The Effective Performance of Training 4 U Services

Introduction

The business environment is vital to an organization’s ability to discover opportunities and gain a competitive advantage. Companies that regularly analyze their surroundings and implement appropriate business operations increase their performance and remain successful in the market for a longer time (Teece, 2018). The analysis of internal and external environment of Training 4 U Services has revealed some of the factors that impede its ability to adopt an online learning program. The organization is based in the UK and provides technical and vocational secondary education.

The program requires a good ICT infrastructure, a committed workforce, organizational culture, and strong internet connectivity. One of the challenges realized is employee retention issues causing a high turn-over rate (Crown, 2021). The external factor identified that could adversely affect the program’s implementation is poor internet connectivity in the UK. However, to address the issues faced, the institution should focus on improving its reputation in the market. The strategy should help attract more customers. Therefore, environmental awareness aids in the implementation of an online learning program.

Challenges Faced by Training 4 U Services Ltd

The Changing Needs of Customers

In this contemporary world, customers have become less appreciative and hard to satisfy. It is not enough to meet customers’ expectations because they constantly change (Shobeiri et al., 2018). The constant shift in technology is due to technological advancement. As a result, modern-day customers pay attention to the quality of products or facilities. Apart from technology, the changes in customer needs are driven by competitors. It is worth noting that well-established organizations significantly influence customers’ needs. For example, Training 4 U Services Ltd and other learning institutions are faced with the challenge of meeting the needs of students in the UK. The students pay more for their tuition and expect more from learning institutions, especially through quality education and modernized facilities. Thus, customers’ changing needs are becoming a major challenge for modern organizations.

Digital divide

The digital divide is an issue that affects contemporary organizations because it makes it hard to maximize the market. With the pressure on learning institutions to keep schools closed, online learning has been chosen as the most effective course of action. Online learning consists of live and pre-recorded lectures by educators, streamed through the internet and online platforms. However, the main problem with the implementation of online education usually ignored by various administrations is that most students lack suitable internet bandwidth to access classes. According to Parsons (2019), more than 50,000 households have poor internet connections. In addition, there are some students who are unable to access laptops and other devices to support online learning. As a result, the divide is a challenge for institutions to adopt online classes.

Cyber-attacks

Cyber-threat is one of the challenges that continue to affect contemporary businesses across the globe. It is an attack performed by one or more computers against one or more computer systems (Henry and Brantly, 2018). A cyber-attack can be used to damage systems, steal data deliberately. A successful cyber-attack can do significant damage to an organization. It can impact their financial line, and the organization’s reputation and consumer trust. The threat is a problem that affects all organizations that want to launch their services into the online domain. Based on this, organizations have been forced to remain vigilant when operating in cyber-domain in order to protect themselves from successful attacks.

Internal and External Analysis

SWOT Analysis

SWOT is an important model that can analyze internal and external factors affecting an organization. The model examines an organization based on its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. It can assist in identifying the areas that an organization is performing well in and formulate a strategy for the future. In addition, it can reveal some of the factors that hold an organization back or what competitors can exploit. For example, the table below shows the internal and external aspects that affect Training 4 U Services. Therefore, the SWOT model is an effective tool in understanding micro and macro factors that affect an organization.

PEST Analysis

Political Factors

Politics have a significant impact on the performance of an organization. The shifts in political manifestos and policies usually lead to various socio-economic changes, which may become crucial factors in an organization’s operations. For learning institutions in the UK, the changes in the political system influence change in operation. For example, the UK government’s decision to close schools in March 2020 impacted schools (Kim and Asbury, 2020). The decision meant that all schools needed to end physical learning. As a result, learning institutions such as Training 4 u services were forced to terminate their learning operations in compliance with government directives.

