Introduction
Business organizations normally experience a lot of difficulties in the process of operation. The course of business is normally plagued by divergent hiccups which make the organization go through periods of uncertainty. Organizations’ big problems, therefore, originate from various sources. The problems can be attributed to certain elements which may have been caused by the organization or not. Furthermore, the root causes of the problems can be internal or external. In ascertaining the root causes of a problem a lot of care has to be taken to ensure that the criteria used serves the purpose well. Under normal circumstances, the problems of business organizations are attributed to the weaknesses in the management and operation of the organization. However, care must be taken to avoid blanket accusations which might be costly to the organization’s prospects.
The first step in this endeavor normally involves the identification of the problems. Once the problems have been identified the organization is in a position to begin the search for their possible cause. The next step involves ascertaining the primary root cause of the problems. Root causes of a problem point to the real factor that leads to the problem. This is the most important stage since the understanding of an organization’s root causes of problems enables the organization not only to deal with the problem once and for all but also to plan for the future. At this point, the criteria of identifying the root cause of a problem play a pivotal role in the whole process.
Lack of credibility in the criteria used can highly compromise the process. The preparation of corrective measures is the final step. Under this program, the means of rectifying the problems by addressing the root causes are considered and action incepted.
Root Causes Of Organization’s Big Problems
Big problems in an organization are a result of several reasons. Problems might either arise from internal causes or external causes. However, it is of great importance to establish what the sources of the problems are to enable the organization to analyze them and take corrective measures. Possible root causes include:
- Poor organizational structure
- Incompetent management
- Lack of communication
- Low motivation
- Poor pay for the workers
- Poor quality human resource
- Lack of resources
Poor Organizational Structure
The organizational structure of any business organization determines the scope and limits of its endeavors. Therefore when problems erupt in the process of operation the organization structure must be evaluated. In the case of the subunit for instance the organization structure was poorly designed. At the time of coming up with the organizational structure, attention was not given to certain elements which are crucial in the operation of an organization. The major problem of the organization is the communication model. The structure of the business was not developed with the communication process in mind. As a result, a lot has been taken for granted s far as communication is concerned. The essence and significance of communication in the business environment were not given focus during the design of the structure.
Incompetent Management
How the sub unit’s management has handled the concept of communication in the organization has left a lot to be desired. As a result, the company is experiencing a lot of problems that stem from poor communication in the organization. The management of the subunit can be said to be incompetent due to how they have handled the whole scenario. It will therefore be in the interest of the organization that the current breed of managers is phased out and new ones employed. A company cannot make any progress when its top management is not in a position to handle real issues like business communication.
Lack of a Communication Structure
The organization lacks a proper channel of communication. This has been a major handicap in its operations. The major problems of the organization, therefore, stem from the lack of communication. As a result, the performance and operations of the organization have been affected. To address such a problem therefore proper channels of communication must be designed to ease the whole process.
Low Motivation
A motivated workforce leads to the success of any business organization. As a result successful organizations always endeavor to motivate their workforce (Holbeche, 2008). The sub unit’s employees are highly de-motivated and as a result, the company’s performance has taken a nosedive (Holbeche, 2008). To address the many problems that have plagued the organization various techniques for motivation must be taken into account. The organization needs to invoke the role of many methods of motivation to improve the morale of the employees (Holbeche, 2008). Since the employees are the heart of the organization they need to be maintained at a higher level of consciousness.
Poor Pay
An organization’s workers need to be remunerated accordingly. This is a very sensitive area of any organization. Unless the employees feel wee paid they will never give their best for the organization. At the end of the day, the organization stands to lose. Proper management of the employees and their needs is therefore crucial to the success of any organization. An organization ignores the needs of its employees at its peril. The organization urgently needs to address the issue of employee remuneration as fast as possible. To do this the organization must revise the pay package of the employees with immediate effect.
Poor Quality of Human Resources
The quality of employees the organization has determined the success of its endeavors. The sub unit’ problems can be attributed to the poor quality of the employees. During the selection procedure, the company did not pay greater attention to the quality of the candidates.
