University Report: Sociology 7 - Compensation and Benefit Analysis

This report examines compensation and benefit strategies within the context of a sociology assignment. It explores structural and contextual variables influencing organizational compensation, focusing on managerial perspectives and strategy formulation. The discussion analyzes variables such as reward systems, job design, and communication structures, considering their impact on employee performance and motivation. The report also delves into strategy formulation processes, including defining required behaviors, determining compensation levels, and evaluating strategies. It emphasizes the importance of need analysis, compensation mix experiments, and alignment with market standards. The report concludes by highlighting the significance of employee motivation, customer satisfaction, and the role of evaluation in refining compensation strategies. The assignment uses the case study of a company called Simply Production to analyze the various aspects of compensation and benefit.

Running head: SOCIOLOGY
Compensation and benefit
Name of the student:
Name of the university:
Author note:

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SOCIOLOGY
Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................2
Discussion..................................................................................................................................2
Answer 1................................................................................................................................2
Answer 2................................................................................................................................3
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................5
References..................................................................................................................................7

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Introduction
Compensation and benefits are a means for luring the employees towards making
better performance. The structural and contextual variables shape up the size and scope of the
organization. Need analysis is an important activity, which needs to be conducted by the
managers for assessing the type and level of compensation. This assignment attempts to shed
light on the contextual and structural variables from the perspective of managerial
perspective. Within this process, emphasis is placed on the strategy formulation process for
systematizing the activities.
Discussion
Answer 1
The structural variables for Simply Production would be reward system, job design,
coordination and departmentation; decision making, leadership structure, communication and
information structure along with control structure. The contextual variables are business
strategy, organization size, workforce and technology (Long & Singh, 2013). The capability
of Ravi Prosper to make effective use of the variables adds value to the management
techniques. Being a small to medium sized company, product differentiation enhances the
efficiency in the process of manufacturing the books. Thinking about the customer service in
the ambience of high production costs reflects the tactful leadership of Ravi.
Customized products are a productive decision for reaching to the specific needs,
demands and requirements of the clients and customers. 120 people are involved in the
production process through the means of latest technologies. In view of these aspects, the
managerial strategies need to be human relations (Long & Singh, 2013). This is because the
more the employees interest, the more would be the brainstorming ideas, which would be
effective for enhancing the standards and quality of the books. For this, the management need

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to arrange for more group discussion. Long and Singh, (2013) is of the view that high
involvement managerial strategy is also effective for Ravi in terms of empowering the
employees with higher autonomy. This approach would be effective for undertaking effective
decisions for enhancing the standards and quality of the books.
In this context, Long and Singh, (2013) is of the view that o0ne of an important aspect
is the organizational culture, which is to be maintained. For this, assessment is needed for
deciding whether the structure is stable or not. Departmentation is the key towards enhancing
the efficiency in the operations. Mention can be made of the compensation system of
rewards, which would lure the employees to expose better performance. Financial assessment
is crucial in terms of deciding on the proper value of the reward systems. Tactfulness
approach is needed in this assessment for averting the instances of instabilities like
fluctuation in the prices of the raw materials, high exchange rates and inflation (Long &
Singh, 2013).
Answer 2
Strategy formulation is an important activity in a business, which enhances the
efficiency.

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Fig: Four stages of strategy formulation
(Source: Long and Singh, 2013)
The basis for this formulation lies in the following template:
Variables Analysis
(from case)
Recommendation
(what must be done to improve)
OR
Use heading Pro’/Con’s
Justification
(course
textbook,
materials, Can.
Gov/CPHR
website info)
Other
Business
Strategy
Strategic
human
resource
managemen
t
Revision of the recruitment and
selection policies
Long, R. J., &
Singh, P.
(2013).
Strategic
compensation
in Canada.
Langara
College.
Diversification in
the services
Technology Software for Frequent experimentation of the Long, R. J., & Virtual skills

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saving the
balance
scorecard
and online
job
appliations
systems and devices Singh, P.
(2013).
Strategic
compensation
in Canada.
Langara
College.
training

