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This report identifies whether poor communication affects customer service and operations
within Doree Bonner. Within this report a detailed and critical analysis of data is itemised and
thoroughly investigated. Both primary and secondary research is carried in order to determine
the answer to the hypothesis posed and graphs are provided in order to better distinguish
between results.
A literature review has been conducted to better describe the literature that already surrounds
the subject of communication and corporate strategy within the business. The VUCA
environment is explained and applied to Doree Bonner as a company. Models are used to
better describe and explain the theories demonstrated and examples are given where
necessary.
A review of the research methods carried out is explained, including justification of why the
primary and secondary research methods were chosen as apposed to others. The explanation
as to how the report was kept in line with ethical standards and how participants details were
kept safe, has been supplied.
Recommendations have been given including the use of leadership and communication
courses to better educate staff members, a re-working of contract terms has also been
suggested and a new strategic plan has been recommended to help bring Doree Bonner to a
further point in its career and market place.
An action plan has been provided to better details these points along with suggested timings
and possible issues that could be encountered.

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Contents
1.0 Introduction .................................................................................................................................................... 4
1.1 Background of company ............................................................................................................................... 4
1.2 The Aim ........................................................................................................................................................ 4
1.3 Objectives ..................................................................................................................................................... 5
1.4 Main research questions ............................................................................................................................... 5
2.0 Literature review ............................................................................................................................................ 5
2.1 What is communication? .............................................................................................................................. 5
............................................................................................................................................................................ 6
2.2 Communication and the business ................................................................................................................. 6
3.0 Research Methodology ................................................................................................................................. 10
3.1 Ethics .......................................................................................................................................................... 10
3.2 Primary Research ........................................................................................................................................ 10
3.3 Secondary Research .................................................................................................................................... 11
4.0 Findings and analysis ................................................................................................................................... 12
4.1 The Findings ............................................................................................................................................... 12
4.2 Analysis ...................................................................................................................................................... 12
4.2i Does communication effect Doree Bonners performance as a company? ............................................. 12
4.2ii Is communication an essential part of day to day business? ................................................................. 13
5.0 Recommendations and action plan ............................................................................................................. 14
6.0 Bibliography .................................................................................................................................................. 17
7.0 References ..................................................................................................................................................... 17
8.0 Appendix ....................................................................................................................................................... 20

Figure 1 - Shannon-Weaver's Model of Communication (1948) ............................................................................ 6

Figure 2 - Two Step Flow Model (1955) ................................................................................................................ 6
Figure 3 - Strategic position analysis (2018) .......................................................................................................... 8
Figure 4 - Lewins Change Model (1940)................................................................................................................ 9
Figure 5- Change Kaleidoscope (2002) .................................................................................................................. 9

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1.0 Introduction
This report is aimed at researching and analysing the problems faced within Doree Bonner
International with regards to their communications with suppliers and partners, whether that
be international or UK based partners. The report will be detailing and critically analysing the
data collected through both primary and secondary research which will aim to find solutions
and predict potential and future threats. Communication is the main focus of this report, it
centres around poor communication and the effect this has on Doree Bonner. Communication
can be anything from explaining an idea to a colleague to a director sending an internal email
to all members of the company to inform them of something important. Having methods in
place to be able to communicate whenever necessary is important because it allows
information to be shared and acknowledged even by people that don’t necessarily work for
the same organisation. This report is going to analyse how poor communication can cause
unnecessary issues and complications and the knock-on effect this will have. Poor
communication is currently a factor at play within Doree Bonner and this affects both
operations performance and also the level of customer service received.
1.1 Background of company
Doree Bonner International are a worldwide removals and storage company that offers not
only world-wide shipping but also domestic and corporate removals too. They have, over the
years, acquired over nine branches with more than 250 employees and a large fleet of vehicles
having been amassed, with no end in sight, (Doreebonner.co.uk, 2018). They work closely
with their partners internationally to ensure a high level of standard is recognised not only
during the collection stage, but also the shipping and delivery side of the move as well. Within
the UK they have partnerships with restoration companies as well as high ranking businesses
looking for an exemplary service for the removal of employees and customers alike.
Customers that have experienced a peril in their property including damages such as water
and fire, deal with a minimum of three companies when progressing through their claim. When
contents removals are required, the restoration or cleaning company instruct Doree Bonner.
When relocating overseas or within Europe, a delivery agent is required to oversee transit and
customs clearance for the household goods within the destination country. All export
consignments are given to the same partner depending on which area they are going to.
Often problems faced with partners can filter into the customers view and opinion of the
company and this can both effect and hinder the performance of future removals carried out.
This is because when working with the same partner time and time again, you begin to build
a relationship that depends on a mutual trust and reliance on each other. When Doree
Bonner’s partner instructs them to carry out a move of an employee they are putting that staff
member in the company’s capable hands. Any issues they face reflect negatively on the
partner in question. Having a bad customer experience can also mean less recommendations
for the company as a lot of the feedback reverts back to the partner organisation, this can
mean other employees insisting on a different company to carry out the service. Damage is
also a major contributing factor to poor partner relations. Damage occurring on a removal is
not only common place but also occurs regularly. It is often referred to as part and parcel of
the removals industry. The way you deal with the fallout of the damage is the key issue. During
corporate and international moving, if damage occurs, it is always best to ensure the customer
feels they have been dealt with appropriately and in a timely manner.
1.2 The Aim
The aim of this report is to determine whether the communication between Doree Bonner and
their chosen partnerships, hinder their service to customers and affect business operations
negatively. It is to conduct research to try and determine an answer and possibly a solution to
the above aim.

