Engineering Products Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Engineering Products - Case Study Example The largest of the three business areas is automotive components, employing 60% of the group's workforce. The division is a first-tier supplier, dealing with several of the multinational final producers of cars, and is less concentrated in the UK than the company as a whole; Table 11.2 shows that only a small proportion of the division's sales are made in Britain, while an even smaller proportion of the workforce is employed there. Continental Europe is the base for a much larger proportions of sales and employment, with most of this being in Germany, France and Spain. The case study concentrates on this division of the multinational. In recent years the pressure from the automotive division's customers has become a central force in shaping how it manages its international operations in general and its international workforce in particular. The customers themselves have sought to standardise their methods of production and working practices through a process of sharing 'best practice' across sites. This has meant that, while the cars sold vary in minor respects between countries, they are produced in increasingly similar ways. One consequence has been that the components they purchase need to be of exactly the same specification in different countries. Since many of the first-tier suppliers in the motor industry are themselves multinational and in many cases supply the same companies in different countries, the effect has been to persuade the components manufacturers to standardise their own operations internationally. The Standardisation of Production across Borders The impetus for international integration in Engineering Products, therefore, came from the demands of its customers. Management at the HQ of the division have been faced with the task of integrating what had previously been disparate plants, serving customers in their own country and operating in a largely decentralised way. A key part of forging greater integration was to create management structures at the international level in order to bring together managers from different parts of the group, facilitating the exchange of information between them. In Engineering Products there are several such structures which serve this function. The division operates 'manufacturing councils' which periodically bring together senior manufacturing directors from the plants to examine the processes which are adopted in each of the plants. A different structure fulfilling a similar function is the 'International College of Engineering', located in Germany, at which engineers develop and learn about new manufacturing methods. A further way in which the HQ has sought to drive integration at the international level is through the creation of an international cadre of managers who are expected to spend time on assignments in countries other than their own. One element of this has been the creation of internal consultants; these are managers who have been responsible for pioneering a new practice and who are subsequently given

Reflection on the Group work Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Reflection on the Group work - Essay Example We were exposed to worldviews and discover alternatives in getting the work done. Extensive discussions and shared of opinions helped to improve our slides and understanding on the topic. In addition, we were able to share our responsibilities and the combination of abilities and skills allowed us to learn from each other and facilitated efficiency and productivity in delivering a quality work. Besides that, we had learnt to respect and understand people from different countries and behaviours thus developing our interpersonal and listening skills. Team spirit which is not available in an individual work has been a great motivation for us to drive our presentation to success and meet the submission dateline. All in all, it fostered our relationship while working together. Nevertheless, communication breakdown occurred occasionally due to difference in language and not all group members were native speakers. There was misunderstanding on allocation of work at the start of the project due to insufficient communication but was quickly resolved through explanations. On the other hand, conflicts were unavoidable for example the choice of research country as each team members favour home countries which they are familiar with. However, we were able to reach a consensus and all members showed their work commitments and provided constructive comments throughout the project. Lastly, it can be time consuming to work as a group as individuals have to come together at an agreed time and there would be free talk among group members which might not be relevant to our assigned task. Additional time spent on resolving conflicts and explaining views had significantly reduced our group efficiency and made it a slow process compared to working individually. I would be more confident in overcoming the difficulties in working in a multicultural group and breakdown the barriers such as stereotypes and prejudices. Additionally, I see communication as the main obstacle thus I would ma ke effort to be more patient and have high tolerance rather than being aggressive. Two-way communication and positive feedbacks are critical to resolve disputes and promote mutual understanding and respect. Besides that, I would be a good team player offering my skills, giving suggestions, be more co-operative and provide assistance to other team members when required. One of the personal weaknesses identified is that I do not have quick adaption to the change in environment or situation. I faced difficulties in communicating and expressing my views to my team members from diverse culture at the initial stage as I used to stay in my comfort zone. Also, there is lack of experience in dealing and handling conflicts and contradictions. My other negative trait would be that I tend to be a perfectionist. I like to work in an organized way and often get frustrated when other group members do not portray the same level of effort that I do. I have set a personal goal seek to overcome my wea knesses. I have decided to join societies and clubs in order to widen my circle of friends with different nationalities and countries to enhance my soft skills and develop my confidence in building relationships. The people skills will nevertheless be useful for conflict resolution enabling me to calm and control the situation besides developing problem solving skills. On the other hand, I would display more patience and accept the fact that all individuals are

