“The Weapons Effect” and the Workplace

August 24, 2012 / MHBAdmin / No comments

By: Jasmine Watts

Source: TheDailyPage.com

“As of November 1, 2011, in Wisconsin, it’s legal for individuals over the age of 21 to carry a concealed weapon anywhere, except for school zones, police stations, penal institutions, courthouses, government offices with screening devices, and areas of airports beyond security checkpoints. As one can see, places of employment were not mentioned; although, this law also affects workplace policies as well. Employers, for instance, may prohibit employees from carrying weapons while they are working, (on-site and/or off-site). However, an employer cannot prevent employees from having weapons in the parking lot of the workplace and/or in their own personal vehicle, (including a company car). Furthermore, an employer cannot require a worker to stop carrying a weapon, as a condition of employment” (1).

 

Given this, imagine that you work in Wisconsin and you have just received this information. How would you react? Would you be okay with it? In my own personal opinion, I believe this has the potential to be highly dangerous, and I would be totally against it. One reason for this is because, through psychology, it was found that having guns anywhere, including in or around the workplace, could be a possible trigger or cue for aggression; “aggressive cues are external stimuli that are associated with aggression and can increase the probability of its occurrence”(2). Thus, the mere sight of a firearm can increase the likelihood of an aggressive incident occurring. This became known as “The Weapons Effect” and this concept has a good amount of evidence that supports it. “Doob and Gross (1968), [for instance], found that the presence of weapons in the rear window of a car blocking traffic augmented aggression” (2).

This being said, it’s not a far stretch to realize that restricting guns can have the opposite effect and actually assist in decreasing aggression. “In 1974, [for instance], Jamaica passed laws banning civilian-owned firearms. In the one-year period after the laws went into effect, there was a 14% reduction in homicides, a 32% decrease in rapes, a 25% decline in robberies, and a 37% reduction in non-fatal shootings” (2). Therefore, although it isn’t for certain, it appears that the presence of guns can breed the presence of aggression. Consequently, firearms should not be allowed in the workplace. If anything, they should be banned, due to the horrific dangers they can cause. Not only can someone’s life be taken, but a gun in the workplace can also cause high levels of anxiety. For instance, if there is a security guard in your workplace who carries a gun, you would most likely feel safe because he/she is trained to use a gun and, essentially, knows what he/she is doing. However, if your “crazy” co-worker, who works in the cubicle next to you, brings a gun to work everyday, you may not feel very safe. If anything, you may feel unsafe, which would cause a good amount of stress and anxiety. That being said, however, since Wisconsin passed it as a law, there isn’t much employers can do to completely prevent the carrying of firearms in or around their workplaces. However, there may be ways to assist in preventing it.

One thing employers can do, for instance, is to recruit and hire individuals who not only have the skills and/or abilities to do the job, but are also opposed to having guns in the workplace. This way, the number of employees who support the idea of carrying a gun in the workplace would be lower. Additionally, employers could set up a meeting of some sort with the employees in their organization where they could explain the dangers of having guns in the workplace, with supporting evidence. These meetings could, hopefully, assist in changing the minds of some workers who may be in favor of carrying a firearm to the workplace.

Overall, I believe allowing guns in the workplace is very dangerous and can lead to numerous problems. I can’t even think of a legitimate/good reason to bring a gun to a workplace, unless it is part of your job description (e.g., police officer). If a person decides to bring a gun to their workplace, it’s usually not good news. Thus, although it may be difficult since it is legal in Wisconsin, I believe employers should do everything possible to keep guns away from their workplaces altogether.

