Communication and Education Plan  Order Instructions: Assessment Task 3: Communication/education plan
Develop a company-wide plan detailing the implementation of the change.

Scenario or background information:
The strategy you proposed in Assessment Task 2 has now been approved and has been given the green light to proceed. Your task is to now develop a communication/education plan that will be written in a report format designed to assist staff and key stakeholders of your chosen organization. The intention is to help staff and stakeholders understand what is going on and to guide them through the process you have previously identified. It should help them see, feel and understand why this is necessary and will need to demonstrate your concern for the people element in the change process. Note: there is no specific word limit.

Communication and Education Plan  Sample Answer

Abstract

The communication plan in this project is for Blackberry, which is a Canadian telecommunications and connectivity company, which once dominated the industry of electronic and computer science. However, due to the fast-paced and increasing demand of the technology industry, the company was not able to maintain its stability and is currently experiencing negative sales profits and on the verge of bankruptcy. To aid the company in regaining its stability in the business industry, a strategy of facilitating changes in several business operation areas (training, recruitment, outsourcing, strategic partnerships, and open innovations) is proposed to the company. The primary goal of this communication plan is to disseminate to employees coming from different departments all information concerning the chances that the company will undertake. It seeks to distribute all information necessary to prepare employees to deal successfully and cooperate with all the alteration in the operations and policies of Blackberry. Discussed in this paper are the specific details of the communication plan (who are the individuals responsible, who are the persons affected by the communication plan, the process information distribution).

Keywords: Blackberry, communication plan,

A Communication Plan for Blackberry Limited

Introduction

Advancements in the field of technology and connectivity are one world’s greatest scientific innovations. First-world countries and eminent technological corporations are now racing against one another to produce the most innovative connectivity products to sell in the market. Both micro and macro companies are continuously developing connectivity products that would provide them access to the world market of electronic and computer science. One of the brands that ultimately made its name in the technology industry is the Blackberry. Founded by Mike Lazaridis, Blackberry initially operated as Research in Motion (RIM). The company gained popularity as the pioneer wireless data developer in America and the first company to create and innovate connectivity products for Mobitex wireless packet-switched data communications network outside Scandinavia. Continuous state-of-the-art technological developments made RIM renowned in the industry of electronic and computer science in the late 1980s.

Communication and Education Plan  Discussion

Modernization and fast-rising mobile and connectivity companies spring forth thousands competition for Blackberry. Although the company has mastered the production of mobile phones, smartphones, and other connectivity products, the company was not able to maintain its sales performance and incurred a negative growth in sales, which resulted in the company’s bankruptcy. In 2013, the shareholders decided to sell the company to about $4.7 billion (“BlackBerry timeline: A look back at the tech company’s history,” 2013). Despite the company’s attempt to revive its popularity in the technological industry, the company is still on the verge of bankruptcy and is innovating and developing a variety of products in the hope of regaining its popularity in the technological market.

After all the efforts that Blackberry exerted to maintain its position in the business industry, Blackberry does not have any room to accommodate risks that would deteriorate the company’s performance. This strategy requires the company to undertake a holistic change and improvement regarding training, recruitment, outsourcing, and partnerships with other businesses. Improvements in these areas guarantee a change in the performance of the company. Increasing economic progress furnish large-scale companies with greater chances to prosper and equip employees to improve product development and marketing; An opportunity that Blackberry must grab and use to its advantage.

To provide to the company’s continuous sales decline, a strategy which suggests facilitating changes and developments in four specific business areas. The strategy proposes to create alterations and enrichments in training, recruitments, outsourcing and partnerships with other companies.

Training. During training, outsourcings recruitments and partnerships, businesses and employees both benefit from the aftermaths. Worldwide companies provide training for employees to improve their work performance by developing their skills and abilities (Bashir & Jehanzeb, 2013). Despite the cost and effort needed to train employees, the outcomes are all directed to the company’s development. Training provides employees with additional information and skills needed to perform theirs efficiently. Nassazi (2013) conducted qualitative research that determined the effects of training on the performance of 120 respondents. The research had 120 employees who are all working for the largest communication companies in Uganda. The results of the study showed that the amount and quality of training provided to employees significantly affect the manner by which they execute their respective jobs. Thus, furnishing the employees with training in various areas of specification (e.g. customer service, performance development, work motivation) increase the capacity of the company to achieve development in sales and growth.