The Emergence of Globalization Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Emergence of Globalization - Research Paper Example As defined above, globalization is an elimination of trade barriers, communication and cultural exchange limitations (Murray, 2006). The emergence of globalization was introduced to promote inherent wealth among all countries in the world. The United States has notably been identified as the leader in globalization after the World War II. In 1993, they introduced the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) which was a movement aimed at eliminating trade boundaries and promoting globalization (Brook, 2008). In the 19th century, most countries started investing in new forms of transport and communication services. Additionally, there were other transport systems such as road and air transport and communication forms such as the introduction of the internet and the cell phone (Murray, 2006). With the invention of these advanced forms of transport and communication, billions of people were connected globally. In 2000, the International Monetary Fund acknowledged four fundamental aspe cts of globalization (Brook, 2008). These aspects include trade and transactions, capital and investment movements, migration and dissemination of knowledge. Early in the 21st century, the developing states augmented their global trade share. However, there was a vast disparity among the major regions in the world in regard to trade and other transactions. Also, the movement of people to different places in the world had a significant impact on the globalization factor. In most cases, it was noted that individuals migrated from their countries to other regions where the economy was advanced. In addition, dissemination of information is also an integral aspect in globalization (Brook, 2008). Technological innovations formed significant benefits to the least developing countries in the world. Lastly, the aspect of investment and capital movements still remains significant in globalization. Most of the corporations which are located in the United States have moved their services to oth er countries where it is cheap to perform their business. Additionally, other technical jobs and services are also moving to other locations. This is referred to as off shoring and outsourcing. Therefore, this has enabled most Americans to become designers and innovators among other careers, which employ new concepts and technologies. Research clearly asserts that, the education standards in the United States are drastically regressing. Subjects such as intelligent design are being taught in many institutions. Even with the higher education provided in the country, most of the technical subjects are being studied in other countries (Murray, 2006). The former president of the United States; George W. Bush claimed that they should not be against globalization. However, it is observed that the country is significantly falling behind when competing economically in the global market (Brook, 2008). As a matter of fact, something should be done before more Americans leave the country for b etter opportunities in other countries. The economy of the United States is temporarily stagnant as a result of these effects. In the globalization aspect, there are both positive and negative impacts. Most of the benefits of globalization correspond to the less developed countries since; through globalization the less developed countries are able to improve their economic conditions. In the United

Networks Project Proposal Introduction

Networks Project Proposal Introduction Networks Project ProposalIntroduction: The home network has potential. It adds growth and knowledge. The home network is important to use and access internet connection easily in home wireless network. This network also provide many other benefits as well like as, sharing a file between your computers in your home network, sharing a media file, sharing a folders between your computers in your home wireless network.iStock This wireless network does not cost much and it has many benefits to provide to connect wireless and non wireless devices across the network. The current network is connected via cables so its wired network. A cable goes from study room to lounge and from bed room to main hall. Its not feasible to connect many devices together in home via cable network because its require cabling through out the home and many times just because of loose cabling you have to connection loss. To overcome this hurdles in home network and to connect additional devices easily to home network wireless networking is very beneficial, so I am approaching to upgrade this wired network to wireless network. So the vast benefit of wireless networking like as I can share my files and folders more easily with my laptop and desktop computers. I can access my pictures from desktop computer to mobile device via wireless home networking. To share a printer in your home network wireless networking is more feasible option to choose because, in wireless network we dont need to run a long cable from router to printer. We can adjust the printer anywhere in home and still it will be connected to your computer via wireless connection. Network up gradation provide the benefit of using more wireless clients easily. Rationale: Connecting computers together (or computer devices) has been a main concern since the beginning of the information age. In the beginning