Running head: GAP ANALYSIS: GLOBAL COMMUNICATIONS

Gap Analysis: Global Communications
Brandi Cook
University of Phoenix

Gap Analysis: Global Communications
In this paper I will discuss issues and opportunities that Global Communications are faced. There is an examination of stakeholder perspectives and ethical dilemmas. A brief statement of vision is presented in the paper. A gap analysis was performed and discussed.
Situation Analysis
Issue and Opportunity Identification
Global Communications was faced with a problem; Global is currently are currently in a market that overridden with competition. In the effort to compete in the market and to increase profitability, Global Communications will implement a new strategy. The strategy will introduce new products and services and put into action a cost-cutting plan. The plan will close domestic cal centers and open new, cheaper call centers in India and Ireland. Global Communications plans to market itself aggressively in the international market. Global Communications prospectively could move into the international market while lowering cost, thus, making GC profitability increase.
Another issue Global Communications faces when GC moves some technical call centers to India and Ireland most of the domestic call centers will be downsized. Some current call center representatives can be relocated can expect to take an average 10% salary cut. Many of the employees will lose their only source of income. Katrina Heinz, Global Communications Chief Executive Officer, was not very sympathetic for her loyal employees or her team’s challenges of trying to make the transition easy. Heinz’s main goal is to hire in 1000 new qualified salespeople for “dirt cheap.”
Global Communications has the opportunity to maintain a first-class affiliation between company and employee. Global Communications can show both current and potential employees that they work for a company that not only cares about the “bottom line” but also the people the company is made of. Also, GC can lower cost opening call centers in a cheaper international market.
Global Communications’ Senior Leadership Team failed effectively to communicate with the vice-president in the Technologies Workers Union, Maris Antez. Antez was not notified of the new strategy. All fingers were pointed at her for not knowing. She recently went through negotiations that resulted in losing major benefits. The Union will not be pleased once the employees discover that not only are their benefits decreased, but also may face lay-offs. Global Communications could have used Maria Antez to help stabilize the situation once GC made the official announcement about the new strategy, since the employee will be displeased.
Joel Thompson, Executive Vice-President of Human Resources and Public Relations, is confronted with the task of “spinning” the news of the new strategy and the pay cuts and layoff. He has an ethical responsibility to be honest with his constituents. Joel Thompson needs to disclose the whole truth to keep every properly informed on all of the issues facing the staff of GC.
Stakeholder Perspectives/Ethical Dilemmas
Three main stakeholders should be considered, the board of directors, the employees, and the customers. The board of directors is agents of shareholders and has no obligations to others other than those directly specified by law. In this view, shareholders’ interests are paramount and take precedence over the interests of others (Anne T. Lawrence, 2008). The board of directors must ensure that the company is profitable. Thus, guaranteeing Stockholders continue to invest in the firm and potentially gaining new Stockholders to invest.
Employees are what make any company thrive. Employees, in exchange for their time and effort, want to receive fair compensation and an opportunity for professional development (Anne T. Lawrence, 2008). If Global Communications’ employees think they were mistreated by the company they may decide to walk out and stage a strike. If a strike is how the workforce decides to express their displeasure this could cost GC millions of dollars, which would could bring the international expansion to a halt.
The customer will profit from the added products and services. Customers, for their part, are most interested in gaining fair value and quality in exchange for the purchase price of goods and services (Anne T. Lawrence, 2008). Without consumers the firm is destined to fail. Global must realize the true power of the consumer. Not everyone make purchasing decision according to price, consumer also looks at the company’s ethical standing, and how are the employees being treated.
End-State Vision
The end-state is the most important factor to consider. Global Communications will strive to become an industry leader by gaining market share at an international level. As the firm become upwardly mobile in the market Global will be converted into profit generating firm. Though Global will inevitably have a strain to the relationship between the employee union and upper management, Global Communications will persevere in its efforts to restore this very important connection. It is imperative for Global Communications to implement a Communication Model that will allow information to flow through the company. Like any successful relationship, communication is one of the most important parts.
Gap Analysis
In order for Global Communications at achieve the end-state goal they will need to reform some policies and procedures. The firm will need to initiate an Emotional Intelligence policy. Global has to become profitable, yet must maintain their reputation. Global was known for the fare and loyal handling of their staff. The treated displayed by the senior leadership team shown to the union could cost them millions of dollar, which is counterproductive of the main goal of profitability.
Global need to have a proactive stakeholder policy; proactive companies try to anticipate stakeholder concerns. These firms often have specialized departments, such as public affairs, community relations, consumer affairs, and government relations to identify issues that are, or may become, of concern to key stakeholders (Anne T. Lawrence, 2008). Had Global been more proactive they may have diverted the action and uneasy feelings of the union.
Once Global Communications enters the international market they, will need to continue the aggressive marketing approach. Whereas costs are being cut with outsourcing, they need to maintain the integrity of the customer service. Global will continue to operate in domestic markets, operating call-centers in foreign countries may cause dissatisfaction amongst the consumer. It can be very frustrating trying to speak to someone in another country that does not speak the same language. Some important information may get lost in translation.
Conclusion
Global Communications have decided to endure a huge undertaking. Management made hard decisions that they are choosing to stick by. Global will outsource some of the call-centers in the effort to decrease cost and drive profitability while simultaneously introducing new products and services. Global will need to make pay cuts and lay off a big portion of their employees. Because they failed to communicate the new initiative with the Union, Global’s employees are furious and will not take the new lightly.
Global will need to work hard to mend the relationships they may have destroyed in their efforts to grow the company. Occasionally, companies must make sacrifices for the better good of the company, but the question is; should a company sacrifice their best assets?

