Abc Telecommunications Transforming Case

INTRODUCTION

ABC Telecommunications is a publicly traded, global, manufacturing telecommunications company who primarily sells copper and fiber products to customers like Verizon and AT&T/Cingular. Like many other telecommunication companies, ABC went thru a significant down-turn around 2000. Not only did offices and manufacturing plants get shut-down throughout the world, the morale and culture of ABC changed. ABC lost a lot of their highly skilled, highly valuable employees. They have consciously tried to hire “the best of the best” but yet they are not willing to provide the salaries and benefits to get those individuals. In fact, ABC has really been focusing on cost-cutting measures the last couple of years. Employee recognition and rewards are very rare, bonuses were not given last year, locations in the US continue to get shut down, and layoffs are frequent in order to get headcount and employee expenses down. Purchases of new computers and other technology equipment are considered an unnecessary expense. Understandably, turnover is high and those who stay tend not to be satisfied. Many leave quickly; others just complain and talk about how much better the company used to be.

ABC was the organization reviewed in my OCI paper. ABC’s highest style rating was conventional and their second highest style was approval. Most employees feel the need to conform, to not get involved in any disagreements, and to have superficial relationships with their co-workers so that everyone likes them and so that they can get promoted. ABC’s weakest style was humanistic or encouraging. Training, helping, and coaching other co-workers are infrequent because the focus is on everyone getting their own stuff done and letting other co-workers figure it out on their own. In summary, ABC needs to reduce their passive-defensive styles and increase their constructive styles; by doing so they will improve employee