Management Case Study Example

Question 1

According to Baltzan (2012), a business process is the activities that make a company achieve its business goals. Jeston and Nelis (2014) explain that various people with a common purpose perform these activities. Additionally, Weske (2012) states that a business process must have explicit inputs while focusing on a single output. In the above complaint, it is evident that the support team at Vodacom was not helpful to the client who wished to change their type of service. The first consulted was not useful to the customer yet she was capable of handling the request according to her portfolio at the company.

The business processes that this complaint relates to are the Customer Sevice Business Processes. The relationship to the Customer Sevice Business Processes is that the client wanted a change of service to a new one that the company offers. Unfortunately, the company consultants were not able to help the customer. Customer Sevice Business Processes are some of the core functions of a company for revenue generation. Vodacoms core business is helping mobile subscribers connect with other users making it a service delivery company. The client's cell phone was off for more than a week meaning that the company lost some revenue while frustrating a customer. Besides, the customer's cell phone was almost suspended the accounts department citing arrears that another branch refuted. The client's issue was of technical assistance in nature because they could not change the service on their own, therefore requiring the services of a company consultant. From the evidence given it is very clear that the chain of the service delivery process was broken because the client could not be assisted.

From the responses and services the client received from the various specialists of Vodacom, it calls for a business process re-engineering so that future customers do not get the same services as the Complainant. Baltzan (2012) says that the business process reengineering should be a continuous process that seeks for improvement in business by continuously reviewing its procedures. Abdolvand et al. (2008) give outlines that a company can follow when re-engineering their business. Firstly, the business should center on outcomes and not tasks. For example, Vodacom can change their business operation strategies based on the results of their business activities. The complainant is likely to switch to another cell phone provider because of the outcome of the service they were given at Vodacom. Therefore, the company needs to change their strategies so retain more customers by responding to issues as soon as possible so that they are ahead of the competitors. Additionally, the company should create a department that handles the change of service requests so that issues are dealt with from one central point. For example, a call center that handles such requests and where complaints can be launched if the customers are not satisfied. In the example given, the customer consulted many offices that made the situation worse because of the varied responses that they received.

Bevilacqua et al. (2009) continue to say that a company should identify its processes and group them in order of urgency. Another business process that the firm can use is information integration because misinformation rendered the client's cell phone inoperable the company citing payment arrears that were non-existent. The company should focus on data integration so that every consultant has access to the same information as an improvement of the service business process. In the example, one branch said that the client had no arrears while the other said he had. Such issues can be avoided by integrating information so that all consultants have access to information in real time (Davenport, 2013).

Question 2

The two opposing forces discussed in the article are supply chain strategy and environmental performance (Vachon and Klassen, 2008). Sun et al. (2009) define Supply Chain Strategy as the goals that a company wishes to achieve. An Environmental Performance Strategy is an approach that seeks to safeguard the environment by corporations that are likely to produce hazardous products and at the same time maintaining their production levels (Darnall et al., 2008). A challenge arises because production strategies have had least concerns for the environment previously for maximum profit. The environmental policy's primary objective is to safeguard the environment by producing goods that are environmentally friendly. The environmental strategy is an expensive one because as Walker et al. ( 2008) explains by arguing that managing production while being compliant with the environmental regulations is difficult. Darnall et al. ( 2008) have given examples of companies that have had to pay hefty fines for violating the environment through spillages and dumping of hazardous material into places that people live and even rivers that people use their water for daily subsistence either through fishing or domestic consumption. It means that these companies, to be environmental compliant have to spend a lot of money. Disposal is one area that these companies spend millions of dollars on so that they can keep the environment clean. Such measures usually do not go in line with the supply chain strategy.

