Constructive Relations at Top Trucking Company

Question: Discuss about the Constructive Relations at Top Trucking Company. Answer: Introduction Coworkers, supervisors, and employees in a company need to develop positive relationships for them to be able to enjoy their work and be productive. These connections are important as they may get into work references in the future which may have a positive or negative effect on career progression. For the development of effective working relations employees must build trust and work as a team. Communication is crucial to building relations among employees either horizontally or vertically in an organization. Wollongong experienced transformational change from a dictatorial leadership to a democratic leader who lets in employees on the decision. Employees were forced to endure mistreatment from George who did not care about their safety but cared for results. The oppressive atmosphere in the yard led to strikes and employees did not work to their full potential(Australian Trucking Industry, 2001). Transportation facilities were old, and the manager did not have any plans to purchase new ones. This issue made drivers make many stopovers while transporting goods, therefore, consuming a lot of time(SerslandNataraajan,2015).This article aims at critically analyzing the risks, practices and the sustainability of changes experienced by Wollongong yard. New company practices The practices introduced by the new yard manager have quickly changed the company operations. Some of the new changes include: Change in company operations The company was completely transformed from previously one mans directives to a consultative approach. The new management began the transformation by issuing new uniforms to the truck drivers. This changes the image of the company as the company's employees were clean and neat.The new management approach to problem-solving involves going to the cause of the problem and not blaming it on the drivers. Employee image and implementation of problem-solving strategies create a comfortable environment for employees to work as argued by Hecker (2002). The health and safety of the employees are factors that determine their productivity. Therefore, the new management has strategies to ensure that they became the company's priority. Technical and customer care service training is given to workers regularly to equip them with skills to navigate in the changing work environments(Apostolopoulos, LemkeSonmez, 2014). The new practices aimed at creating a work environment that would increase productivity. The new practices got aggressive reception as some employees were not comfortable with the new changes but with time they understood the benefits, and they changed their attitudes towards the new management. Employee consultations The new management makes the employees a priority to enhance and ensures employee satisfaction. The new management can achieve the goals it has set by combining different aspects of the company. Formulation of policies and governance require cooperation among employees from all ranks(Bensman, 2016).All employees in the management take part in decision making which is an important perspective as they understand well their areas of specialization.Their opinions matter to management in bringing and implementing change to their departments(Holloway, Kusy,2013). Eventually, George realized that the new management would bring benefit to the company and so he became part of change agents. The new management had a different approach in decision making; the new yard manager consulted all the employees before making a final determination on an issue.The sense of belonging to the company was consequently improved. Employees considered other employees as their second family because they spend quite a lot of time together(Hall Bensoussan, 2007). It is important therefore that managements in companies create an environment in which employees can interact freely and make connections with them(Williams, Thomas Liao-Troth,2017). Management need to realize that workers are the backbone and if not taken care of well could reduce productivity, and the overall image is damaged Risks Wollongong is going through a transformational phase, and it risks setbacks if the management is changed before the transition is fully implemented. Leaders have their style of giving orders and ensuring that work is done. The new management has brought changes to the employee relations which is a strategy to increase productivity. Change in management results in a change to policies and priorities which risk the current changes that have been brought to the yard. Change is inevitable, but it may cause setbacks to the company if the employees do not go in sync with them as explained by Jamaldeen, Bryant Joyeux (2015).New management should hold in-depth consultation with previous management to understand the working environment and how to navigate through. Some of the risks that may challenge the sustainability of the changes brought by the new yard manager include: Lack strategic disciplines A strategic discipline does change not only the operations of the company but also influences the culture. Most of the changes brought to the organization are based on an individuals effort to transforming the organization (Azab, Mostafa Park, 2016). The change of management is not predictable which put the management in a tight spot because change cannot fully take ground within a short period of implementation. Change requires monitors and indicators which measure the level of adoption of change(Lovegrove, 2015). The change brought should be fully assimilated in the company to avoid risks of being ignored by incoming management. Tools and infrastructure have to be fully exploited to avoid risking the changes made being ignored or modified without consultation. Misdiagnosing the