Description
To: Joe Smith, HR Business Partner of Naval Aviation Company
From: Renee Ermer, Program Analyst
Date: February 17, 2020
Subject: Request to Conduct Research on Communication Techniques and Alternatives
Summary
As a cleared government contractor supporting the Navy, we have many employees working in
different office locations or from remote locations exercising telework. Because of such,
communication between employees is limited to email or teleconferences in which employees
cannot collaborate and communicate to the fullest as our program demands. To improve this, I
propose that the company enforce new policies in which employees can only telework on
approved bases, subjecting employees to participate in a traditional environment. Additionally, in
order to solve issues related to workers in different locations within the same city, I propose that
the company develop a company-wide instant messaging (IM) software and enforce new policies
requiring each team and program to have a weekly face-to-face meeting in which employees can
engage with one another and establish working relationships.
What the Problem Is and Why It Needs to Be Investigated
The problem we are facing as a company is that employees are becoming detached and
uninterested or invested in their work as they do not have a cohesive location and often cannot
communicate with co-workers effectively. This is not to say that telework should be prohibited,
more so that remote work should be used as an alternative when employees need flexibility
outside of the traditional work environment. This poses many issues to the company. First, it is
our role as government contractors to satisfy our government customers to maintain contracts
and business. Without effective communication and cooperation, we cannot provide the support
required to our customers and we run the risk of losing contracts and losing business and
revenue.
Secondly, this poses a problem to the company in that employees are not engaging with one
another on a daily or regular basis. Instances in which employees do not establish working
relationships with one another often result in decreased job satisfaction and increased employee
turnover in which the company is constantly hiring new workers and investing funds to train new
employees.
It is essential that employees feel appreciated and heard in their concerns in the workplace. It is
also crucial that employees can effectively complete the jobs required of them, which in our
industry, required constant communication and contact with one another and other team
members. Frequent turnover is not only a problem to the company, but also presents a bad
representation of the company to our customers when they are frequently engaging with new
individuals as personnel leave.
What Secondary Research I Have Conducted about the Problem
Secondary research that I have conducted on the problem has revolved around the issues
telework poses in creating distance barriers that bar effective communication. Many scholars and
studies support the notion that telework limits employees and managers from developing
relationships that are impactful on promoting increased collaboration in the workplace.
Additionally, studies suggest that face-to-face communication directly leads to increased
productivity and innovation in work as employees are more likely to engage in conversations that
would be limited on virtual platforms. To promote constant collaboration and teamwork,
employees need to have a platform that provides constant communication as well as regular team
meetings and in-person contact.
Why We Will Benefit from My Research and Recommendations
Our company will benefit in many ways from the research that I will perform on the issues.
Through my research, the HR Department will get a better understanding of the concerns that
employees have related to communication issues. Additionally, the company will be able to
gauge the satisfaction that we are giving our government customers and ways in which we can
improve to serve them better and better perform our goals. Additionally, my research will reveal
techniques that can improve employee communication and ultimately improve working
relationships and boost employee morale. As a company, we can always benefit from keeping
talent in our company and further investing in employees that have been loyal to our cause and
efforts. My recommendations will allow the HR Department, as well as Business Partners, to
consider the repercussions of failing to enforce relevant policies related to communication and
work techniques.
Conclusion
The Naval Aviation Company is a growing organization that is currently facing problems related
to distance between employees and lacking methods of improving communication techniques.
As a company, we are always striving to attain more government contracts demanding more
workers, and we cannot continue to grow without addressing communication concerns. With
your permission, I will conduct research on implementing a company-wide communication
system and show the benefits of enforcing policies pertaining to in-person meetings and team
events.
Examining a Sample Memo (WA#3)
Please examine the sample memo (WA #3) on Communication
Techniques and Alternatives. (The memo can be found in the Content
area of the WRTG 394 classroom under the Content heading “Sample
Papers for Assignments and Discussions” – the link is in the sidebar in the
Content area. The correct sample is titled WA #3 Sample Memo
Communication Techniques.)
Then answer the following questions:
1. What is the problem at her company that the student is
addressing?
2. Has she accurately identified her decision maker? Is this decision
maker appropriate? Has she accurately identified her relationship to
the decision maker by identifying her position?
3.Does the review follow the template provided in the assignment
instructions? (WA #3 instructions can be found in the Content area
of the classroom under Sample Papers and Writing Assignment
Instructions for WRTG 394.)
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