UK government policies have an impact on the operations of organizations. Firstly, countries with liberal emigration policy such as the UK, have caused many people to emigrate with families for jobs and service-related assistance. The high number of immigrants increases the demand for learning in the country. The British exit from European Union could result in changes in legislation. According to Parry (2019), Brexit will result in stringent rules on recruiting overseas teachers, putting more pressure on existing challenges in meeting hiring targets. Therefore, the UK government’s decisions can directly or indirectly impact learning institutions.

Economic Factors

The factors that determine the economic status are GDP, foreign direct investment, and tax rate. In 2019, the estimated GDP of the UK was $2.8 trillion, which makes it the 6^th position globally (Iacus et al., 2020). However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic UK economy experienced a slump. In 2020, the GDP of this country dropped to $2.7 trillion, but it is expected to rise again to $3.1 trillion. In addition, organizations are currently paying a tax rate of 19% Trading (Economics, 2021). This rate is among the lowest within the G20. The UK has a high foreign direct investment due to its diverse culture, which attracts investors across the globe. As a result, Training 4 u services operate in an economically stable environment. With an expected growth in the GDP, the business community is likely to thrive in such an environment.

Social Factors

Social factors also have a significant impact on business performance, especially where human factors are involved. According to the Office of National Statistics, the UK population is anticipated to be 74 million by 2039 (David, 2019). The increase in population is attributed to the birth rate exceeding the mortality rate. Furthermore, the UK has an effective healthcare system mainly funded by the national government. This has played a major role in improving the health of residents in the UK. The performance of Training 4 u services, like other organizations, depends largely on the health of its employees. When there is a robust healthcare system in a country, employees are more likely to focus on their jobs, improving their productivity.

Cultural aspects, education and income level are other social factors that Training 4 u services is supposed to consider. Cultural aspects affect business decisions, such as whether to adopt diversity or not. The UK is cosmopolitan because residents are different based on race and religion (David, 2019). Its education system keeps on changing annually to accommodate the changes and meet the demand of students. In addition, a decline in the unemployment rate and reasonable inflation rate means that most of its citizens are high-income earners. As a private learning institution, the performance of Training 4 u services depends largely on citizens’ income. Thus, the UK is a conducive social environment supporting business operations.

Technological Factors

Today, technology is disrupting organizations in all sectors and learning institutions are not exceptional. It is required in the smooth running of operations in an organization. The UK inhabits the world’s number one research and development institute, contributing to various innovations (David, 2019). This is an indication that the UK is privy to technological advancements. However, the country is experiencing a slow internet connection, requiring strong bandwidth and affecting business operations. There are some areas in the UK that do not have an internet connection. This problem is likely to affect organizations like Training 4 u services, especially in online learning. Therefore, despite the technological advancement in the UK, it is still suffering from a low internet connection.

Critical Analysis of the Implications

Positive Implications

Training 4 u services engage more in social media marketing than other forms of marketing. Social media marketing is a powerful tool an organization can use to reach prospects and customers (Moe and Schweidel, 2017). The organization creates content and shares them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. There are a number of posts on social media platforms that the institution used to market its services. However, the high number of posts did not intend to attract more people to the institution. The number of likes and comments determines the success of a social media post. Normally, the absence of a like or comment in social media means that people do not see it or are not interactive; hence they choose to ignore the post.

The institution has Google Analytics which is integral in managing online operations. This technology eliminates the requirement for the business to delve into back-end log files to comprehend its internet traffic. Google Analytics makes it easier and more convenient to track user activity on a webpage (Sponder and Khan, 2018). It includes a set of adaptable analytic tools for tracking and presenting different types of web analytics, including user demographics, key events, user flow, and website traffic. Additionally, by incorporating relevant aspects and indicators and presenting the findings in pre-formatted or tailored reports, Google Analytics makes it easier to discover trends in user behavior.

