case study on importance of business communication

Internal Communication Case Studies: The Terrible & The Terrific

It’s a question that often comes up: ‘How do other businesses do this?’. Whether you’re implementing a new sales structure or updating your software systems, it’s always helpful to consider how similar companies approached the issue. This is particularly relevant for internal communications , where there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Each organisation has its own unique set of challenges and needs to tailor its internal communication strategy accordingly. Internal communication case studies can help you evaluate your approach, by exploring comparable situations and their outcomes.

In this blog, we’ve selected some of the best internal communication examples from the world of business. Not all were successful. In fact, some were complete disasters. But these failures, along with the success stories, are great examples of internal communication in action. When you’re looking for the answers to effective internal communication , nothing speaks more clearly than real-life examples.

We have grouped the following internal communication case study examples under the ‘seven golden rules’. These rules were proposed by Fitzpatrick in his ground-breaking  publication  Internal Communications: A Manual for Practitioners. These fundamental rules of internal communication best practices help us to categorise the relative successes and failures of these examples.

Rule 1: Activity means nothing without results

The starting point for every IC has to be: “What do we want people to do?” Being busy and generating a constant stream of campaigns, videos and newsletters is a waste of time if nothing changes as a result. When you’re looking at improving internal communications , always keep track of the outcome as well as the action. This is where the true significance lies.

Case Study 1 - Nationwide Building Society

Background: Nationwide Building Society ran an award-winning five-week BIG Conversation, gathering ideas from all its 18,000 employees in a company-wide collaboration. The aim was directed to reinvigorating Nationwide’s sense of purpose.

Approach: The activity included TalkBack events, online surveys and a huge listening exercise to give staff and members the chance to contribute to its future. By implementing a company-wide internal communications survey , Nationwide opened up a free-flowing conversation with its workforce.

Outcome: The result has been a refreshed strategy and a marketing campaign based on the new concept of ‘building society, nationwide’ – helping people improve the quality of their lives. This business communication case study demonstrates the power of actively listening and acting on employee’s suggestions. 

Verdict: Success

Rule 2: Value benefits the business

You will only be adding real value if your employee communication links directly to the business needs of your organisation and helps to achieve a defined strategy or a specific project. The benefits of good internal communication only become apparent when you define your desired outcomes and set actual targets.

Case Study 2 – XPO Transport and Logistics

Background: XPO wanted to leverage great ideas from its colleagues across its 104 UK sites to help its customers improve productivity and reduce costs. Its large, flexible and hard-to-reach workforce (from drivers for Asda to B&Q warehouse contractors) don’t usually have a company phone or laptop. Of all the case studies on communication in the workplace, this large-scale exercise is remarkable in its scope.

Approach: To spark engagement, Talkfreely developed the Ideas Matter App, which every employee was able to download to their personal phone. An internal communications app is the ideal way to connect with remote workers and hard-to-reach employees.

Outcome: Linked directly to business needs, the internal communications platform proved to be exceptional value. The generation of ideas has been significant; 1 in 4 of all ideas submitted are being put into practice. In addition, it showed a remarkable return on investment of 6.5:1 with £156,000 of savings in the first year alone.

Rule 3: In the thick of it

When you’re looking for new ideas, trying to work out what your employees are really thinking or wondering why a previous internal communications plan went wrong, don't sit pondering at your desk or researching online. Leave your office and start talking. Once you talk and listen to your employees, you will begin to understand what motivates them, what concerns them and how they feel about the company. Of all the internal communication ideas , this one is key if you want to keep track of engagement levels.

Case Study 3 – AOL

Background: AOL announced it was slashing its Patch local news network by a third. This was a large-scale change affecting many employees across the company and required careful handling in its communication.

Approach: CEO Tim Armstrong set up a conference call with 1,000 employees with the aim of boosting morale across the workforce. As Armstrong talked, Patch Creative Director Abel Lenz began taking pictures of him. He was immediately sacked, in front of the 1,000 staff on the conference call.

Outcome: Perhaps Armstrong did not know that Lenz’s job included photographing meetings with key leaders for the Patch intranet, for the benefit of remote workers. But he should have. If he had been in touch with his workforce, he would have been fully aware of the roles of individual employees. This employee communication case study gives a clear indication of the importance of understanding your employee’s job roles.

