Gap Analysis: Global Communications

GAP ANALYSIS: GLOBAL COMMUNICATIONS

Gap Analysis: Global Communications

Deedra Hoard

University of Phoenix

Gap Analysis: Global Communications

The observation of Global Communication's strategic plan clearly identifies the company's vision and direction. Due to the depreciation of their stock, too much competition, and the demands for increased technical sophistication, the need for change and growth is long overdue. Based on the approach the key leadership team has taken, the results will impact their loyal employees in a negative way. The union feels Global Communications has not exhausted all efforts to avoid outsourcing union jobs to foreigners. By considering key concepts, opportunities are realized to prevent the problem from happening again.

Situation Analysis

Issue and Opportunity Identification

One of the first noted events for Global Communications was the stock price took a depreciation of 50% compared to three years ago. Stockholders were losing confidence in GC's ability to rebound from the diminishing returns. The economic pressure was on for telecommunication companies such as Global Communications. Competition was steep, and the small business owners were seeking greater technical sophistication. The cable companies provided complete solutions which Global Communications did not have access to offer. They had to make a change in order to remain in business. Globalization would give them the opportunity for a competitive advantage they needed to increase market share.

The senior leadership team's goal was to introduce new services to small business and consumer customers. This included aggressively marketing themselves on an international level to become a global resource. These new services included local and long-distance markets across the country, video services, satellite broadband anytime internet access using wireless telephone or PC cards, and remote access to company information. They also identified cost reducing ways to improve profits. What measures would Global Communications Senior Leadership Team have to take in order to get them to the next level?

Their outsourcing plan included layoffs and closure of technical call centers and relocating of some call center reps with a 10% salary cut. The business plan was presented to the board and approved. The primary interest of the senior leadership team was to satisfy their small business owners and consumer customers. This meant by any means necessary. The strategic business plan did not take in consideration the recent Union negotiations which led to cuts in education and health benefits. There was no real benefit to the employees who would be affected by the new plan. Global Communications have a responsibility to share the truth with their loyal employees.

Organizational communication was a downfall for Global Communications. They were faced with the task of effectively presenting this plan to the employees to avoid the risk of low morale and slow down of productivity. One concern of staff member Sy was he did not want the plan to get back to the employees through what is known as "the grapevine." This would truly cause communication distortion between the senior managers and the employees. The management team would have avoided some turmoil if effective organizational communication skills were put into practice prior to presenting the strategic plan to the board. Based on the situation, the ethical thing to do was to make sure the employees were aware of what changes were going to occur as quickly as possible. However, if consideration was given to critical analysis in decision making, evaluation of cross-border negotiations, and incorporating employee and union feedback, alternative solutions and opportunities could be identified.

Stakeholder Perspectives/Ethical Dilemmas

The senior leadership team's vision shows interest to grow the company by reducing cost, outsourcing and downsizing. This conflicts with the interest of the employees and the union to create hope for their current situation as well as the future and a win-win mentality. By the company offering career counselors for the employees losing their jobs, it exemplified the more ethical thing to do. The union shares a responsibility to the employees for fairness and they do not support the business strategy of the company. They do not see eye to eye with Global Communication on this dilemma. The union serves as the middle man to the company and the employees. Their ethical dilemma is to protect the employees as well as partner with Global Communications. The senior leadership team rights to satisfy the stockholders have overruled other stakeholders facing the dilemma.

End-State Vision

The idea end-state vision for Global Communications is to realize the opportunities to grow by utilizing their existing resources as well as expanding their market. Rather than layoff loyal employees, and create low morale and credibility issues, the company can promote employee retention by cross training those employees to reposition them into other areas of the corporation. This could be done without the 10% salary decrease to provide job satisfaction. The option to offer the 15% retention bonus could supplement the pay decrease as well as the expense involved with career counseling for the employees. This would provide loyalty to the employees to choose to stay with the company, understand the direction and be apart of the future success and growth opportunity.

Gap Analysis

It was clear based on the readings of Global Communication, a change needed to take place. The business plan to enter into the international markets resulted in mixed emotions. Re-evaluating the dilemma from a business ethic stand point would require defining the problem, dissecting the problem into smaller components and analyzing it. Discussion of the situation will allow all objections to be clearly stated to reach the negotiation process. Once the opportunities are realized from the problem, a common goal can be reached through conflict resolution and effective communication.

Conclusion

Based on the dilemma faced by Global Communications other companies can learn a lesson to avoid such problems. Organization communication structure plays an important role in the success of a company. "Businesses