2.2 From the evidence, it is true that a top-down communication structure does not result in an integrated business and functional structure. According to Argenti (2015), the top-down structure does not have room for employee input, which can be demotivating. Some employees might have excellent ideas that can be beneficial to the business on environmental production, but they are not allowed to air them thus demotivating them. Additionally, the top-down communication structure does not promote talent because employees are told what to do and not what they have to offer. Employees work like cogs in a wheel that follow only directions and have no input. Dosenbach et al. (2008) further explain that employees who want to showcase their talents within the business environment may be forced to look for work elsewhere, thus taking with them the best ideas that could have made the company environmental compliant. The approach only requires employees whose only goal is to follow instructions. Therefore, it is difficult to make business decisions on the best strategies of production while managing the environment with this method. The employees are the people who know what they are working with better because they are exposed to the risks of products. For example, environmental assessments on a product should be done at the product level and then make recommendations that the top management should adopt. Such recommendations can only be possible if the employees not only follow instructions but also are allowed to forward their ideas.

Maon et al. (2009) also state that implementation costs are likely to be higher with the top-down communication strategy. It can be argued that this because employees do what they are sometimes told even when they know that results are not going to be good. They cannot tell the management, so they go on to follow the instructions. After, it is when the management can know that the instructions they had given were not the best. If the employees could communicate their ideas to the management, functions of a company would be smoother because ideas are shared both ways on what best to be done to increase production and keep the environment clean.

Another disadvantage of the top-down communication strategy is that management is seen as being dictatorial. It can lead to resentments thus lowering production especially when the staff does not like the management (Hannal et al., 2009). Another disadvantage is that information is likely to be distorted in the channel of communication from top levels to the lower levels (Damanpouret al., 2009). It can lead to confusion in the company because the instructions of the management and the goals of the company will not be communicated effectively (Diefenbach, 2009).

2.3 Government transportation laws are making it hard for Ford engineers struggle in their recycling efforts. The regulations do not allow the recycling of old parts to make new vehicles because of the risks involved. Additionally, the company makes vehicles that last for a long time while technology keeps improving thus new cars in the market every year despite the old ones being is use. It is a challenge because they are not allowed to reuse parts from the old vehicles while producing new ones.

The other issue that is making recycling difficult is quality. It is argued that recycled parts are of a lesser quality as compared to new ones. It is a challenge in manufacturing because the engineers have to balance between quality and cost whereby recycled materials are deemed cheaper but of a lesser quality.

2.4 The other company that needs to integrate environmental management into their system is the Apple.inc. In 2015, it was ranked position one on technology-based companies categorization by the PWC magazine according to (Hennessy et al., 2017). It is the number one brand on Brand Finance best brand list (Arndt et al., 2017) making it a giant in the computer industry. From statics, the company earned 42.4 billion dollars from sales in the fiscal third quarter year that ended in June 2016 (Daniel et al., 2017). Therefore, the giant mobile and computer manufacturer produces a lot of waste especially when their products are no longer in use due to numerous upgrades. Per year, at least every product gets an update that makes previous products obsolete. If the company does not find ways in which their products can be environmentally friendly, there are bound to be serious ramifications in the future. The companys products are sold worldwide thus making it a global environmental issue when dealing the digital waste. Therefore, instead of dealing with hazardous waste, the company can find ways of making environmentally friendly products that will not be a challenge when it comes to disposal.

Lastly, the company is very large, and movement within the company requires people to use vehicles. They should incorporate environmental management in the management of their human resource. It is their responsibility to use environmentally friendly means of transport with minimal emissions that can hurt the environment. The company employs so many people who have to travel by some ways to reach their work or workplace. The company can use a single means of transport to ferry staff to work from a central meeting point so that it minimizes the number of vehicles that travel to its premises.

Question 3

According to Donovan (2015), the data was previously abused because it was used for marketing purposes that targeted grant beneficiaries. It was also found out that the client information was being used to make illegal deductions from the clients grants. The move was illegal because customer information was supposed to be confidential and not be used for other purposes.

The courts ruling found that the tender was awarded to Cash Paymaster Services(CPS) illegally. It ruled the data is the sole property of South Africa Social Security Agency (SASSA) and should never to disclosed to any third party company. At the end of the contract, all client data shall be removed from the third party company and its affiliates according to a ruling passed in a constitutional court (Vally (2016). Lastly, according to Vally (2016) 17 million grants will be paid after the expiry of the terminated contract on 31st March 2017.

References

Argenti, P. A. (2015). Corporate communication. McGraw-Hill Higher Education.Abdolvand, N., Albadvi, A., &...