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1.3 Objectives
- Conduct significant research into the problem
- Collate and tidy data collected
- Analyse and determine patterns and findings
1.4 Main research questions
1. Does poor communication affect Doree Bonners performance as a company?
2. Is communication an essential part of day to day business?

2.0 Literature review

2.1 What is communication?
Communication is a focal point of any company. It enables members of staff of all statues to
communicate ideas, strategies and information across the company. According to Merriam-
webster.com (2018), communication is ‘a process by which information is exchanged between
individuals through a common system of symbols, signs, or behaviour’. In comparison
Veljanovska and Cibreva-Jovanovska (2014) stated ‘Communication involves sending and
receiving information. Leaders become recipients during the process of communication, which
is needed to master the art of listening.’. Similarly, McQuail, Denis, & Windahl Sven, (1981)
discussed the definition of communication being; ‘any or all of the following: an action on
others; an interaction with others and a reaction to others’. There are many different definitions
for what communication is, likewise with the forms of communication used, the way
communication is handled throughout every company differs. The International Journal of
Bank Marketing (1994) gave six ways of ensuring effective communication; clear, concise,
courteous, constructive, correct, complete. Applying these factors to communicative ways of
interacting ensures that people get the most out of the information being shared. This is
because in the event of communication between, for example, a company and their partner
company, there can be issues caused if information is not communicated in a way that
incorporates all six variables. An example would be if Doree Bonner communicated with an
international agent that they needed a customer’s effects cleared through customs on a certain
date and this date wasn’t met, a grievance may be caused with not only the customer but also
within the partner relationship that Doree Bonner has with its agents. Krause, Handfield and
Tyler (2007), theorised that firms who were effective in supplier development knew how to
effectively share and manage communication in a timely manner and of a frequent nature.
As well as definitions, there have been several models devised to support the definitions of
communication and what the act entails. The first acknowledged model of communication was
theorised by Shannon and Weaver (1948), see figure 1 for diagram. This is the simplest of
models formulated and discusses the basic forms of communication used from one sender to
one receiver. It has been criticised dramatically throughout the years, however there have
been many other models created as a result of the initial model’s explanations and theory. As
described by Al-Fedaghi (2012), the Shannon and Weaver model (1948) is not thought of as
a model based on communication as such anymore, but as ‘a model of the flow of information
through a medium.’. One of the models derived from Shannon and Weaver’s (1948)
communication model was the ‘Two Step Flow Theory’ (Katz & Lazarsfeld,1955), seen in
Figure 2. This model was originally used to describe the effect of the medias portrayal on
events and how this directly impacted election voting. It involves an ‘opinion leader’ not
only passing on the facts but also their portrayal of the fact which influences decision
making. Criticisms have included the model being too simple in the fact that there are usually
more than two steps between the opinion leaders and public; also, the fact that the data used
to draw conclusions may be out of date now compared to when it first written, (Encyclopaedia
Britannica, 2018).

