© 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 12 McGraw-Hill Information availability Attitude toward the work environment Demographics Diversity –The glass ceiling Business ethics –The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 The Changing Nature of the Manager’s Environment

© 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 13 McGraw-Hill Information Availability Increasing sophistication results in new data Examples are –The Internet provides information that was previously difficult to obtain –Cell phones and like technologies enhance communication –New information increases technological change Increases in information availability and technological change require managers to have increased technical skills.

© 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 14 McGraw-Hill Attitude toward the Work Environment Prediction: More emphasis on the quality of work life Factors that determine the quality of work life include: –Working conditions –Opportunity for growth –The right for privacy Changes in these factors will have a direct impact on the manager’s job

© 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 15 McGraw-Hill Demographics and Diversity Latest United States demographic data shows population is becoming older and more diverse Diversity in the workforce means including people of different genders, races, religions, etc Increasing diversity in the workplace represents a major social change in the United States The problems women and minorities have had obtaining promotions compared to white men is termed the glass ceiling.

© 2009 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. 16 McGraw-Hill Business Ethics Business ethics involves the application of standards of moral behavior to business situations A new level of examination is now legally enforced through the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 The world of a business manager can be challenging and is without doubt constantly changing