Big Project in an Environmental Planning Firm
Most businesses today recognize the importance of being mindful when it comes to their environmental impact. In response, the company in question provides environmental impact reports to companies who plan to set up premises or activities on new land. The area of focus for this discussion will be the fact that often, the company needs to turn away lucrative work because of their engagement with several smaller tasks that have taken up the time and attention of existing staff. Appoint more staff has not remedied the problem; indeed, the more staff is appointed, the more work seems to be available. The problem created in this sense is that, being occupied with smaller tasks necessitates turning away projects that would have taken less time while generating more revenue. This hurts both the company's bottom line and its ability to compete with others in the market. Springer's (2007) "look" phase has been used to examine the conditions of this problem.
In the "think" phase, analysts have surmised that there are conditions under which quality checks and effective planning can take place. All the staff in the company is committed to acting as a team for the benefit of the company...
It is important to have close working relationships in place if team work efforts are going to be successful.
Possible obstacles include resistance to change. Some staff members have been with the company for decades and may feel threatened by the prospect of changing any part of the existing status quo. A potential solution to this is using a planning facilitator to recruit the most experienced staff members as leaders (Springer, 2007). A discussion can be held with them to determine the most challenging problems experienced by the company in its current form and to generate solutions to the problem. This communication effort will make them aware of their importance to the company and its well-being and also provide a sense of personal value.
Case Studies as Action Research
Case studies can be a valuable asset in action research efforts. They provide practical manifestations of challenges or problems and stimulate critical thinking in the researcher. As indicated by Ayas (2007) in the case of the Fokker Aircraft, a case study can also provide the researcher with a concrete example of ways in which to match action with research in other companies. This information can then be used…