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 Figure 1 - Shannon-Weaver's Model of Communication (1948)

Figure 2 - Two Step Flow Model (1955)

2.2 Communication and the business

Within the business industry there is a phrase that is being regularly used called the ‘VUCA
environment’, (UNC Executive Development, 2013). This idea originally came to pass from
the military and has gradually been adopted by other industries to describe turbulence and
unsettlement. The definition of the acronym is simple -
Volatility: drastic, fast changes occur daily. The usual amount of change we see greatly
increases.
Uncertainty: being in a volatile environment ensure organisations cannot make future
predicaments
Complexity: the environment has many different factors and variables and can be difficult and
confusing to navigate
Ambiguity: facing the unknown, no one has the answer
(Tovar, 2018)

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The VUCA world has been described as ‘We are dealing with a world where change is ever
greater, where the future is less predictable, where the options increase exponentially, and
the way we think about these options has undoubtedly changed.’ (Tovar, 2018). Similarly,
George (2017) concluded, ‘CEOs have little idea what to expect in terms of health care policy,
financial transactions, national security, and global trade—all of vital importance to
themselves, their employees, and their stakeholders.’. There has however been the
suggestion that the VUCA environment can be turned into a positive way of working for
organisations. The VUCA 2.0 strategy, George (2017), analyses how VUCA can be used in a
positive way by introducing the terms; vision, understanding, courage and adaptability.
Vision: leaders must have a vision or direction of where they want to steer the organisation in
the future. Having a corporate strategy in place can only strengthen their resolve and
steadiness for the volatility that can occur, see Figure 3 for an example of Strategic Position
Analysis diagrams. Having a strategy is a lengthy process but also one of the most important
decisions within a company as it leads them into the future and towards what they want to aim
for while also helping them with how they will reach that end goal. Strategic choices can be
specific to different aspects of the organisation; corporate level strategy (the company goal),
business level strategy (the branch goal) and operational level strategy (team goals),
(Johnson, G., Scholes, K. and Whittington, R., 2008). Within Doree Bonner, the corporate
level strategy is to provide a service that incorporates all four of their company values; always
be on time, always be honest, always take care and always look smart, (Doreebonner.co.uk,
2018). The business level strategy involves operating effectively in order to optimise
resources, utilise labour and raise revenue. Thus, creating individual branches that are all
working towards the same goal of being completely efficient and balancing the use of all
resources involved in day to day operations. The operational strategy will involve specific
employees or teams working towards their own goal. For example, poor communication
between administrators and the corporate accounts may be solved by trying new methods of
communicative literature or possibly creating new ways of passing information between
offices.
Understanding: Knowing your organisations key skills and also their limits puts an organisation
in good stead to be able to limit damage when navigating the VUCA world. Research into the
industries environment and also communicating with employees and suppliers alike will give
new insights into the environment they are in. Strategic position is ultimately a company being
in touch with the environment they are working within and also the expectations of them being
there, (Johnson, G., Scholes, K. and Whittington, R., 2008). The current environment that
Doree Bonner reside within is a competitive one, companies that are part of the distinguished
British Association of Removers alone, number on average around 450 based in the UK,
(British Association of Removers, 2018). Having this amount of competition means constant
pressure to perform in order to keep standards and levels of positive reviews up, however also
needing to occasionally price match can prove difficult when the standard of service and
resources provided is so high. The general purpose of the company is to ensure they are
within the top leaders of removers within the UK, while also having a strong foot hold on the
international side of removals too. Shipments coming to and from foreign countries will soon
be limited due to the implications that Brexit may bring to the country, this is detrimental to
international shipping companies who rely on the flexible barriers between ports and likewise
with friendly exchange rates. ‘In terms of longer term impact, there are some matters which
are already tolerably clear, for example that any changes to the cost of trade with the EU are
likely to affect freight volumes at British ports.’ (Brexit: Implications for global shipping and sea
trade, 2016). Communication comes into play here as well with regards to the relationship that
has been formed between Doree Bonner and overseas partners. Communicating well with
them will have created a relationship and therefore they may be able to help keep work load
and traffic levels higher as they prefer to with Doree Bonner as a company.
Courage: Being able to make rash and bold decisions bodes well for companies in the VUCA
environment that is the removals industry. Being one step ahead of the competition means