scope of change The change brought by the new management has increased its clientele and employees are more satisfied with their work. The work dynamics has changed, and it has influenced all operations which may not be fully regulated. For example, employees, have been given freedom to decide their fate in the company, which to some extent may bring a clash between the management and employees. This freedom is risky as employees may demand treatment that the management may not afford and this may cause strikes and work slows, therefore, reducing production(Spiro, 2013).Some of the positive changes that management may want to implement may be opposed by the employees. The new yard manager should introduce the regulatory body to ensure that the scope of change does not hinder the progression of the company. Change influences crucial parts of an organization including the systems, decision making bodies, technology and the knowledge and skills of the employees. Communication with stakeholders Communication is essential to building relationships with the different stakeholders.The intensity of change affects all operations in the company and also the human dynamics. When the company is undergoing change, employees attitudes are influenced, and this may result in acceptance or retaliation. This demands the management to engage employees in implementing changes. Constant communication between the management and the employees should be fostered to ensure that they understand all aspects and therefore make informed decisions(Wilson, 2003).Naturally, when an employee is involved in structuring an idea, they get fully committed to executing it. Human dynamics When employees go through change, their mindsets take long to assimilate the changes and exhibit them. Employees have to internally process the changes and make sense of them before accepting them. The process of change is intense, and employees have to understand the nature of change and how it will influence their presence in the company(Wals Corcoran, 2012). When change is fully accepted, new managements have tough times making adjustments to the organizations operations. Changes made may not be flexible to accommodating further amendments proposed to them. Emotional transitions are the most difficult to influence, and reception to change may not be quick. Change in governance New managements bring their styles of leadership which may result in confusion of roles as and structures within the organization. The new yard manager prioritized changes in the decision-making process, strategies for operation and problem-solving in the company which may not be a priority with other managements. Although the benefits are measurable, new managements may not consider them as important factors that contribute to the output. The management should formulate policies that become part of the company such that when they move on, new management does not have a hard time taking over the process(Weybrecht, 2014). Workplace changes The new Wollongong yard manager provides a work environment for employees that give them an opportunity to define themselves through their abilities. The business started as a family business. Therefore, it did not give room for many structural changes to happen. Decision making was central to the management which does not allow for changes to happen frequently. The new company outlook is different, and structures changed to accommodate the operations of the national transport group in the enterprise. Transport workers unions bring equality to the workforce and regulate their operations. Workers rights are given a priority and companies are encouraged to promote safety at workplaces. Education has played a significant role in workplaces; drivers have access to training opportunities where they learn and understand their rights(Levvy,2015). These training also improve the productivity as the workers receive technical and customer care service training. Workers have a significant role in changing work dynamics through a change in operations and attitudes. It is evident that the wellbeing of the employees in this sector has evolved to encompass different human aspect. The formation of the transport workers union of Australia in the early 1900s has brought a lot of changes in the sector (Schulz, Luthans Messersmith, 2014). Since its inception, it has achieved a lot within the sector, for example, it has successfully fought for an increase in wages and improved working environments (Lee, Huang, Murphy, Robertson Garabet, 2015). Initially, it was formed to improve the working conditions of the drivers and to fight for their wages. The unions have a significant influence on the workplace as the employees depend on it for their survival and progression in the workforce.This union fights for the rights of employees and ensures that work environments are bearable(Coiquaud, 2016). Unlike public sector unions, transport sector dynamics differ in their operations because the nature of work is different. Government regulations imposed on the sector are minimal as many firmsare privatized and follow different rules as long as they do not conflict with the government policies(Wilson, 2003). Recommendations Transportation companies need to prioritize their employees wellbeing increased productivity is to be realized. Employees working conditions need to be constantly reviewed to avoid setbacks that may negatively affect their productivity(ThompsonStevenson,2014). Employees are an integral part of a company, and their contribution to the organization is important Conclusion The success of change introduced to Wollongong yard is as a result of a combination of forces that constitute an integral part of the organization. The yard manager could exploit the opportunities presented by the changes made to achieve goals set. The collective bargaining aspect of trade unions makes them appealing to workers. Therefore, companies should seek to be covered by it. 