Solving the FedEx Situation

Local as well as multinational organizations experiences change during operations. The goal of change is to ensure sustained organizational competitiveness and relevance. Any change is met by an organization and its members going all-out in their commitment to it and in integrating it into company systems. HR departments are responsible for devising practicable plans for resolving organizational issues and, more significantly, inducing change. Corporate change may be small-scale (changing one sub-department or some operational processes only) or large-scale (department-wide or company-wide change).

International courier giant, FedEx, has a sound global footprint. Ever since its institution, the multinational has garnered positive reviews on the part of specialist commercial managers, business partners and its own workforce. Star candidates from the HR pool, with advanced educational qualifications and first-rate experience, are hired via a great vetting process, to handle its HR department. In spite of its favorable reviews and praises, FedEx experiences a few management-level failures which need addressing. I believe a few of the organization's HR management approaches aren't appropriate and require keen focus. A key issue which must be immediately resolved is personnel downsizing, which has left the remaining workers overburdened (Impact of downsizing, 2004). Additionally, the company is paying greater emphasis to improving profits, which successively gives rise to a detrimental financial climate. This paper will employ the eight-step model of change proposed by Kotter to suggest ways in which the company can resolve its management problem.

Several HR management strategies may be applied to tackle FedEx's internal issues. One efficient tool for initiating and maintaining successful organizational change is the eight-step model developed by John Kotter, a well-known Harvard Business School professor and specialist in the domain of change management and corporate leadership. Leading Change, the popular, well-received book published by the professor in the year 1995 outlines the aforementioned model. This paper attempts at demonstrating how the courier company, FedEx, can utilize Kotter's model for resolving its present issues of a detrimental financial atmosphere and personnel overload (Kotter, 2012).

FedEx has engaged in rigorous downsizing, cutting back on its workforce size. The workers who remain have been overburdened by their everyday responsibilities and duties. Their workload is simply piling up and older, though better experienced, individuals are left in charge of things. This top-level workforce is strongly influencing the firm, leaving younger personnel feeling intimidated (Margaritis, 2000). Clearly, there is a pressing need for its HR department to deal with this scenario and ensure they divest workers of their excessive workload. The workforce has been voicing its disapproval of the way things are currently being run and if the management fails to address this soon, strikes and non-productivity may ensue. It is imperative for the management to think up a quick and effective response and keep its personnel motivated (Impact of downsizing, 2004).

FedEx's HR division ought to collaborate with other organizational divisions to deal with the given issue. Interdepartmental support is vital and must be sought whilst bearing in mind the crucial fact that they don't stick to the conventional company hierarchy. Any individual capable of influencing peers and subordinates, even lower-level employees, can help instigate change in the company (Kotter, 2012). A combination of influential individuals ought to be organized into a team for change management; these members of the company may be looked up to as authority figures by other members, owing to their status, position in the company, political significance or skill. FedEx's HR department should secure such individuals' emotional commitment to access the remaining workforce.

Subsequent to the organization of a team to facilitate corporate change, FedEx's HR must ensure team members are aware of the issue to be dealt with. Idea exchange is critical to all problem-solving endeavors. The team may introduce concepts based on a general vision understandable by, and acceptable to, all. A sound vision will inspire the company's overburdened employees to cooperate (Mandy, 2011). The focus of this vision must be current organizational issues, namely, personnel workload and a detrimental financial climate.

Management communication of its change vision is highly salient. The strategy adopted by the management must promise high effectiveness and be different from usual, everyday communication strategies or means. The management message should be rooted in all organizational activities (Kotter, 2012) and incorporated into its everyday routine. Hence, FedEx must inculcate it in its problem-solving and decision-making processes. Anything that always remains at the forefront in the workforce's mind may be more readily adopted. The vision can be effectively utilized to deal honestly and openly with its current crisis of employee burdening, anxiety and pressure (Margaritis, 2000).

This step requires HR departmental assessment of the means through which personnel are adapting to change. What are the chances of the change plan being effective in resolving the workforce issue and dealing with the organization's negative financial climate? Managers must ascertain whether or not structures are efficient, which will aid them in empowering action. To achieve this, they need to collaborate with organizational change leaders (Impact of downsizing, 2004). At this juncture, management must study corporate compensation structures and worker performance to make sure they are brought into line to resolve the present problems. A great idea when it comes to employee empowerment and motivation to accept and implement change is to recognize and reward personnel for their efforts in adopting change. Management must identify individuals most opposed to the given change and devise an appropriate solution to ensure their acceptance. Lastly, it must strive to eliminate all obstacles to change (Mandy, 2011).

At this juncture, FedEx may have to do its utmost to think up short-term goals. Individual goals will indicate individual victories for personnel, inspiring them to accept change. Targeted victories must be clearly seen by all employees to ensure their concentration remains on the overall vision. Costly, premature targets must be avoided; all steps should be reasonable and accountable (Margaritis, 2000). Lastly, goals must be achievable, rather than unrealistic (which may only end up altogether destroying employee morale).

This advanced stage of Kotter's model entails development of new products (or services, in FedEx's case) aligned to the novel company vision. FedEx may develop the things that were done right and determine areas for improvement. It needs to evaluate its progress, establish further goals for further developing its momentum and constantly renew ideas by introducing fresh change agents. Its HR team must continue to collaborate with change team members.