Case Study : Westwood Publishing Lewis - Essay Example

Westwood Publishing: Issues Westwood Publishing seems to be in a soup. Their running might have had something to do with their current situation. Having just entered its teens, Westwood Publishing has a long way to go and the best way to achieve the great heights would be to rectify some of the current issues prevailing in the organization. The day to day operations of Westwood Publishing is handled by fresh, young MBAs from top business schools and the senior management comprises the original group of employees, now men in their mid-fifties.

This is not a very good mix for the running of any organization. A healthy mix would involve some experienced employees in the daily running of the organization. The decision not to consolidate might have cost the company in economic and other terms, such as to deal with potential redundancy in the Circulation Department and Office Support Personnel Department. Westwood Publishing’s employee turnover policy, though gutsy, cannot always be abided by, such as in the current scenario. It is great that the company respects their employees so much and cares about their welfare and well being.

They even stood their ground in all these years. For a company that showed so much care for their most important resource – their human pool, Westwood Publishing surprisingly lacks an employee engagement and appreciation program. Their only fixed meeting with all the employees is an annual gathering in town halls where the employees mostly sit through an extensive presentation about the year’s activities. Another problem Westwood Publishing faces is their obsolete ways of communicating amongst themselves.

In the day and age of the internet, they still depend on memos and newsletters to get their word across to one another. Westwood Publishing: Communication Strategy The biggest problem Westwood Publications is now facing is its lack of effective communication, both to their employees as an organization, and in terms of providing their employees with an up to date means to communicate amongst each other. Communication is a two way process. It is important for the organization to communicate with their employees as well as for them to be open to employees’ suggestions and feedback.

(International Development Research Center) The first thing Westwood Publishing needs to do is to upgrade their intranet and their means of communication amongst the employees. This will not only save on time, space and energy, but will also make them environmental friendly and technologically up to date. Also, it gives room for immediate feedback and loss of messages in transit is considerably lesser. Another thing that Westwood Publishing must consider is having a more effective if not a more extravagant employee engagement program.

Employees don’t need to listen to detail after detail about the organization’s performance in the past year. A basic run of how they fared combined with some entertainment and some form of appreciation for them all, such as awards will make them not only happier but more loyal and increase their work drive. A higher work drive will definitely lead to higher performance levels and in the end, it all benefits the organization. After all, an organization is only as strong as its weakest member.

Reference: International Development Research Center. Designing a Communications Strategy. Retrieved on April 6, 2011, from http://www.idrc.ca/uploads/userS/1226604865112265957811Chapter_6%5B1%5 D.pdf