are not prepared to see the industry shut down.
  • which said the planet was on course to becoming two degrees Celsius warmer. It also predicted heat waves will occur more frequently and will last longer; wet areas will get more rainfall, dry regions will get less; and sea levels could rise by almost one metre by 2100.
  • ...7 more annotations...
  • A warmer planet directly affects postal workers, landscape workers, construction and sanitation workers, “and that means they need different kind of protection,” says Lipsig-Mummé. “These jobs will have to be done radically differently.”
    • shawnaderksen
       
      Climate change will dramatically affect the work habits of outdoor labourers. The rising temperatures will make less tolerable work days. 
  • All of that will affect work in different sectors, in more ways than we can imagine
  • In Bangladesh, considered ground zero for climate change, millions of farmers on the coast have left their villages and moved to the capital city of Dhaka because rising sea levels have devoured farmland and monsoon rains, on which farmers depend, are unpredictable.
    • shawnaderksen
       
      Climate change has green jobs to offer however people are refusing to leave their current positions to take a new one in a field that has the potential to help. 
  • At the other end, global warming can wipe out jobs completely, she says
  • Some jobs, on the other hand, will become more important as the earth grows warmer.
  • mergency workers such as firefighters, police officers and paramedics face genuine dangers in a warming climate.
  • “As I see it, there is potential to create thousands and thousands of well-paying green jobs … there is transportation, retrofitting of homes, energy efficiency,” he says.
    • shawnaderksen
       
      Climate change has green jobs to offer however people are refusing to leave their current positions to take a new one in a field that has the potential to help. 
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    This article relates to the TED Talks video by James Hansen that we watched this week. The article describes the way in which environmentally unfriendly jobs such as work in the Alberta Oil Sands needs to be slowed down however so many people are employed there, they are unwilling to give it up. The article also states that climate change will dramatically affect outdoor employment such as construction jobs, postal jobs and landscaping. These workers will be forced to adapt to hotter working conditions which can in turn affect one's health. It is also important to note in the article that they give alternatives to work with the changing climates. Green jobs are readily available for people who are willing to make the career change. This is an interesting article and definitely worth the read!
sarahbunting

Let's worry about skills, not outsourcing - The Globe and Mail - 1 views

  • Information technology workers displaced in Canada are being replaced not by cheap Indian workers but by better ones.
  • When businesses save money – and boost profit – good things happen. Because it’s in their DNA to grow, money saved by business is money invested – in new products, in workers, in research.
  • But if the shift were from Ontario to Alberta, would the outrage be as great?
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  • And a dynamic economy isn’t created on paper or by central planning – it’s created by allowing the natural forces of capitalism to work.
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    Interesting article written in April 2013, when RBC was outsourcing jobs and there was much hype in the media about it.  The author makes some interesting points which I have highlighted for you to read.  Firstly, commenting on the fact that Indian workers are actually as well qualified or more qualified than Canadian workers to get the job done.  Friedman mentions this in his book when talking about his visits to Bangalore.  She notes that when businesses boost profit this is good for the economy because it means they will invest it. However, it was noted by Stanford in Economics for Everyone, that this is not always the case, and the amount of profit being spent on luxury goods rather than investment is currently increasing.  Interesting note the author makes about us vs them.  She mentions that if the jobs had been moving somewhere else in Canada, would the reaction have been just as passionate?  It is important to ensure that we are looking at cultural and racial issues here and taking these into account.   Lastly, she comments that on how we have to allow "the natural forces of capitalism to work".  Stanford also mentions how economists will often refer to capitalism as "natural" and that this is not true.  It is one economic system (which has been created by man) which we currently use, but it is not the only one that can exist, and it certainly did not exist before man did.  It is not natural like the seasons.  
alliemacdonald

Health Effects of Precarious Employment - 1 views

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    A very interesting article to read and reflect on prior to working as an employment counsellor, as many clients have worked, currently work, or will work in precarious employment relationships. The article defines precarious employment, gives a brief history, and provides great insight into why precarious employment is on the rise. It includes a study of about 400 workers in precarious employment in Ontario, and outlines the negative health benefits. Some of these include uncertainties in the following areas: uncertainty of future work, of level of income/ benefits, location of work, schedule, workload uncertainty, etc., which ultimately lead to negative effects in people's mental and physical health.
amycloutier

Capitalism is evolving, but into what? - 2 views

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    This is an extended excerpt from a book about the evolution of capitalism. I really liked how it got me thinking about the workings of capitalism and linked up with last week's readings about the future of work and the global market, and the need to look at things differently.
christinawright

Canada Business Network - 0 views

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    This resource is great for entrepreneurs. More specifically, check out the "Planning" section. Topics covered include: learning how to conduct market research, finding stats and analyses related to your chosen field, read up on economic trends in your industry, learn about where to find your target demographic audience across the country, and a site selection tool to help you find the best location for your business to start or grow.
janellekoivula

Thank Baby Boomers For Gen Y Disrupting Capitalism - 1 views

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    I found this article to be very interesting to read. It truly captures the idea that Generation Y is now having to reverse the impacts of capitalist greed on both the global community, as well as the global environment.
arlaynacurtin

Welcome to Assessment.com, Home of MAPP Career Test - 1 views

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    If you go to work every week with the mantra "I hate my job!," this week's blog post is for you! This is the story of Amanda, one of 8 million people who have taken the MAPP career test. Amanda was working in a job she hated -- a retail job in an electronics store.
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    This website relates to this weeks readings about figuring out what you really want out of your career. Therefore, this career test will help people figure out what kind of trade-offs they can live with. For example, working with people as opposed to working with things.
Melinda Mah

