Communication in Trucking Companies

This document discusses the communication strategy for JKL Industries, a trucking company, to improve communication between employees and management. It includes an analysis of the company's operations, stakeholders, and objectives, as well as recommendations for improving diversity management and conflict resolution. The document also includes a grievance procedure and a networking plan for enhancing internal and external relationships.

Running head: COMMUNICATION IN TRUCKING COMPANIES
Communication in Trucking Companies
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author Note:

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COMMUNICATION IN TRUCKING COMPANIES
Assessment 1:
Part A.
Answer 1.
An analysis of the case study shows that JKL Industries was an Australian company
which operated in the trucking industry for 12 years. The main areas of business of the company
was selling forklifts, small trucks and ancillary parts. The company, taking advantage of its
market performance acquired sales right to sell medium and large sized trucks from a foreign
supplier. The company besides moving into the large and medium scale truck market was also
exiting of the truck renting market. These two shift in the business necessitated the company to
undergo restructuring of its operations. The apex management of the company in order to bring
about career growth among its present workforce engaged of its truck rental line of business,
emphasized on up-skilling or re-skilling them instead of laying them off. This showed that the
company was employee centric. However, JKL had suffered from employee grievances
pertaining to remunerations and its planned operational restructuring. The company also suffered
from poor communication in between employees from different designations and there were
conflicts in between managers over achievement of organizational goals. The current
communication strategy in the company experienced very low use technology and the managers
did not accept feedback from lower level employees including the front office employees
interacting with consumers on regular basis. The analysis of current operations of JKL Industry
shows that the apex management of the company did not consult with the employees and was
resistant to changes which would come over the company as the outcome of the implementation
of the new communication strategies. However, the management of the company in order to

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COMMUNICATION IN TRUCKING COMPANIES
implement a more dynamic communication strategy to cater to the new business requirements
mentioned above, hired a communication consultant.
Answer 2.
A review of the simulated business of JKL Industries reveals that the company operated
forklifts, small sized trucks and ancillary component markets. The company owing to its strong
business performance for 12 years in the trucking industry was able to acquire dealership of
medium and large sized trucks from an overseas supplier. The strategic goals of the company
were to strengthen its position in the middle and large sized trucking industry and exiting the
truck rental market. The operational plans of the company consisted of restructuring the job
responsibilities of the employees involved in rental segment and strengthening the weak
communication structure of the company by employing a communication consultant. The apex
management of the company aimed to attain these objectives adopted the strategy of
strengthening the communication between the employees holding superior and subordinate
positions. The stakeholders of the company consisted of both internal and external stakeholders.
The external stakeholders of the company consisted of government of Australia, the business
customers, investors, consultant companies, suppliers of trucks including the newly acquired
foreign supplier and the society in general. The internal stakeholders of the company consisted of
the management of the company and the employees. The external customers of the company
consisted of business customers which consisted of companies buying small, medium and large
sized trucks from it. The employees of JKL Industries were also its internal customers.

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COMMUNICATION IN TRUCKING COMPANIES
Answer 3.
Part a.
The following were the three communication objectives of JKL Industries:
1. Strengthening the communication between the employees holding different positions.
2. Strengthening the flow of feedback from lower level employees to the apex management to
strengthen decision making.
3. Curb conflict between the apex management and the subordinate employees.
Part b.
The two different audiences of the new communication strategy were customers and
employees.
Part c.
The two methods of communication which the management of JKL Industries could
implement in order to adopt the new communication strategy were classroom training and on-job
training.
Part d.
The following are the two provision which the company can implement to facilitate
bottom-up consultation process:
1. Consultation with a risk management firm to provide WHS training to employees of all
designations (Safeworkaustralia.gov.au. 2019)).

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COMMUNICATION IN TRUCKING COMPANIES
2. Making the provisions under which the managers would acquire feedback from their
subordinates which the former would communicate to the apex management on real time basis.
The managers would also be responsible for communicating the feedback obtained from the
management as the outcome of the consultation process.

