Management, Public Relation, and Professional Accounting Issues at the Workplace - Capstone Project Example

Integrated Capstone Project Student’s Name Institution’s Name Introduction Capstone Project has faced several challenges that have hindered its smooth running. However, with the knowledge acquired throughout this course, most of the challenges have been dealt with efficiently. This is in regards to critical and creative skills that we have been equipped with, and knowledge of various disciplines. Moreover, there have been successful implementations of different strategies put in place to facilitate it’s functioning as demonstrated in this report. Most of these issues related to those demonstrated in Weil’s book (n.d.). Professional Accounting Issues at workplace Pressure The current management team placed a lot of pressure to the accountant working for this project to ensure that there was a clear and accurate creation of balance sheets as well as all financial statements. This is due to the current competition that has been recorded and the desire to ensure that the project is running on time. Amidst the pressure, accountability and transparency was required from all the employees in regard to the distribution of resources through various channels. None the less, this has been a challenge among many of the accountants and other staff responsible for handling finances in the workplace. Majority of them made errors which have resulted to unaccountability of some finances in the project. Omission of relevant data This practice a common practice with the accountants where whereby some staff intentionally omitted vital figures while compiling the balanced sheet. However, there are several incidences omission of relevant data would occur as a result, of human error due to the time constraints. Whereby the time required completing the task is less. As a result, the information which was being complied in many cases was unreliable. This has led to poor budgeting and constraints resulting to unequal distribution of resources. Embezzlement of resources Some employees take advantage of the fact that some figures are missing in order to utilize some resources that they have not been given the authorization to use. Some went to an extent of using some resources for secluded benefits since there was no accountability for it. As such getting other resources to replace the one’s termed missing has been a challenge. Moreover, it has tarnished the intent of the project and as such many of our funders have been inquisitive on the real objective of this project. Management Issues Lack of team spirit The management team at my workplace failed to integrate team spirit in this project. Many people lacked the will to work together in order to increase the chances of the prosperity of this project. As such people are not sharing their ideas to bring about diversity in the project. More so, people were not helping each other out in instances where they get stuck. This was a challenge as many ideas got wasted because people were not airing them out. Moreover, the working environment become more hostile as every individual was out looking after their needs rather than combing efforts to ensure the projects runs smoothly. Lack of proper chain of command Subsequently, this place lacked a clear chain of command which was an issue when dealing with organization’s problems that relate to employees. The people in power had not established their area of jurisdiction and as a result, many of them had meddled in affairs that did not pertain to their field of specialization. This led to dismissing of qualified employees in this organization. This was also a challenge because the company would have to employ other staff which is a long process, and takes time before the new staff can be on board with the other employees. Unreliable managers Some managers failed to abide with organization’s requirements that required them to discontinue unproductive employees and those who broke ethical conducts. This was as a result of some close relationships they established with the employees hence making it difficult to remove them from their job. In other cases, it was due to excuses given by the employee which placed the manager in a fix. As such, it impacted on the productivity of the organization as a whole. This is because the remaining employees were overburden which has led to depreciating of the quality of work. Public Relation Issues Impecunious communication skills The relationship between all the stakeholders in this project was a key interest since it has underwent through various challenges. Most of the employees at my workplace failed to integrate proper characteristics that help in ensuring an effective public relation. First, a majority of them lacked better communication skills necessary for connecting with the public as well as the stakeholders in this company. Subsequently, different clients prefer different styles of communication and as such the team responsible for public relation should have the ability to adapt quickly to diverse forms of communication. However, our team was not up to the task. This is also in relation to passing of information to the right channels and ensuring that the information has been acted upon. Failure to do this led to many instances of miscommunication, and the needs of our clients were not efficiently met. It resulted in the loss of some important clients in the organization which was a huge blow in the success of the company. Lack of better-negotiating skills The public relation team lacked better-negotiating skills. This is a fundamental skill that can secure the vast support of the project from funders as well as many clients. Ability to negotiate would help them to win over many customers and convince them that our project is for their benefit. It will also assist them to realize all the advantages they can gather from getting involved in this project, not only financially but also impacting on the lives of many people. This would have helped in pushing the project further. Taking personal rejections Many of them took negative responses from the clients and rejections personally. In cases whereby their plan did not work out as they had intend, they would personalize the whole issue and it was difficult to convince them otherwise. This also impacted on the success of the project as majority of them lost the relationship they had developed with potential clients. This habit was also noticed in most of staffs that lacked patience and ability to understand other people’s perspectives. They believe that the clients should