Three possible remedies that Smithville Industrial Chemical - Essay Example

 Three possible remedies that Smithville Industrial Chemical Introduction This report is aimed at taking a case study and analyzing it from the perspective of management, conflict management, problem identification and solving and complaint redressal. For the purpose of the report, the case study of Smithville industrial Chemical company and Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has been selected. Discussion The mistakes made by Smithville Industrial Chemical and the Department of Natural Resources before, during, and after the situation/conflict. The main mistake that was made by the Smithville Industrial Chemical Company was that it did not monitor the environmental sustainability quotients and mechanisms employed in the respective factories. This is the main reason as to why the owner of the Smithville Industrial Chemical Company could not respond adequacy to the allegations of the water in the area being polluted by the wastages disposed by the factories of the company. Had the owner of the company kept a proper track on its production and operations processes including the wastage management, waste disposal and sustainability initiatives, and then he would not have to be surprised and worried by the allegations made by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). This would not only have saved the time and effort of the public, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the company itself abut would also have helped the faster functioning of the Department of Natural Resource and identification of the actual cause of the problem . This would have subsequently helped to provide a clean chit to the alleged company, Smithville Industrial Chemical Company. The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) identified the source of the water problems in the area to be the waste disposed by the factories of the Smithville Industrial Chemical in the water bodies of the region. However, later it was found out that the pollution and environmental hazards were not being caused by the operations of the factories of Smithville Industrial Chemical. This means that the investigation procedure of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) was not efficient and full proof. A general absence of problem solving could also be identified and it seemed that the organization was busy in putting allegations rather than verifying the facts and solving the actual issues. The false identification of the source of hazard resulted in the delayed identification of the actual cause of the problem. In the situations of the local people being unable to use the water resources, time was an important factor for consideration in the complaint and conflict management processes. Therefore, this can be identified to be a major mistake on the part of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The primary mistake that was made by both the Department of Natural Resource and the Smithville Industrial Chemical is that they did not provide adequate focus on the arenas of sustainability and problem solving. The problem identification, communication and problem solving processes of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) were definitely not working in the expected manner. The lack of communication from the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to the Smithville Industrial Chemical Company which was identified to be the source of pollution in the water bodies of the area can be noted to be a major reason that prolonged the investigation period and thus, caused the natives of the region to live under unhealthy and unsafe conditions for a longer than expected time. The focus of both the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Smithville Industrial Chemical seemed to be on building a heated up and nationally discussed case rather than on actually solving the issue. As such, this case received lot of negative response, public criticism, dissatisfaction of stakeholders and media coverage. However, the case was also marked with negligence and lack of proper communication and proactive behavior of the entities and as such, a number of significant loose ends were found in the investigation process of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and problem solving and business contingency management system of the Smithville Industrial Chemical company. Another major mistake that was made by the concerned organizations is that their conflict management and complaint resolving systems were inadequate. Both the organizations had loopholes and drawbacks in their investigations, communication, and problem solving and response mechanisms. While the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) falsely alleged the Smithville Industrial Chemical to be the cause of the water pollution, the Smithville Industrial Chemical was also not properly equipped to face such kinds of sustainability issues that led to major business contingences. The company did not have any documented records of their sustainability and environmental compliance initiatives and actions which could have been presented as a proof of the factories of Smithville Industrial Chemical to be operating in an environmentally compliant and safe way. The absence of a complaints resolving and conflict management team and business contingency management team in the Smithville Industrial Chemical can be identified as a major drawback in the company which added to the complexities of the situation. The conflict which was raised by the no communication from the end of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the non-responsiveness and absence of business and sustainability awareness on the part of the Smithville Industrial Chemical stemmed from the lack of clear communication between these organizations and between one organization and the public entity. Also, the absence of specific conflict management and customer complaint resolution skills in the concerned company were other drivers which intensified the conflicts and complexities of the situation. Since the conflicts and complaints were raised in the highly sensitive domain of sustainability and environmental compliance , therefore, immediate response from the both the company and the investing organization Department of Natural Resources (DNR) would have gone a long way in handling the matter in a responsible and efficient way through the use of problem solving and management skills. Three possible remedies that Smithville Industrial Chemical and/or the Department of Natural Resources could have implemented. The conflict raised on this issue was intensified and blown out of proportion due to the inability of the company Smithville Industrial Chemical and the Department of Natural Resources to manage conflict and address problems in a proactive and fast manner. A proper communication between the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the company would have made it easier to clear the air about the actual issues. This kind of communication would also have helped the organization to clarify the issues and thus, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) could have focused on finding the actual source of the pollution rather than wasting a lot of time and resources on the investigation of the case in the later stages (Froehle, 2006). A proper communication mechanism and external environmental awareness maintained by the concerned company as well as the investigating entity would have contributed to the development of a robust conflict management system by considering the actual sources of the problem and applying the relevant strategies for problem solving and issue management. Instead of trying to manage the situation on their own, either or both the Smithville Industrial Chemical and the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) could have considered presenting the case to the acute pollution prevention and management organizations. This would have helped to approach the case with a case specific problem solving intention rather than with a case building approach. As a result of this, the case would have been solved in a much shorter period of time, thereby resulting in further spread of the pollution of water in the region. Another remedy that could have been used by both the Department of Natural Resources and the Smithville Industrial Chemical Company is to have launched task force for water cleaning in the area. This kind of initiative could not only have solved the problems faced by the people of the region but would also have contributed positively to the sustainability, corporate and social responsibility as well as the efficiency portfolios of both the organizations. By taking up corrective steps, the DNR could have regained the trust of its stakeholders and also the public could have believed that the organization is focusing on solving their problems. The public as a while are the main customers of the DNR, Additionally; the companies which the DNR regulates are also significant customers. Therefore, to satisfy these customer groups, the DNR should have focused on taking up a problem centric approach in this issue rather than an approach of building case and pointing fingers on the companies that it regulated. A collaborative resolution mechanism including the launch of task forces for cleaning the water bodies, managing disposal of water and protecting the environment of the region could have been a highly valuable remedy that the DNR and the company could have used to validate their contributions in the society at that time. Conclusion Thus, it can be identified from the above discussion, that in case of public sector, it is highly important to take up a problem solving attitude and approach in all kinds of situations. This is because, only the identification of problems do not cater to the needs of the stakeholders of the companies and monitoring authorities in the sector. In addition to problem identification, proper steps for problem solving, issue management, conflict management and collaborative resolution development should be taken up by the entities involved in the case. References Froehle, C. M. (2006). Service personnel, technology and their interaction in influencing customer satisfaction, Decision Sciences, 37 (1), pp. 90-91. Read More