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having to come up with new and unheard-of ideas to stay up to date and ahead of the game.
Doree Bonner knowing their strategic capability will enable them to create realistic goals and
targets to work towards. Knowing the limits and capabilities of both themselves and possibly
their competition gives then a strategic advantage because they can use this knowledge and
data to create an action plan for innovative and prosperous ideas. Putting these ideas into
action then needs extreme organisation and a model to follow in order to lead and manage
the change effectively. An example of a model that Doree Bonner could implement would be
Lewis Change Model (1940), see Figure 4, this incorporated three stages; unfreeze, change
and refreeze. It has been said that ‘Hence, change will occur when the combined strength of
one force is greater than the combined strength of the opposing set of forces.’ (Kritsonis,
2004), resistance from employees can be an opposing force which is why communication also
plays an important role in the strategy set out for a new implementation. If employees have
been informed of the change and maybe even offered the chance to input ideas and opinions,
they will be a lot more likely to accept the change. One example of why companies experience
employee resistance would be ‘It is possible that these conditions of change influence
employees’ attitudes towards the specific change, which in turn could affect their general
attitude toward the organization.’ (Oreg, S., 2006.). Oreg, 2006, described how resistance can
sometimes be met because of the conditions and environment the employees face, if they are
not informed of the change that is coming. Good communication is essential in order to best
relay this information, for example through group meetings which are face to face rather than
just through a generic email.
Adaptability: Working within a VUCA environment means organisations need to ensure they
are adaptive to all situations that occur whether they be expected or unexpected. Being able
to adapt quickly to an event that isn’t planned and use it to your advantage is a skill that few
people have. A number of things can change quickly at any point within the removals industry,
being the company with the reputation for problem solving and overcoming issues will put
them in good stead with the potential clients. Putting their strategy into action involves three
key components; organising, managing change and enabling, (Johnson, G., Scholes, K. and
Whittington, R., 2008). To manage change there are factors that need to be considered in
order to successfully manage the change. A theory behind this is the Change Kaleidoscope
(Balogun, J. and Hailey, V.H., 2008), this was formed as a diagram to help organisations know
what is important and what needs to be considered, see figure 5. In order for Doree Bonner to
make a strategic change they need to take into consideration that ‘A strategic change may
imply adjustments in company strategy, structure, power distribution and control systems.’
(Dominguez CC, M., Galan-Gonzalez, J.L. and Barroso, C., 2015).

Figure 3 - Strategic position analysis (2018)

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Figure 4 - Lewins Change Model (1940)

Figure 5- Change Kaleidoscope (2002)

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3.0 Research Methodology
Within this report both primary research and secondary research is incorporated in order to
analyse data. Various methods have been used to try to identify problem areas and potential
solutions. The two primary research methods that were undertaken were; questionnaires and
interviews. Primary research is when a person uses methods to collect data that hasn’t been
published or collected by anyone. It is data that is collected first hand using methods such as
interviews, focus groups and observations. Secondary research involves the collection of data
using various forms of books, journals, websites and any other method that involves using
data that has already been collected by someone else.
3.1 Ethics
During the collating of data in this report, it was important to consider the ethical side of taking
and sharing a person’s answer. Permission was given by all participants for an audio recording
to be taken during the interview, all interview recordings and questionnaire answers were kept
on a password protected laptop that could not be accessed. All files and transcribes were kept
completely anonymous by ensuring that no names were used throughout the project, the use
of terms ‘Interviewee A’ and ‘Interviewee B’ were used as substitutes to aid with anonymity.
After initial use the recordings were deleted to prevent data leakage later. The participants of
the report were willing and given multiple chances to not participate. They also had the option
throughout to decide against their information being used in the project. It was very important
to abide by and respect the Data Protection Act (1998) throughout the course of the project,
this was done by; ensuring that data was not held for longer than necessary, was only used
for the purpose of the report and kept secure throughout the duration of the project. At the
beginning of the report, verbal permission was given for access to employees and information
from Doree Bonner International, this was given by the local branch general manager. When
approaching employees for participation in the project, informed consent was given via the
signing of a consent form. Before this was signed the participant was given an information
sheet detailing what the purpose of the report was and what is was about. It also described
how the data would be anonymous and explained that any data collected would be strictly
protected and adhered to as described above. The consent form used, and the information
sheet given, can be found in Appendix A and B.
3.2 Primary Research
The questionnaires were supplied to both Doree Bonner staff members along with members
of participating partner organisations. This was to ensure a fair and just amount of data was
collected from both sides of the agreement. A total of 35 questionnaires were sent via email
to employees, with only 20 of these being returned. Although not piloted, the questionnaire
incorporated questions that were both multiple choice and also questions that required written
suggestions, this was to ensure participants felt like they could give an opinion where
necessary. The main focus of the questionnaire was to gauge how Doree Bonner and their
partners feel their working relationship is and what issues they believe are present with
regards to their communication methods. Interviews were conducted with willing Doree
Bonner members of staff to determine how employees of different statuses may or may not
have differing opinions on the subject. It is important to have data to analyse from interviews
with more than one person of one status as this helps to avoid bias and potential interesting
data. The interviews were structured to ensure that the correct questions were asked in order
to receive only relevant data. During the interview the questions and answers were all
recorded and thematic analysis used in order to have a flexible approach to data analysis and
easily pinpoint patterns, (Nowell et al., 2017).
Using questionnaires to gather data in this report allowed a variety of questions to be asked
that people completed in an anonymous manner. This means that they may have provided
answers that in other capacities they wouldn’t have felt comfortable sharing. Having a
questionnaire that asks questions of different varieties enables the participant to also have an

