I have picked to compare a medium sized factory job that I used to have with my brother who is a police officer.

1 Both places of employment are fairly equal in terms of innovation, however they both go about it in two pretty different ways. As a police officer, now a lieutenant, my brother faces an ever-changing environment that he must react to nearly every day. Not just in regards to the work being performed, but in how society views laws, rights and his profession in general. Police officers, and departments, must stay on top of current events and stay innovative in the ways that they handle and respond to ongoing issues. In the factory where I worked, I was able to be innovative with processes and procedures to get increased productivity and quality. Amazingly, this is similar to the discussion I had with my brother, he said that, in a few different words, customer service is an active part of his job so quality of service is important to him and his department.

2 I have worked at places that foster innovation, and those that do not. I think that organizations that champion innovation will see more productive employees. Our text suggests that “no company can remain competitive without new ideas” (Daft, 2016, p. 427). To me, this means that a company that is not innovative will not survive that long.

3 I am really uncertain of where I would prefer to work. There are positives, and negatives, to both jobs. I think that there are more options and less structure, top down rules and regulations, at the factory that I once worked. I would enjoy the actual work more as a police officer and I also think, in my brother’s department at least, that the culture is one that is positive and supportive. I guess the real answer lies in my career choice and that is currently in a factory.

Daft, R. L. (2016). Organization theory & design (12 ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.