Answer to Question #50565 in Economics of Enterprise for Christoph Liquor

Question

Use an appropriate economic theory to explain why Kobe Bryant might employ someone to answer his fan mail even if he can read the letters and type the responses more quickly than the person he employs?

Answer 1

It is easy for employers to fall into the trap of believing that pressuring employees to work harder and faster creates the most effective results when it comes to efficiency and productivity, but that may not be the case. Employees are often more effective when they do not have to operate under high stress and hectic work/life schedules. Regardless of which office tool you use to track the whereabouts and activities of employees, make certain all employees use it to notify the rest of the team when they are traveling, at a client site, working from home or on vacation. Build an infrastructure that allows server and email access no matter where an individual’s location-”whether home, office conference room, training room, airport or taxi. Encourage employees to share their cell phone numbers with co-workers, so they can be contacted when out of the office. Make sure all employees respect the privacy of their co-workers and keep all shared cell numbers confidential. Finally, train employees in technology that allows and encourages remote sharing of information so they can work in virtual mode whenever it is most efficient. Employees may surprise you with the additional work they can complete outside the regular 8 to 5 routine when the proper systems are put in place for continuous access.