Verdict: Failure

Rule 4: Shut up and listen

Communicating with employees should be a two-way street. The megaphone approach is never going to work best because people only feel connected and motivated if they are part of a conversation. It’s vital to put internal communication channels in place that allow employees to comment on the messages coming down from the top. Listen to what they have to say … and learn.

Case Study 4 – PayPal

Background: The digital payment company needed to address an internal report that revealed not all their employees were not using the PayPal app. The President, David Marcus, wrote a company-wide memo to all staff regarding the problem.

Approach: David Marcus took a heavy-handed approach to the matter. He told his staff to use the product or quit: “If you are one of the folks who refused to install the PayPal app or if you can’t remember your PayPal password, do yourself a favor, go find something that will connect with your heart and mind elsewhere”.

A better policy would have been to find out why his employees weren’t using the payment app, whether they felt competitor products had better features and ask for their suggestions.

Outcome: The memo was leaked to the press. It generated widespread coverage across the media and left customers wondering what was wrong with an app that PayPal’s own staff wouldn't use. Internal communications best practice case studies demonstrate that opening a two-way channel for feedback will improve both internal and external communication .

Rule 5 – I did it their way

Understand the working methods of those you need to convince. If leaders seem bound up in stats and spreadsheets, give them what they want. Gather data to prove your ideas work, show them a process, outline a clear outcome and they’ll soon be on your side. Measuring internal communications will help to provide the rationale behind your ideas. Equally, if the types of internal communication you are using don’t seem to be connecting with your employees, don’t be afraid to try a different approach.

Case Study 5 – Seymour House

Background: Seymour House runs ten outstanding childcare nurseries and wanted to get staff across the group engaging better with each other to share great practice. They needed to identify the best methods of internal communication that would resonate with their unique team-based workforce.

Approach: Talkfreely innovated with an internal communications app called Community. Community replaces static web pages and posts with highly personalised, bite-sized chunks of information presented on boards displaying relevant cards. These communicate quick stories and are far better at connecting people across teams. 

Outcome: The Seymour House teams instantly connected with the Community app. Engagement levels took an immediate uplift as the communication and understanding between teams and individuals improved. This internal communications case study shows how crucial it is to connect with employees in a way that suits their style of interaction.

Rule 6: Make the most of managers

Your leadership team are crucial to the success of your strategy. However big or small your organisation, line managers and local leaders are your allies. They are essential to motivating employees and getting them on board: through discussion, allaying fears and leading by example. When you’re pulling together your internal communication definition , make sure leadership is one of the key points.

Case Study 6 – Yahoo

Background: The tech pioneer defined a need for remote workers return to the office environment. There was no longer a role for staff working from home and all employees needed to be office-based moving forward. The job of communicating this message was handed to the HR department.

Approach: Yahoo’s Head of HR sent out a motivational memo full of praise for the company’s “positive momentum”, “the buzz and energy in our offices”, “remarkable progress” and promising “the best is yet to come”. At the end of this message was the directive that all staff working from home must move back into the office or quit.

Outcome: A communication of this importance should have come from the head of the business. By trying to hide the order as a motivational HR message, it failed to provide a strategic business rationale. This is where the CEO needed to be a visible presence, sharing the reasoning behind this unpopular decision. Internal communication case study examples show time after time that leadership visibility is an essential element, especially when communicating change .

Rule 7: There is no silver bullet

We’d love to be able to reveal the secret to implementing that perfect internal communication strategy. Social media, the employee intranet , digital screens, email – they have all at some stage promised to revolutionise internal communications and make everything else redundant. But it hasn’t happened, which means the role of the internal communicator remains absolutely pivotal. Cut yourself slack in how you judge success, because every organisation has a different set of challenges and issues to overcome.

Case Study 7 – West Sussex County Council

Background: West Sussex Country Council has a workforce of over 6,000 staff spread across a wide geographic area in a variety of locations. In addition, around 25% of staff members have limited access to IT equipment and/or limited IT knowledge. The channels of internal communication in operation were outmoded and ineffective, leading to misinterpretation and inconsistencies.

