AT&T Control Mechanisms - Essay Example

All customers of AT&T sign an AUP to signify their conformity to the policies outlined by the company. A failure by a customer to adhere to the policies stated in the AUP may result in the termination of their use of AT&T’s services. This control mechanism is effective in controlling the unlawful use of the services offered by AT&T. It is AT&T’s way of policing their ranks. The AUP is necessary to protect both AT&T and its wide customer base. This control mechanism imposed by AT&T is effective in that it functions as a deterrent for internet users who plan to use AT&T’s service in an unlawful and unacceptable manner.

Another control mechanism existing in AT&T is their Code of Business Conduct. All employees of AT&T are required to adhere to this Code as it embodies the values espoused by the company. As Randall Stephenson, Chairman and CEO of AT&T clearly puts it, “The Code of Business Conduct puts our values into action. It’s more than a set of rules; it’s the principles we work by and a guide to help us make the right decisions every day” (AT&T Intellectual Property 1). This Code is a control mechanism imposed by AT&T to all its employees to safeguard its reputation of honesty and integrity to its customers.

The effectiveness of this mechanism can be measured in the numerous awards and recognitions reaped by AT&T which could be attributed to the outstanding performance of its workforce who are committed to its Code of Conduct. The AT&T Intellectual Property arm is another important control mechanism adopted by AT&T. This division is responsible for protecting AT&T’s portfolio of more than 9,000 patents (AT&T Intellectual Property , par.2). Aside from protecting the company’s portfolio, it is also responsible in managing the licensing and selling of AT&T patents, technology, trademarks and domain names (AT&T Intellectual Property par.3). This control mechanism is imperative in safeguarding AT&T’s researches and innovations.

Now more than ever, the Intellectual Property is deemed very relevant because of the rapid growth in new technologies. The fourth control mechanism observed at AT&T is the creation in 2009 of the Chief Diversity Officer (CDO) Forum “to provide a venue to formally integrate, leverage, and grow enterprise-wide initiatives to become best-in-class from a diversity perspective” (AT&T Intellectual Property , par.6). According to AT&T, this forum meets quarterly every year and aims to monitor the development of the diversity strategies within the organization.

Hand in hand with this Forum is the establishment of the Business Unit Diversity Council to create an awareness of the diversity and inclusion of the workforce at AT&T. The proof of the effectiveness of these control mechanisms is the recognition given by DiversityInc. to AT&T in 2011 as one of the top 50 companies for diversity (AT&T Intellectual Property , par.1). Furthermore, it has always been included in DiversityBusiness.com’s America’s Top 50 Corporations for Multicultural Business Opportunities.

The four control mechanisms described above all contribute to making AT&T the largest communications holding company in the world by revenue. The AUP and the Intellectual Property arm of AT&T are control mechanisms which are targeted towards the external community which AT&T