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Submitted by Funda Avci-Anghel

Submitted to Robert Watts
Submitted on the 26 th of February 2014
Assignment 1

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Contents:
Page:
1.0. Introduction
1.1. Types of Information
1.1.2. Strategic
1.1.3. Tactical
1.1.4. Operational
1.2. Importance of Information for the Workplace
1.2.1. Making better Decisions
1.2.2. Filling Knowledge Gaps
1.2.3. Identifying Opportunities
1.2.4. Understanding Customers better
1.3. Range of Purpose
1.4. Decision-Making
1.4.2. Management Decision-Making
1.4.3. Strategies for Improvement
1.5. Types of Management Information required
1.5.1. Levels of Information
1.5.2. Information in different Sectors
1.6. Knowledge
1.6.1. Tacit and Explicit Knowledge
1.6.2. Difference between Tacit and Explicit Knowledge
1.7. The Source of Data and Information
1.7.1. Internal and External
1.7.2. Primary and Secondary data
1.7.3. Formal and Informal Information
1.7.4. Team Workers
1.7.5. Customers and
Stakeholders______________________________________________________
2.0. Communication
2.1. Communication Process
2.1.1. Barriers of Effective Communication Process
2.1.2. McDonalds Communication Process
2.1.3. McDonalds Background
2.1.4. Intrapersonal and Internal Communication
2.1.5. Employees
2.1.6. Customers
2.1.7. Channels of Communication
2.1.8. External Communication
2.1.9. Findings
2.1.10. Recommendations
2.2. How appropriate is McDonalds Communication System?
2.3. Continuous Improvement Strategies to become a Learning Organisation
2.3.1. Peter Michael Senge
2.3.2. Total Quality Management
2.3.3. Benchmarking
2.3.4. ISO 9001
2.3.5. Kaizen
2.4. Improvements for McDonalds to have a better Communication
System____________________

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3.0. My Communication Skills

3.1. My Personal SWOT Analysis in terms of my Communication Skills
3.2. SWOT Analysis
3.3. Use of SMART
3.4. My Personal Action Plan
3.5. My Personal Communication
Analysis________________________________________________
4.0. Personal Networking
4.1. Stakeholders and useful Contacts
4.2. Internal and External Contacts in Networking
4.3. Networking at Work
4.4. Networking outside Workplace
4.5. Relationship with Customers
4.6. Why do we communicate?
4.6.1. Schutzs Interpersonal needs Theory
4.7. Different types of Networking
4.8. Increasing my Personal Networking
4.9. How the individuals concerned can influence the
Decision-Making Process that Impacts
me____________________________________________
5.0. How to maintain Relationships with my Contacts and what Systems I will use
5.1. How can I use the System most effectively?
5.2. Does my choice have any limitations?
5.3. How did I make my choice?
________________________________________________________
6.0.
Conclusion_____________________________________________________________________
7.0. Reference
List___________________________________________________________________
Appendix:
Formal Report for the Board of Director
Active Listener Sheet

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1.0. Introduction
Organisations collect and allocate information on a daily basis. Information
and communication are the means by which the activities of an
organisation are coordinated. Information is sometimes said to be
processed data. In normal everyday speech, the term data and
information are often used interchangeable, as meaning the same thing.
However, there are stricter definitions of the two terms, which makes an
important distinction between them.
Information can be defined as:
"Facts or information to be used as a basis of discussing or
deciding something."
(Oxford American Dictionary)
However these terms have fundamentally different meanings in the
information processing or management literature. Data are collection of
observations, which may or may not be true. Thus data may not be facts.
Data become information when they are processed.
Information is created from Data. The graph below shows the process of
creating information.

Data are the process of information. It is like building a house, the data
are the bricks and mortar and the information is the finished house.
Information is very important for a manager as it is used for planning,

Source: http://gunston.gmu.edu/healthscience/740/RoleOfInformationInOrganizations.asp?E=0

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budgeting and decision making. Information is also required and used for
controlling, recording transaction and to measure performance.

Knowledge
Knowledge is commonly distinguished from data and information. Data
represents observations or facts of context, and therefore not directly
meaningful. Information results from placing data within some meaningful
context, often in the form of a message.
Knowledge can be defined as:
Information within peoples mind.2

The illustration above shows the process of data and information. Data are
plain facts. When data are processed, organized, structured or presented
in a given context (data put into context) so that people can understand
and use it as above mentioned, then the information can be used to make
decision.

2 http://blogs.warwick.ac.uk/mbakir/entry/sharing_knowledge_vs/
3 http://www.infogineering.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/model.jpg

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Data is the
seed

Information is
the crop

Knowledg
e is the
harvest

1.1. Types of Information

There are three different types of information, which are as follows:

Strategic information
Tactical information
Operation Information

All three aim for the mission of the organisation

Str
ate
gic
Tactical
Opearional

1.1.2. Strategic
The strategic information is used to plan the objectives of the organisation
and measure whether objectives are being met such as overall probability
and segments as well as for SWOT analysis. It is also used for Marketing

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and PESTEL analysis for the organisation. The strategic information is also
used for future plans, availability/cost of new funds and for total peopling.
Strategic information is usually dealt from the owner of the organisation or
a higher management as it is about the whole organisation and its future.
By collecting strategic information, organisation will work towards longterm goals, objectives and plans. Strategic information is conducted from
both, internal and external sources and because it is holistic so that
means it is concerned with the whole organisations future it has to be
summarised at a high level in the organisation. Strategic information is
often prepared on an ad hoc basis. An ad hoc basis means it is
concerned or dealing with a specific purpose. Strategic information can
either be qualitive or quantitive this will depend on the purpose, however
strategic information is uncertain because future cannot be forecasted
with certainty. For example in McDonalds the strategic informations
would be used either from the Franchisee or the Business Manager.

The characteristics of strategic information are as follows:

Derived from internal and external sources

Summarised at a high level
Relevant to the long-term
Deals with the whole organisation
Often prepared on an ad hoc basis

Operation information is used by the front-line managers such as

foreman or head clarks to ensure that specific tasks are planned and
carried out properly within a factory of office. In the payroll office, for
example, operational information relating to day-to-day labour will include
the hours worked each week by each employee, their rate of pay per hour,
details of deductions, and for the purpose of wages analysis, details of the
time each man spent on individual jobs during the week. In this example,
the information is required weekly, but more urgent operational
information, such as production process, may be required daily, hourly, or
in the case of automated production, second by second.
Examples of operational information include:

Listing of debotrs and creditors

Listings of customer complaints
Machine output statistics
Delivery schedules etc.

1.1.3. Tactical

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The tactical information is management from the middle Management and

supports the strategic information. The middle Management uses the
tactical information to decide how to use the physical resources, human
resources and the financial resources of the business should be employed.
They also have to monitor these resources for how they are being
employed and how they have been employed. The middle Management
has to monitor and measure productivity (output per employee), number
of hours worked, speed of service per customer and observation items
being sold per employee. By monitoring and collecting all the necessary
information, the middle management can than benchmark employees
performance by looking at the expectation against the actual. If there is a
Gap between the expectation and the actual, the middle management has
to analyse the problem, for example the problem could be training they
then have to provide the employee with more training. The problem could
be also motivation. Tactical information are used for budgeting and
financial control, such as cash flow, variance analysis reports and staffing
levels (patterns trends, time bank), profit results and staff turner (worried
because cost of training, time, customer facing-continuity of service.
Tactical information therefore support the strategic information as all the
information the middle management gathers are relevant and important
for the strategic information in order to plan the future of the organisation.
Tactical information comparing to the strategic information are based in a
short term. The tactical information is required for the mission which is
current when the strategic information is required for the vision. The
middle management requires tactical information to make tactical
decision, to decide and determine the best ways of getting things done,
for controlling the elements of the organisation. They also have to work
out how and what to do to translate strategic financial, sales, marketing
and other performance forecasts into results. It is a quite difficult job as in
one side they need to achieve targets while on the other side they also
need to win support of lower levels of decision makers, such as
employees.
Tactical information are primarily generated internally and summarised at
a lower level. It is relevant to short term and medium term (1-5 years).
Tactical information are concerned with activities and departments and
prepared and delivered routinely and regularly. In contrast to strategic
information, tactical information is only based on quantitive measures.
For example in McDonalds the requirement of tactical information would
be either for the Business Manager or the salaried team (1st assistant and
2nd assistant). In this stage it will depend on how the responsibilities are
split to. For instance, if the salaried team is not experienced enough, then
the business manager would be taken some tactical jobs therefore it
would be important for the business manager as well.

1.1.4. Operational

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The third type of information is the operational information and is used to

ensure specific tasks are planned and carried out properly within the
organisation. The operational information gathers information about how
many hours worked each work per employee, the rate of pay per
employee or per hour. It also covers details of deductions and wage
analysis, e.g. details of time spent on individual jobs. Operational
information will vary from organisation to organisation and from
information to information. Some may require weekly information other
information may be required daily, hourly in or even by second in
automated production.
The operational information is usually used from lower level management,
but again this will vary from organisation to organisation, it will depend
from the organisation structure and their hierarchy. Lower level
management is responsible for controlling operation so that higher level
targets are met and the lower level management will require detailed
information via report from the middle management that describes what
needs to be done in order to achieve and meet targets.
The amount of detail provided in information is likely to vary with the
purpose for which it is needed, and operational information is likely to go
into much detail than tactical information, which in turn will be more
detailed than strategic information. What is information to one level of
management or one department may be raw data (needing to be
processed) to another. A foreman, for example, will check the output of
each of the men or machines within the area of his repsonsibility but his
superior may only wish to know about the performance of the section as a
whole. Operational information is conducted from internal sources and is
detailed. The relevance of operational information is immediate.
Operational information is task specific and prepared frequently and
general quantitive. For example in McDonalds the operational information
would be important for the Shift managers as well as salaried team. The
shift managers as well as salaried team are running shifts therefore it is
vital for them to know the operational informations, such as the planned
tasks, and employee informations. McDonalds requires informations as
second automated production.
Operational information relates to the level of decision-making previously
referred to as operational control. The characteristics are as follows:

Derived enitrely from internal sources

Highly detailed
Relates to immediate/short-term
Task-specific
Prepared frequently, routinely

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It does not matter which type of information is been used from the
organisational management, to make a good information it is important
that the collected information are accurate, concise and relevant. It should
also be fit for purpose and clear. The user/reader should have confidence
in it therefore it should be logical, well researched, well supported and
should contain evidence. The collected information should be timely,
honest and truthful. The cost should also not be more than the value of its
benefits to the organisation.

1.2. Importance of Information for the Workplace

The information system of an organisation is essential to allow the day-today activities to take place. Management and staff need information for
decision-making. Relationships are critical to success; so often knowing
the right person to ask is valuable as knowing the answer yourself, if not
more so. Being well connected is the ultimate source of personal
effectiveness and advantage. Information drives communication in the
workplace, and communication in turn allows all the members of the
organization, from strategic to tactical and operational level to work in
harmony toward accomplishing the organizations goals and to maximize
productivity.

1.2.1. Making better decisions

Having more in-depth information from a range of sources leads to better
decision-making because managers gain a heightened understanding of
the organizations environment in which the organisation operates.
Important information when preparing the organizations business plan, for
example, includes sources of forecasts about the general economy and
the growth of the industry. The more complete and accurate these
forecasts are, the better they will guide the organizations decisions about
how forceful or conventional to be with their strategies in the upcoming
year.

1.2.2. Filling Knowledge Gaps

Everyone in the organization can be a source of information. They have
knowledge, training and experience that are different from others. They
can fill gaps in others knowledge base. The most effective small-business
owners know the importance of listening to all the members of their
teams. Importuning others opinions and tapping into their experience
gives the organization a broader perspective; to see/hear from others the
challenges the organization faces, and the opportunities for growth
available, from different perspectives.

1.2.3. Identifying Opportunities

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An organization must develop sources of information regarding trends in

its industry, emerging trends in consumer taste and preferences, and
demographic trends such as changes in income and age. This information
is critical to the organization in identifying opportunities arising from these
emerging trends -- new markets the organization could enter, new
customer groups to sell to, and potential new products or services the
organization could offer. Without reliable sources of information, the
organization is predicting about its strategic course.

1.2.4. Understanding Customers Better

An organization should develop a system to gather information about
customers. For instance, they could conduct formal surveys, such as
sending out a survey to an email list of their customers, but they can also
make it a priority for every member of their staff to ask customers how
satisfied they are with the experience they have with the organization and
how they can better serve them. Customers are a vital source of
information because in order to be successful the organizations must
adapt their products or services to precisely fit their customers needs.

1.3. Range of Purpose

An organisation is composed of resources (people materials, machines
and money) and the activities it carries out to achieve its objectives.
Information is necessary to convert these resources for use in the
organisations activities. Often when data is processed the information is
communicated immediately to the persn, who wishes to use it. If it is kept
for later use it must be stored and then retrieved when required.
Organisations require information for a range of purposes.
These can be categorised as follows:
The first purpose could be for planning. When planning organisations will
require knowledge of the availabe resources, possible time scales and the
likely outcome under alternative scenarios. Information is required that
helps decision-making and how to implement decisions taken.
Organisations also require information for montioring and controlling.
Once a plan is implemented, its actual performance must be controlled.
Information is required to assess wether activities are proceeding as
planned or whether there is some unexpected deviation from plan. It may
cnsequently be necessary to take fome form of corrective action.
Organisations also require information in order to record transaction as
documentation of transaction can be used as evidence in case of dispute.
They may be a legal requirement to record transactions e.g., for
accounting and audit purposes. For example McDonalds has some legal
requirement documents, such as the daily product safety checklist (DPSC),

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cash book, and the planned maintenance calender (PDM) and in order to
use these legal documents correctly, they will need to have the
information supplied as well as the knowledge on how to record/use
it.Operational information can be built up, allowing control action to be
taken. Another reason why organisations require information is that they
will need it for performance measurement. Comparison against budget or
plan can be made and this can be done by collecting information on costs,
revenue, volumes, time scales, and profitability. Information is necessary
to make descisions within the organisation.

1.4. Decision-Making
A decision is a choice whereby a person forms a conclusion about a
situation. Within an organisation it is the point at which plans, policies and
objectives are translated into concrete actions. Planning leads to decisions
guided by company policy and objectives and implies the selection from
alternative objectives, policies, procedures and programmes. The purpose
of decision-making is to direct human behaviour towards a future goal. If
there were no alternatives, there would be no need for a decision. Drucker
distinguishes between tactical and strategic decisions. Other
classifications include a divison between organisational and personal
decisions. Organisational decisions are those made in the role of an official
of the company and reflect company policy. Personal decisions refer to
those made by a manager as an individidual and cannot be delegated.
Another classification is between basic and routine decisions. Basic
decisions are long-range in scope, e.g. the location of factory in a
development are, or deciding that product to make. Wrong decisions on
these matters can be very costly. Routine decisions are made repetitively
and need little thought.
Decisions may be classified as structured, unstructered, or semisructured.
Structured decisions are programmed, such as stock or re-ordering.
Unstructered decisions could be that an organisation introduces a new
product line. Semi-sructured decisions are when some standard
procedures are applied, but also some individual judgement, such as
production scheduling.

1.4.1. Management Decision-Making

Within an organisation, different types of decisions are taken at different
levels. Senior management will be involved in decisions that affect the

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business as a whole and decisions that affect only one aspect of the
business will be delegated to lower levels of management. Planning and
control decisions are taken at the strategic, tactical, and operational levels
of organisational activity.
Strategic planning is a process of deciding on objectives of the
organisation, on changes in these objectives, on the resources used to
attain these objectives and the policies that are o govern the acquisition,
used and disposition of these resources. Strategic decision-making is
medium to long-term and involves high levels of uncertainity and risk.
Strategic decision-making involves situations that may not recur and deals
with complex issues.
Tactical planning/control, also called management control, means
ensuring that resources are obtained and used effectively and efficiency in
the accomplishment of the organisations objectives.
Efficiency mean that resources input to a process produce the optimum
(maximum) amount of outputs.
Effectiveness means that resources are used to achieve the desired
ends.
Tactical decisions are routine, usually contain few alternatives and relate
to the economic use of resources.
Operational control ensures that specific tasks are carried out
effectively and efficiently. It focuses on individuals task, and is carried out
within the strictly defined guideliness issued by the strategic planning and
tactical control decisions. Managers at this level decide what needs to be
done from day to day and task to task. For example in McDonalds the
operational control is up to the shift managers. They have to make sure
tasks are done and report it to the strategic level, which is either the
business manager or franchisee.
As above mentioned there are structured, unstructered, and semistructured decisions. The table below illustrates the structued,
unstructered, and semi-structured decisions at the different levels of
management.
Decisions Level

Structured

Unstructered

Semi-Structured

Strategic

Major investment
decisions

Reorganisation of
the whole
organisation

Entry of new
market/new product
line

Tactical

Selection of
products to discount

Expanding into a
new design

Allocation of budget

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Operational

Stock control
procuderes

Hiring supervisor

Selection of new
supplier

Source: BPP Book

It is clear from these distinctions of decision-making that information
travels through the structure from the strategic to tactical to the
operational decision makers.

1.4.2. Decision-Making and Decision-Taking

According to Poulton (1982) there is a distinguish between decisionmaking and decision-taking. Decision-makers are all those who have an
interest, active or passiv, in a particular decision. Decision-takers are
those charged with reaching decisions and making specific commitments.
Decision-making therefore comprises the whole process e.g. problem
identification, analysis, discussion, and negotiation, that involves decisionmakers up to the point at which the issue is decided. Decision-taking is
the function or activity of the responsible authority, as in the case of a
manager it would be deciding on a course of action.
Identifying the stakeholders and examining their respective interests in
the issue; in other words stakeholder analysis which is essential part of
the overall decision making process. This can be done with the Ansoff
Matrix or Boston Matrix. Satisfying stakeholders is a comlicated task
that begins with including their involvement in the process.
Customers and final consumers will want the product or service to live up
to their expectations and expect a quick response to any complaints and
replacement for any detective items. For example, if an organisation
wishes to follow strategy that increases the quality of a product at the
same time as increasing the price, there may be problems with both
existing and potential new customers. Existing customers may not be
willing to pay more for the product, while new customers are not attracted
to a product that they still view as being a low quality.
Suppliers are generally concerned with being paid promptly for goods
and services delivered and receiving regular repayments of any capital
provider (banks). For example if an organisation wishes to follow a
strategy that improves working capital management by paying suppliers
late, existing suppliers may decide to stop suppliying the organisation,
leading to the increase cost of finding new suppliers.
A robust communications and stakeholder involvement programme
involves communicating with and engaging stakeholder before making
final decisions on significan changes so that they can determine
stakeholder response and incorporate stakeholder considerations into
planning. Stakeholders have a wealth of relevant experience and

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knowledge to contribute. Feedback is also considered when making

decisions and stakeholders are told how the input was used. If
stakeholders feel that their suggestions are ignored or dismissed, the
process can be undermined and future communications can be
unproductive.
Stakeholder involvement is most effective when it encourages
stakeholders to describe their underlying concerns and issues.
Establishing a common ground can facilitate the resolution of difficult
issues.
The advantages of collaboration in decision-making are that all parties
have a chance to be part of the solution. The organisation can gain public
approval and trust for dealing with their less powerful adversaries in a
reasonable manner and considering alternative options. Another
advantage of collaboration in decision-making is that problems can be
handled more effectively when information is available to all parties.
Another advantage is that long-term working relationships are formed,
which helps in the resolution of future problems/issues.

1.4.3. Strategies for Improvement

Managers should develop consistently effective strategies and systematic
approaches to negotiations. Problem-solving and decision-making will
dramatically improve their personal effectiveness and the productivity of
their organisations. Most models of problem-solving and decision-making
include at least four phases.
1.

An input phase in which a problem is perceived and attempt is made

to understand the situation or problem.

2.

A processing phase in which alternatives are generated and

evaluated and a solution is selected.

3.
An output phase which includes planning for implementing the
solution.
4.

A review phase in which solution is evaluated and modifications are

made, if necessary.

Most researchers describe the problem-solving/decision making process as

beginning with the perception of a gap ending with the implementation
and evaluation of a solution to fill that gap. Each phase of the process
includes specific steps to be completed before making to the next phase.

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A very popular model of decision-making is the five step process for

decision-making.

STEP 1
Identify

STEP 2
Determin
e the
alternativ
es

STEP 3
Evaluate
available
alternativ
es

STEP 4
Implemen
t the
decision

STEP 5
Follow up
on
feedback

In the first step organisations should identify the problem and outline the
objective that a successful decision should address. In the second step
organisations should determine the alternatives. New choices can often
lead to a higher quality solution. The elected alternative choice should be
thought carefully and analysed before the decision is made. The third step
is the most important step. Organisations have to choose the best
alternative and consider the impact and implication the chosen decision
might have. Organisations may even want to write down the pros and
cons of each alternative. They should also consider the cost, time, ethical
issues and goals and whether it is identical with their organisations
values. The fourth step is the step where organisations implement the
decision. This step is very important too as it need to be thought what
they will be doing and most important who will be doing it.
The last step is the follow up step. A good decision-making is good when
organisations give it time to work out. They should therefore give it time
and review the outcomes and reflect upon the success of the decision and
what was learned from the situation. If it does happen and the problem is
still not solved after following the five steps of decision-making,
organisations should make the necessary changes and evaluate the
outcomes again.

1.5. Types of management information required

There are three basic things a manager needs to know, which are as
follows:
1.

A manager needs to know what the resources are, e.g. finance,

stock of raw materials, spare machine capacitiy, labour availability,
the balance of expenditure remaining for a certain budget, target
date for completion of a job.

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2.

A manager also needs to know at what rate its resources can be

consumed. How fast is the labour force working, how quickly are
other expenses being incurred, how quickly is available finance
being consumed.

3.

A manager also needs to know how well the resources are being
used and how well the objectives are being met.

A manager uses resources in the light of information given to them. The

board of a organisation decides how much of available funds should be
allocated to any particular activity, and the same problem faces the
manager of a factory or department. Having used information to decide
what should be done, a manager then needs feedback to decide how well
it is being done.

1.5.1. Information in Different Sectors

Organisations can be divided into four sectors, manufacturing, service,
public sector, and not for profit/charities. In the manufacturing sector
organisations are influenced by the need to make and monitor profit. In
the strategic level for example information is required in order to estimate
future demands and to make new product development plans and to
analyse the competitors. In the tactical level information is required to
analyse stock turnover. In the operational level in the manufacturing
sector organisations require informations to plan and analyse material and
labour used and to have a overview of stock levels.
Service sector- increased customer and results orientation for all sectors
lead to similar information requirements with activities measured in
similar ways. In the strategic level of the service sector informations are
required to forecast sales growth, profitability and the market share. For
the tactical level information are required in order to use the resources
effectively and to rate customer satisfaction. In the operational level of
the service sector information are required to analyse the customer
waiting time and individual customer feedback.
In the public sector information requirements will depend on the
objectives the organisations have chosen. Information may compare
actual performance with standards, targets, indices and activities over

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time as trends. The strategic level of the public sector will require
information to consider population demopgrahics and expected
government policy. The tactical level will need it in order to examine
average class sizes and per cent of reported crime solved. The operational
level requires information to organize staff timesheets and assess the
student daily attendance.
In the non-profit/charity sector the performance is normally assessed in
terms of economy, efficiency and effectiveness. A key measure for
charities for example is the amount spent on the cause rather than on
administration or advertising. The strategic level will require information
for the purpose of activities of other charities and public attitudes. The
tactical level requires information to examine the percentage of revenue
spent on admin, and average donation. The operational level will require
information for donations, banking, documentation and household
approached and collected from.

1.6. Knowledge
Johnson and Lundvall (2001) differentiate knowdlege between:

HOW
? The

ability to
do
somethi
ng

WHA
T? Knowled

ge about
facts

WHY
? Knowled

ge about
princible
s and
laws

WHO
? Knowled

ge about
who
knows
what

1.6.1. Tacit and Explicit Knowledge

There are several kinds of knowledge. Another distinction is between tacit
and explicit knowledge, generic and specific knowledge, and collective
knowledge. Generic knowledge is knowledge that can be widely applied,

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in contrast to specfic knowledge. An good example for generic knowledge

is scientific knowledge.
A useful way of labelling combinations of such knowledge is done as
follows:
Individual

Collective

Embrained Knowledge

Encoded Knowledge

EXPLICIT
Embodied Knowledge

EXPLICIT
Embedded Knowledge

TACIT

TACIT

Source: BPP BOOK

Embrained knowledge can be obtained through formal education and
training, in other words learning by studiying. Encoded knowledge is when
knowledge is codified and stored in blueprints, receips, written rules and
procedures. This is called collective explicit. Embodied knowledge is when
knowledge is based on hands-on experience and learning-by-doing. The
embedded knowledge is the collective form of tacit knowledge residing in
organisational routines, practises, policies, values and the shared beliefs.

1.6.2. Difference between Tacit and Explicit Knowledge

Tacit knowledge is more personal and rooted in a specific context. An good
example to demonstrate tacit knowledge is learning how to drive a car.
Once learned how to drive a car and have been doing it for some time,
people naturally develop certain techniques and sometimes bad habits
too, and driving becomes for them second nature. The explicit knowledge
on the other hand is more formal and standarised and can be easily
shared and communicated. Good example for this again is how to drive a
car; knowing the basics of it is explicit. People could explain it to someone
else. Speaking about knowledge tend to refer most people to knowledge
that is written in books and discussed in classrooms and conference
rooms, a form reffered to as 'explicit' knowledge but the truth is
knowledge is in many things.
Examples are:

Presentation, reports and journals

Patents and licences
Databases, software

P a g e | 20

Libraries, archives and catalogues

Manuals, policy documents and memos
Individual ability, memory, know-how and experience
Teams, communities, groups and networks
Meetings, training materials and management information

Tacit knowledge:

Is subconcsciously understood and applied,

developed from direct experience and action, and
usually shared through highly interactive
conversation, story-telling and shared experience.
It is tacit knowledge that enables people to
recognise the correct 'feel' and the right way to
hold and use a hammer or a kitchen knife. It is
tacit knowledge that is critical to producing a
desired outcome when the task is complex. Hence,
people recognise that tacit knowledge is involved
in a task, when we are reduced to trying to
explain, the 'feel' something, particularly the way
that it feels when it feels 'right'. In many cases,
this feel eludes all of our attempts to describe it,
an so success in tacit domains comes, ultimately,
to a matter of doing it.

Explicit knowledge

in comparison to tacit knowledge is easier to

identify and can be stored as a written procedure
or as a process in a computer system and is reusable in a consistent and repeatable manner for
decision-making and/or exercising judgement.
Therefore it can be more easily codified,
documented, transferred or shared.
Knowledge about somethin is called declarative
knowledge. A shared knowledge, explicit
understanding of concepts, categories, and
descriptors lays the foundation for effective
communication and knowledge sharing in
organisations. Knowledge of how something
occurs or is performed is called procedural
knowledge. Shared explicit procedural knowledge
lays a foundation for efficiency coordinated action
in organisations. Knowledge why something
occurs is called causal knowledge. Shared explicit
causal knowledge, often in the form of

P a g e | 21

organisational stories, enables organisations to

coordinate strategy for achieving goals and
outcomes. Using these two types of knowledge,
tacit and explicit, we can see that there could be
four ways of acquiring or creating knowledge.
1. Explicit to explicit
This is the standard way that management information is created and
combined, eg. montly sales.
2. Tacit to tacit
The data capture skills, eg. keying in the invoice details from different
suppliers, can be transferred to a trainee while sitting next to someone
who has been doing this for a while.
3. Tacit to explicit
This is where the knowledge can be expressed to another person and
understanding takes place.
4. Explicit to tacit
In this way individuals take in the knowledge and it becomes a part of
their expertise. Experience and learning enables individuals to make
connections between events and to increase their knowledge and
understanding of certain situations. To ensure than the inerchanges
between individuals tacit and shared explicit knowledge take placem tacit
knowledfe has to be tapped and articulated.

1.7. The sources of Data and information

1.7.1. Internal and External
The sources of data and information can be seperated into internal and
external data. Internal information is necessary for all management levels,
in every function in the organisation. It will relate to activities or
transactions performed within the organisation, such as administrative
tasks, the production of products and service, or the sale of those
products. Often these activities generate costs and revenues and so a lot
of the internal data collected will be quantitive.
The internal sources can include accounting ledgers which are used for
predicting future events, eg. budgeting and analysing the stock control
system, speed of delivering, and quality of supplies.
Another one is the personnel and payrol system which is used for costing
a project and ascertaining the availability and rate of pay of levels of staff
and also for keeping detailed records of time spent on various activities.

P a g e | 22

Another internel source is the production department. These are sources

of information on machine capacity, fuel consumption, work in progress,
maintenance requirements and the movement of people. The marketing
department provides information on opinions and buying habits of
customers and potential future customers.

Gathering data/information from inside the organisations

involves:

Establishing a system for collecting or measuring data, eg.

measuring output, sales, costs, cash receipts and payments, asset,
purchases, and stock turnover.

Knowing the sources helps the user to compensate for systematic

bias. If for example the managing director of an organisation
receives a sales forecast from the sales director and another from
the finance director, knowledge of the two individuals involved will
allow adjustments to be made to the data. In doing so, the
managing director would most likely consider their personal biases
and those placed upon them by their positions within the
organisation.

External information on the other hand proceeds from official and

unofficial sources. External information concerns with tax, regulations, the
economy, suppliers, and customers. There is a wide range of sources
included, such as the government, consultants, newspapers, magazines,
and the internet.

1.7.2. Primary and Secondary Data

Organisation regularly need to make use of data obtained outside the
organisation itself. To determine customer satisfaction with service
arrangements, organisations may complete a survey. If the organisation is
to remain successful and competitive for example, collecting data of its
competitiors will be necessary. When determing the number of potential
customers for a product, it will be necessary to segment the market in
order to find out the size and the characteristics of a section of the
population.
There are various ways of collecting data, which can be seperated into
primary and secondary data. Primary data is used purely for the purpose
for which it was collected. It is important to remember that some

P a g e | 23

problems can only be solved by collecting primary data, such as carrying

out a inquiry or survey. Organisations are mostly interested in market
research surveys. The secondary data is data that is taken from some
other sources. For example if a organisation has completed a survey for
the first time, which would be primary data, and at a later time used the
same data again for another purpose, this would be not a primary data
anymore, it would be a secondary data.
The table below illustrates what the internal sources of secondary
information can include:
Accounts department

Sales and marketing department

Production and operation

Human Resources

Procedures manual
Management accounts balance sheet
Financial data
Sales reports by region
Sales by customer and product
Market prospects and reports
Customer complaints
Marketing research reports
Operations data
Efficiency and capacity detail
Input prices
Number of employees
Training programmes
Staff turnover details
Details of pay

source: BPP BOOK

The external sources of secondary information on the other hand include
books, journals and articles. The internet is an external source of
secondary information too. Government agencies are good sources of
economic and for statistical information.

1.7.3. Formal and Informal Information

Gaining information from outside the organisation can be formal or
informal. The formal sources could include statements from the
organisations officials, published documents of the organisation and also
company advertising. Informal sources can include rumours, meetings
with suppliers or customers and reports complied for personal use. The
informal gathering of data/information from outside sources goes on all
the time, consciously or unconsciously, true or not true, anyone will have
a access to it (newspaper, television and radio). The formal sources may
be entrusted to particular individuals within the organisation.

P a g e | 24

1.7.4. Teamworkers
Information and knowledge is also important for teamwork. When
employees within the organisation are working in a team towards the
same goal, it is essential that everyone in the team knows their targets
and responsibilities therefore it is vital that they understand the
information effectively and that they have the knowledge in order to
achieve their targets.

1.7.5. Customer and other Stakeholders

Very often the most valuable knowledge that an organisation has in the
heads of its people, and those of its stakeholders, especially customers.
However people walk, so forward looking organisations continually to
seek ways of locking it in to their organisation.
The two complemantary approaches are:
Converting it to a more explicit form, eg. documents, processes, and
databases. This is often referred to as decanting the human capital into
the structural capital of an organisation.It is also called the Western
tendency since it it the main emphasis of many European and US
knowledge programmes.
Enhancing tacit knowledge flow though better human interaction, such tha
the knowledge is diffused aroung the organisation and not held in the
heads of a few. In Japan various socialisation activities support this kind
of knowledge flow that by its very nature also sparks the generation of
new ideas and knowledge. Add some basic elements of good human
resource management including a stimulating environment, personal
development plans, motivation and suitable reward and recognation
system, then there is less chance of the best knowledge workers wanting
to leave.

2.0. Communication
Any organization comprises of employees, suppliers, customer, and other
agencies governing the functioning of the organization. Majority of the
time spent by any organization is on communicating. Communication
involves the delivery of ideas, information, data or facts from one party to
another. Since the majority of activities evolve around communication,
maximum issues are also raised around this only. Thus, it becomes
essential for any organization to ensure that all parties involved in

P a g e | 25

communication are at the same level. A communication process is

complete only when the sender is able to deliver the message in the
manner desired and the receiver also understands the message in the
manner the sender desired. This is called an effective communication.
Effective communication is important in an organization. Communication
builds mutual understanding organizational environment between
mangers, employees and other stakeholders. In an organizational
environment knowledge is built on collection of experience and
information depends on combination of data. To scale this effective
communication I have conducted a study, taking McDonalds Restaurant
as the case for better understanding.

2.1. Communication Process

The word communication is derived from the Latin word, communis, which
means common. The definition underlines the fact that unless a common
understanding results from the exchange of information, there is no
communication. Communication is the process in which data is sent from
a source to an intended audience with a meaning perceived by the
receiver. Communication is vital if an organisation wants to survive.
Without communication no work can be completed and chaos will control
the workplace. It is the process of passing information and understanding
one person to another.
According to Kotler, 2003 communication is the process whereby people
try to pass on their thoughts, ideas, wishes or emotions, which is also
known as information to each other with an purpose of increasing the
receivers knowledge, enabling them to carry out tasks or influence their
attitudes.
The communication process involves some basic elements, which are as
follows:

Encode
r

Medium

Decode

Noise

RECEIVE
R
Encoder

SEND

Feedback/Resp
onse

P a g e | 26

Organizations can improve communication skills by becoming aware of

these elements and how they contribute to successful communication.
Subscriber to Harvard Business Review rated the ability to
communicate as the most important factor in making an executive
promotable, more important than ambition, education and capacity for
hard work. It is easier to recognize the importance of communication than
it is to define the term.
Communication process can be described with help of the following
elements:
Sender
The sender starts the communication process. It is the source wishing to
present a particular view or event of object. For example a manager giving
instruction to the employees.
Message
A message is the information that the sender wants to transfer. These
messages have an attached meaning that may be understood differently
by different people. It involves verbal and nonverbal symbols that have
been developed to send meaning to the receiver.
For example the sender (manager) should define the purpose of the
message; construct each message with the receiver (employee) in mind.
Encoding
It is the process of translating the intended meaning into symbols (which
includes words and gestures). The person who gets the thought or idea
feels the need for communication. In the initial stage when an idea is
formed, it is encoded. After that encoded idea takes the shape of message
and sends to communicate by using right media. After receiving the
message it is analyzed and interpreted by communication.
Channel
The channel/medium is the means of communication or a way to transfer
the message, such as print, mass, electrical, and digital. Factors to
consider when selecting a channel/medium include relative speed, cost,
convenience, intelligibility, timing, feedback options, and documentation.
It is very important to choose the suitable channel/medium for a particular
message, as this will highly influence the feedback process.
Receiver
The receiver is the person with whom the message is exchanged. Just as
information regarding the object or event was identified and understood
by the sender, so the information from the sender is identified and
understood by the receiver. A receiver can be anybody it is not necessary
that the receiver is in the appropriate channels of communication he/she
can be an outsider. There is a possibility that the actual receiver was not
able to receive the message but somebody else (receiver) did or there
may be opportunities for the receiver to gain information directly

P a g e | 27

regarding the event or object, without receiving the information through

the sender.
Decoding
Decoding is the process of translating the symbols into the understood
message. In effective communication, the sender and receiver achieve a
common meaning. But this is not always the case decoding of the
message can be understood differently by different individuals.
Noise/Source
The channel is subjected to various sources of noise. One example is
telephone communication, where numerous secondary sounds are
audible. Even a solid channel such as paper can be crushed or stained.
Such phenomena are also noise in the communicative sense, which can
be a barrier of effective communication. If any noise exists in the
elements in any way, complete clarity of meaning and understanding does
not happen.
Feedback/Response
Feedback is the basic response of the receiver to the understood
message. During feedback, the receiver becomes the sender. It also
provides information to the sender about the success of the
communication. It is critical that after receiving the message the receiver
give constructive feedback. Feedback gives the source the opportunity to
ensure that the message was taken accurately. According to Joann Keyton
(2011), the elements in the communication process control the quality of
communication. A problem in any of those elements can reduce
communication effectiveness.

2.1.1. Barriers of Effective Communication

According to George Bernhard Shaw (2011), the biggest problem with
communication is the illusion that has been accomplished. There are four
types of barriers called noise, which are as follows:
1. Process Barrier

Every step in the communication process is

necessary for effective communication. Blocked
steps become barriers because communication is
a give and take process therefore blocking the
process anywhere in the cycle can block the
transfer of understanding

2. Physical Barrier

Any number of physical distractions can affect

effective communication, such as telephone call,
radio, distances between people, and walls.

P a g e | 28

3. Semantic Barrier

Semantic barriers are words used in

communication. The language used must be on
terms that are commonly used. The same word
may mean different things to different people. A
simple example of this could be "dai!" in Italian
means "come on!" and it is pronounced exactly
like the English "die" even though it means two
different things.

4. Psychosocial Barrier
Psychosocial barriers are related to the
individual's own, external or attitude. Great
communication barriers in psychosocial barrier are
about honour, mainly title to a person by gender,
status and type of titles. For example, for a
married woman use the term 'Madam' is more
accurate than 'miss'. Such barriers cause there is
communication breakdown, the receiver may not
be longer perform communication with senders.

2.1.2. McDonalds Communication Process

2.1.3. McDonalds Background
In the beginning, two brothers named Dick and Mac McDonald ran a little
drive-in restaurant in San Bernadino, California, US. In 1948, they closed
their doors and then reopened with an entirely new restaurant concept. It
was based on speedy service, low prices, and big volume. It was not
unusual for 150 customers to crowd around the tiny hamburger stand
during peak periods. In 1954, a milkshake machine salesman named Ray
Kroc saw the McDonald's operation first-hand.
Ray was 52 years old, and he went to the restaurant to find out how they
could sell 20,000 shakes each month. He had one thought: "This will go
anyplace. Anyplace!" On April 15, 1955, Ray opened his first restaurant in
Des Plaines, Illinois, US. That was the year McDonald's Corporation was
born.
McDonalds deals with many stakeholders including customers,
employees, competitors, government, shareholders, communities,
suppliers, civil society and so on. These different stakeholders have
different interests for information linked with the organisation. Effective

P a g e | 29

communication in the organization centers on well-defined objectives that

support the organization's goals and mission. Supervisors strive to achieve
understanding among parties to their communications. Communication
establishes relationships and makes organizing possible. Every message
has a purpose or objective. The sender intends, whether consciously or
unconsciously, to accomplish something by communicating. In
organizational contexts, messages typically have a definite objective: to
motivate, to inform, to teach, to persuade, to entertain, or to inspire. This
definite purpose is, in fact, one of the principal differences between casual
conversation and managerial communication.

2.1.4. Intrapersonal and Internal Communication

Intrapersonal communication at McDonalds covers any form of interaction
between two or more employees located at the same Restaurant. The
exchange of such information may not necessarily be official; it can be
personal as well. At McDonalds it was found that most of the
intrapersonal communication was personal and was regarding one's
experience and feeling about the organization. Internal communication at
McDonalds covers any interaction or exchange of information between
the company and its employees. This interaction could be from a manager
to a crew member in form of instructions or from a manager to a
restaurant/business manager in form of suggestions. This interaction can
also be horizontal where one employee shares his experience or
knowledge with another employee at the same level from a different
restaurant. Interpersonal communication also involves listening4. Active
listening does not only mean focusing fully on the speaker but also
actively showing verbal and non-verbal signs of listening. This is
sometimes a problem at McDonalds as the managers do not always show
the signs of listening as they are too busy with dealing with some other
things such as customers. Listening is not the same as hearing. This
causes a barrier of communication between the two people.

2.1.5. Employees
At McDonalds, personal communication is an important element in the
everyday work life. Apart from work related issue employees also discuss
personal matters with their colleagues. Mostly such communication is oral
but it has been observed that many times it is also written, where one
colleague forwards an email to another. Any intrapersonal communication
4

http://academy.clevelandclinic.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=EVxj3eIS6iE%3D&tabid=1800

P a g e | 30

at McDonalds is mostly between the employees from the same section.

McDonalds has an internal communication team that deals with
communication to all of their employees. McDonalds has built an internal
communication culture that encourages, develops and ultimately places
trust in its 67,000 employees to create strong growth. This is
demonstrated by the fact that around 80% of its restaurant management
started their career on the restaurant floor as crew members. McDonalds
knows that it is important to choose the right method of internal
communication to deliver key messages for the employees is essential to
the success of their business. The managers at McDonalds communicate
with staff in a daily basis as it is essential for running a smooth shift. The
restaurants also have crew meetings, which is every three months, and
management meetings, which is once a month. Managers have to
delegate jobs to the staff, set them targets and make sure there are
following the right procedures, and policies. This can be a quite difficult
communication process between the managers and staff members as
most of the staff members are from different countries and they do face
language barriers. Hence most staff members are from different culture
and they are new in this work, they do hesitate to talk to the manager
about their problems or easily misunderstand delegated tasks. The
managers are also mainly too busy to follow up on crew.

2.1.6. Customers
McDonalds makes sure that their customers get the best service. All
employees should be trained well before they communicate to customers.
However McDonalds does not have a training program dedicated on
improving communication the only training they adopt is a Service
training flyer which includes the below six service steps. To communicate
well, it is necessary to talk politely and use gestures to deliver meaning.
The employees give customer satisfaction through good customer service.
This is the continuous part of the communication in McDonalds and which
is to be used 24 hours to serve the customer and it is used to handle the
problems of customers as well. In McDonalds there is a specific pattern to
deal with the customers.
This part of communication is used to deal with every customer and this
pattern is also written in every order taking register and is called six
service steps which is as follows:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Smile and greet the customer

Take the order correctly by repeating the order to the customer
Receive payment
Assembly the order
Present the order
Thank the customer

McDonalds believes that when employees follow the six service steps, the
customer will receive a great experience and will leave the restaurant

P a g e | 31

happy. By following these steps, most likely the communication between

the employee and the customer will be successful and it will avoid any
misunderstanding.

2.1.7. CHANNELS OF COMMUNICATION

A number of different communication channels are used such as the
intranet and weekly newsletters for employees to stay connected.
McDonalds ensures that its internal communication is reaching the right
people with the right messages by adopting multi-channel communication
methods. These include the use of print, online and other forms of
technology such as video conferencing. Through its Human Resource
team, McDonalds UK is also increasingly using online communication
methods to engage and develop employees. Through
www.ourlounge.co.uk the organisation provides an innovative lifestyle hub
for staff providing a two-way communication channel for staff to voice
their opinions openly and freely. The website, as well as providing general
orientation background for new starters, provides details on current staff
rosters and flexible e-learning opportunities, helping staff to develop their
skill set by gaining nationally recognisable qualifications. Our lounge also
hosts a range of features providing everyday information on music,
fashion, film, travel, community and chat, plus all-round support from
external experts, from tips on improving communication skills to buying a
house for the first time. McDonalds recent project was the People Stuff
which they have developed over the last 3 years and have lunched it in
November 2013. McDonalds has spent over 15 million for this project.
The purpose of this project was to make communication easier and more
effective for/ and with employees. People Stuff enables employees to book
holidays update their address and personal details, book training courses
and access their payslip online, swop shifts, request for extra shifts, read
about all the upcoming events and so on.

2.1.8. EXTERNAL COMMUNICATION

External communication refers to sending messages to parties outside the
organization. Any communication with people not belonging to the
organisation is referred to as external communication. During, such
communication all information relating to the company's activity is
transmitted to the external parties.
Suppliers
Communication with suppliers mainly happens with the business
managers, assistant managers, and shift managers. For McDonalds
suppliers play a vital role and therefore it is very important to
communicate with them effectively and that the message has been
received right. McDonalds has to be ready to give the customers a great
service and not to get a stock out of anything which is used within the

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organization. The managers mainly communicate with suppliers via emails, telephone or online. McDonalds UK has one main supplier for all
the restaurants in the UK, which is called Martin Brower. Martin Brower
supplies all the restaurants with all the relevant raw materials (frozen as
well as chilled), dry stock (Happy Meals, cups, lids, bags etc.) and Ops
stock (chemicals, Toilet Paper etc.). McDonalds communication process
with Martin Brower works via online ordering. McDonalds uses their
intranet in is called web log in order to complete their stock ordering.
The Web log is very easy to use and shows each restaurant what they
will need and how much of it. The Web log system predicts the amount of
stock each restaurant needs by using their projected sales for each week.
However it does not include any upcoming events therefore before each
ordering has been placed, the responsible manager will have to check for
any upcoming events and therefore order less/more for each week. Martin
Brower uses the e-mail as communication quite often as above
mentioned. Each restaurant will receive an e-mail a day before the
delivery arrives, and let the restaurant know about the estimated delivery
time.
Customers
Externally McDonalds runs numbers of different advertising campaigns
throughout the year to ensure their customers are aware of the great
products on offer as well as informing them about other areas of the
business such as their training and education opportunities. McDonalds
has also a media team who deals with all press enquiries. There is also a
customer service team who deals with all sorts of customer enquiries, for
example customer complaints. Once the customer has complaint to the
Head Office, the Head office then communicates the complaint to the
relevant restaurant. The restaurant then investigates the complaint and
gets in touch with the customer in order to apologise and mainly offers
the customer a free meal by their next visit.

2.1.9. Findings
McDonalds realizes that intrapersonal communication is an important
element in the everyday work life. It helps in breaking the monotony of
work.
Most communication at McDonalds is oral and online based.
McDonalds has an internal communication team that deals with
communication to all of their employees.
McDonalds does not have any training program dedicated at improving
the communication skills of employee.
McDonalds has crew meetings every three months, and management
meetings once a month.
McDonalds has multiple directional formal channels of communication.
McDonalds has a strong informal communication channel too.
McDonalds has mostly staff from different countries.
McDonalds faces some barriers of communication.

P a g e | 33

2.1.10. Recommendation
1. Managers need to follow up their communication.
2. Managers need to seek, not only to be understood, but to understand
(good listener).
3. McDonalds should focus on and train staff on cross cultural
communication as the majority of staff is from different countries.
4. McDonalds currently does not have any training module in improving
communication for current and new staff; they should invest in such
trainings as these make the system more efficient and error free.
5. Even though McDonalds encourages informal communication, the
process is too unstructured; especially for employees who are not
English it is quite difficult to understand this communication.
McDonalds should promote informal communication among employees
through regular meets and off sites as they develop better working
relationships.

2.2. How appropriate is McDonalds Communication

System?
As above seen in the findings and below the recommendations McDonalds
could have a more appropriate communication system if they could
improve the barriers they are facing at the moment. One of my findings
was that McDonalds only has every three months employee meetings.
Employee meetings are an effective form of interpersonal communication.
By bringing employees together in person it is possible to arrange goals
and communicate culture in a way that is not merely secondhand. The
immediate physical presence of fellow employees is a way of reinforcing
any message that a Business Manager might want to convey. As well, the
sense of urgency possible in a staff meeting cannot be duplicated by
another communication format. Another issue I have found in my findings
would be the relationship between the managers and employees. One of
the more important tasks of managers in an organisation is to
communicate the organisation goals and expectations to its employees.
Through face to face interaction with both managers above them and the
employees below them, managers transmit information between all of the
layers in an organization's hierarchy. Even with the addition of new
technology, the role that managers play in an effective communication
system is still undiminished.

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Establishing an effective communication system is one of the

many keys
to success in today' business. An effective communication system
allows for a
business to create and reinforce a positive culture in the
workplace and to get across the goals that need to be achieved.
The larger the business, the more important this becomes. The
coordination of all of the many different tasks and duties that a
company must perform depends on communication.5

2.3. Continuous Improvement Strategies to become a

Learning Organisation
For every organisation as well as McDonalds in this case, it is important to
improve continuously in order to be successful. Continuous improvement
means to learn new things and not to just stay at the same level. Life
circumstance change therefore organisations have to find new ways to
improve their performance. There are many ways to find out about
learning, such as forums for learning, reviewing how they can improve and
so on. Below are some approaches on how to become a learning
organisation, which I would suggest McDonalds because any organisation
as well as the Multinational organisation McDonalds should never think
we have achieved what we could and should never be happy. Their
approach should always be that there is always space to improve things.

2.3.1 Peter Michael Senge

Peter Michael Senge (born 1947) is an American scientist and Director of
the Center for Organizational Learning at the MIT Sloan School of
Management. He is known as author of the book The Fifth Discipline: The
art and practice of the learning organization from 1990 (new edition
2006). He is a senior lecturer at the System Dynamics Group at MIT Sloan
School of Management, and co-faculty at the New England Complex
Systems Institute.
According to Senge 'learning organizations' are those organizations where
people continually expand their capability to create the results they
truthfully desire, where new and expansive designs of thinking are
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developed, where collective aspiration is set free, and where people are
continually learning to see the whole together. Peter Michael Senge
argues that only those organizations are able to adjust rapidly and
effectively will be able to excel in their field or market. According to Senge
there must be two conditions present at all times in order to be a learning
organisation. The first is the ability to design the organization to match
the intended or desired outcomes and second, the ability to recognize
when the initial direction of the organization is different from the desired
outcome and follow the necessary steps to correct this mismatch.
Organizations that are able to do this are exemplary. Senge also believed
in the theory of Systems Thinking which has sometimes been referred to
as the 'Cornerstone' of the Learning Organization. Systems thinking
focuses on how the individual that is being studied interacts with the other
constituents of the system. Rather than focusing on the individuals within
an organization it prefers to look at a larger number of interactions within
the organization and in between organizations as a whole. 6

2.3.2. Total Quality Management (TQM)

Another approach is the Total Quality Management (TQM) which is a
famous well known quality management concept and is more than just
assuring product or service quality. TQM is an organization philosophy and
the concept shows the way of doing business. It explains ways how to
manage people and how to manage the business processes and to ensure
that customers get the complete satisfaction at every stage. The
philosophy was developed by Japanese companies and was originally put
forward by an American, Edward Deming, whose 14-point plan applies to
management in general but also useful for quality.
TQM is often used with the expression/term:
Doing the right things right, first time

2.3.3. Benchmarking
Another approach of quality improvement is benchmarking. This approach
can be used for service as well as products. Benchmarking is a way to
watch other organizations performance in order to improve their own. This
could also be internal by doing this with another department for the same
organization. An example of benchmarking could be for example a
financial services firm might want its call centre staff to answer calls
within six rings, if this is the practice of the best in the industry.7

6 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Senge

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The process of benchmarking is as followed:

2.3.4. ISO 9001

Another standard which sets out the TQM is ISO 9001. This standard
includes a strong customer focus, the motivation and implication of higher
management and the approach and continual improvement. The use of
ISO 9001 will help organisations to ensure that the customers get
consistent, good quality products and services, which will then benefit the
organisations. It is also important to check if the system works which can
be done with ISO 9001. Organisations have to perform internal audits to
check how its quality management system is working. Weather it is
someone within the organisation who knows what to do or they may
decide to invite an independent certification body to verify everything is
to the standards. 9 Organisations should focus on perfection when it
comes to quality which can be done with the six sigma tool, which is as
followed:
Critical to Quality: Attributes most important to the customer
Defect: Failing to deliver what the customer wants
Process Capability: What your process can deliver
Variation: What the customer sees and feels
Stable Operations: Ensuring consistent, predictable processes to
improve what the customer sees and feels
6. Design for Six Sigma: Designing to meet customer needs and
process capability10
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

2.3.5. Kaizen
7 Paul Cooks assignment year 1
8 http://totalqualitymanagement.wordpress.com/2008/09/12/benchmarking/
9 Source: http://www.iso.org/iso/iso_9000
10 Paul Cooks PowerPoint year 1

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Another approach of total quality management is the Kaizen, which is also

known continuous improvement and is used to help engage all employees
in improving quality.

Source: Paul Cooks PowerPoint

The Kaizen approach is made up in four stages and by using this

approach. Each system stage has to be used until the organisation has an
in house capable of consistently delivering result. Kaizens approach can
also be used for efficiency.
11

2.4. Improvements for McDonalds to have a better

Communication System
It is important that everyone in the organisation, in this case McDonalds,
receives the right message. From the findings it is clear that McDonalds
realizes the problems of the communication system. In order to improve
their communication system, McDonalds needs to make sure that
managers follow up on their communication to be sure that each
employee has received the right message and that there is not any
confusions or barriers. The managers at McDonalds need to seek, not
only to be understood, but to understand. They have to be an active
listener, not only communication but also listening what the employees
have to say. In this way they would also avoid misunderstanding in the
communication. McDonalds should focus on and train employees on cross
cultural communication as the majority of employees are from different
countries. McDonalds should also consider developing a training module
in improving communication for current employees as well as future
employees. I think they should invest in such training as these will make
the communication system in the restaurants more efficient and error
free. Regards to their informal communication, I think the process is too
unstructured, especially for employees who are not English it is quite
difficult to understand this communication. I would recommend
McDonalds to promote informal communication among employees
through regular meets and off sites as they develop better working
relationships. For example it would be great idea if McDonalds People
Stuff would have the option to change the language, in order to make
sure that no English employees get the right message through the
informal communication. I would also recommend McDonalds to have
more often meetings with employees as well as managers. I think having
a meeting with employees every three months is not good enough and
11 Paul Cooks Assignment from year 1

P a g e | 38

this lead for problems. If they would have more often meeting, they would
identify some issues earlier and could find solutions to improve/solve
them. At last I would recommend McDonalds to become a more learning
organization by analyzing and using the above mentioned approaches.

3.0. My Communication Skills

3.1. My Personal SWOT Analysis in Terms of my
Communication Skills
My personal SWOT analysis is much like an analysis a company would do
for a new product or service they are offering. The SWOT takes a look at
my strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats in terms of my
communication skills. By analysing these areas, I will then develop my
own personal action plan in order to improve my communication skills.
The SWOT will help me to identify what weaknesses I can turn into
strengths and what threats I can turn into opportunities.

You were born to win, but to be a winner you must

plan to win,
prepare to win, and expect to win. - Zig Ziglar

3.2. SWOT Analysis in Terms of Communication Skills

Strengths (How to capitalize?)
Speaking three languages
Good written communication skills
Good communication to people I know
well
Keeping eye contact, when listening to
the person talking
Good body language

Weaknesses (How to overcome?)

I am very shy when speaking in front of
a group of people, such as
presentations in front of the class (Fear
of presentations)
My Excel skills are fairly basic and they
could be improved so that I can achieve
more with the program

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Opportunities (How to exploit?)

Living here gives me the opportunity to
improve my English better than in
Germany
Attending an excel course to improve
my skills
Being a Manager at McDonalds gives
me the opportunity to turn my
weaknesses into strengths.

low self-esteem and this lead to being

nervous and shy when communicating
to people verbally
Poor communication on the telephone
Facial expression
Threats (How to reduce?)
I sometimes do face language
difficulties
I do have to overcome my shyness in
order to communicate more effectively

As above mentioned already a SWOT analysis will help me to look at the

balance between my strengths and my weaknesses and will also help me
to recognise my developmental needs. By completing my personal plan, I
will be able to develop my communication skills by looking for action.
When preparing an action plan and setting targets, considering SMART
targets are essential.

3.3. Use of SMART

SMART stands for:

Specific

Measurabl
e

Achievabl
e

Realistic

Time
bouned

Goals/Targets should be identified clearly/specific. The set targets should

also be measurable. The targets should be realistic and achievable. The
set targets should be relevant to the persons development needs. Another
important factor is that targets should always be time bound in order to
review progress and avoid slippage. Having a SMART plan will make it
easier to stay motivated and see my plan through. Often the most difficult
part is finding time to carry out the actions.

3.4. Personal Action Plan

My Personal Action Plan to Improve My Communication
Skills

P a g e | 40
Target/Objective

Actions to achieve
outcome

1. To improve my
Excel skills
2. To improve my
fear of presentations

To attend an Excel course

3. To improve my
English in order to
communicate more
effectively
4. To improve my
self-esteem in order
to communicate
verbally better
5. To improve my
communications skill
on the telephone

Evidence on
how to
achieve it
Excel Course

Target
date

June 2014
To prepare myself more
effectively and practise in
front of friends before the
presentation and to ask
for feedback after
To read more books and
to attend the IELTS
Course

Feedback from
Tutor of the end
of my
Presentation
Books
IELTS certificate

Ongoing
June 2014

To identify my negative
beliefs

Recording
everything in a
diary

Ongoing

listen more carefully to

other people on the
phone in order to
understand them better

Talking less and

listening more

June 2014

Ongoing

3.5. Personal Communication Analysis

Communication is vital in todays society. The purpose of communication
is to relay messages in the most clear and concise appropriate manner.
Transferring data involves both the sender and receiver of a message.
Communication can be misinterpreted, sent with confusion and often
misrepresented. Effective communication is the key to getting messages
across and with minimal confusion and errors. Today is definitely
considered the age of information (also known as the information age).
Communication is widespread and with the rapid and constant advances
in technology, people are communication more frequently and using many
different forms of communication. Verbal communication consists of
communicating face to face. Different components of verbal
communication include sounds, words, speaking, language and dialect.
Nonverbal communication consists of gestures, eye contact, facial
expressions, body language and artifacts. No matter form of
communication is used; communication should always be effective,
understandable and ethical. Communication consists of many different
types, forms and methods, but the major components are broken up in
two groups: Verbal and nonverbal communication.
Some of my non-verbal communicational strengths include written and
intrapersonal communication. My verbal communicational weaknesses
include mass speaking and listening. I love writing and over time, I have

P a g e | 41

become very good at written communication. My written communication

work is usually clear, concise and with very few errors or confusion.
However this was not always the case. I believe since I have started the
HND business course, I have developed my written communication
dramatically.
Intrapersonal communication deals with self: How oneself is perceived, the
perception of someone, your beliefs about another person and another
persons beliefs about you. Another weakness I have is that I have a low
self-esteem which leads to shyness and this also affects my
communication skills. I am not sure from where it comes but that has
become a big issue in my life. I recently learned that the communication
process begins internally before words are spoken. I have researched and
found out that recording everything in a diary would help me to
understand and analyze this issue in order to improve it. As an adult I am
constantly analyzing people places and things. This process allows me to
become aware of my surroundings and has helped me develop my
problem solving skills.
Mass speaking has always been difficult to overcome because of my
shyness. Speaking in front of a large group or numerous amounts of
people makes me very nervous, especially when I have to do a
presentation. I believe I have a fear of presentation. I know what I want to
say and how to say it but the minute that I begin to speak, I begin to
stutter and slur my words. Making effective presentations to groups or key
individuals is a regular part of my job. Delivering a clearly understandable
message that gains the support of the listeners requires expertise in
public speaking. My intrapersonal communication skills are definitely
improving over the last years but there is always more room for
improvement. I also would like to improve my Excel skills as they are fairly
basic. I realized this on my first year of the HND business course as one of
my assignments was excel based. I felt very useless as I had to ask my
tutor all the time for help, comparing to other who carried without help. It
made it very hard to me. Finally I had developed a basic knowledge of
Excel by the end of my assignment; however I believe I can take it further
and learn more about Excel. I think to know how to use Excel, will
definitely be beneficial for me in the future business world.
Listening is a major form of communication and can hinder the
communication process if there is interference blocking the channels of
communication. I am overall a very good listener but sometimes when
people begin to speak, I begin to zone out. I believe not listening is due to
lack of uninteresting information. This is something that I am working on
and need help developing my in personal and professional life. It is
sometimes hard to determine the full understanding of the speaker when
someone is speaking because of my lacking listening skills. Some of my
nonverbal communicational strengths include eye contact and body
language. My nonverbal weakness is facial expressions. Eye contact
promotes interest in whatever is being discussed. Eye contact is very

P a g e | 42

important in todays society and especially when working with different

people from different cultures and backgrounds. I have developed a habit
of starring people in their eyes when speaking or receiving information. I
can remember my grandmother always telling me that a persons eyes
are the mirrors to their soul. Body language is 100% visual and says a
great deal about a persons personality. I have tendencies of standing and
sitting upright, even when I am alone. My body language usually
symbolizes attentiveness without distractions. Body language also
includes the way a person walks, talks, and looks.
I am a believer of what you do speaks louder than what you say. I
believe that facial expressions say a great deal about what a person is
thinking. Facial expressions are one of the first emotional expressions
seen by someone else. My weakness includes expressing my emotions
and feeling through my facial expressions. I have tried to develop other
ways to express my feelings but have not been very successful. Many
expressions can be transferred through our face such as stress, happiness,
nervousness and being afraid. After all, these are the type of emotions
that make us human being. Another weakness is that English is not my
first language therefore it does affect my communication skills at any way.
My English is not bad; however it is not perfect. I quite easily
misunderstand things communicated to me. I must say that my English is
far from what it was when I first arrived to the United Kingdom. I did not
know how to speak at all and when I look at me know, I am proud of
myself how quick I developed my English skills. Not having English as a
first language is a weakness; however because I know I can develop my
English skills further, I see this as an opportunity as well and to go a step
further, I am planning to attend to IELTS this summer in order to see what
level I am going to be once I have completed this academic year. I also
promised myself to read more English books to develop my English skills.
Due to not having English as my first language, I also struggle to
understand and communicate with people on the phone.
There is always room for improvement in the communication process. In
order to achieve my objectives by end of this academic year, I will be
monitoring them and evaluating at the end of this year. My goal is to turn
my weaknesses into strengths and use the listed opportunities in
achieving them and by overcoming my weaknesses and benefiting from
my opportunities, I am confident that I will be reducing my threats from
my SWOT analyzes. Upon completing this academic year, I want to begin
developing better communication skills I am looking forward to a better
me by the end of this academic year.

4.0. Personal Networking

Personal networking begins with family and friends, co-workers and
people we socialise with and then everyone they know. Through these
connections, trustworthy relationships are developed that generate

P a g e | 43

information, referrals, advice, support, energy, and much more. However,

the true value of personal networking is found through the movement
beyond ones immediate network and exploiting other peoples networks,
perhaps far removed from ones own.
Networking is based on good will between people. Research that has been
done into networking practice in business shows that in terms of good will
from other people:

10%

of people you know will actively help you, no matter what

80%

are not particularly interested in your personal development,

but would be willing to help if you take the initiative

10%

of people who know you dont like you and will actively hold
you back or try to stop you.

Networking is one of the most beneficial ways for people to help each
other develop their ideas and professional careers. It increases the
opportunity for people to talk with each other and share ideas, information
and resources and can serve to enhance both the personal and
professional aspects of ones life. Building a strong network requires the
effort of everyone involved. Effective networking requires people to:

effectively communicate

keep pace with developments and trends in their fields

be prepared and willing to share information

keep in touch with others

nurture friendships and relationships

listen carefully and show interest in what others are saying

exhibit curiosity ask questions

continue to learn it is a life-long process

stay visible attend industry and community functions

Once people begin to make contacts they may find that they will become
part of a group, meeting together to develop mutual interests or
communicating via email and the internet.

P a g e | 44

4.1. Stakeholders and useful Contacts

Networking means staying in touch with organisations and key individuals
who can affect your work or help you to achieve your goals. It can serve
many purposes and help you to:
1. Build alliances that will strengthen your work
2. Stay in touch with developments in your area of work
3. Get access to information that will help your work
4. Influence other organisations to take up and support your issues
5. Influence individual decision-makers
Networking is about connections. In the business sense, there is nothing
more complicated than working out ways to get other people to send
them business, based on mouth or direct introduction.
The word networking can be defined as:
Networking is consciously developing contacts in an effort to
increase the number of referrals you get for your business.
The word contacts can be defined as:
Contacts are people with whom you have developed, or are
developing, an ongoing relationship of trust and mutual respect,
specifically regarding business matters.
The word referrals can be defined as:
Referrals are the recommendation of a business to a person who
knows the prospective customer well enough to have developed
some level of established trust.
Stakeholders can be internal (top management, line managers, functional
heads, service and support workers) or external (regulators,
environmental and legal entities, the general public). They are clients,
project managers and teams, contractors and subcontractors, distributors
and suppliers, and everyone else with a stake in an outcome.
This is how to arrange to meet with others who may be interested:

Send e-mails to appropriate discussion lists

P a g e | 45

To colleagues

To people in other organisations

As if anyone is interested in meeting locally

On which dates they would like to meet

Will they forward the e-mail to anyone who might be interested?

Networking organisations can provide access to members in a wide range

of fields and give them the ability to pursue additional areas of business.
Because of the careful selection of people accepted for membership, they
will find that they never want for access to the best service and products
available in their areas. If a member cannot supply what he/she needs,
there is a high degree of likelihood that he or she can refer you to
someone who can supply just about anything you need.

4.2. Internal and External Contacts in Networking

Networking includes interaction with outsiders and socialising inside and
outside the organisation; routine communication activities include
exchanging information and handling paperwork; traditional management
activities consist of planning, decision making and controlling; and human
resource management includes motivating/reinforcing,
disciplining/punishing, managing conflict, staffing and training/developing.
Networking in the sense that we use the word here is deliberate, planned
process. It involves the open exchange of leads and introductions.
It is a completely hones process. Where and how you network can add
value professionally and personally:

Professional contacts

Information source

Friends

Potentially anyone can network anywhere socially, locally, at work,

nationally and within the profession. Virtual networks are also important
via promotional literature, e-mail discussion lists and newsletters.

4.3. Networking at Work

P a g e | 46

Reception staffs are the first point of contact in the organisation. They are
very important to people to network with. You can also network:

informally, over lunch or a coffee

Formally, in your professional capacity

In person

By phone

E-mail

Meet and greet

Walk and talk

Network via the canteen and the work sociable club. All new staff should
have an induction, ensure staffs know:

Where people work

When people are available

What people can do for them (even for simple queries)

4.4. Networking outside Workplace

Networking outside of workplace includes:

Networking with other professional groups that are relevant to peoples

work

Attending social events away from work. They are a good opportunity
to network and enjoy themselves at the same time

Being interested in the professional bodies that relate to people at work

and their organisation

4.5. Relationship with Customers

Relationship marketing is grounded in the idea of establishing a learning
relationship with customers. At the lower end, building a relationship can

P a g e | 47

create cross-selling opportunities that may make the overall relationship

profitable. For example, some retail banks have tried selling credit cards
to less profitable customers. In determining which customers are worth
the cost of long-term relationships, it is useful to consider their lifetime
value. This depends on:

current profitability computed at the customer level

the propensity of those customers to stay loyal

Expected revenues and costs of servicing such customers over the

lifetime of the relationship

Building relationship makes most sense for customers whose lifetime

value to the company is the highest. Thus, building relationships should
focus on customers who are currently the most profitable, likely to be the
most profitable in the future, or likely to remain with the company for the
foreseeable future and have acceptable levels of profitability. The goal of
relationship management is to increase customer satisfaction and to
minimise any problems. By engaging in smarter relationships, a company
can learn customers preference and develop trust. Every contact point
with the customer can be seen as a chance to record information and
learn preferences. Complaints and errors must be recorded, not just fixed
and forgotten. Contact with customers in every medium, whether over the
internet, through a call centre, or through personal contact, is recorded
and centralised. Many companies are beginning to achieve this goal by
using customer relationship management (CRM) software. Data, once
collected, can be used to customise service. In addition, the database can
be analysed to detect patterns that can suggest better ways to serve
customers in general. A key aspect of this dialogue is to learn and record
preferences. There are two ways to determine customers preferences,
transparently and collaboratively.
Discovering preferences transparently means that the marketer learns the
customers needs without actually involving them. For example, the Ritz
Carlton Hotel makes a point of observing the choices that guests make
and recording them. If a guest requests extra pillows, then extra pillows
will be provided every time that person visits. At upmarket retailers,
personal shoppers will record customers preferences in sizes styles,
brands, colours and price ranges and notify them when new merchandise
appears or help them choose accessories.

4.6. Why do we communicate?

Why do we communicate? Psychologist Wiliam Schutz (1966) has
developed interpersonal needs theory, which asserts that our tendency to
create and sustain relationships depends on how well they meet three

P a g e | 48

basic theories. The first need is for affection, the desire to give and
receive love and liking. The second need is for inclusion, the desire to be
social and to be included in groups. The third need is for control, which is
a desire to influence to people and events in our lives. Expanding on
Schutzs ideas, Abraham Maslow (1968) proposed that we communicate to
meet a range of human needs.

4.6.1. Schutzs Interpersonal Needs Theory

Schutz (1958) introduced a theory of motivation by identifying three
human needs that can be satisfied only through the development and
maintenance of effective interpersonal relationships. People need
opportunities to exert control over others, as well as to be controlled by
others in certain situations. Organisation members want opportunities to
be leaders as well as followers in their organisations. People need
opportunities to show affection to others, as well as to have others show
them affection. Organisation members need to develop meaningful and
therapeutic relationships with other members of the organisation. At
times, organisation members have to be shown that others care about
them, and they have to show others that they care. People need
opportunities for the inclusion of others with them in social groupings.
Organisation members need to have others invite them to participate in
group activities in such formal situations as task groups or decisionmaking committees, and they need to be invited to participate in such
informal activities as lunches or parties. In addition, they want the
authority to include others different formal and informal organisational
activities. Schutzs interpersonal needs theory suggests that people are
motivated to fulfil these three give-and-take needs. Leaders can identify
specific interpersonal needs and give organisation members the
opportunities to fulfil them. Jobs can be designed to maximize such
opportunities. Providing such opportunities will encourage people to give
their best efforts on behalf of the organisation.12
Networking is a practise that can cover a lot of ground. In its simplest
form, networking simply means making connections to make exchanges
easier. Networking can be social, personal, professional, or even technical.
In the professional setting, the term networking is getting to know people
and businesses, and developing trust and communication to make the
process of business easier and more profitable. This usually involves the
exchange of leads, or referrals to potential customers, between
businesses.

12 Organisational Communication, Gary l. Kreps, second edition, page 160

P a g e | 49

Social networking is a platform to build social networks or social relations

between people who may share interests, activities, backgrounds, or reallife connections. An excellent example for this is Facebook, Twitter, or
even Skype. These social network services consist of a representation of
each user, often a profile of the individual. The profiles illustrate personal
details of the person, pictures and so on. Most of the social network
services are web-based which means that the user has to interact over
the internet, e-mail and instant messaging. 13 Personal networking is a set
of human contacts known to an individual, with whom that individual
would expect to interact.

4.7. Different Types of Networking

There are different types of networking, which are as follows:
Networking events
Networking relationships
Formal networks
Networking online

4.8. Increasing My Personal Networking

Best practice is about developing and implementing effective consultation
tools which encourage cooperation and engagement of employees and
management. There are significant benefits associated with implementing
and maintaining a culture of consultation and cooperation in the
workplace. Businesses working to best practice recognise the benefits of
regularly seeking opinions and views from employees, whether that is
through consultation with individuals, groups or unions, or a mixture of all
three.
This is because employee awareness of and involvement in, decisionmaking regularly leads to:
More productive workplaces as a result of greater cooperation and
collaboration

13

Better and more informed decision making and successful

implementation of ideas

Attraction and retention of skilled and positive staff

Workplaces that are better able to cope with change

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_networking_service

P a g e | 50

Minimisation of employer/employee disputes

Minimisation of employee claims against the employer

Successful change involves consultation and cooperation with all parties

involved, including managers, employees and any employee
representatives. In addition to any matters where consultation is
mandatory, employers should consult with their employees on workplace
issues that may impact on the welfare and productivity of employees. As a
matter of best practice, consideration should be given to the value that
consultation could add to any business decision making. Consultation can
identify opportunities, assist decision making and help ensure any new
ideas work effectively in practice.
I want to increase my personal network by identifying colleagues, who are
doing similar/same roles for in McDonalds for best practise. Even though
we are working for different restaurants, we are still working for the same
organisation and we are all working towards the same goals and aims. I
would like to increase my personal network with the managers in Devon,
especially the restaurant in Exeter (Marsh Barton) and the restaurant in
Exmouth. I think it would be in to my benefit to share ideas with the
restaurants and perhaps learn new things to improve in my restaurant. I
am currently the leader for health and safety and security in my
restaurant and would like to hear from my colleagues how they work on
their system as it is one of the most important ones. I am quite new to my
systems and therefore unexperienced and would like to hear other
managers and how they get on with their systems and perhaps get some
ideas from them on how to improve health and safety and security in my
restaurant. As above mentioned I could improve the restaurants
productivity in my restaurant by learning new skills from more
experienced managers from different restaurants. I would get in touch
with the restaurants, either by email or telephone, and would ask the
restaurant for the name of the system leader of health and safety and
security in order to contact the person directly.

4.9. How the Individuals concerned can influence the

Decision Making Process that Impacts me
In order to increase my personal network, my contacts from the other
restaurants have to be willing to get in touch with me, therefore i cannot
decide on my own and their decision whether they want to get in touch or
not, would impact/affect me. The factors i will have to include would be
time and availability. Another factor would be to get the contacts
motivated to speak to me. I will also have to get them to understand that
it would benefit them as well in helping me as we are all working for the
same organisation and we do share the same incentive

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5.0. How to maintain relationships with my Contacts and

what systems will I use/design?
I will maintain relationships with my contacts through Bi-weekly catch up,
emails and also arrange meetings to meet them face to face. When using
emails, I will be using the outlook system. The good thing with the outlook
is that I can design/set up a weekly reminder which will remind me about
it. I can also send the reminder to each restaurant in order to remind my
contacts about it as well.

5.1. How can I use these systems most effectively?

To use/make the system most effectively I have to make sure that my
contacts have the ability to use the same systems I am going to use. For
example e-mails. All the restaurants are using the same email system. I
have to make sure that my contacts know how to design/set up a weekly
reminder. If they do not know how to use it, I have to make sure and meet
up with my contacts in order to train them on how to use it. Not only the
outlook but also the contents need to be clear in order to use the system
more effectively. I also have to make sure that we all decide what days is
the most effectively day to communicate with each other as it may
happen that some of them do not work in some days due to their
availability; therefore we have to agree on a fixed day.

5.2. Does my choice have any limitations?

The Bi-weekly catch ups and face to face meeting are more personal
however the disadvantage is that it takes time to arrange and meet up.
The advantage of emails and telephones is that it does not take so much
time and I could do it while i am at work. It is also cost-effective; speedy
which means it does not take a lot of time. However the disadvantage is
that it is in personal. Each of them has their advantages and
disadvantages.

5.3. How did I make my choice?

The best choice to maintain my relationship with my contacts for me
would be by weekly email-s and telephone conference as it is the most
suitable for me. Due to the lack of time we have in our restaurants, we
could not have meetings in a weekly basis. The advantages of the face to
face meetings or the Bi-weekly catch ups is of course it is more personal
however this would not be suitable for me.

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6.0. Conclusion
There are many reasons for the need to implement change. These include
the desire to improve productivity, maximise shareholder value,
globalisation, broken communication system and technological advances
(Soltani, Lai and Mahmoudi, 2007, Ahn, Adamson and Dornbusch, 2004,
Macadam, 1996). With each need to implement changes come several
barriers. The possibility of failure is significantly increased and this can be
caused by not managing change effectively. Managers need to ask directly
and openly for feedback and then react in an encouraging manner rather
than a defensive one. Resistance to change is unavoidable, however
individuals need to express their thoughts throughout the process so as to
minimise the communication barrier (Marshall and Conner, 2000).
In all organisations the managerial decisions ultimately impact
stakeholders and managing change is one of the most difficult tasks
facing managers today. When a drastic change is needed in an
organisation there may be many barriers that could affect the success of
this change. Woolworths need to make sure this change is managed
effectively and the barriers are avoided. They also need to have an open
and honest communication system as this will best manage the barriers.
Change management takes a lot of courage because it can be high-risk for
the organisation as a whole as well as all employees involved (Ahn,
Adamson and Dornbusch, 2004). Managers need to stick with the plan,
refuse to give up and keep communication as open as possible. They
should be willing to listen to every person throughout the change.