Recruitment., Recruitment, and Selection of employees is an essential Human Resource Management activity that significantly contributes to the organization or company (Evans, Glover, Guerrier &Wilson, 2007). Recruiting competent and highly skilled employees to require experience and sufficient knowledge regarding employee selection and hiring qualified employees is one of the secret strategies of a top-performing company. Primarily, the recruitment process mostly affects the kind of employees that the company would be dealing with and nurturing. Developing a hiring process that would hire more competent employees guarantees the company with a set of the knowledgeable workforce which delivers satisfactory, if not, excellent job performance. In a study conducted by (Abidin & Ismail (2010), he evaluated the effects of worker competence on job performance. The research had a total of 1136 participants who are all employed in the Malaysian private sector. The results of the study indicate that competence significantly affects the kind of work performance that an employee delivers. Competent employees bring out the excellence of the company.

Outsourcing. Another factor in the proposed strategy is outsourcing. Outsourcing requires a company to hire employees from outside the organization. Over the past few years, Blackberry experienced difficulty to catch-up with the demands of increasing technological innovation in the industry of telecommunications and connectivity. Outsourcing furnishes the company with employees outside the company who are capable of bringing more insights, innovative ideas, more skills needed to enhance the company’s products and performance and additional workforce.

Strategic Partnerships. Though it is hard to accept, Blackberry must admit to the reality that other renowned large-scale technological companies have already outstood the performance and quality of the products created by Blackberry. Partnering with more stable and competent companies would provide Blackberry with more opportunities to improve the company’s performance and create innovative products to suit the high demands of the customers.

Open Innovations. Open innovations allow the company to open the search for new ideas and creative product reinventions deviating the outdated product productions of the company and allowing changes to transfer smoothly inward and outward. Innovations enable the company to create products that cater to the demands of the continuously advancing telecommunications and connectivity industry.

To further increase the profit of the company, a cost-benefit analysis the strategy also encourages the company to conduct a cost-benefit analysis to identify which investment provides the company with the greatest benefit. The cost-benefit analysis proposes four (training, recruitment, outsourcing, and partnerships) changes that the company must conduct to gain an increase in annual sales and profit.  A cost-benefit analysis is a process of comparing the costs and the benefits of a particular project to determine its efficacy to the company sales and growth. The CBA also presents a realistic preview of the amount of money that the company would be spending to improve its performance and sales further. It allows the company to determine the amount of impact that a proposed strategy to the company’s development.

To quickly and efficiently execute the facilitation of these changes, the company must follow a communication plan that would furnish the company with rubrics for the proper execution of the proposed changes. A communication method guarantees the company that all employees are prepared and are knowledgeable about the impacts of the changes in the company.

Communication Plan

The communication plan seeks to disseminate all information with regards to the proposed strategy for the company. A communication plan provides a framework that summarizes the approach and the methodologies to be used for information distribution, feedback, project distribution and stakeholder management (Charles Sturt University, 2011).

The communication plan aims to disseminate information regarding the factors (training, recruitment, outsourcing and partnering with other companies) considered in the strategy proposed for Blackberry. Although are the primary audience of the communication plan, it is of high importance to provide due attention to the group of employees affected by the changes that would be implemented by the company.

Communication Media Effectiveness

Circulation. The communication plan was designed to assure that employees from different departments receive all essential information regarding the alterations in the company. All department heads serve as coordinating bodies that receive and transfer information to all employees coming from different departments. Furthermore, memorandums are utilized as tools for disseminating information to all individuals in the company’s workforce.

Frequency. The communication plan aims to communicate the necessary information regarding company changes through monthly memorandums and meetings (both annual and monthly meeting).

Credibility. Since authorized personnel distributes all information, employees are guaranteed to receive specific details of training (e.g. agenda, schedule, venue). Furthermore, letters serve memorandum letters sent to all staff serve as direct and credible media of communication.