of the computer revolution computing relied heavily upon telecommunication technologies for sharing computing resources, mostly due to the cost and size of those resources. For years, computer networks were nothing more than dumb terminals connected to a supercomputer (mainframe) in another location. This was the beginning of the computer network as we know it today. This web curriculum is designed to assist students in their understanding of computer networks and to help them gain the necessary knowledge that will afford them the skills and abilities of designing and implementing their own personal computer network. Project Goals: Next-generation home networking environments will contain a variety of Internet-ready devices or embedded systems, which will result in increased complexity for the end user. New methods are therefore required to build autonomic networking infrastructures that enable auto-configuration and self-management of the networked elements. In future Internet-based home environments a variety of devices such as PCs, smart phones, networked appliances and embedded systems will be organized into infrastructures and will act together to form a new type of service provisioning platform. Todays typical home environments often contain a few of these Internet-ready devices; in the future there will be even more, including embedded systems like sensors and actuators that are also accessible via Internet technology (e.g. TCP/IP, HTTP, Web services etc). While on the one hand this gives users the freedom to access a rich variety of devices in the vicinity of their homes, on the other it increases the depth of knowledge required to understand what is happening in such a complex networking environment. Novel methods for autonomous networking as well as self-configuration, self-management, self-organization, self-protection and self-healing (self-x) of the networking elements can take responsibility for observing and controlling the home network without directly involving end users. Technology will revolutionize the tools that are used in the home of the near future. Embedded computing, sensing and actuation technologies-coupled with new infrastructure in the built environment itself-will combine to enable new opportunities to support the work of the home. The wireless home networking goal is to successfully connect wireless devices such as laptops, desktop computers, VoIP phone, wireless printer, and network storage drive and wifi cell phone. The other goal is to configure the wireless devices so they can share network folders and print wirelessly in home network and to successfully achieve that we need to install wireless router and cable modem in home wireless network. Resources: Cost: The cost to build network is illustrate bellow, Linksys wireless router Cable modem Wireless printer Virtual Lan Network storage drive (Netgear) Switch Router The cost for internet connection which is provided by ISP is not included in the proposed network cost. The devices which are used in home wireless network are under warranty by the manufacturer for 3years and the technical support is also provided. Research: Advantages Disadvantages of wireless network: Wireless network have advantages and disadvantages when compared with wired LANs. A WLAN will make it simple to add or move workstations and to install access points to provide connectivity in areas where it is difficult to lay cable. Temporary or semi permanent buildings that are in range of an access point can be wirelessly connected to a LAN to give these buildings connectivity. Where computer labs are used in schools, the computers (laptops) could be put on a mobile cart and wheeled from classroom to classroom, provided they are in range of access points. Wired network points would be needed for each of the access points. A WLAN has some specific advantages: It is easier to add or move workstations. It is easier to provide connectivity in areas where it is difficult to lay cable. Installation is fast and easy, and it can eliminate the need to pull cable through walls and ceilings. Access to the network can be from anywhere within range of an access point. Portable or semi permanent buildings can be connected using a WLAN. Although the initial investment required for WLAN hardware can be similar to the cost of wired LAN hardware, installation expenses can be significantly lower. When a facility is located on more than one site (such as on two sides of a road), a directional antenna can be used to avoid digging trenches under roads to connect the sites. In historic buildings where traditional cabling would compromise the faà §ade, a WLAN can avoid the need to drill holes in walls. Long-term cost benefits can be found in dynamic environments requiring frequent moves and changes. Wireless network also have some disadvantages: As the number of computers using the network increases, the data transfer rate to each computer will decrease accordingly. As standards change, it may be necessary to replace wireless cards and/or access points. Lower wireless bandwidth means some applications such as video streaming will be more effective on a wired LAN. Security is more difficult to guarantee and requires configuration. Devices will only operate at a limited distance from an access point, with the distance determined by the standard used and buildings and other obstacles between the access point and the user. Methodology: Solution: find-ip-address To overcome the technical issues take necessary steps to build wireless home network. To solve the wireless range problem with the 802.11b/g, in this network 802.11n wireless standard is chosen. So it will provide wide range of wireless network and it will be enough for small to medium size home. The wireless security is configured so the home wireless network can be protected. To protect wireless security WPA2 personal security encryption is configured and MAC address allocation is also configured so the wireless router will not provide access to any other device and the home wireless clients devices will