Constructive Relations At Top Trucking Company: New Management Practices And Their Risks Essay.

New Management Practices at Top Trucking Company

Question:

Discuss about the Portfolio Program and Project Managers.

This is a business report based on a case study titled Constructive relations at Top Trucking Company. The paper will address three key areas of the case study namely; how the new management practices introduced by the new yard manager did complimented each other, the risk in sustaining these changes in an event that the new yard manager or Company worker’s union representative leave work and comparison between blue collar unions and public sector unions in terms of affinity or likelihood to embrace operational changes at their respective work places. The paper will also provide recommendations to better management the positive changes at the workplaces as well as good employee – employer work relationship.  

When the new manager took over the management of the yard he began talking to his drivers and their union representatives. Human beings being social beings the manager was connecting to the irrational part of his team at the yard and not just to the rational part of the conscience. This created an enabling environment for consultations between him and the drivers together with the union representative. When problems arose it made it easier for him to dissect the issues in a sober and rational manner because already he was someone who would talk to employees anytime. The fact that he would talk to employees and he would look at the issues arising soberly complimented each other very well when the manager was resolving new issues at the yard. In this case it made the process of digging for correct information easier as no one at the yard was feeling apprehensive to give out information for the manager to be able to make correct decision. (Bach, & Edwards, 2013)

The manager was also firm and consistent. Although this initially this lead to some go slows at the yard and even run inns with the union representative he never changed. Eventually the workers and the their union representative saw that the manager was always firm and consistent in handling of issues in the right way it and downed to them that they were the one who needed to change because the new manager was always firm and consistent when dealing with issues at the yard. These two scenarios complemented each other.

The manager would also come down to the level of union leader in terms of administration and consult him regarding issues at the yard even though the manager wasn’t required to do so by the company regulations. He did this in his own volition. This earned him respect. When the decisions were made at the yard by the manager all employees could feel to be part and parcel of the decisions being made because their union representative was consulted. It became easier for them to understand some of the changes they initially felt not comfortable with but when the explanations were done to them as a result of consultations they would embrace the new changes introduced. By regularly consulting employees and latter coming to explain to them the changes he brought at work complimented each other as far as getting the workforce embrace and implement the new ways of doing things at the yard as directed by the manager. (Bens, 2012)

Sustaining the Changes: Risks and Challenges

 In case the manger or the union representative George leaves the organization there would be some risks to sustaining the changes that the two had implement at the yard. These risks can be put into three categories;

The occasional trainings of the employees at the yard on occupational health and safety as well on customer service and technical skill faces a risk considering there was no evidence of such trainings during the previous management. This therefore means that in case a new manager joins in and he or she is not much into refreshing the organizational competencies of the employees at the yard the same will be exposed to being out of date thus rendering employees not fully competent with time to work at the yard given inadequate knowledge on the latest technical skills, customer service and safety. If the union leader leaves and comes a new one he may start resistance to these kinds of trainings observing that they have enough experience to work at the yard given the number of years they have worked there, thus hindering the smooth running of the training program. (Branagan, 2009)

The new systems installed at the yard will also face some risk of being abandoned and retuning to the old systems which perhaps do not demand a lot of attention to detail thus making work ‘easier’ for the new management. This affects the company competency in handling the trucks and general activities at the yard and sustaining the positive changes initially incorporated into the culture at the yard.

In an event that the manager leaves work the incoming one may not be a person to consult the employees or the drivers at the yard through their representative. Instead the new management can be bossy only providing directions and not seeking them. This will alienate the employees further from the management and they may feel they are not part and parcel of the organization in terms of team work. They may focus on only doing bear the minimum of work just to earn the salaries.

The same goes to when there is change of the union representative. The new person taking charge may not be as cooperative with the manager compared to the previous representative. This will slow down teamwork at the yard as misunderstandings that previously wouldn’t be there could arise between employees and the management of the organization. (Jackson, Schuler, & Werner, 2012)

 In case the manger of the yard leaves there would be risks associated with leadership and interpersonal skills. There is no guarantee that the new manager will try to talk to the representative and employees to create that personal relationship. The new manager could be someone who will not be looking at the issues soberly and slowly looking for truth. She or he may not be firm and consistent as the current manager in handling the issues. Thus sustaining the leadership and good interpersonal skills at the yard may face some risks.

If on the other hand the union representative leaves work then sustaining the good understanding between the manager and the and the employees could face some risk because the new person may not be keen to establish this kind of working relationship between the people he represents and the management. (Levin, 2011)

I find that blue collar unions are more likely to embrace these kinds of changes as in the case of the Top Trucking Company’s Wollongong yard than unions in public or civil service. This is because in blue collar jobs the organizations are much concerned with profits as compared to public service who are not interested in making loses or profits. Theirs is to ensure that members of the public are served and that is it the government will pay the salaries and for operation cost. Therefore their unions may not be interested in facilitating a change that will make their members engage more and required to become more competent because salaries will still be paid. But on the other blue collar unions are likely to embrace changes that will make the company earn more revenues to be able to pay their members well and even promote them. To find out I am right I will carry out a simple survey on this topic between the Unions of blue collar jobs employees and the unions of public service employees to ascertain which among them has embrace more workplace changes within a certain period of time say five years. The findings then confirm or otherwise my hypothesis as mentioned above. (Woods, Johanson, & Sciarini, 2012)

Conclusion

My recommendation is that whenever and organization or a company notes positive changes that makes them achieve their targets the organization should institutionalize these workplace changes to make them permanent in that, regardless of who is at the helm of the company that particular person will need to continue implementing the changes as the company policies. When the changes are put in form of policies it will be part of the company not just part of the manager overseeing the operations at any particular period of time.

It is imperative that those in leadership try as much as possible to involve the other employees when it comes to decision making process this promotes teamwork and boost company performance.

References

Bach, S., & Edwards, M. (2013). Managing human resources. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley.

Bens, I. (2012). Facilitating with Ease! Core Skills for Facilitators, Team Leaders and Members, Managers, Consultants, and Trainers. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons.

Branagan, A. (2009). Making sense of business. London, UK: Kogan Page.

Jackson, S., Schuler, R., & Werner, S. (2012). Managing human resources. Mason, OH: South   Western/Cengage Learning.

Levin, G. (2011). Interpersonal skills for portfolio program and project managers. Vienna, Va.: Management Concepts.

Stone, R. (2015). Managing Human Resources 4th Edition + iStudy. John Wiley & Sons.

Woods, R., Johanson, M., & Sciarini, M. (2012). Managing hospitality human resources. Lansing, Mich: American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute.