Global Communications

Global Communications Corporation

Problem Solution: Global Communications Corporation

Global Communications faces a situation that is not unlike many companies face and certainly in the telecommunications industry. In a three year period, Global has seen its stock fall by more than 50% while the competition has become fiercer and more diverse. Global is faced with the challenge of determining the most pressing issues as well as pin pointing the solutions to each of these issues. No matter the solutions, Global has been run as a company that takes care of its employees and the prospect of any decision affecting the status of employment and/or pay and thus losing morale is very real.

In order to truly approach these issues with the intent of solving it adequately, Global must analyze the issues at hand to make for certain it has the correct problems being addressed. Only at this point can Global define its problem, find its desired goals and start to find solutions. Once this is done, the implementation of the solutions will go into effect and the desired outcomes will begin to be realized. First, though, the situation background must be explained before the problems and the solutions can be proposed.

Situation Background (Step 1)

The situation that Global is facing has been recognized, but the exact issues that are relevant to the situation have not. On the surface, there are many problems that seem evident, but in reality, the root causes of its situation may not be as crystal clear as one might think. The importance is that Global take a step back and truly analyzes its predicament. The necessity lies not in looking into the past as much as looking at the present and determining Global's best path to proceed into the future.

As in any problem in life, whether personal or business, there are minor issues affecting the problem and there are major ones also. Global must identify and focus on the major issues. Following the understanding and identification of the major goals will enable Global to answer the minor issues at a later time, or possibly have it solved in the process of solving the major issues. Thus, firstly, it is imperative for Global that the issues be identified properly.

Issue Identification

So what are the main issues Global is facing in this ever-changing, fast-paced telecommunications industry? Before answering this question, it is important to Global that it takes the question seriously and takes the time to look deep into what its problems are that are affecting it. The loss in percentage of Global's shares of stock raises an immediate red flag for the company. Its stockholders are restless and skeptical of the resilience of the market and its ability to rebound. Global's internal costs are impeding its avenue to growth and it is an issue that it must address and attempt to reduce these costs by as much as 25%. As mentioned earlier, the competition in this market is intense and immense, and Global must overcome this. Global needs to be more international and start to be able to live up to the name of "Global". On top of this, Global needs to keep the union involved and help the morale of its employees. Already recently, Global had to ask the union and the employees to give up over 20% of the worker's education and health benefits and this is just one more step in the direction of a possible strike and certainly more discontent. Even with these issues that Global is facing, it has an opportunity to look at these issues, not as problems, but as opportunities. Next, it is Global's task to identify what opportunities, if any, may arise from these issues.

Opportunity Identification

Global needs to not dismiss any of the issues identified, but instead it needs to discover what opportunities can come from these issues. Global has a good chance to approach early its issues identified, and make sure Global is able to develop alternatives to solve it and thus be able to turn it from problems to opportunities.

The first opportunity that Global can take advantage of is that it can outsource some of its call centers to India and Ireland. This can be affective in helping Global reduce its costs and to become more international as its presence in foreign countries begins to develop. In addition, the support Global is giving to its customers will increase, as the call centers will be employed by people who historically are more IT savvy, something the customer is hungry to obtain.

Global can also maintain and create new alliances in the telecommunications field, similar to the alliance that is set up with the satellite provider. Global should start to move towards selling IT solutions as opposed to its previous attitude of selling IT products. Also, to help in the moral of its people and to offset the negative reactions from its lay offs if it goes with outsourcing of its call centers, Global can look to propose a 15% retention bonus to help retain some of its employees and make an effort to show compassion. All these opportunities are available and are brought forth due to Global's need of meeting its various stake holder's wants and desires.

Stakeholder Perspectives/Ethical Dilemmas

Global can not and should not take for granted each stake holder's interests in the business of Global. In order to fully do so, it must identify all the stakeholders, its interests, rights and values and any ethical dilemmas that could possibly arise from this. The three stakeholders that Global must relate to in its quest to improve its company are the shareholders, the customers and the employees/union.

The shareholders are in demand of higher returns and of an indication that the telecommunications market can rebound from the lackluster performances of the early 2000's. In large part, the shareholders are the driving force behind the changes that need to take place within Global. Global thus has dilemmas that it must face in order to make sure the changes it decides to enact are focused on what will be beneficial for the shareholders, while not ostracizing the other members of the stakeholders and its needs.

The customers are a big part of any company and the success or demise that may befall it. The customers are in need of better products and in need of companies that offer more. The telecommunications industry is caught in a cundrum that it helped create, where the large world we live in is now much smaller than it was before, as consolidation of companies