be secured. The firewall is also enabled on Linksys wireless router so it will provide security from outside. From outside no one can hack your home network and harm the computer systems. The ultimate in wireless security measures, shutting down your network will most certainly prevent outside hackers from breaking in! While impractical to turn off and on the devices frequently, at least consider doing so during travel or extended periods offline. Computer disk drives have been known to suffer from power cycle wear-and-tear, but this is a secondary concern for broadband modems and routers. Summary: To build wireless home network, using this simple three-step approach: 1. Identify the WLAN design thats best for your situation 2. Choose good wireless gear 3. Install gear and test the configured WLAN Wireless offers tangible benefits over traditional wired networking. Each computer you wish to connect to a WLAN must possess a wireless network adapter. Wireless adapters are sometimes also called NICs, short for Network Interface Cards. Wireless adapters for desktop computers are often small PCI cards or sometimes card-like USB adapters. Try to install your wireless router in a central location within the home. The way Wi-Fi networking works, computers closer to the router (generally in the same room or in line of sight) realize better network speed than computers further away. In densely populated areas, its not uncommon for wireless signals from one persons home network to penetrate a neighboring home and interfere with their WLAN. This happens when both households set conflicting communication channels. Fortunately, when configuring an 802.11n router, you can change the channel number employed. For example, you may choose any WLAN channel number between 1 and 11. If you encounter interference from neighbors, you should coordinate channel settings with them. Simply using different channel numbers wont always solve the problem. However, if both parties use a different one of the channel numbers 1, 6 or 11 that will guarantee elimination of cross-WLAN interference. Wireless LANs suffer a few more reliability problems than wired LANs, though perhaps not enough to be a significant concern. 802.11n wireless signals are subject to interference from other home appliances including microwave ovens, cordless telephones, and garage door openers. With careful installation, the likelihood of interference can be minimized. Wireless networking products, particularly those that implement 802.11n are comparatively new. As with any new technology, expect it will take time for these products to mature. Wireless LANs using 802.11n support a maximum theoretical bandwidth of 300 Mbps. Furthermore, Wi-Fi performance is distance sensitive, meaning that maximum performance will degrade on computers farther away from the access point or other communication endpoint. As more wireless devices utilize the WLAN more heavily, performance degrades even further. Overall, the performance of 802.11n is sufficient for home Internet connection sharing and file sharing, but generally not sufficient for home LAN gaming.

Definitions on the Internet of Things Essay

Here is a list of existing definitions for the Internet of Things:- * â€Å"Things having identities and virtual personalities operating in smart spaces using intelligent interfaces to connect and communicate within social, environmental, and user contexts† or â€Å"Interconnected objects having an active role in what might be called the Future Internet† or semantically â€Å"Internet of Things means a world-wide network of interconnected objects uniquely addressable, based on standard communication protocols† ETP EPOSS 05/2008 * â€Å"A global network infrastructure, linking physical and virtual objects through the exploitation of data capture and communication capabilities. This infrastructure includes existing and evolving Internet and network developments. It will offer specific object-identification, sensor and connection capability as the basis for the development of independent cooperative services and applications. These will be characterized by a high degree of autonomous data capture, event transfer, network connectivity and interoperability.† Casagras 02/2009 * â€Å"A world where physical objects are seamlessly integrated into the information network and where the physical objects can become active participants in business processes. Services are available to interact with these ‘smart objects’ over the Internet, query and change their state and any information associated with them, taking into account security and privacy issues.† Stephan Haller, SAP 05/2009 * â€Å"Internet of Things (IoT) is an integrated part of Future Internet and could be defined as a dynamic global network infrastructure with self-configuring capabilities based on standard and interoperable communication protocols where physical and virtual ‘things’ have identities, physical attributes, and virtual personalities and use intelligent interfaces, and are seamlessly integrated into the information network. In the IoT, ‘things’ are expected to become active participants in business, information and social processes where they are enabled to interact and communicate among themselves and with the environment by exchanging data and information ‘sensed’ about the environment, while reacting autonomously to the ‘real/physical world’ events and influencing it by running processes that trigger actions and create services with or without direct human intervention. Interfaces in the form of services facilitate interactions wit h these ‘smart things’ over the Internet, query and change their state and any information associated with them, taking into account security and privacy issues.† CERP-IoT 09/2009 * â€Å"The future Internet of Things links uniquely identifiable things to their virtual representations in the Internet containing or linking to additional information on their identity, status, location or any other business, social or privately relevant information at a financial or non-financial pay-off that exceeds the efforts of information provisioning and offers information access to non-predefined participants. The provided accurate and appropriate information may be accessed in the right quantity and condition, at the right time and place at the right price. The Internet of Things is not synonymous with ubiquitous / pervasive computing, the Internet Protocol (IP), communication technology, embedded devices, its applications, the Internet of People or the Intranet / Extranet of Things, yet it combines aspects and technologies of all of these approaches.†

Good Members of Society Essay

Some people think that parents should teach children how to be good members of society. Others, however, believe that school is the place to learn this. Discuss both these views and give your opinion Education plays an important role in our lives for shaping us to become good members in society. Nowadays, both parents and schools actively take part in the process educating their children. While some people view that the parents are primarily responsible for teaching their children to become responsible members in society, others believe that it is the responsibility of the schools. However, in my opinion, both parents and schools have a role to play in guiding children in the right path for a peaceful society. Home is the first school and parents are first teachers of ours. Because during the childhood they teach us how to speak and behave to someone in society. Other way parents own behavior is also affect to their children and they get these easily while they are child. Then they are going to be formed how they see and hear. Subsequently children will show their experience to the others what they learn from their parents. That`s why parents must be careful while they are teaching their children because they are seriously responsible from their children. Although school is the best place for the children to learn and to be o good person. At school they meet with many people and do their activities together with their classmates. Children can learn how to act and have a good attitude. Teachers, except teaching many subjects they also teach to the children how to have o good behavior with their friends, parents or neighborhoods. That`s why, parents always have a big hope from school to help them for creating their children to be o good person. In my view I think that good parents are good teachers and both of them have their own role in our society.

Difficulties of communication within Jebel Ali Free Zone organization

Difficulties of communication within Jebel Ali Free Zone organization Introduction Communication is one of the most important elements in a firm’s operations. Through effective communication, a firm can establish a strong relationship with the various organizational stakeholders such as customers, suppliers, government, and employees amongst others (Griffin, 2011).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Difficulties of communication within Jebel Ali Free Zone organization specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In the course of executing their duties, business executives experience communication problems, and thus they are concerned on how to understand better the various stakeholders especially the employees. Jackson (2006) is of the opinion that it is paramount for firms’ management teams to overcome internal and external communication barriers. The communication interactions and approaches adopted by organizations directly influence the functioning of their departments and hence their overall business performance. This paper evaluates the case of Jebel Ali Free Zone in a bid to develop a better understanding of the communication difficulties experienced by organizations. The paper also evaluates a number of barriers and difficulties that the firm experiences in its communication processes. They include the existence of cultural barriers, lack of feedback, lack of clarity, system design faults, and lack of honesty and complexity of the organization. Finally, the paper proposes a number of solutions to deal with these problems. General information about Jebel Ali Free Zone Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza) was established in 1985. It is a member of the UAE’s Economic Zone World. In its operation, Jafza is committed at delivering optimal customer service. Its commitment to customer service enabled Jafza to attain ISO 9001: 2000 certification (Business Services, 2012, Para. 1). Since its establishment, the organization has undergone a significant transfo rmation. Currently it acts as a hub for over 6,700 companies, which are both domestic and foreign companies. The companies are from 150 different countries across the globe. The organization was founded on the premise of becoming an international business hub. Its establishment was also intended at providing its clients with an opportunity to access a wide range of valuable business features such as optimal location, effective and efficient infrastructure, and logistics. Over the years, the organization has become a key driver within the rapidly growing United Arabs Emirates economy (Business Services, 2012).Advertising Looking for research paper on business communication? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The organization is situated at Dubai, which serves as an optimal midway between various continents such as Africa, Europe, and Asia. Consequently, Jafza provides its clients with the opportunity to increase their cu stomer base. As an international business hub, Jafza enables businesses to access a customer base of over 2 million people. Jafza also acts as a gateway to other economies within the United Arabs Emirates, Middle East, and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), which are less than 24 hours away. The zone is located between Al Maktoum International Airport, the largest container port, and Jebel Ali Port in Dubai, which ranks as the sixth biggest cargo port. Jafza is unique in that there is no other free zone that lies between two major logistic enablers. The organization also prides in a 6-lane highway, which facilitates transportation of custom bound goods between ports within 20 minutes. Establishment of an effective and efficient infrastructure is one of Jafza’s key strengths (Business Services, 2012). In a bid to increase its client base, Jafza has incorporated a number of commercial incentives such as full repatriation of capital and profit earned from the firm’s oper ations, zero income and corporate taxes for the duration of fifty years, 100 per cent foreign ownership and elimination of local labor restrictions for investors. Additionally, Jafza has also eliminated currency restrictions. The organization also provides diverse state-of-the-art facilities some of which include Light Industrial Unites (LIU), warehouse and showroom facilities, land, and office space. The purpose of establishing the light industrial units was to provide clients with an opportunity to store their light industrial products and undertake light assembling and production. The firm ensures that the LIUs are adequately supplied with sufficient power, which enables them to undertake their business operations smoothly. Other facilities that LIUs have include sufficient parking space and a container loading dock. Jafza has established eight blocks, which compose the 68 showroom-cum-warehouses to meet the needs of its clients. The rooms serve various purposes such as distribut ion, display, and storage. On the other hand, Jafza owns a sizeable plot of land, which is available for leasing. Management problem communication difficulties Jafza Jafza is cognizant of the importance of attaining operational efficiency. Consequently, the firm has established a number of departments, which include sales and marketing, property, civil engineering, and administrative services departments (Business Services, 2012, Para. 3). The departments’ operations aim at attaining one objective, which is to appraise the applications made by the various clients who intend to establish their operations in the Free Zone.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Difficulties of communication within Jebel Ali Free Zone organization specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Upon the client’s approval, the departments provide additional vital services to clients. In spite of existence of goal congruence between th e various departments, their responsibilities differ. Successful communication forms the foundation of Jafza’s operations. However, in the course of its operation, Jafza faces a number of communication difficulties as discussed below. Cultural barriers Culture is one of the major issues that organizations have to take into account in the course of their operations (Krizan, 2011). However, companies that are involved in cross-border activities are the most affected by the existence of cross-border cultural differences. In its operation, Jafza has established itself as an international business hub. Consequently, the firm faces a number of cultural challenges. Jafza serves clients who are characterized by diverse language and cultural backgrounds. The cultural differences emanate from the fact that the clients come from different countries. Some of the major cultural differences that Jafza experiences are associated with differences in ethnicity, physical challenge, religion, l ifestyle, age, and gender. Consequently, the firm experiences a number of communication barriers. One of the main cultural barriers associates with cultural ethnocentrism and relativism. According to Krizan (2011), cultural relativism emanates from differences in values and behaviors amongst the parties involved. One of the standards of measuring cultural relativism is ethics such as what one culture considers being right or wrong. By developing such an approach, some of the Jafzas employees experience a challenge in the process of interpreting the intended meaning by the clients. On the other hand, the firm also experiences communication difficulties within its departments due to ethnocentrism. In a bid to develop a strong human resource base, Jafza has sourced its employees from different countries. However, some of the employees consider their culture as more superior compared to other cultures. As a result, this aspect leads to lack of effective collaboration between the firmâ⠂¬â„¢s departments. Collaboration between departments in an organization is attainable by ensuring effective communication. Despite the existence of similarities between employee behaviors, their culture may be completely different, which leads to the formation of stereotypes and distrust amongst employees in various departments.Advertising Looking for research paper on business communication? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In its operation, Jafza experiences a major problem due to the existence of stereotypes within its departments, which fail to appreciate the importance of cultural diversity. Consequently, the firm suffers through reduction in the level of integration between departments. Additionally, some employees in Jafza departments consider their culture as superior to others. Consequently, they prefer working with employees of their cultural background compared to others. This aspect means that there is a substantial level of distrust amongst the firm’s employees. However, the success of Jafza is dependent on the operations of all the departments. Existence of communication difficulties due to cultural barriers is adversely affecting teamwork within the firm. Considering the fact that Jafza deals with a wide range of clients from different countries, the organization has to deal with the issue of cultural diversity. In an effort to deal with this challenge, Jafza has to train its workf orce continuously to manage the existing communication gaps effectively. One of the issues, which the firm has to focus on in its training process entails helping the employees to appreciate cultural diversity. Additionally, Jafza has to ensure that its employees in the various departments are bilingual (Hartley, Chatterton, Bruckmann, 2002). Lack of feedback For complete communication cycle, there has to be feedback from the intended recipient (Lunenburg Ornstein, 2008). The feedback enables the initiator of the communication process to determine whether the recipient has understood the intended message. Decoding the sent message is paramount in ensuring the implementation of the appropriate action. However, Jafza’s communication process faces a major challenge due to lack of feedback. One of the factors that lead to lack of feedback associates with ineffective collaboration between the various departments. In the course of executing their duties, the firm’s departm ents carry diverse responsibilities. For example, the sales and marketing department is charged with the responsibility of receiving, approving, and analyzing the applications made by clients. On the other hand, the civil engineering department’s responsibility entails analyzing the clients’ projects. Therefore, operations of the two departments are interlinked. The civil engineering department cannot execute its duties if the sales and marketing department receives the applications and fail to communicate the same. Lack of clarity In a bid to attain the desired effectiveness in the communication process, it is paramount for the firms’ management teams to ensure that the employees understand the intended message. However, there are some instances when the message is not adequately decoded (Lunenburg Ornstein, 2008). One of the reasons why the message may not be understood is associated with the fact that the employees might interpret the message differently. In the course of its operation, Jafza experiences a major challenge in communicating to the various departments, which arises from the fact that there are some instances when the message is not clear. This aspect forces the employees to act in a manner that is contradictory to the intended action. System design faults Considering the importance of communication within and across departments, most organizations are cognizant of the importance of implementing communication systems and structures. One of the communication systems that firms should implement relates to information communication system. In the course of its operation, Jafza has implemented an information communication system across all its departments. However, the communication system is not well configured to meet the firm’s communication needs. Consequently, Jafza has been experiencing a major challenge when communicating to its employees and clients (Means Rankin, 2010). The communication system entails relying on the clients and employees’ personal emails IDs. This element presents a major challenge because the firm would not have managed to track the clients or employees in the event they left Jafza. Additionally, the firm also faced a challenge because most clients lost their email IDs. Consequently, Jafza suffered a major challenge with regard to implementing and maintaining an effective and reliable e-mail communication system especially with regard to its clients operating outside the free zone. Therefore, to improve the efficiency of its customer service delivery, Jafza needed an effective communication channel that would improve communication consistency. Lack of honesty Honesty is one of the indispensable elements of every successful business entity, and the lack of the same is a clear indication of an imminent failure. During difficult times such as recession, Jafza experiences a major challenge in its communication process. The challenge emanates from the fact that emplo yees may not be honest in their communication process. For example, during difficult times, the firm requires employees to give honest answers on some of the issues that the firm is facing. However, upon sensing the problems, the employees may fail to issue the intended information. Complexity of the organization According to Fielding (2006, p. 20), organizations experience a challenge due to the existence of numerous people to whom the message should be passed. Passing information to many individuals may result in the message being distorted due to extensive filtering and omission errors as the message is being passed on from one party to another. This phenomenon is very rife in Jafza due to the hierarchical organizational structure that the firm has adopted. In an effort to meet the customers’ needs, the firm has organized itself into a number of departments, which include sales and marketing department, administrative services department, civil engineering department, and the property department. The operations of every department are greatly dependent on other departments. As a result, the firm experiences communication breakdown due to the occurrence of distortions and omissions. Solutions to deal with the problem In order to continue with its high rate of growth, it is paramount for Jafza to deal with the communication difficulties experienced, and to achieve this objective, the firm should take into account a number of issues as outlined below. Incorporating an audience-centered approach Jafza should incorporate effective measures to deal with communication difficulties across and within departments arising from the existence of cultural differences. Firstly, the firm should stimulate the employees to appreciate the prevailing cultural diversity, and to achieve this goal, the firm should ensure that the employees understand each other’s cultural differences with regard to education, race, religion, status, gender. This move will play an im portant role in eliminating discrimination amongst employees. Thus, the firm will undertake effective communication. One of the ways through which this goal is attainable is by taking into account the message needs of the intended receiver. Fostering an open-communication environment Existence of restrictive environment is one of the reasons why organizations are not efficient in their communication process, and to deal with this challenge, Jafza should ensure that there is open