Saudi Post: An Analysis - Book Report/Review Example

?Saudi Post: An Analysis Introduction Human behavior occurs anywhere and everywhere – at home, in school, in the work setting, in a social club, or in a professional organization. It is committed either alone, with another person, with a group or an organization. It is, therefore, universal and is at the core of leadership, followership, communication, decision-making and the processes in the organization. Every function of management requires and evokes behavior in planning, organizing, leading, directing and controlling. The principles and concepts that underlie behavior are basic. It is their implementation and practice that differ from group to group or from one country to another. It is in this regard, that the culture laden behavior is illustration in the practice of managing the human resources at the postal service by Saudi Post. The aim of the report is to proffer specific human behavior problems in the organization, specifically in Saudi Post, to analyze and to propose recommendations to address them. Brief Company Profile The history of Saudi Post is traced back in the 1800s were reports that indicate that voluntary services were previously provided by merchants in the area who strategically place white fabric bags at Justice Square to enable senders of letters to place them there. These were then subsequently delivered through donkeys or camels according to the stipulated labels (Desert Diaries, 2007, par. 1). Other relevant developments in the organizational history of Saudi Post are revealed by Desert Diaries (2007) and presented in a tabular form for a clearer illustration and presentation, as detailed in the next page, to wit: DATES DEVELOPMENTS IN SAUDI POST “1913 issuance of first stamp in Saudi Post 1927 joining of Saudi Post in the Universal Postal Union 1952 establishment of Postal Works Directorate 1969 marked the year of vast qualitative and quantitative growth 1971 announcement of first independent budget 1974 establishment of Ministry of Post, Telegraph and Telephone 1983 launching of Express Mail Service” Source: Desert Diaries, 2007, par. 3. Every organization’s thrust and development is pursuant to the identified mission and vision. Its official website has revealed its vision as the commitment to provide postal services in the best quality and at the widest possible scope utilizing innovative and electronic approaches in the mode of delivery (Saudi Post: Vision and Mission, 2010). Likewise, the mission of Saudi Post focuses on the provision of high quality of delivery services through the design on innovative and electronic approach to the sending of postal materials throughout the kingdom. Their mission is consistent with the program of the government on e-business applications which encourage the creation of employment opportunities and support for the systems and processes implemented by the organization (Saudi Post: Vision and Mission, 2010). Prior to identifying the problems inherent in Saudi Post, a brief discussion on the cultural orientation of Saudi Arabia, in general, would be presented, as it influences human behavior in organizations. Cultural Context of Saudi Arabia in Organizations The effect of culture in human behavior on managing people is significant. The national culture is an important determinant in the set of values and practices a company would like its staff to adopt. Significant differences in customs, tastes and physique are part of the socio-cultural dimension. According to Hahn (2011), there are distinct kinds of national cultures: the heterogeneous type which exemplifies diverse cultures that concurrently exist within a dominant culture, like that being manifested in Canada, the United States and in Switzerland. On the other hand, the homogeneous kind shows a more shared orientation in terms of acting, thinking and in values and beliefs. This type is predominantly found in Asian countries like Japan and China, as well as in Saudi Arabia (Hahn, 2011, par. 9). In Hofstede’s cultural dimensions, the effect of cultural beliefs and values underpin the way organizations are managed. It was hereby emphasized that the faith in Allah plays a crucial and significant part of the people’s way of life. The dominant cultural dimensions that are manifested in the national culture are power distance and uncertainty avoidance. Accordingly, people have accepted that there are delineations between leaders and followers and that there are tendencies to avoid matters that are not traditional or conventional (Butler, 2007, par. 3). Other predominant cultural values and beliefs that affect human behavior in organizations at Saudi Arabia are as follows: (1) the unhurried pace in communications where participants in the process are not required to respond when one party is silent; (2) a positive response of “yes” does not necessarily mean 100% approved but condescends imply possibility; (3) prayers of 15 to 20 minutes are valid interruptions to regular conversations or meetings; (4) the more questions are asked by a person, the more it is understood that the person is of a lesser rank in the organizational hierarchy; and (5) the leader, manager or decision maker exemplifies the role of a silent observer (Butler, 2007, pars. 41 – 43). The large power distance means that there is eminent disparity in perceived levels of power or position in organizations. As averred by Butler (2007) employees in the organization acknowledge that leaders have roles, authority and power that are distinctly different from those of the rank and file. High uncertainty avoidance indicates the apprehension for people to take risks and there is this inherent belief in avoiding anything that is ambiguous, strange, or new. Change is not readily accepted. Identification of Problems One was given the opportunity to work as a trainee with the Saudi Post for a few days in December of 2010. The experience enabled one to identify some eminent problems that affect the operations of the organization given the behavior of human