Fujian Experience Tao-Relatioship

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3rd Strategy:

Another strategy that can be used is to cultivate a working environment which encourage employees to share their problems that they face and seek help from the company. Mr. Brett Taylor can hold monthly meetings with all of his subordinates providing them a chance to give ideas, speak out on problems they face and how the hotel can help them. A complaint and suggestion box should be placed at a common place allowing employees who do not want to raise a point in person to point out the issue anonymously. This is indirectly implementing a family-like working culture which encourages employees to be more caring to each other and directly solve the problem.

- Evaluation of Alternative Strategies

- Develop and implement policy to address local traditional issues.

This can solve the issues of local traditions conflicting with professional behavior and prevent the problem to repeat again either in short term or long term. After the management identifies all such possible scenarios where there could be a potential conflict between personal and professional responsibilities, they can design a policy that acknowledges the cultural practices and devise ways so that it doesn’t interfere with job performance. But, to do this a thorough research on the traditions of local people will require a substantial time period and will also caused the company to spend money.

- Enforce the rules and regulations.

Warning letter and termination could make the employees aware of the business ethic they should have in the workforce and encourage them to be more discipline.

4.3 Cultivate caring working culture and creating open work environment

By bringing in the caring working culture, employees can come to work with lesser stress as they would know they can share their problems and seek for company’s help. The disadvantage is that if employees bring in big personal problems that has no impact on the company such as borrowing money from loan sharks and unable to pay back, the employees may expect the company to help them with those as well.

- The best strategy & justification

We believe the best strategy in this case is to develop and implement policies to address local traditional issues. This is because in a society where local customs are followed very seriously people should not be put in a position where they may to choose between their personal commitment and their professional duties. Therefore, it is imperative to have a policy covering such circumstances. Policy is a principle or a course of action adopted or proposed by an organization providing guidance to organization personnel to carry out their duties. With that, equally important is the consistent and fair application of the guidelines. In this particular case, a policy regarding declaring relationship between two employees is needed. Based on the policy, the consequences of violating the policy should be stated clearly. For example, warning letters, putting employees on probation, stopping their bonus or annual increment or promotion, termination and so on. Of course, if the warning letter does not work and they are still repeating the same mistakes, the organization has the right to terminate them immediately. If the guidelines are clear and known to staff and they are aware of the consequences then people will try to follow it as they value their jobs.

- Implementation

Basically to solve the dilemma faced by Brett Taylor involving the lack of professionalism shown by his star performer staff the hotel need to take several steps ensuring that not only this particular problem is resolved but also that such situations can be avoided in the future as well.

Sort-term measures:

First, Brett Taylor and Human Resource officer have to meet and talk to Moala personally to inform him that why is he suspended and actually what could he have done. He should be asked to admit his misconduct and give in writing his apology and assurance that he will be more professional in his conduct in the future if he is reinstated. Besides, Brett Taylor has to emphasize the business ethics in the hotel resort to other employees as well. Then Brett Taylor should give Moala a chance to correct his mistake and improve himself. Nonetheless, a clear message have to be conveyed to Moala that in future any misconduct by him will not be tolerated regardless of his personal situation. Thereafter, Moala can go back to his situation and continue working in the hotel.

After the personal meeting with Moala, Brett Taylor will have another personal meeting with Salome Suacake. During the conversation between Brett Taylor should briefly stated Salome’s behavior has been unethical and illegal as a fraud cannot be tolerated by any company. Even if she stole this money for a noble cause, stealing cash is a major crime.

Long-term measures:

Management should ask the human resource department to develop a policy which will make it necessary for employees to declare any factor which may compromise their professional duties. The policy should also include a comprehensive list of social customs, traditions and cultural aspects which may influence a worker in performing his or her duties at the highest professional level. Consequences of any violation should also be detailed. To effectively do this the Human resource team should find out more information about Fijian’s history, background, culture and their lifestyle.

After the policies and guidelines are developed it should be ensured that all employees are aware of it and that they understand it and also the consequences of any violation. It is also important that the staff should understand that the company is not against their cultural practices and is not trying to undermine their customs. In fact it is the opposite – the company is recognizing that their customs and traditions are important and need to be followed hence the company is trying to create a system where staff are not subjected to situations where they are forced to choose between following company policy or their tradition. Finally, the HR should also arrange training for employees to employees to enhance their knowledge on the business ethics of the hotels, background of new policies and its implications.