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Constructive Relations at Top Trucking Company Questions: 1.How do the new workplace practices introduced by the new yard manager complement one another?2.Do you think tough blue collar unions like the Transport Workers Union are more of less likely to engage in workplace changes like these than public or service sector unions? Why? How would you find out if you are right? Answers: Introduction The topic revolves around the constructive relations within a business organisation named Top Trucking, UK. The topic will illustrate about the various management of employee relations and also how the manager of the company played a major role in it to improve the companys efficiency. George Psaros was assigned with the task of managing the transformation of the company and replace the existing infrastructure and management operations of the company with newer ones for the deriving of good business outcomes and also ensure that the organisation functions in a smooth manner. Previously the yard manager was autocratic and thus the opinions and responses of the employees were not considered while making business decisions. This not only resulted in lack of interest among the workers but also resulted in various accidents and degradation of organisations performance as a whole too (Ariely, 2012). The topic would illustrate about how the transformation would be made possible and also abo ut the new workplace practices which would be implemented by the new yard manager of Top trucking to complement one another. 1. From the case study, it could be clearly understood that the new practices within the workplace introduced by the newly appointed yard manager of Top Trucking company had brought fruitful results for the company and even transformed the way of working in a positive manner. It could be seen that previously the workplace practices were not up to the mark and also the yard manager was autocratic which showed an aggressive behavior and also not considering the opinions of employees in any cases while making effective decisions in business. The new workplace practices were implemented with the assigning of a new yard manager as the old yard manager retired. The new workplace practices have enabled the new yard manager to complement one another, as because the new yard manager has decided to transform the company from its existing condition and also spend more money for bringing enhanced organisational efficiency (Askenazy Caroli, 2010). The yard has been cleaned up and also new unifor ms have been arranged for the workers of the company so as to bring out something unique and innovative which was not the case previously. The new yard manager followed the democratic style of leadership which helped in gathering the opinions and responses of employees and then make decisions by selecting the most suitable option that would be favorable for the company. The organisational efficiency is dependent upon the performances of the workers and thus their interest and concentration on the tasks are essential. The new yard manager has managed to interact with the employees frequently and also guided them in the right direction through motivation and encouragement and this further helped in resolving certain issues too (Urciuoli, 2008). It was like a new breath of fresh air as because new computer systems were installed along with improvement of the health and safety measures so as to keep the workers safe and healthy and also prevent any sort of harm. New trucks were bought a s well, which created a positive mindset among the minds of the workers (Bienvenu Merkle, 2009). In case of any issues, the yard manager even without blaming the employees and staffs at first, got into the issue by following various rational methods and check the other things put which might be the cause of such kinds of issues. The yard manager also consulted with George about certain issues and then took the major decisions, which further resulted in improving the brand name and image and also enhanced the business operations and processes with ease and effectiveness (Cristini et al, 2008). What are the risks to sustaining these changes if George or the yard manager moves on? There are various risks of sustaining these changes within Top Trucking which can not only lead to transformation of the business from its effective business operations to weak organisational efficiency. The risks mainly occur when the transformation has already occurred and after that if he yard manager and George moves on to some other place leaving the transformation process not proceed further in a proper way (Yu Park, 2010). In order to maintain the transformation process properly, it would be essential for the manager of the yard and George to carry on the workplace practices that are new and innovative for some time just after the transformation process, otherwise the transformation process might fall apart with the absence of the yard manager and George who were considered as major individuals involved with the success of the company Top Trucking in UK. The risks could be the lack of link or connection between the organisational change efforts to the market and the business strategies which might clarify the various information among the minds of the stakeholders involved in business like the investors, employees, customers and even the manager (Fenwick, 2008). As soon as the changes occur like here the employees were provided with new trucks and also uniforms the employees would feel the pressure at first, though they would get habituated with those afterwards. This might also lead to some kinds of risks in case the yard manager and George moves on as because the employees would feel lost and would find it difficult to cope