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opinion on a subject they may not have thought about before, or even thought they had the
right to have an opinion on. Questionnaires are an easy way of reaching many people, very
quickly and cheaply. Likewise, with the data collection afterwards, this is a quick and easy
process as all questions have been kept as standard and therefore most answers will probably
be similar. There is also the advantage that some questions may be closed ended questions
and therefore will be simple answers.
On the other hand, interviews allow the participant to explain their answer in detail. It means
that more information can be shared and explained, and data may be collected that wasn’t
asked for. There may be a tangent from the original question that turns out to be informative
and useful. Participants are usually also more comfortable during an interview than they are
during a focus group, as it is usually only one on one during an interview, they feel more
comfortable explaining an opinion or an idea in depth. Questions can also be specifically
worded to each participant if needed to ensure that the researcher is getting the most out of
the experience. Questions can be tailored to ensure they receive the best response.
Using two methods of research offered the use of triangulation to ensure that credible data
was used within the report. ‘The combination of findings from two or more rigorous approaches
provides a more comprehensive picture of the results than either approach could do alone.’
(Forbes and Heale, 2013). Having both interviews and questionnaires gave both qualitative
and quantitative data to analyse and therefore added another layer to the triangulation. Using
quantitative data allowed the use of graphs with the measuring of numbers and statistics. In
comparison having the transcribes of interviews allowed the use of arguments and
comparisons between detailed answers.
Other methods were considered; however, each method was ruled out based on a factor that
made it either unapproachable or unachievable. For example, focus groups were considered
and then ruled out based on the fact that on top of taking a large amount of time and resources,
they also encourage groupthink. This is a phenomenon that occurs when people work together
in groups and there is a general agreement on an idea or a topic, participants feel that they
cannot disagree or upset the balance by suggesting something different (Psychology Today,
2018). This often means that data is unreliable due to only one opinion being heard. This
report focused on different opinions being given from different sources and these opinions
being true and justified, having a general consensus in a focus group would cause findings to
be weighed in one direction.
Interviews and questionnaires were chosen based on the lengthy list of advantages they bring.
The information gathered from these two methods allowed a lengthy and finite analysis of the
results as both quantitative and qualitative data was founded. Quantitative data is number
based and can be measured in units, in comparison qualitative data is fact based and used to
measure the difference between opinions and ideas.
3.3 Secondary Research
The secondary research methods used included; articles, journals, books and websites. Using
a variety of secondary research methods is a quick, cheap and relatively easy method of
research. Most of the secondary data used could be found online and this makes research
simple as it can be done from anywhere at any time. However, there is the potential that data
could have been biased or not up to date enough to be relevant. There is also the possibility
that the data found may not be relevant to the research that is intended. The chosen
hypothesis may not be correctly answered if data is carefully filtered. Being able to determine
which data is useful is a skill. Secondary research also brings many advantages and ‘online
data collection protects against the loss of data and simplifies the transfer of data into a
database for analysis.’ (Lefever, Dal and Matthíasdóttir, 2007).