Feedback. The communication pattern the strategy is designed to establish interaction between the communicator and the message receiver. Since the communication will be done both through letter and face-to-face interaction, all employees have the opportunity to provide feedback and idea.

Communication Plan Table

	Key Message	Target Audience	Communication methods.	Who is responsible.
T R A I N I N G	·         Equip all the employees with necessary skills essential for work performance improvement and product enhancement. ·         Imbibe quality service in the work habits of all staff in the company ·         Employees to acquire skills vital in gathering new, creative and innovative ideas for the company	·         Human Resource Director ·         Employees from different departments ·         Department Heads	A.    Issue training memorandum to department heads B.     Monthly meeting regarding training agenda C.     Company announcements on bulletin boards.	A.    Human Resource Director or Personnel B.     Department Heads and Human Resource Department C.     Human Resource Department
R E C R U I T M E N T	·         Assure that all employees hired are competent and have excellent work performance ·         Guarantee that all employee has excellent skills to offer to the company ·         Improve its sales and growth by ensuring that all employees will contribute competence and excellence in all fields of specification	·         Human Resource Director   ·         Human Resource Employees   ·         Employees from all departments	A.    Issue a memorandum letter to the Human Resource Employees B.     Conduct monthly meetings regarding recruitment policies. C.     Provide employees with intensive training regarding recruitment procedures D.    Monthly meetings with staff from different departments	A.    Human Resource Director   B.     Human Resource Department   C.     Human Resource Department D.    Human Resource and Department Heads.
O U T S O U R C I N G	·         Generate more ideas for innovations and new product ideas ·         Hire employees who will provide the company will be fresh ideas on product marketing and product design ·         Hire employees who will contribute new and modern ideas that will allow the company to catch up with the fast-paced technological industry	·         Human Resource Director ·         Human Resource Employees ·         Employees from all departments	A.    Job vacancy posts on the company’s website B.     Media advertisements on social networking sites and other publicity websites C.     Outsourcing notices in local newspapers D.    Coordinating with other business managers	A.    Human Resource Department B.     Human Resource Employees C.     Human Resource Director D.    Human Resource Director
P A R T N E R S H I P S	·         Facilitate business, consumer, and resource expansion ·         Facilitate improvement of innovative efforts and technological advancement	·         Senior Managers ·         Stockholders ·         Company President	A.    Corporate meetings with the company’s stockholders B.     Corporate meetings with the employees C.     Corporate meetings with other potential partners	A.    Company’s CEO B.     Human Resource and Department Heads C.     Company’s CEO
I N N O V A T I O N	·         Enhance the company’s acceptance of new and innovative changes meant to catch-up with the demands of the industry.	The ·         Product development department ·         Product development employees	A.       Communicate the new goals of the company through meetings and memorandums	B.     Department Director and Human Resource Department

 

Monitoring

Monitoring must be conducted to prepare the company for the consequences of the changes that it will facilitate in its core communication operations. Forecasting of possible dilemmas and communication difficulties are formulated to furnish the company with solution options if such circumstance occurs.

Scenario

Two months after the implementation of the communication plan, the company discovered that some employees who are members of a union asked assistance from their organizations to issue the company a complaint letter regarding staff cuts and changes. The union representatives want to determine the number of employees who will be affected by the changes and what specific alterations concerns the staff conditions. The company must provide a letter that responds to the inquiries of the union representative to professionally deal with the problem, (see figure 1, for the letter).

June 06, 2016

Mr. Adam Smith

USA Workers Union

Union Representative

To the Union Representative,

Blackberry Corporation is currently implementing changes in its core operations to produce high-quality and innovative products to satisfy the needs of customers worldwide. Furthermore, the company is also performing alterations on the policies and core activities of the company to provide Blackberry employees with a stable and competent workplace. The changes in the company are meant to improve all services that Blackberry Corporation offers to both customers and staff. Changes take form in training, recruitments, outsourcing, strategic partnerships, and open innovation.