resources. As a trainee, one was given the basic responsibilities of sorting mails, filing, and answering queries from customers regarding tracking of mails, among others. There were several complaints about non delivery of registered postal documents and lost shipments, among others. In fact, on a personal experience, my brother sent a second class mail from his city to mine, which, according to standard delivery time, should take only two to three days. However, the mail was actually received after five days from delivery. A closer evaluation of the system at Saudi Post has revealed that the root cause for the problems in Saudi Post is the lack of training on the transition from the traditional postal delivery system to Wasel, a doorstep pick-up and state-of-the-art delivery system that “allows Saudis to post and receive mail without leaving home and utilizes satellite technology to direct postmen to the correct address” (P.M. Communications, 2007, par. 1). The Arab News (2010) has recently revealed that problems with full and efficient implementation of Wasel are derailed due to two factors: the financial crunch and the refusal of banks to reveal pertinent information (addresses) of customers. The report indicated Saudi Post’s acknowledging problems of lack of resources in terms of facilities to comply with postal deliveries, lack of automated regional offices to address electronic delivery and insufficient linkages to comply with the requirements needed for the Wasel approach. In this regard, the immediate issues were brought to the attention of my immediate supervisor, who acknowledged appreciation for relaying my concerns and who, at the same token, advised me that these information would be forwarded to authorized management personnel who would review and evaluate the identified problems, the alternative courses of actions, and the suggested recommendations, as outlined below. Alternative Courses of Action Given the abovementioned problems that beset the Saudi Post, the following alternative courses of action are worth noting: 1. Status quo or do nothing. Advantage: No additional costs in terms of time, effort and money to be invested in applying other alternatives to solve the problem. Disadvantages: Doing nothing is always an alternative but of course, may not be the best choice. This alternative would not solve the problems that emerged and could even cause more complaints from customers. More complaints could cause a decline in the overall morale and productivity of the people in the organization. 2. Revert to the traditional system of delivery. Advantage: Various stakeholders must have been accustomed to the traditional method of postal delivery. Likewise, as revealed from the cultural orientation of people from the country, due to uncertainty avoidance, people do not readily accept change, nor are open to take risks in terms of innovations and new processes, systems or technological developments. Disadvantage: The cost of investing in the Wasel system would be disregarded and much loss would have been incurred in time, money and effort for the postal delivery system. In addition, the problems of delay in receipt of postal deliveries and losses in transit would not be addressed. 3. Continue with the Wasel delivery approach but institute the following measures: a. Conduct a comprehensive review of the Wasel approach in terms of adequacy in reaching postal facilities in all regions. Any region that has been identified to lack automatic handing and postal technology should be focused in terms of the needed resources to implement Wasel. Linking of the electronic technology must be applied in all regions to ensure that efficiency and effectivity in postal delivery are available to all customers. b. Training and orientation must be given to all postal personnel, especially those who would directly handle the new software solution that is envisioned to improve delivery, tracking and registering postal matters. As revealed in Intermec (2011), “Majed Bin Anzzan,e-business Director at Saudi Post, explains the benefits that the Intermec solution has provided: “Each delivery man was using 3 different devices for different tasks during the course of a working day. We were also wasting time at the end of the day, when delivery men were required to return their devices to upload mail/parcel tracking and Proof of Delivery data onto our database. The functionality and connectivity and the physical size of the CN3 has allowed us to solve these problems, all in one device. We have noticed an increase in customer satisfaction as it enables us to immediately show our customers that a letter or package has been delivered; the confirmation of delivery is detailed on the Saudi Post website.”” (Intermec, 2011, par. 12). Due to the critical nature of the responsibilities of delivery men, the new Intermec solution must be properly disseminated through orientation and training to ensure that the relevant information and tasks are properly understood. c. Further, the sorting of mails according to classes: second class, Royal mail, must be enhanced and structured to avoid mistakes and delay. A check and monitor system must be strictly implemented to ensure that mails, according to classes, are delivered according to the number of days promised to the customers. d. Solicit information from delivery men and other postal employees who directly receive customer feedback. As noted in one of the cultural perspectives generally observed in Saudi organizations, “at a meeting, the person who asks the most questions is likely to be the least important. The decision maker is likely a silent observer” (Butler, 2007, pars. 43). Leaders and managers in Saudi Post must be willing to give appropriate advice and response to personnel who happens to encounter some complaints and problems to enable them to receive the needed information to solve the given dilemma. By maintaining a silent stance, decisions are not immediately channeled to the personnel who need them, and could contribute to the delays. Further, by