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4.0 Findings and analysis
4.1 The Findings
The data collected during the course of this report offers a fairly negative result towards to the
value of Doree Bonner as a company. Both the questionnaire and the interview results
bordered on completely negative results throughout the collation, the majority of answers to
the questionnaire are worrisome to Doree Bonner where as the interviews offer comments
and insights into why. Twenty employees participated in the questionnaire, shown in Appendix
D, and two interviews were conducted outside of the workplace, see Appendix C for the
questions used. The questionnaires were completed by both road and office staff, including
management, in order to discover a broad range of data to analyse. All data collated into
graphs can be found in Appendix E.
Interviews were used as a way of obtaining further, in depth, answers to the questions posed.
The interviews were conducted with a member of the admin team and a member of road staff.
See appendix C for details. The two participants were chosen because the admin staff
(Interviewee A) are able to communicate with the corporate accounts and are usually the first
point of contact with a customer on the phone, whereas the road staff (interviewee B) have no
communication with corporate accounts and rely of the office staff to communicate the correct
information, they are also the first ones to meet the customer in person and are the focal point
of the actual service the customer receives. After the interviews were conducted it became
apparent that there is low moral towards the accounts themselves and the way Doree Bonner
as a company are treated. The responses, although varied, both told a similar story of how
the partnership is often a one-way street.
4.2 Analysis
4.2i Does communication effect Doree Bonners performance as a company?
Question 2 of the questionnaires involved participants answering whether they believe Doree
Bonner provide a high level of customer service or not. Encouragingly, 85% chose yes in
answer to this question. Consequently, question 3 involves whether communication affects
customer service; with 80% of people saying yes to this question, it poses the further question
of whether the communication within Doree Bonner is really that poor considering the majority
also voted yes to providing good customer service. One of the reasons for the contradicting
data may be that employees feel a sense of disloyalty to the company if they say something
negative. During a recent report, Express magazine said that ‘Top drivers of staff satisfaction
vary by country with the highest-ranking factors in the USA, UK and Canada being pride in
one’s organisation.’. Another possibility is that when speaking negatively of the customer
satisfaction levels, employees are in fact discrediting themselves, admin staff are often the
first point of contact for all customers and the customer service they experience is mainly from
the admin staff.
Question 4 and 6 of the questionnaires relate closely together as they are both discussing the
topic of Doree Bonner being valued by their partners and whether their relationship is positive.
60% of participants claimed that the relationship between Doree Bonner and their accounts
isn’t positive, the first reason for this may be that there has been communication break down
between them, this can occur when there are time pressures involved with handling
information or carrying out a task during a rush time, (Managementstudyguide.com, 2018). In
comparison question 6 relates to Doree Bonner being a valued partner; with 75% of people
saying no to this question, it could be shown that Doree Bonner are in more of a transactional
relationship rather than a partnership, (Appel, 2017). Having a transactional based relationship
which is dependent on having no commitment to one another is the opposite to having a
partnership whereby you are committed to an ongoing relationship even if there are failures
on either side, (Appel, 2017).
One of the main issues identified from the interviews was the response to question 6 as to
whether accounts value their partnership with Doree Bonner. Interviewee A identified that

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‘some corporate accounts only see Doree Bonner as a run around to their customers not a
valued partner. Doree Bonner need to take more control over their role in the partnership.’.
Having adaptability as a strong point within Doree Bonner has been essential throughout their
time in the removals industry as they are operating in a VUCA environment, however having
expectations consistently on the rise may mean that in the future they are unable to meet
expectations of corporate accounts. Having a strategic plan in place may help them prepare
for a future of different projects that involves a different type of work with set limitations.
Similarly, Interviewee B agreed with the idea of a one-sided partnership; ‘Doree Bonner can
improve their partnership, but with some of the accounts no matter how hard you try they are
never happy, the more you give the more they expect.’.
Another issue identified is the effect poor communication also has on their service to the
accounts as well. ‘Our corporate accounts also receive poor service from us because we are
given the wrong information therefore also affecting them in the long run’ (interviewee B). This
can mean that Doree Bonner giving the customer poor service will eventually reflect badly on
the account. This is because Doree Bonner are a third-party contractor and their service
directly reflects on the account that hired them. This could lead to either company losing
contracts due to negative reviews meaning lost work load and slower working days.

4.2ii Is communication an essential part of day to day business?

