Generic Benchmarking Sheet

Global Communications Benchmarking

Heather LaHaye

Kathy Leary

Carolina Manzano

Rhodora Palad

University of Phoenix

Dr. Kamal L. Ranasinghe Ph.D., D.B.A.

MBA 500

August 28, 2006

Generic Benchmarking Worksheet

Task A: Problem/Opportunity Statement

Instructions for Task A: In the Response row, write out the problem/opportunity statements for the scenario for each of the team members.

Response to Task A:

1. Citing contract manipulation, the Union is against Global Communications strategy to become a global corporation by using an outsourcing approach and intends to take action through the government or any other available resource.

2. With the relocation of Global Communications domestic call centers, there are plans of employee layoffs, relocation, and/or salary cuts. The senior management team will need to minimize the impact of low employee morale.

3. Communication with staff in India and Ireland will be a challenge for Global Communications due to the difference in workplace cultures and legalities. The connection between corporate culture, employee engagement, worker satisfaction, and employer brand will be an area of opportunity.

4. While the Global Communications senior leadership team has decided to move to India and Ireland to create a greater global presence, the leaders need to consider the less desirable effects of going global. According to Pamela Babcock (2004), "Those include the loss of knowledge that goes with the displaced workers, impediments to sharing information and knowledge among employees offshore and, in the United States, the possible demoralizing effect on your remaining workforce as well as the risk of creating a negative corporate brand image."

Generic Benchmarking--The purpose of generic benchmarking is to identify potential solutions to the problem statements defined in Task A. You will do this by looking at how companies in other industries have dealt with similar issues.

Task B1: Generic Benchmarking: Topics

Instructions for Task B1: In the Response row, identify the topics for which you need information in order to identify potential solutions to the problems identified in Task A.

* In the Response row, list three to five topics that you will research in peer-reviewed journals, on Web sites, and in popular publications such as magazines and newspapers.

* In the Response row, provide a justification for each topic.

Response to Task B1:

1. Outsourcing - According to Poria (2003), before outsourcing is put into effect the leaders must first understand the company's overall strategies and the potential impact this decision can have on the company as a whole in terms of morale, effectiveness, financial options, and long term and short term goals across departments. Global Communications did not have any planned strategies on how to handle the move of hundred of jobs overseas. Open communication is lacking between the stakeholders of Global Communications and not all stakeholders were involved in the decision-making process. With the lack of communication and stakeholder involvement there is a great resistance for the planned outsourcing and the opposition of union workers to do any further negotiation. To deal with the resistance faced all stakeholders of Global Communications will need to be informed of the need to change as the organization moves towards globalization due to the competitive telecommunications industry.

2. Globalization - According to Babcock (2004), "globalization is threatening the future of white-collar jobs, which are increasingly being exported to India and other parts of the globe where highly trained, highly educated workers can perform the same jobs as U.S. workers at nearly half the cost."

3. Layoffs - According to Ruth Morss (2006), "senior executives must establish a documented, justifiable business reason for the layoff and analyze its effect on various protected classes, defined most commonly by age, gender, race, and national origin." If Global Communications fails to prove that the downsizing of its domestic call centers are truly valid and not an excuse to discriminate or eliminate a division only to revamp it again with a new name and/or new people, the company could face lawsuits. According to Morss (2006), "The laws apply to companies with 15 or more employees, and local laws cover companies with smaller numbers."

Task B2: Generic Benchmarking: Companies

Instructions for Task B2: In the Response row, identify companies that have faced and addressed similar situations (successfully and unsuccessfully).

* In the Response row, list two to three companies for each topic identified in Task B1.

* In the Response row, identify those that have been successful and those that have been unsuccessful.

* In the Response row, summarize your key findings for each company as they relate to the scenario.

Response to Task B2:

Outsourcing

* Northwest Airlines is outsourcing flight attendant positions on international flights and flights with less than 100 seats to non-union flight attendants. (Northwest Layoffs)

* Boeing Company has outsourced all of its IT needs. Boeing has saved more than expected by outsourcing. (McDougall)

* ABN Amro, a Dutch bank, decided in 2004 to improve efficiency and product quality by merging the investment, retail, private banking, and asset management business under one technology platform, to be developed offshore, the senior executives' feared resistance. "When you first approach outsourcing, it's a religious issue," says Lars Gustavsson, ABN Amro's London-based group chief information officer. "People either believe in it or they don't."

To solve