As of this writing, the estimates of the company revealed that the impacts of the alterations in the highly affects employees in the product development and production department. The staff cuts are due to the changes in positions and job descriptions of employees from different departments. As much as the company desires to retain all employees who offered services and labor for Blackberry, the company is still exerting many efforts to regain its stability in the industry and have a high need to conduct staff cuts and alterations on staff conditions. Employees are mandated to attend training to enhance their skills and abilities. However, the company must remove employees who do not exhibit any sign of improvement to improve the service offered by the company. We understand that the sudden alteration in the staff conditions significantly affects the welfare of our employees. However, rest assured that all changes in the company are tailored to suit and cater the rights and privileges that Blackberry employees deserve to have.

If you wish to provide suggestions concerning staff conditions and learn more about the company’s new policies, please do send the company a response letter and Blackberry corporation will gladly accommodate it.

Human Resource Director

Blackberry Corporation

United States

Results

Throughout the project, the company will undoubtedly encounter difficulties in disseminating all the necessary details of the changes that will occur in the core operation of the company. Communication failures are consistent in all project implementations, proper information distribution does not eliminate communication failures, however, it diminishes the occurrence of communication misunderstandings and information mismatch. It is important the specific and accurate instructions are provided to the employees to lessen the impacts of communication failure throughout the implementation of the changes in a company.

Since Blackberry is a large-scale company, it is not easy to transport information accurately without any added or removed detail to all departments of the organization. In this case, the cooperation and active participation of the department directors (heads) mainly contribute to the success of the change plan. These are the individuals who serve as contributors and distributors of all necessary information in relevance to the changes facilitated by the company. Furthermore, it is unavoidable to experience complaints from employees, business partner and customers and the best solution that the corporation could equip employees with is knowledge. All employees must be given individual memorandums and must be mandated to attend meetings dealing with all matters concerning the modifications in the company, to ensure that all members organization receive an update about the status of the company.

Also, to lessen complaints and employee-related dilemmas, the company must practice transparency in disseminating all information that concerns (positive and negative) the welfare of the employees. The company has all the right to terminate, retain, and promote employees, however, the employees, regardless of their work performance, also have all the right to recognize the reasons for all actions that affect their employment in the company.

At the end of the day, there exists no finite set of possible dilemmas that a company would encounter will implementing a change plan. The only viable way to ensure the success of the program is to: First, before applying a change plan, identify first the number of risks and benefits that it will cost the company and the employees. Second, determine whether the impacts of the changes in the company are reasonable and would pay off the efforts and investments that the company will make. Third, prepare all the employees for the changes that the company will undertake. Lastly, ensure that the company facilitates clear and precise communication throughout the implementation of the company modification plan.

Summary

This paper discusses a communication plan tailored to transfer information efficiently throughout the implementation of a proposed change plan for Blackberry corporation. The communication plan is designed to facilitate the exchange of ideas and feedbacks between the information distributors (Blackberry Corporation) and the receivers (Blackberry employees). The communication plan focuses on the department heads and the Human Resource personnel as primary transporters of all essential information regarding the details and the status of the change plan proposed for Blackberry. This paper gives emphasis on coordination between department heads and employees as key components in the success of the proposed communication plan.

Communication and Education Plan  References

Abidin, S. Z., & Ismail, R. (2010). Impacts of worker’s competence on performance in the Malaysian private sector. Business and Economic Horizons, 29-35.

Bashir, N., & Jehanzeb, K. (2013). Training & development program and its benefits to employee and organization. European Journal of Business and Management, 244-255.

BlackBerry timeline: A look back at the company history. (2013). Global News. Retrieved

4 June 2016, from http://globalnews.ca/news/860689/blackberry-timeline-a-look-back-at-the-tech-companys-history/

Charles Sturt University. (2011). Research Office Implementation Communication Plan. Charles Sturt University, 2-3.

Glover, J., Evans, C., Guerrier, Y., & Wilson, C. (2007). Effective recruitment strategies & practices: addressing skills needs and gender diversity challenges in the ITEC and related sectors. Equalkitec Advanced Women, 7-8.

Nassazi, A. (2013). Effects of Training on Employee Performance. Business Economics and Tourism, 35-52.