Question 5 of the questionnaire involved whether Doree Bonner should set KPI’s for their
partners as well as having their own to fulfil. 80% of participants said yes to this question giving
Doree Bonner another factor to consider to future acquisitions and contract negotiations.
Doree Bonner as a company are a third-party logistics provider, they provide removals for
customers who have had a peril related incident at their property, they are often the third or
fourth company in the chain and therefore having key performance indicators (KPI’s) can be
the necessary foundation for a strong and manageable partnership, ‘the stronger the KPI, the
stronger that foundation.’ Charron, K.G., (2006). On the other hand, there is also the possibility
that having targets in place could diminish the relationship between supplier and customer,
this can be caused because the account may not want KPI’s as they are already the ones
supplying Doree Bonner with work. Deciding the correct KPI’s to have can also be a challenge
in itself as they need to be achievable for both companies involved, knowing enough
information about your partner enables you to know their limits and capabilities.
The strategic position analysis mentioned previously, (Johnson, G., Scholes, K. and
Whittington, R., 2008), allows for a company to take into consideration all factors that influence
company decisions and goals. Part of the strategic analysis is knowing the industries
expectations and your companies’ capabilities; as a response to whether key performance
indicators should be necessary to all involved Interviewee A responded; ‘KPI’s add pressure
onto only Doree Bonner instead of that pressure being shared amongst everybody.’. Doree
may find it hard to implement targets for their accounts as other than providing a service they
are not providing financial gain as such to their partners, this may make it difficult to insist on
boundaries being set. In comparison, Interviewee B stated; ‘I would say no to corporate
accounts having KPI’s because then I can see the danger of us having to work even harder
to meet their expectations and work load’. The difference in opinion may stem from working in
a different part of the business, usually if there is a larger work load this directly effects the
road staff as they are carrying out the service for the customer.
Communicating correctly to a customer is part of the day to day work schedule that Doree
Bonner have to adhere to, as mentioned by Interviewee A; ‘communication is key in this
industry, so communication should be something that is spoken about before any partnerships
are formed.’. During contract negotiations, agreeing on a model of communication or even just
the forms of communication that will be used, is paramount as it ensures that both partners
are fully aware of what is expected and how it is expected to be portrayed. If a communication
model is in place it will help to differentiate what the customer is being told and what is
expected of the service provided. ‘Corporate accounts do not manage customers’

13
expectations enough; our partnerships make promises that are not communicated to us in
advance.’ (interviewee B) explains how customers are often sold a service that is not possible
or is out of the limits of what Doree Bonner offer. Accounts will often do this to keep customers
happy but often receive the brunt of the grievance if their promise cannot be fulfilled.
Question 1 included a simple introductory question with regards to their duration of
employment. The majority of participants were in the bracket of 0-1 years with a rating of 40%
declaring this answer. Similarly, 35% chose the bracket of 1-5 years with only 5% falling into
the 10+ years category. This shows us that Doree Bonner are a growing company with most
employees having only been there a short while, this could be due to the organisation having
a recruitment spurt or it could be due to low staff retention and a high turn around. The main
reason for this may be the style of leadership within either the local branch or the company as
a whole. ‘Researchers positively concluded that effective leadership helps to enhance the
performance of organizations and facilitates the attainment of desired goals.’, (Hussain, M.
and Hassan, H., 2016). Leadership plays a huge role in any office as it can determine the
goals of the branch, the targets set and even the atmosphere amongst employees. In Kotter’s
(2008) study into management vs leadership he determined there were different
characteristics between each. A leader inspires vision and encourages positive change
whereas a manager focuses on organisation and targets. Leadership and communication also
play a huge role in an office environment as ‘charismatic and human-oriented leadership are
mainly communicative, while task-oriented leadership is significantly less communicative’, (De
Vries, R., E., Bakker-Pieper, A. and Oostenveld, W., 2010).