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COMMUNICATION IN TRUCKING COMPANIES
Management
Employee faces injustice/Ill-treatment
amounting to grievance
Employee reports to reporting
manager
Is the grievance
addressed
properly?
Y
Employee takes no further
action
Total incidence recorded
in HR data base
N
Employee reports matter to skip
level manager
Is the grievance
addressed properly?
Y
NIs the grievance
addressed properly?
Y
N
Employee approaches
SafeWork/Relevent govt.
body
Answer 4.

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COMMUNICATION IN TRUCKING COMPANIES
Figure 1. Grievance procedure of JKL Limited
(Source: Author)
Answer 5.
The portfolio would be submitted.
Part B.
Part c.
Communication strategy of JKL Limited
Activity Time(days)
The apex management of JKL Industries holds meetings with all the departmental heads to explain
organisational policies, procedure and essence of a new communication systems in development
of effcetive work relationship
1
The department heads hold meeting with their respective subordinates to explain organisational
policies, procedure and essence of a new communication systems in development of effcetive
work relationship
1
Departmental heads present requirements of new communication system requirements 5
Finance department presents budget 1
Apex management approves budget 7
Communication systems acquired 60
Employees trained 15
New communication system implemented 30
Monitoring and reviewing 30
Taking further actions 5
Answer 2 and 3.
The presentation (PPT attached) would be delivered to the senior management as per
time and location decided.

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COMMUNICATION IN TRUCKING COMPANIES
Assessment 2:
Answer 1.
The two pieces of JKL policy which are responsible for the diversity issues are as
follows:
1. The management of the company in spite of the fact that it employed employees from
different backgrounds did not lay strong diversity management policies.
2. The management did not lay a strong communication strategy and did not provide consultation
services to the lower level employees. The managers did not provide any scope to the employees
to provide feedback.
A piece of legislation which would enable meeting the diversity issue would be Equality
Act.
A change which the consultant should make to the policies of JKL would be that all
employees should be treated equally irrespective of their cultural origins, nationality and gender.
The employees of the company would undergo a compulsory diversity management training.
The consultant should hold meetings with the teams of employees to resolve the diversity
issue pointed out.
Answer 2.
The potential problems which the consultant may face while holding meeting with the
team of employees would be lack communication between them and lack of diversity tolerance
among them.

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COMMUNICATION IN TRUCKING COMPANIES
If any team member exhibits any sort of unacceptable behavior, the member concerned
would be sent a warning mail. If the same kind of behavior persists, the employee concerned
would be suspended on ethical grounds.
The default communication style which the consultant would employ while holding
meeting with the teams of employees would be semi-formal. This would enable the employees to
communicate with each other freely which would develop an understanding about each other’s
culture among the employees.
The consultant previous used semi-formal communication style while dealing with
diversity issues in another company.
Answer 3.
Internal and external networking would enable the managers to positive relationship with
internal and external stakeholders. This would enable the company to meet with the challenges
and issues more effectively. The company should use a networking style based on continuous
exchange of information between the stakeholders.
The consultant joined a similar network to achieve an organizational development goal
while imparting training on communication strategies. The network consisted of all employees of
the company concerned. The consultant built stronger relationship with the other participants by
continuous communicating with them. The networking improved the communication standard
within the company and enabled on achievement of more effective consultant management. The
consultant was able to gain appraisal due to his participation.