enjoining staff and personnel in the feedback process from problem identification, to encouraging suggestions for solutions up to the recommendations, the culture of aversion to change would slowly be transformed. e. Encourage various organizations to assist in the Wasel approach to ensure that the implementation and delivery of postal service would be achieved at the most cost efficient and beneficial manner. Banks, for example, who are under the regulations of ensuring confidentiality and privacy could be respected not to divulge relevant information, as dictated by law. In response, identified customers who failed to provide correct addresses could be endorsed to a separate department in the Saudi Post to determine the accuracy of the addresses through field work or with the assistance of their regional offices. Advantages: The benefits of this course of action are consistent with attaining the mission and vision of Saudi Post with specific strategies to ensure their success. It must be noted that the success of any endeavor does not rely solely on management or leaders, alone – but on a collaborative effort of all members in the organization. Disadvantage: The only disadvantage of this alternative is the time, money and effort to effect and implement the strategies. Any change on a grand scale could not be expected to work immediately. Change, for one, should be understood as a long process that requires several stages including orienting the employees, making them realize that the change would be more beneficial in the long run, and enjoining them to actively participate in the change process. Recommendation Given the alternative courses of action, continuing with the Wasel delivery approach with the institution of relevant strategies would be the best solution for Saudi Post to address their dilemmas. The right technology was appropriately identified as the ultimate solution to provide efficient delivery of services. However, one could not rely entirely on the technology, per se, and assume that everything else would take its proper course. The success of the change in approach would depend on collaborative efforts of management and the rest of the people in the organization. There is a need to orient and train the personnel who would use the new technology and those who would directly respond to customers’ concerns. The problems of lost documents or delay in the delivery of mails could be addressed by identifying the bottlenecks or root causes for the delay. If the delay was due to insufficient or wrong address, then it would be pinpointed to the customer and should be corrected with proper advise. If the cause of the delay is the lack of training of delivery men, then, more time and effort must be exerted by the organization to ensure that their delivery personnel are equipped with the knowledge, abilities and skills to perform their responsibilities. Appropriate performance appraisals and evaluations must be conducted to monitor the performance of personnel. These methods should also provide incentives and motivations that must be rewarded in terms of acknowledgements or promotions. By doing so, employees would be motivated to perform better and exceed the standards imposed by the organization. The crucial role that culture plays in the organization must be taken into consideration as this affects any proposed changes or recommendations in the future. Both managers and employees must be made to understand that an unhurried stance would affect the time of expected deliveries of important posts and parcels. Conclusion The research was successful in terms of attaining its objective of identifying problems in a large organization, specifically the Saudi Post, and to evaluate and find solutions, as needed. The vision, mission and goals of the organization are clearly and explicitly stipulated to serve as a guide and direction for all personnel to adhere to. Managers must ensure that all relevant functions in human resources management are being complied with at the most effective and efficient manner. Job organization, acquisition, maintenance and development of personnel must be enhanced to ensure that the appropriate number and competencies of employees are hired, trained and developed for personal and professional growth within the organization. Human behavior can be understood best by developing frameworks for the behavioral sciences which represent a systematic body of knowledge pertaining to why and how people behave as they do. By studying human behavior in organizations, management would be assisted towards the improvement in productivity and performance towards the achievement of organizational goals. Reference List Arab News 2010. Saudi Post raps local banks for not helping it implement strategic development plans, [Online]. Available at: http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article219859.ece?service=print [Accessed 07 February 2011]. Butler, P 2007. Saudi Arabia, [Online]. Available at: http://www.cyborlink.com/besite/saudi-arabia.htm [Accessed 05 February 2011]. Desert Diaries 2007. A Lil Saudi Post History, [Online]. Available at: http://desertdiaries.wordpress.com/2007/10/26/a-lil-saudi-post-history/ [Accessed 05 February 2011]. Hahn, M 2011. The Cultural Context of Organizations, [Online]. Available at: http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Cultural-Context-of-Organizations&id=5402780 [Accessed 05 February 2011]. Intermec 2011. Saudi Post and Intermec: Together delivering the ideal postal technology solution, [Online]. Available at: http://www.intermec.com/learning/content_library/case_studies/csSaudiPost.aspx [Accessed 08 February 2011]. P.M. Communications 2007. SPC Becomes More Efficient, Incorporating New Technology into their Postal Services, [Online]. Available at: http://www.pmcomm.com/saudiarabia1/saudipost.htm [Accessed 06 February 2011]. Saudi Post 2011. Our Vision and Our Mission, [Online]. Available at: http://www.sp.com.sa/English/SaudiPost/aboutus/Pages/Visionandmission.aspx [Accessed 09 February 2011]. Read More