5.0 Recommendations and action plan

Using both primary and secondary research methods has given an insight into the different
employee’s opinions on the topic. It has become clear over the course of the research that
Doree Bonner have an issue with both communication and partner relations. A thorough and
careful strategic plan needs to be set out and a number of other quick solutions can also be
addressed with regards to communication methods and being valued. The main research
methods of the project have been set out below to better make recommendations based on
specific areas.
Does communication effect Doree Bonners performance as a company?
The results of this project have clearly identified that communication does affect the
performance of Doree Bonner, not just with their customer service but also to an extent the
operating of their business. Customer service can be applied to customers and accounts alike
as they are both affected at some point by the service that Doree Bonner carries out, whether
that be during the removals process or as a result of the removals process. The first
recommendation is for a strategic plan to be put into place to help avoid unplanned
circumstances within the VUCA environment that Doree Bonner have to deal with. The
strategy should incorporate potential solutions to problems they may face, it should include a
clear and concise goal or vision and it should be communicated to all staff members or be
made available for them to access it in order to understand what they are working towards.
The foundation that should be followed is, as previously mentioned, the strategic position
analysis model (Johnson, G., Scholes, K. and Whittington, R., 2008). This model gives an
insight into all factors needing to be considered and allows companies to correctly analyse
their capabilities and set out a course for their expectations.
Another change that could be considered is sending management level staff on leadership
programs, this could mean the difference between having the correct type of leadership in
offices and having just transactional leaders that are more focused on rewards than leading,
(De Vries, R., E., Bakker-Pieper, A. and Oostenveld, W., 2010). Once the employees are
ready to be integrated as leaders into the company they may also be able to bring insight into
more efficient ways of operating and communicating. Having the correct leadership

14
 determines the level of work ethic and out turn from individual branches and the company as
a whole.
It has been found that there is a severe lack of a valued partnership between Doree Bonner
and its accounts, yet no action has been taken to rectify this. It would be recommended for
Doree Bonner to renegotiate its terms with either its current suppliers or new contracts that it
wishes to acquire. When a more thorough and though through contract is negotiated, the
partnership will be more beneficial on both sides.
Is communication an essential part of day to day business?
It’s clear to see that communication is an important factor of any company. It is important not
just between admin staff and customers but also as a bridge between admin staff and partners,
as it enables information to be correctly conveyed and understood. The first recommendation
to deal with the issues that Doree Bonner face on a daily basis is to send employees on a
communication course. Likewise, with the leadership course, this could mean the difference
between employees handling communication effectively or misjudging the way in which they
are giving and receiving information. The invite for the course could be stretched to both Doree
Bonner employees and members of their partner accounts as this would ensure everyone
involved has received the same training. It would also give the opportunity to network and for
employees who may communicate every day to finally meet and create a more solid
relationship.

ACTION PLAN
Action Date to Date to Potential issues Resources needed
begin accomplish by
Corporate strategy 01/10/2018 31/12/2018 Putting together a strategy A team of associates to
to be identified, that is going to work well for determine company goals
implemented and all involved in the business, and possible issues.
circulated to all while also being about to Directors need to take time
employees incorporate all aspects that to input ideas and
are needed to be planned, information. A budget may
will take time and a lot of also be required to
resources. The strategy also implement a strategic
needs to include solutions to change if needed.
potential problems that may
occur.
Leadership 01/01/2019 31/01/2019 Staff may take offence to Costs involved with sending
program being sent on a training employees on courses.
course, this may cause Cover is needed for the
disrupt within the company. employee’s duties while they
Managers may all try to are away.
implement new techniques
at the same time causing
upheaval at a branch level.
Negotiations 01/01/2019 28/02/2019 The loss of a contract is a Time and labour involved in
potential issue as the planning the proposed
account may not take kindly changes, having new
to negotiations after initial contracts drawn up and
contract signings. meeting with accounts to
discuss proposed changes
Communication 01/02/2019 28/02/2019 Similarly to the leadership Cost to send the employees,
course course, there may be some cover while they are away

15
upset amongst employees and the cost to implement
as to why they need new methods of
additional training. If the communication if there is
accounts also don’t take part any.
this can become a struggle
when trying to implement
new methods of
communication.

16
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19
8.0 Appendix
Appendix A

20
Appendix B

21
Appendix C

22
Appendix D

23
Appendix E

1. How long have you worked at Doree

Bonner?
5%
20%
40%

35%

0-1 years 1-5 years 5-10 years 10 + years

2. Do you believe Doree Bonner provide a high level

of service?

15%

85%

Yes No

3. Do you think communication hinders customer

service?
18
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
Yes No

Do you think communication hinders customer service?

24
 4. Do you think the relationship between Doree
Bonner and their customer accounts is a
positive one?

No

Yes

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14

5. Do you think that KPI's should be

set by Doree Bonner for their
accounts?
20%

80%

Yes No

6. Do you think Doree Bonner are a valued

partner?

15

10

0
Yes No

25