Root Causes Of Sub Units Big Problems
Among the many causes of an organization’s big problems, only a few are primarily applicable to the subunit. As far as relevance is concerned I will only select three of the possible causes which affect the performance of the subunit. Proper analysis and evaluation of the subunit reveal the real big problems experienced. Deeper analysis consequently reveals the causes of the same. The possible causes for the problems of the subunit are:
- Poor pay
- Lack of communication
- Low motivation
Criteria Used
In selecting the three root causes of the subunit’s big problems I used criteria based on the performance of the organization in line with its employees. Bearing in mind that it is the employees who do all the work for an organization I carefully and keenly analyzed the perception of the employees. The aspect that I analyzed in depth was the causes of the problems in the organizations. And the employees felt to be de-motivated by the way the organization handles them and the general operations. I also looked at the communication between the organization’s management and the employees (Holbeche, 2008).
In studying this I realized a major lapse in the company’s communication framework. There was virtually no communication between the management and the employees. The employees were granted no importance in the affairs of the organization their opinion was given no weight in the whole scenario.
Corrective Action
To address the big problems f the organization several steps have to be taken. To ensure that the company operates successfully the root causes of the problems have to be taken into account while designing the corrective measures. Taking into account t the real situation on the ground will not only reap benefits for the organization but also have better prospects for the future of the organization. The corrective action to be taken to address the sub unit’s problems will include:
- The better pay package for the employees
- Up-gradation of motivational techniques
- Better communication in the organization
Merits and Demerits of the Corrective Actions
Every methodology used in addressing organizational problems has two sides. On one hand, there are the merits of the plan and on the other hand, there are the demerits of the same. The following are the merit and demerits of the various corrective measures cited above:
Better Pay Package
Merits
- Increased performance
- Low employee turnover
- Motivated workforce
Demerits
- Increased costs
- No relationship with performance
- complacency
Motivational Techniques
Merits
- Improved relationship with employees
- Better output
- High morale among employees
Demerits
- Unnecessary costs for the organization
- Exposure of the organization
Better Communication
Merits
- Smoother running of the organization
- high output
- high motivation
Demerits
- Low employee loyalty
- High costs
Corrective Action to Be Implemented
For the organization to overcome the problems that have plagued it has to implement a comprehensive corrective measure. The subunit needs to overhaul its entire business communication module to surmount the problems that have befallen it. The company has to make drastic improvements in the communications within the subunit. Proper flow of information within the sun must be encouraged of the organization is to survive the onslaught.
Implementation Plan
To implement the business communication model the subunit will have to come up with a quality implementation plan. For the plan to be successful it must be inclusive rather than exclusive. A good implementation plan for the corrective measure will involve the following:
- Scrapping of the existing communication system
- Employee involvement in the implementation
- Opening up avenues for free expression
- Establishment of an exclusive communication department
Conclusion
Business organizations experience several problems in the course of their operation. Some of these problems can be termed as big problems depending on the magnitude of inconvenience they cause. In the evaluation of an organization’s problems, the root causes have to be established and keenly analyzed. The paper has taken a deep analysis of the problems that organizations go through and how they endeavor to solve them.
The real nature of the problems has been critically analyzed and a thorough evaluation of the same has been done. For instance, the establishment of the root causes of the problems has to be the first response of any organization. At this time proper attention must be given to the criteria employed in the determination of the root causes of the problems. Any deviation in the analysis of the same will have far-reaching impacts on the process of solution. For instance, improper diagnosis of the root causes of organizations’ problems will lead to the development of a corrective strategy that is not well customized to solve the said problem.
Therefore it is at this stage that more care should be taken to pave the way for the development of the solution mechanism. The establishment of the criteria for the process of determining the cause of the problem is of great essence. The criteria must be selected bearing in mind the nature of the problem and the identity f the organization. The development of corrective measures is the next step in handling the problems of the organization.
At this stage, the organization comes up with methods that can be used to solve the problem. At first, several measures are developed to be compared before the selection of the one to be implemented. After the selection for the variety of the measures to be approached, the merits and demerits of all of them should be evaluated. It is only after this process that a proper methodology of addressing the problems will be selected. The organization needs not be in a hurry to select the measure since a lot is at stake.
Reference List
Holbeche, L. (2008). Motivating people in lean organizations. Oxford: Butterworth.