Problem Solution: Global Communications

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Problem Solution: Global Communications    

Problem Solution: Global Communications

University of Phoenix


 

        Global Communication, on its quest to enter the global market, encountered internal and external conflicts. Faced by an ethical dilemma, it had to choose risking the fading of GC against the background of the telecommunication industry or to lay off many workers. Choosing the latter option, this then proposed a problem with the union and themselves became a main stakeholder. First, I will explore the events (symptoms) that lead to the problems that GC is currently facing. Then, identify the conflicts that occur when parties with opposing interest meet face to face like GC and the union. And finally, I will analyze the goals it needs to set in order to find a solution to the trap it has fallen into, by presenting some suggested solutions it should follow to regain its momentum.

          In GC’s situation, the executives failed to coordinate with technologies workers union to achieve their ultimate goal: globalization.  This objective clashed with the union’s ambition to provide employees with their basic rights like maintaining their jobs. GC’s approach to go international is due to the competition they face in the telecommunication industry.  There is no need to follow a Machiavellian approach, “Effective communication is vital to all organizations because it coordinates employees, fulfills employee needs, supports knowledge management, and improves decision making (Steve L. McShane, Mary Ann Von Glinow, 2005, p.3).

           The lack of partnership with the technologies workers union disturbed the route of communication with the public and its employees. GC permitted the wrong level of media richness with the workers union and employees; they chose to communicate through the corporate grapevine channel in this unique situation. Even though GC should have prevented the grapevine communication, “75 percent of employees typically receive news from the grapevine before they hear about it through formal channels,” ( McShane, Von Glinow,  2005  p. 30) . By not informing the union and employees of the future arrangements, there was not a solid explanation of what was to come of everyone’s future. Therefore, the union and employees were forced to receive information from the grapevine.                      

           GC’s management assumed that the communication was accomplished by selling their idea to the union. This brought about a stumbling block with their communication with the union. As mentioned in this statement “The greatest problem with communication is the illusion that it has been accomplished.” (McShane, Von Glinow, 2005, P16). GC failed to recognize how the union might have reacted to their policy to spread globally at the expense of many their worker’s jobs.

          Other than not predicting the union’s next move, it also failed to actively listen to one another and to sense each others goals, evaluating and responding. GC’s inability to communicate was ineffective because of the lack of listening to the union. As stated here “Nature gave people two ears but only one tongue, which is a gentle hint that they should listen more than they talk” (Steve L. McShane, Mary Ann Von Glinow,  2005, P25),The only way that  communication can  be effective is when you listen to the opposing party and try compromise while considering their interest as well.

          Conflicts occur from lack of listening as I have mentioned, as well as when dissimilar standpoints and goals clash in trying to get a unified point or solution. The merging of different viewpoints generates a competent judgment. Everyone in the scenario is a stakeholder since they are all affected by the new policy. GC is competing in industry where they are falling behind due to cable companies, therefore if they do not take action soon GC might not survive. According to this proposal, many workers will lose their present occupation in GC. On the other hand, the workers union tries to provide their employees with appropriate working conditions under any circumstances and getting laid off is not in their agenda. For the sake of the company’s privacy, GC did not reveal their upcoming tactics because the information was confidential. The managements of GC at this point faced an ethical dilemma between revealing the company confidential information and incorporating the union in their decision making. The union has to make sure that workers are being treated fairly while; GC has to respect its company’s privacy. These targets are poles apart and crash when they encounter each other.  

           While Global Communications decision to enter the global market and find new ways to increase profits and cut costs to remain competent in today’s market is quite reasonable, however it failed to communicate it in the appropriate manner. The inputs from the technologies workers union will help GC make an informant decision by better understanding the outcome of their strategy. In an organization, the most efficient decisions are made when everyone’s perspective are taken into consideration simultaneously, placing yourself at the top of the list. An alliance with the unions in decision making will yield a better solution where anxieties due to a loss of law suit or one’s reputation would not exist.  Using more persuasive channels would have prevented communication barriers. Communicating with the workers union from the start would prevent rumors of the circumstances of the company and employees. At this point GC should have taken the time to role play any complications that they predict would arise like the reaction from the workers union.  GC should have considered the cost of the reaction by the union and whether the legal action will compensate the gain of lying off workers.  

          Global communication can enter the global market by first accomplishing its end state goals. The first step to achieve after relocating to Ireland and India is by increasing their profits and cutting costs. In able for a system to attain that goal is by preparing and monitoring costs on a monthly basis. An additional end state goal is to aim for the recuperation of their most important assets: their reputation. By reconstructing their reputation they are restoring their stock value and employee’s loyalty. GC should try to regain the publics trust in order to increase the amount of investments in GC to  play a significant role in the telecommunication industry.  Also, internally employees suffered a great loss in losing their jobs and even those who remained are probably questioning their individual worth to the company and whether or not their positions in their job are guaranteed. To restore their reputation, also means not losing their best employees to their competitors.

          Ford Motors like Global Communications must look for new lines of income by going global and cutting costs to remain competent in today’s market. Although they are very different industries their relationships with the union are congruent.  In order for Ford Motor’s corporation to remain competitive in the automobile industry, it has to increase profits, which means cutting costs from some areas. Ford Motor Corporation did so by laying workers off in the US and using Magna International to fabricate some of their parts in European countries. This cropped up rusty relationships with the United Autos Union, but presently it is a priority for Ford to have level of communication with the unions. “With the economic condition of the auto industry, I’m surprised that our national bargaining committee came up with such a good contract” (Mills, 2007). Global Communications as well, did not see the significance of communicating to the telecommunication union about their plans to lay off workers which offset a possible law suit. Ford like GC should keep a close alliance with the unions especially in matters where the employees are major stakeholders.

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         Forming an alliance with the union is the first step in increasing communications, but that can be completely useless if there are no good negotiating/communicating skills amidst the clashing interest of different parties. Global one is called courageous technology:  a globally shared resource. The three main parent companies lacked communication due to their own internal interests: Deutsche continued to try and make an unsuccessful and unsolicited bid for Telecom Italia, and Sprint was trying to support both French and German partners about merge with MCI WorldCom. Unable to make a collective agreement increased tension between the ...

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