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Analysis Recommendation
(what must be done to improve)
OR
Use heading Pro’/Con’s
Justification
(course
materials,
approved
websites
textbook info)
Other
Role of
Compensation
Encourages
and
motivates
the
employees
to make
better
performance
Motivational seminars and
lectures can be organized for the
employees
Long, R. J., &
Singh, P.
(2013).
Strategic
compensation
in Canada.
Langara
College.
Execution of
need analysis
Compensation
Mix
Ensures that
the provided
salary is
accurate
Finance, Sales and Marketing
Team can be hired for
calculating the salaries of the
employees.
Long, R. J., &
Singh, P.
(2013).
Strategic
compensation
in Canada.
Langara
College.
Sales demand
forecasting can
be conducted for
maintaining the
balance in the
operations.
The first stage is that of defining and identifying the required behaviour. This is that
stage, where leaders like Ravi is to conduct need analysis for gaining an insight in to the
specific needs, demands and requirements of the employees. They need to be provided with
platforms for voicing out the opinions regarding enhancing the standards and quality of the
business. In this stage, Long and Singh, (2013) states that resistances are inevitable, which

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needs to be dealt tactfully. Assistance through negotiation means and ethical code of conduct
is effective for averting the instances of conflicts, biases and misunderstanding.
The next stage of the strategy formulation is defining the type of motivation and
compensation needed. Herein, Long and Singh, (2013) states the importance of Maslow’s
hierarchy of needs, which is effective for gaining an insight into the needs of the employees.
Most commonly, rewards and recognitions are needed for motivating the employees to
expose productive performance. Compensation mix experiment is the next stage, which helps
in deciding on the effectiveness of the skills mix. This aspect relates to the job design, which
is to be perfect for extracting the necessary labour and reaching to the identified benchmark.
The sequential stage is that of the identification of compensation level, which relates with the
level of performance exposed.
As a matter of specification, the required behaviours are membership behaviour and
task behaviour or citizenship behaviour (Long & Singh, 2013). In this case, the required
behaviour would be task behaviour, where Ravi conducts internal audits for assessing the
quality of the tasks and the needs for additional changes. In the process of deciding the
compensation role, it can be stated that human relations and high involvement are the main
areas of focus for Ravi in terms of enhancing the workplace diversity. Long and Singh,
(2013) is of the view that the compensation level are of three types: lagging the market,
leading the market and matching the market. In the case study, the compensation level would
revolve around a strategy, which is based on the rewards and compensation of higher
standards than the one prescribed in the current competitive ambience of the market.
Long and Singh, (2013) is of the view that in order to match the marketing standards,
latest technologies need to be adopted by Ravi. This relates with the departmentalization in
terms of off shoring and outsourcing the operations from the departments through the means

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of email. In this context, utility analysis is important for generating unique selling proposition
of the books. Hybrid compensation level policies would be productive for variation should
persist in the compensation components. Therefore, entry level positions are to be verified
prior to the job designing process. According to the arguments of Long and Singh, (2013),
compensation mix adversely affects the compensation, which is affordable. Therefore, budget
allocation and sales demand forecasting are crucial for securing the future financial years.
The formulated strategy can be evaluated through the means of affordability, legality
and employee attraction. Screening of the strategies is effective for assessing the
effectiveness in terms of the competitive ambience and the needs of the clients and
customers. Negative results indicate that the strategy is a non-starter. It must be ensured that
the compensations are different for the different levels. Therefore, Long and Singh, (2013) is
of the view that need analysis is vital at frequent intervals.
Conclusion
The assignment deals with the aspects of strategy formulation on the companies like
Simply Production. Need analysis is effective in terms of planning appropriate compensations
for the employees. If the employees expose better performance, it would be easier for Ravi to
encounter enhancement in the standards and quality of the books. This is indicative of higher
customer satisfaction. Evaluation would help Ravi in assessing the changes, which needs to
be imbibed in the process of production.

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References
Long, R. J., & Singh, P. (2013). Strategic compensation in Canada. Langara College.