What Makes a Healthy Work Environment? - Healthy Environments - 0 views

  • Physically inactive employees cost employers $488 more per year in more in sick time, benefits and lost productivity
    • Melinda Mah
       
      It's to the employer's and owner's advantage to encourage good health in the medium- and long-term.
  • Employees who smoke cost companies $3,396 more each year
    • Melinda Mah
       
      Yet another reason not to smoke - it makes sense considering all the ill effects of smoking that we now know about.
  • Mental and nervous disorders have replaced musculoskeletal conditions as the top conditions causing long-term disability.
    • Melinda Mah
       
      Now that it's become the more common thing, perhaps some of the stigma will go away, especially when it comes to fear of being fired or not promoted in a workplace.
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  • encourage workers to take responsibility for their own health, safety and wellness and contribute to creating a healthy work environment
    • Melinda Mah
       
      No one understands a person's health like that person.
  • create environments that make the healthy choice the easy choice
    • Melinda Mah
       
      This is important to do in many aspects of life. If fast food wasn't junk food, people would probably still choose it because it's easy.
  • promote work-life balance and make work a healthy life experience
    • Melinda Mah
       
      This shows employers care about their workers. It also means that there will be higher retention. For companies who are afraid that young people will leave after a year or two at their company and who refuse to train young people, it seems like this would be one of a bunch of ways to encourage employees to stay with that company. Treating employees well and caring about them makes tham more likely to stay.
  • jobs are challenging
    • Melinda Mah
       
      This is a good point that success only comes when jobs are challenging. Many people in low-paying jobs are unhappy because they do the same thing day-in, day-out, and it doesn't require much thought.
  • employees have adequate resources to do their job
    • Melinda Mah
       
      This reminds of jobs where employees have to bring in their own stuff to make their workplace happy, or even functional. Specifically, this reminds me of the elementary school teachers who are given a tiny budget that isn't even adequate for providing everyone with pencils for a year, let alone all the books, paper, markers, chalk and other teaching supplies.
  • Lower absenteeism
    • Melinda Mah
       
      Definitely true. If I had absolute independence in middle school, I would have skipped a lot of my classes and gone to do something else more interesting - like go to the library and read a bunch of books. As well, many people will show up but not actually do work. Because many people are paid either a) an hourly wage or b) to show up during certain hours, it encourages workers to be less effective with their time.
  • lexibility – allowing employees to have some capacity to adapt their workday to respond to family issues such as a child becoming ill or one who has special needs, school visits and parent-teacher interviews or special needs of elders. It typically includes family responsibility leave for employees. Supportive supervisors/managers whose management style values staff and is characterized by a desire to help employees achieve better balance between work and the rest of their lives. A culture that is family friendly - overall attitudes, beliefs, values and taken-for-granted ways of doing things that support work-family issues as legitimate workplace concerns, and as an opportunity to develop ‘new ways of working’.  Options include maternity, paternity, family and personal leave provisions. Alternative work arrangements – options are available to employees including daily or scheduled flex time arrangements, job-sharing, reduced hours, compressed work week, family leave options, part-time work, gradual retirement, telecommuting, other leaves and sabbatical options. Such alternative work arrangements are seen as ways of working, and employees using them are not sidelined, marginalized or belittled. Recognition of child and elder care issues including support for child care, providing access to a service regarding child or elder care, establishing on-site child care or, developing a consortium with other employers in order to provide emergency child care. This includes accommodating the needs of employees who are breastfeeding their children.
    • Melinda Mah
       
      In this list of reasons, all except one are family-oriented. I'm guessing only parents and children count as making a "family" for many people. Personally, I don't plan to have kids, and one of my parents passed away shortly after I finished high school. I hope this flexibility extends to family needs for couples who won't/can't have kids. Also, I wonder if this flexibility will extend to pet emergencies? What counts as a valid pet who is member of the family? For example, I can see a workplace sympathetic to a dog or cat, but maybe not to hermit crab.
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    A page of the BC Ministry of Health website that outlines what makes a healthy work environment. It's most important for the business itself to promote health because it makes it easier for all employees to be healthy and productive. Annotated Link: https://diigo.com/05nyj6
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    A page of the BC Ministry of Health website that outlines what makes a healthy work environment. It's most important for the business itself to promote health because it makes it easier for all employees to be healthy and productive. Annotated Link: https://diigo.com/05nyj6
amycloutier

Five ways to boost Canada's economy - 0 views

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    Although a couple years old, this article points out some important/interesting factors related to our readings about what the Canadian economy needs.
alliemacdonald

72 ideas to simplify your life - 1 views

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    As I was reading through some of The Shift textbook for the case study assignment, I was reminded of the importance of simplicity- of not following all the latest technology trends, trying to live more sustainably, lessening spending/ consumerism/ money driven focus. I came across this post about ideas for living life more simply and thought I'd share.
Trish Gill

Seven Skills Students Need for their Future - 0 views

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    I recently attended a parent student council meeting and the principle indicated that there are a lot of schools paying attention to the works of Dr. Tony Wagner in order to enhance innovation skills within the high schools in Ontario. He also has a book called "Creating Innovators". Really interesting, think I am going to purchase it to read over the holidays!
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