References
Anne T. Lawrence, J. W. (2008). Business and Society. Stakeholders, Ethics, Public Policy, Twelfth Edition. McGraw-Hill Company.

Bradberry, T. a. (2009). Emotional Intelligence 2.0. San Francisco: Publishers Group West.

June Maul, E. (2008). Defining the Problem: The Critical Step to Realizing Opportunities. Harvard Business Review .

Steve L. McShane, M. A. (2005). Organizational Behavior: Emerging Realities for the Workplace Revolution, 3e. The McGraw-Hill Companies.

Table 1
Issue and Opportunity Identification
Issue Opportunity Reference to Specific
Course Concept
(Include citation) Concept
Global Communications’ Senior Leadership Team failed to effectively communicate with the Vice- President in the Technologies Workers Union, Maris Antez. Antez was not notified of the new strategy. All fingers were pointed at her for not knowing. She recently went through negotiations that resulted in losing major benefits. The Union will not be please once they find out that not only are their benefits decreased but my face lay-offs. Global Communications could have utilized Maria Antez to help stabilize the situation once GC made the official announcement about the new strategy, since the employee will be displeased. Effective communication is vital to all organizations because it coordinates employees, fulfills employee needs, supports knowledge management, and improves decision making. (Steve L. McShane, 2005) Communication
In the efforts to compete in the market and to increase profitability, Global Communication will implement a new strategy. The strategy will introduce new products and services and put into action a cost-cutting plan. The plan will close domestic call-centers and open new cheaper call-centers in India and Ireland. Global Communication plans to market itself aggressively in the International market. Global Communications prospectively could move into the international market while lowering cost. Thus, making GC profitability increase. Defining the right problem the right way is both the most difficult and the most critical step in problem solving. (June Maul, Defining the Problem: The Critical Step to Realizing Opportunities, 2008)
Defining the Problem
When GC moves some technical call centers to India and Ireland, the domestic call centers will be downsized. Some current call center representatives can be relocated can expect to take an average 10 percent salary cut. Many of the employees will lose their only source of income. Katrina Heinz, Global Communications Chief Executive Officer, was less than sympathetic for neither her loyal employees nor her team’s challenges. Heinz’s main goal is to hire in 1000 new qualified sales people for “dirt cheap.” Global Communication has the opportunity to maintain a first-class affiliation between Company and Employee. They can show both current and potential employees that they work for a company that not only cares about the “bottom line” but also the people the company is made of.
Also, GC is able to lower cost with opening call centers in a cheaper international market. Emotional intelligence describes the ability, capacity, skill, in the case of the trait EQ model, a self-perceived grand ability to identify, assess, manage and control the emotions of one's self, of others, and of groups. (Bradberry, 2009) Emotional Intelligence (EQ)
Joel Thompson, Executive Vice-President of Human Resources and Public Relations, is faced with the task of “spinning” the news of the new strategy and the pay cuts and layoff. He has an ethical responsibility to be honest with his constituents. Joel Thompson to disclose the whole truth to keep every properly informed on all of the issues facing the staff of GC. Ethics is the conception of right and wrong conduct that tells us whether our behavior is moral or immoral, good or bad. (Anne T. Lawrence, 2008)
Ethics

Table 2
Stakeholder Perspectives
Stakeholder Perspectives

Stakeholder Groups
The Interests, Rights, and
Values of Each Group

Board of Directors Managers and boards of directors are agents of shareholders and have no obligations to others, other than those directly specified by law. In this view, shareholders’ interests are paramount and take precedence over the interests of others. (Anne T. Lawrence, 2008)
It is the Board of Directors that must ensure that the company is profitable. Thus, guaranteeing Stockholders continue to invest in the firm and potentially gaining new Stockholders to invest.
Employees Employees are what make any company thrive. Employees, in exchange for their time and effort, want to receive fair compensation and an opportunity for professional development. (Anne T. Lawrence, 2008)

Customers The customer will profit from the added products and services. Customers, for their part, are most interested in gaining fair value and quality in exchange for the purchase price of goods and services. (Anne T. Lawrence, 2008)
Without consumers the firm is destined to fail.

Table 3
End State Goals
End-State Goals
Become an international global resource in communication, increase market shares.
Increase profitability
Mend/maintain relationship between Company and Union
Implement a Communication Model that will allow information to flow throughout the company