21110263- Muhammad Talha Zubair

B-Comm

Cotton Web Assignment

21/04/20

Muhammad Talha Zubair

21110263

1) Is there a problem in CW? Discuss.

CW’s introduction of a new IPE system was too swift for their own good as it resulted in a
lot of discontent. Rather than bridging the communication gap within the company it further
deteriorated any existing differences. People had reservations about changes being made to their
salary structure and job descriptions. The new chain of transmission resulted in a lot of mistrust
and lead to a high number of resignations. These issues were dealt with in a series of meetings
which failed to yield what they were intended to, as did the managements actions to counter most
of the other problems.

2) Why did the management initiatives to develop a systematic, consistent and transparent
approach in managing CW (IPE System) fail?

The system was developed by an outside consultant who failed to consider that the changes
would need to be introduced in a manner which conveyed its objectives rather than its
drawbacks. Thus no formal communication strategy was developed, neither was a contingency
plan. The plan was executed swiftly which, given the size of the organization, meant that issues
faced by the employees could not be addressed in time. The plan itself was not conveyed
properly due to which the employees believed it was an attempt to limit their increments. The
salary structure was deemed unfair by employees who could see their wallets were not replete to
the same level as other departments. The humane decision making of the directors lead to a lack
of consistent implementation. The systematic approach was visible only on paper as meetings
were still conducted in the same informal method as before.

3) What could have been done by the directors to avoid this situation?
21110263- Muhammad Talha Zubair

The directors should have implemented the new system with a contingency in place. The
senior employees should have been given more of a voice in the changes being made to their
departmental structure. Given that Daniyal was vary of the fact that the new changes could result
in backlash, it would have made sense to communicate this to the HR consultant so that she
could develop a communication strategy. This would have cleared their intentions to the
employees.

4) What could the HR Consultant do to avoid this situation?

The consultant should have been vary of her position as an outsider and the hostility her
actions would result in. Rather than convincing the directors that the discontent was natural she
should have looked to clear the air. The issue of salary caps should have been given more
attention than simply stating that only extremely exceptional cases would be catered to. At the
very least it would have conveyed that she was responsive which would have led to better
communication from the employees as well. The communication strategy should have been
more detailed so that the changes could be seen positively and changes which were seen
positively could be further highlighted.

5) Any issues regarding strategic and internal communication at CW that in your view are
worth consideration?

The idea that employees perceived themselves to be key persons when roles were unclear
highlights a clear lack of communication was in place even before the consultant was hired, but
it also shows there were many people in the company who looked to take initiative. The fact that
employees believed that the company relied on them heavily shows a sense of ownership within
the culture which probably existed due to their regular interactions with the director. Had the HR
consultant known more about the organization she would have realized that the new system
should be built while taking this culture into consideration as it was a great asset for the
company. This is probably the reason why the new system proved to be so demotivating for the
employees.