Negative implications

The lack of reputation is a major issue that adversely affects the institution’s performance, especially in the shift towards online learning. This can be attributed to a number of circumstances, but the leading cause is an unfavorable shift in stakeholder perceptions of the institution’s behavior and performance (Garrett and Weingast, 2019). A disconnect between what an organization says and what it is seen to have done can lead to reputational damage. Regulatory breaches, leader’ misbehavior, employee indiscretion, scathing consumer reviews, and critical social media posts are just a few examples of what this might include. In the case of Training 4 U Services, the reputation issue could be a result of high employee turn-over. Therefore, the organization needs a good image for people to even trust their online learning program.

The digital divide in the UK has had a significant impact on integrating the online learning program at Training 4 U Services. There are some places in the UK that have a poor internet connection. In addition, some students may not have a laptop or computer or other tools required to support online learning (Mossey and Manoharan, 2019). This inequality has an adverse impact on the organization during the transition because every student should have access to strong internet and have a laptop or computer. Currently, if the organization shifts to an online learning program, they are more likely to lock out some students interested in joining the institution. They might also face technique issues such as disconnection and latency when learning.

High employee turn-over can affect the performance of the institution. According to (Crown, 2021), out of the six directors, the organization remains with two after four resignations. In organizations, high employee turn-over can inhibit organizational efficiency, quality, and profitability (Abolade, 2018). A high turn-over rate can make it hard to have enough workers to complete daily tasks. Customer dissatisfaction and turn-over can be exacerbated by high employee turn-over in service-oriented fields. When an employee leaves an organization, the quality of service is likely to suffer as well. Employees resigning from an organization is an indication of poor performance. The general public are likely to perceive it as mistreatment because employees stays where they are treated well.

Lack of an interactive website may hinder the performance of an online learning program. A website plays an integral in improving communication between an organization and customers. It is also possible to market the institution online if an interactive website (Sponder and Khan, 2018). In addition, a website is important because it helps to establish an organization’s legitimacy. Most websites include a map and directions to help visitors locate the organization’s offices quickly. Without a website, the organization foregoes the opportunity to present to clients, explain why they should trust the institution, and offer comments and proof to support those assertions. Thus, a website is effective because it represents the institutions’ digital world.

Implementation Plan for Online Learning Program

The implementation plan for the program involves the following steps. Firstly, create a team to handle the change process. The team should start by creating clear and measurable objectives. There is also a need to create an online course program. The next step should be to research and find out the funds required to support online learning programs (Sponder and Khan, 2018). For instance, there is a need to pay for strong internet connectivity, purchase equipment, and pay staff. Then, a budget should be developed and funds set aside for the process. Once the budget is set, the other step is to create an ICT department with the appropriate infrastructure to handle the operation. After creating the department, the institution should hire more staff to support the process. Therefore, the plan guides what the organization should engage in during implementation.

Recommendations

To implement an online learning program effectively, the institution should consider the following aspects. Firstly, the institution should focus on improving its reputation in the market. For instance, the organization can outsource services from experts to help grow the image (Sponder and Khan, 2018). Secondly, the institution should ensure job satisfaction to retain its employees. This can be achieved by creating a conducive working environment. Thirdly, the institution should engage a digital marketer to help improve its presence in social media. A digital marketer can assist in the creation of interactive posts. Fourth, the organization should ensure that it has the infrastructure to support online learning programs (Sponder and Khan, 2018). The institution should be the first to be ready for the program. For instance, there is a need for a company website to help interact with clients. They should also consult learning institutions that have successfully implemented the program and learn the process.

Conclusion

The business environment plays an integral role in the effective performance of Training 4 U Services in the market in adopting an online learning program. It helps to identify various factors that affect business operation. Internal factors that affect the organization are high employee turn-over, poor reputation, and a good platform for technological changes. For instance, currently, the organization has only two directors out of six who were there previously. The external factors affecting the institution are the digital divide, a stable economy, and a political environment. Despite these aspects, the institution can still perform effectively and adopt the program. To achieve this, the organization should start by improving its operations. It is challenging to succeed without a good business image. The institution should also focus on ensuring job satisfaction to prevent a high turn-over rate. Thus, the organization should eliminate the weaknesses, improve on the strengths, and ensure opportunities.

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