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COMMUNICATION IN TRUCKING COMPANIES
Answer 4.
Internal and external relationship making strategy of JKL Limited
Networking activity Person
Schedule
(days) Description/rationale
for networking
activity
(days)
The apex management of JKL Industries
holds meetings with all the
departmental heads to explain essence
of a new internal and external
relationship
Management,
managers
and
employees
1 Enahnce relationship
through
communication
1
The department heads hold meeting
with their respective subordinates to
explainof a new internal and external
relationship
Management,
managers
and
employees
1 Enahnce relationship
through
communication
1
Departmental heads present
requirements of new communication
system requirements to enhance
internal and external relationship
Management,
managers
and
employees
5 Enahnce relationship
through
communication
5
Finance department presents budget
Management,
managers
and
employees
1 Enahnce relationship
through
communication
1
Apex management approves budget
Management,
managers
and
employees
7 Enahnce relationship
through
communication
7
Communication systems acquired
Management,
managers
and
employees
60 Enahnce relationship
through
communication
60
Employees trained on new relationship
and each sales man given two activities
(Salesman A-social media chatting and
conversing Salesman B-debating and
extempore session)
Rationale-Enhancement of
communication among employees
Management,
managers
and
employees
15
Enahnce relationship
through
communication
15
New communication system to enhance
relationship implemented
Management,
managers
and
employees
30 Enahnce relationship
through
communication
30

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COMMUNICATION IN TRUCKING COMPANIES
Monitoring and reviewing
Management,
managers
and
employees
30 Enahnce relationship
through
communication
30
Taking further actions Management,
managers
and
employees
5 Enahnce relationship
through
communication
5

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COMMUNICATION IN TRUCKING COMPANIES
Assessment 3.
Answer 1 and 2.
A review of the case study shows that JKL Industry suffered from weak communication
levels between management and employees. There were diversity issues and even conflicts. The
strategic plans of the company was to enter the medium and large trucking company and exit
from truck rental market. The operational plans consisted of restructuring the job roles of the
employees involved in truck rental segments and strengthening of the communication system in
the company. The stakeholders of the company consisted of internal and external stakeholders.
The internal customers of the company were the management and the employees. The external
customers were the business customers.
Answer 3.
The consultant would lead a role played guidance session.
Answer 4 and 5.
Guidnace session on conflict management strategy of JKL Limited
Networking activity Timeframe
(days) Person
Description/rationale
for networking
activity
Resources
The apex management of JKL
Industries holds meetings with
all the departmental heads to
explain essence of a new
internal and external
relationship
1
Management,
managers
and
employees
Enahnce relationship
through
communication
Financial,
technologial
and human
resources
The department heads hold
meeting with their respective
subordinates to explainof a new
internal and external
relationship
1
Management,
managers
and
employees
Enahnce relationship
through
communication
Financial,
technologial
and human
resources

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COMMUNICATION IN TRUCKING COMPANIES
Departmental heads present
requirements of new
communication system
requirements to enhance
internal and external
relationship
5
Management,
managers
and
employees
Enahnce relationship
through
communication
Financial,
technologial
and human
resources
Finance department presents
budget 1
Management,
managers
and
employees
Enahnce relationship
through
communication
Financial,
technologial
and human
resources
Apex management approves
budget 7
Management,
managers
and
employees
Enahnce relationship
through
communication
Financial,
technologial
and human
resources
Communication systems
acquired 60
Management,
managers
and
employees
Enahnce relationship
through
communication
Financial,
technologial
and human
resources
Employees trained on new
relationship and each sales man
given two activities (build trust)
15
Management,
managers
and
employees
Enahnce relationship
through
communication
Financial,
technologial
and human
resources
New communication system to
enhance relationship
implemented to adjust
communication style
30
Management,
managers
and
employees
Enahnce relationship
through
communication
Financial,
technologial
and human
resources
Traiining on relavent guidance
policies and procedures to
resolve conflict
Identifying root causes of
conflict
Collaboratong with employees
to solve issues

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COMMUNICATION IN TRUCKING COMPANIES
Monitoring and reviewing 30
Management,
managers
and
employees
Enahnce relationship
through
communication
Financial,
technologial
and human
resources
Taking further actions 5
Management,
managers
and
employees
Enahnce relationship
through
communication
Financial,
technologial
and human
resources
Answers 6,7 and 8.
The role play would be performed as per arranged time and place. The action plan shown
above would be submitted.

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COMMUNICATION IN TRUCKING COMPANIES
References:
Safeworkaustralia.gov.au. (2019). Safeworkaustralia.gov.au. [online] Available at:
https://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/industry_business/retail-trade [Accessed 19 Jul. 2019].