consider their views and not be bothered about theirs. Poor time management Another challenge was that of time management with many of them lacking sense of being time cautious. This resulted to our projecting missing out on important details that could be incorporated to appeal fully to all our clients. They lacked the interest to acquire feedback from clients regularly that we would have used in our project. For example, we missed out on several occasions trending preferences of clients. All along the project was running on objectives that were set initially with no new information being adopted. The importance of the knowledge acquired throughout the study The knowledge acquired throughout the study period of this degree equipped me with necessary skills that helped me to solve most of these issues. It enabled me to implement several procedures in solving the problems and reach proper decisions. Many problems that our organization was facing were diverse and as such required corporation from every member. Moreover, they had affected even managerial positions and as such the issues were sensitive (Kallet, 2014). Luckily, this course had prepared me earlier enough, hence, I used different methodologies as discussed below. i. Identification of the problems Evident that the project was experiencing challenges which made accomplishing of tasks take longer than it normally should. There was a need to mobilize people so that they could identify the problems they were facing and then try to find a solution. I proposed a meeting that included both the employees as well as the in the managers. This was a platform in which they would all point out to the challenges the organization was facing as well as factors that were facilitated the continuity of the problems. All personal interests were separated from the organizational issues to avoid making dealing with problems that solved the needs of individuals (McMillan & Weyers, 2013). This was achieved by allowing an individual to give a precise problem and back it up with facts. As the meeting was going on, the secretaries took note of all issued that were raised. ii. Identification of individual’s interests According to Kurian (2013), this is a major step in solving the issues that were facing the company. It was appropriate to identify the interests of each person regarding certain topics. What the stood to benefit or loose would dictate the kind of effort in which they were going to put in dealing with particular challenges. For example, in issues of embezzlement of funds, those involved in it, did not seem to contribute more to the topic. However, I helped them realize the greater profits they stood to gain if they developed similar interest. It would also help to improve their productivity and create conducive working environment. Moreover, it would help in creating decisions that meet the interests of everyone without some benefiting more than others. iii. Evaluation of suggested options The next procedure was making people evaluate all the options that they had suggested regarding the problems we were facing. This process included prioritizing options that we considered better and discarded others that would not be beneficial in the long run. This was an active participation as it instilled in people some form of responsibility for the outcome. It was important for them to understand the need of working as a team which had also been a challenge. iv. Selection of options After the evolution process, they then agreed on several options that they were going to implement in solve the problems. This was done through evaluating the pros and cones of the options (Kurian, 2013). Several techniques such as brain storming were used to ensure that people had adequate knowledge of the impact that every option would make. In some cases, consultations were conducted to ensure that we had all the facts. For example, in finding out the impact of an unreliable balanced shit and financial statement to the operations of the company and its sustainability. Different organs of the organizations were consulted in order to weigh the seriousness of the matter. v. Documentation This is ensuring that every agreement that was reached upon during the meeting was documented. This would avert instances where an individual would claim that they had forgotten. More so, it would be taken seriousness and adapted as the organization’s policy and as such get a lot of respect. It would also be used for future reference in instances where such problems threaten to arise (Kurian, 2013). vi. Developing of Contingencies This was established in order to deal with instances where challenges emerged in implementing the solutions that were not expected (McMillan & Weyers, 2013). This would be helpful as it would help to deal with the current problems that we were facing without fear of the future challenges. vii. Monitoring and Evaluation The agreement was agreed upon that there would be regular monitoring and assessments of the implementation process of the solutions reached upon. People’s conduct throughout this period as well as the changes occurring in the organization would also be monitored regularly. In cases whereby more reforms were needed then better solutions would be sought once more to ensure the sustainability of the company (Kurian, 2013). Failure to deal with these problems would have resulted to devastating implications on the entire organization which would have resulted in the failure of the project. Some of the consequences would have been people resigning from the organization; our project would have lacked enough funds to cater for all the expenses due to some funders pulling out. Moreover, we would have lost many potential clients who have contributed to the success of the project. In this light, several strategies were adopted by the company that would enable prevent this occurrence. Strategies developed in relation to accounting Issues Accounting is organization is fundamental organ as it is associated with handling finances of the organization (Warren, Reeve, & Fess, 2005). This lays a platform for the organization’s success as it is able to know how much output was made from the inputs. This will help them identify areas where they are making losses as well as where they are making profits. Moreover, it is also involved in activities such as book keeping whereby the all financial activities are recorded. Therefore, when it becomes unreliable, it has devastating implications on the organization. The company formulated the formulated the following strategies to deal with the accounting challenges; • Auditing To