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(1) “New ‘Concealed Carry’ Gun Law in Effect in Wisconsin” (Source)

(2) “Guns and Aggression” (Source)

Dubner and the Day-Old Donuts

August 23, 2012 / MHBAdmin / No comments

By: Randall Warlick

If you aren’t familiar with Freakonomics, I’d highly suggest you check it out.  It started out as a book, written by a journalist (Stephen Dubner) and an economist (Steve Levitt), but it has expanded into a massive brand: there is now a second book, a blog, a podcast, and even a movie.  The motto of the Freakonomics brand is “Exploring the hidden side of everything,” and that is exactly what they do.  For example, here’s a fun little video where the economist in the duo discusses his efforts to potty-train his daughter:

The Freakonomics blog is full of fascinating little stories like that, stories that provide insight into what’s really causing a certain behavior or event.  However, the blog also contains quick musings on events that Stephen finds interesting, like in this post (1).  He wanted to buy a sandwich at a cafeteria, but “lunchtime” was over, so the guy behind the counter threw away the 15-20 sandwiches in the display case.  Restaurants can’t (or at least shouldn’t) sell day-old food, which is understandable, but Dubner was still upset that food was going to waste.  He noted that he had recently visited a sandwich chain in London that did the exact opposite: at the end of the day, they simply gave away their sandwiches.  They didn’t waste food, and they made customers happy.  Plus, anyone who only comes to the shop for free sandwiches is only coming to the shop for free sandwiches; it’s not as though they are a regular customer, and the shop is losing business.  In fact, they may be gaining customers by giving out free sandwiches, and I say that from experience.

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The Technological Innovation Evolution

August 22, 2012 / MHBAdmin / No comments

By: Elizabeth Urbic

With the astounding and steady growth of modern technology and the ever-increasing sophistication of marketing tools, it is clear that companies cannot afford to rest on old paradigms.  Aided by technological innovation, the social consensus upon which these paradigms stand is in a constant state of evolution—and so must the companies who wish to remain competitive be.  This is not to say that companies are tasked with mastering each new technology, but they most certainly must prioritize identifying the relevant modern tools and adapting to the shifts, being willing and able to employ and integrate them into a cohesive, contemporary strategy.

Rather than creating innovations, companies should be learning to adapt to the innovations around them

Much like certain companies, individuals themselves can understandably feel overwhelmed by new technologies.  The importance is in making the effort, no matter how outdated you feel you are, to assimilate the tools into your toolbox.  Our parents tried to sit out that whole “Facebook thing” for as long as they could, but as the social networking giant’s recent reach of 800 million users speaks to, these new technologies are becoming established social necessities and so even the most reluctant dads are realizing the value of setting up that profile.

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Psychological Flexibility: The Essence of Flex Time

August 21, 2012 / MHBAdmin / No comments

By: Lisa Taylor

Flex time is a variable work schedule in which there is a certain time in the day that every employee is expected to be at work (core hours), but the start and end times are flexible.  The flex time clock below illustrates how it might work:

Employees are usually interested in flex time, as it affords them the ability to start or end the day early, depending on their personal schedules and work-life responsibilities. However, what are some of the benefits of flex time for an employer? Are there any benefits to it?

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Examining Brand Equity

August 20, 2012 / MHBAdmin / No comments

By: Kelly Pugh

What exactly is your brand worth and why does it matter?

Brands, while they are an intangible assets, can be extremely valuable to a company. To measure the value of a brand, we look at brand equity. Brand equity can be understood, essentially, as the difference between similar products that are produced by different companies. We can see brand equity from a financial perspective, for example, if we notice that a brand-name product costs more than the generic store version of a very similar product.

Although it is somewhat difficult, another way to view brand equity is through brand extensions. That is, we can look at a successful product, and then look at other products that are sold under the same brand; those products may be selling well simply because they share the same brand name as the original successful product. For example, think about Apple. For years, Apple made computers and iPods; then, they made a phone. Apple had never produced a cell phone before, but people had come to expect quality tech products from this company, so they turned out in droves to purchase the iPhone. Finally, brand equity can simply be measured from asking consumers and measuring their attitudes towards a particular brand. Attitudes do not always reflect sales… you may love Ford trucks, but you don’t exactly buy one every week… but it still provides a good understanding of the public perception of a brand.

But why do we stick to brands?

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