communication. One of the ways through which the firm can achieve this aspect is by modifying the number of organizational level. For example, the firm can adopt a more flat organizational structure, which will lead to an improvement in the degree of interaction between the firm’s departments. Additionally, Jafza should ensure that it incorporates the concept of teamwork. The firm should assign some responsibilities to employees from various departments. This move will play an important role in improv ing the level of trust amongst employees, and thus there will be an increment in the rate of interaction amongst employees, hence improving communication (Fielding, 2006, p. 20). Incorporating ethical communication Jafza should ensure that it integrates ethical communication to improve the effectiveness and efficiency with which it delivers its customer service. The firm can achieve this goal by motivating employees to be transparent in their communication process. Therefore, they should desist from all deceptive tactics and issuing negative information. Improve the efficiency of the message Jafza is a very complex organization; therefore, it is important for the firm to ensure that it creates lean and efficient messages. In a bid to achieve this objective, the firm should motivate departments to report in a concise manner, for such a move will play an important role in preventing the audience from losing interest in reading the intended message. Additionally, incorporation of lean messages will tend to increase the level of concentration amongst the employees. By keeping the messages lean, the firm will avoid overloading its information communication network (Fielding, 2006, p. 20). Updating its communication infrastructure In an attempt to deal with the communication systems challenge, Jafza outsourced the services of FVC, a renowned value added distributor of Google Enterprise solutions in North Africa and the Middle East. The firm offers a wide range of e-mail solutions specifically the ready-to-use email solutions. In addition to being secure, the email solution provided by FVC is also compatible with that of Jafza and its clients. The technology utilizes Google’s cloud computing technology. Additionally, the technology can be implemented immediately and accommodate numerous users of information communication without undertaking major infrastructural changes. By outsourcing, the services of FVC, Jafza has been in a position to deal with the communi cation challenge it experienced due to system design defaults. One of the ways through which the firm has benefited is that it has customized its clients and employees’ e-email addresses. Employees can use addresses such @jafzamail.com. Through this technology, the firm’s management team can communicate with its employees and clients. Additionally, the firm has continued to ensure that it maintains the integrity of the communication medium. One of the ways through which the firm has attained this aspect is by ensuring that there is a two-way communication amongst the firm, its clients, and employees. Implementation of technology has extensively benefited the firm. For example, its deployment is both quick and convenient. Additionally, the firm is not required to undertake extensive training in enabling the employees and clients to use the technology. Therefore, the firm has minimized the cost of implementing the new technology in addition to improving its communication effectiveness and efficiency. Conclusion This analysis underscores the importance of communication within an organization. However, firms experience numerous communication challenges in their operations. Due to its cross-border operations, Jafza experiences numerous cultural barriers in its communication process. These barriers emanate from the existence of cultural diversity amongst the firm’s employees, which is well illustrated by the fact that some employees consider their culture as more superior compared to that of their fellow colleagues. Consequently, stereotypes emerge within the organization. The cultural differences also lead to the emergence of an inefficient feedback mechanism due to language barriers, thus leading to lack of inter-departmental collaboration. Lack of collaboration has adverse effects on the firm’s operational efficiency. System default designs are another factor that had adversely affected the firm’s communication process. As a res ult, the firm’s management team could not stay in touch with the firm’s employees and its clients. Lack of honesty amongst its employees is another challenge that the firm experienced in its communication process. Some employees were not willing to give transparent information regarding the firm’s operations. In a bid to deal with the communication difficulties due to the system default design, Jafza has incorporated a new Google email solution. The new system has significantly improved the firm’s communication effectiveness and efficiency. In spite of this move, the firm should address a number of issues. Firstly, the firm should incorporate an audience-centered approach, which will improve its focus on the communication needs of the employees. It is also important for the firm to foster open communication in the firm by adopting a lean organization structure. This move will reduce the complexity associated with the reporting process. Fostering ethical c ommunication practices will also improve the firm’s communication efficiency. Additionally, the firm should continuously update its communication infrastructure Reference List Business Services. (2012). Jafza free zone. Web. Fielding, M. (2006). Effective communication in organizations: preparing messages that  Communicate. Lansdowne, Cape Town: Juta Academics. Griffin, R. (2011). Management. Mason, OH: South Western Cengage Learning. Hartley, P., Chatterton, P., Bruckmann, C. (2002). Business communication; an  Introduction. New York, NY: Routledge. Jackson, J. (2006). The organization and its communication problems. 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