begin with, the organization was going to employ an auditing body that would go through various account records and financial statements (Warren, Reeve, & Fess, 2005). This would enable them to identify places in where the figures have not been adding up due to omission. It would also help to point out areas where the allocation of resources has been more than the original objective of the project. This process of auditing would regularly be carried and without prior notice to improve accountability of the accountants. Without prior knowledge, they would make sure they do their best to always compile reliable financial statement. This would ensure proper allocation and accountability of resources. • Installing better technological infrastructure The organizations have been using out-dated infrastructure that was purchased a long time. Among them are the computers which are slow and as such they are not efficient in service delivery. Due to the pressure mounted on them, they end up making errors. As a result, this has had impacted negatively on the accuracy of the statements released. With new computers that are fast, they will be to work more efficiently. More so, many documents will be stored in the computers and accessed only by the relevant authority (Kurian, 2013). This will reduce chances of corruption as well. Discontinuity of corrupt accountants An investigative body will be conducted to check the practices of accountants. Those who will be found guilty of engaging in dubious practices and embezzling of funds will be discontinued immediately. This will help to discourage future incidences of corruption. It will also help to bring to an end such practices. • Employment of new accountants The organization will replace accountants who are displaced with a new one. This activity will be scheduled shortly after the t preceding employees are fired. The new staffs undertake several tasks to establish their credibility and ability to deliver quality work. Strategies developed in relation to management Issues Management encompasses various activities that facilitate the smooth running of the business in any organization. The main aim of having a management organ in an organization is to improve the productivity of the employees as well as proper utilizations of resources within the company. It is not limited to certain scopes such as managerial position rather it is inclusive of everything within the company. In this light, any challenges affecting it can lead to the unsustainability of the organization. In this regard, we formulated the following strategies that would enable us to handle the challenges. • Redefining the organizational structures It was established that the structure of the organization is reviewed, and several adjustment made. It was required that the roles of each position to be well outlined to avoid mix up. It was also necessarily so that every person would be accountable for their works in relation to the post they have are working. This would improve specialization as anyone would work in their particular domain in order to produce quality results. It will also reduce chances of managers having dominion over specific places that does not concern them Changing the organization’s culture will also be crucial. It will help in developing a culture that supports team building. There can be an allocation of activities the staff can undertake together, with an inclusion of managers, which will help in building team spirit. • Appointing disciplinary committee A disciplinary committee was selected that would be responsible for ensuring that employees adhere to the code of conduct. It was also responsible in maintain high, moral conduct among the employees. When one was presented before it, he was required to abide by the decisions. Strategies in relation to public relation Public relations department is essential in managing communication within different levels in an organization and clients. They paint the picture of what the company to the entire world outside. Moreover, they enable the organization to understand what the clients and improve in several areas. As such they are important in ensuring the success of the company. In his light, the strategies discussed below were formulated to ensure that this organ in our organization performs well as demonstrated in L'Etang’s book (2008). Training The current staffs in the public relation sectors was required to undertake training that would equip them with necessary skills that are up to date. This would help in making them more effective as well as time sensitive. It would also improve their negotiating skills and help them to attract more market than they were currently having. • Developing Blogs and websites To facilitate the efficiency of the public relation in our organization, they were required to open a blog and a website in which they would be getting responses from clients regularly. They would also help to sell the ideas of our project to many people and increase the concentration of clients. In turn, they will pass this information necessary authority, and this will impact positively on the project (L'Etang, 2008). Conclusion In conclusion, with organization’s ability to handle issues arising from the accounting, management, and public relation sectors, the success of our project will be attained. This is because the problems affecting each of this department had direct impacts on the project. As such implications arising from the problems we experienced would have led to the failure of the project. However, with the knowledge gained through the study of this degree I was able to identify them and mobilize the people to developing strategies for dealing with them References Kallet, M,. (2014). Think smarter: Critical thinking to improve problem-solving and decision-making skills. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. Kurian, G. T. (2013). The AMA dictionary of business and management: New York: AMACOM. L'Etang, J. (2008). Public relations: Concepts practice and critique. Los Angeles: SAGE. McMillan, K., McMillan, K., & Weyers, J, (2013). How to improve your critical thinking and reflective skills: Harlow, England: Pearson. Taylor, J. C., Lashman, R., & Helling, P, (1994). Practical problem-solving skills in the workplace: New York: American Management Association. Warren, C. S., Reeve, J. M., & Fess, P. E,. (2005). Financial & managerial accounting: Mason, OH: Thomson/South-Western. Weil, D. (n.d.). The fissured workplace: Why work became so bad for so many and what can be done to improve it. 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