up with the changes and also move in the right direction. Without the influence the yard manager, the performances of the employees would likely get deteriorated, thereby resulting in deterioration of organizational performance too. The other reltead risks could be lack of vision and mission statement known to the employees and finding it complex to move on and improve the organisational efficiency (Grawitch et al, 2006). Leaders often experience this lack of commitment as resistance due to which the employees could also face issues in business. As the yard manager followed the democratic leadership approach, so there c ould be situations when the employees would be unable to discuss about their issues and also share their opinions with someone superior and ensure moving in the proper direction for coping up with the changes (Kuipers, 2013). The risks associated with the changes could also be the leadership issues where the leaders might not be able to predict the feasibility of these changes which might further result in downfall of the organization. If the yard manager and George moves on, then the corporate governance would also be changed and thereby result in improper functioning of the company too. If George and the new and effective yard manager move on, then the new leaders might be unable to provide strategic disciplines for managing the changes according to the change agenda, change process methodology and also inappropriate infrastructure of the business organisation Top Trucking, UK (Kiselyov et al, 2008). There could also be risks related to lack of resources and lack of motivation and encouragement of workers due to absence of George and yard manager that might further deteriorate the organisational efficiency. 2. Yes, my personal opinions are more inclined towards believing that the blue collar unions like the Transport Workers Union are more of less likely to engage in workplace changes like these than public or service sector unions. This is because the public service sector unions are involved with the management of business operations and processes by working within the organization while the blue collar unions are more focused on managing the hand held tasks. The white collar employees of organisations are found to work within offices, cubicles and within other administrative settings where the changes are often informed to them which make them easily consider those while working within the organisation. On the other hand, Top Trucking company is a reputed company and it has managed its transformation process with the involvement of union delegate George a nd the yard manager (Cronqvist et al, 2009). Here the blue collar unions like the Transport Workers Union are found to be working and they may be less concerned about the changes within the organizations workplace. The blue collar employees job roles include manual labor also handling certain machineries and equipments within Top Trucking, UK. The unions among the white collar employees are likely to get more engaged with the changes in workplace as because they are more focused with the office related tasks like administrative functions, and other related tasks within the office premises. Changes within the occupational and industrial structure as well as other workplace related changes could result in keeping the white collar employees more engaged as because they would be able to work in better working conditions and would also be able to move in the right direction with the involvement of the manager of the organisation (Frick, 2009). Based on the changes within the workplace including changes ij attitudes and values would also influence the behavior of employees and make them perform with much more dedication and commitment. On the other hand, the blue collar unions would be less involved with the changes in workplace as because their tasks would be concerned with the manual labor (Form, 2015). Within Top Trucking, th e changes experienced were buying more trucks and arranging uniforms for the workers through more investments and management of human resources in a proper manner. The changes would definitely make the employees gain interest in their roles and responsibilities and perform to their potential. This is because the opinions of employees would be taken into consideration also they would not be blamed like before without exploring the issues by the yard manager. Thus the new yard manager would explore the issues rationally and would even improve the effectiveness of security measures so as to keep the workers safe and healthy. Therefore, from this case study, it could be predicted that the blue collar unions like the Transport Workers Union would like to get involved in workplace changes within Top Trucking, UK (Ariely, 2012). Conclusion The topic covered the various aspects of constructive relations and also how the transformation process had been managed within the organisation Top Trucking in United Kingdom. It could be seen that the new yard manager and union delegate had worked in coordination so as to ensure good changes within the workplace by improving the leadership skills and manage the workers properly through motivation and encouragement (Lillie Sippola, 2011). New computer systems have been used along with buying of new trucks and uniforms for the workers. The manager also focused on the health and safety of workers which further created a positive mindset among the workers, thereby making them more interested in getting involved in the changes within the workplace of Top Trucking (Askenazy Caroli, 2010). The essay also included the various new practices within workplace by the yard manager and also the risks that could emerge while sustaining the changes and also in case the yard manager and union del egate move on. References Ariely, G. (2012). 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