Approach: Talkfreely developed a bespoke internal communications app designed to connect the disparate council workforce. Called ‘The Big Exchange’, the app allowed for real-time communication over a variety of digital platforms. Available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, it allowed for flexibility in work patterns, increasing its appeal for all employees.

Outcome: By the end of the first quarter, a third of the employee base were actively using the app. In some sectors, 33% would be a pretty modest engagement score. For West Sussex Country Council however, it has connected with those hard-to-reach employees for the very first time. In addition, it proved that there is a real council workforce appetite to get involved. For example - there were 25,200 page views in the first month which means on average, each active user visited over 25 pages of content per month. Read the full case study .

“The TalkFreely app has helped improve, beyond recognition, the way we communicate with our 6000 strong workforce, many of whom are hard to reach. This has become even more evident over the last few weeks in our local response to the coronavirus crisis, helping us to get critical, time-sensitive information out to staff quickly and easily wherever they are across the county.” William Hackett, Communications & Engagement Lead, West Sussex County Council

Final thoughts

It’s clear, when looking at this selection of communication case studies, that not every internal communication is destined for success. And, if handled incorrectly, a poorly targeted message can actually do more harm than good. Internal communication mistakes are very costly, to both morale and the bottom line. However, if you take the time to plan carefully, the positive impact of a good internal communication exchange can be considerable. When assessing internal communications case studies, it’s also vital to consider the arena in which the company is operating before judging the relative success of the campaign. Ultimately, every organisation will need to take a different approach, tailored to suit their unique set of circumstances.

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Why Communication Matters: A Case Study (Part 1)

Communication. 

One of those “soft science” buzzwords.

You can hear it now, can’t you? The impassioned HR director energetically extolling the cure-all virtues of “open dialogue,” “honest communication,” and “high performing teams” who learn how to “understand” their teammates and “bring out the best” in every “unique voice.”

Teams Who Communicate Well: Wishful Thinking?

To some, the fanciful word picture of a highly-engaged, benevolently-bonded, worker-bee-esque community of employees who all get along and defer to one another is just a pie-in-the-sky dream that defies the reality of everyday chaos in the midst of “real world” business. 

The truth is, reality is messy. In the business realm, uncertainty is the only certainty and firefighting seems like some collectively missed career calling, since putting out fires appears to be the only thing you do all day. But that’s exactly why communication is so vital.

Think about it for a minute – a culture of mature, emotionally intelligent, open communicators in which every voice is empowered to contribute their best to the team’s common goal? That’s the team who wins. And I don’t make such claims lightly. Those conclusions are facts grounded in hard, scientific research. For those who love the “hard” skills and precise measurables, it may seem absurd to pull the trigger on investing valuable time and resources into some vague goal to transform team communication, but throughout the following series you’ll find a combination of concrete science, real-world case studies, and qualitative testimony about the undeniable benefit of going all-in on revamping team communication.

I think by the end, you’ll realize there’s no “wishful thinking” to the dream of being able to revolutionize your team’s productivity through the way it communicates. Even if you’re skeptical, all I ask is to give me 5 articles. Five short arguments, grounded in research, illustrated by an in-depth case study, and validated by testimony, about why maybe, just maybe, your HR director might not be so crazy after all… 

The Secret Weapon of Productivity: Better Communication

Let’s start with a simple observation: while a team’s communication impacts hard metrics like efficiency, productivity, and work quality, it also drives the “softer” success indicators of employee camaraderie, culture, and turnover. Unfortunately, many leaders only pay lip service to the importance of communication, but the overwhelming body of research (both quantitative and qualitative) proves the vital impact of communication on an organization’s ability to innovate, build a healthy, efficient culture, and embrace the value that each unique voice can bring to a team.

Wherever there are breakdowns in communication or the silencing of undervalued voices and personalities, inefficiency is inevitable. It means a team or an organization is playing without it’s full complement of assets, not to mention that the resources being used are woefully underleveraged without the optimal network of diverse perspectives and catalysts around them to bring out their very best. 

So just how much is healthy communication worth to a company?

About a 47% increase in returns to shareholders.

If profitability holds any sway in decision-making, then leaders would do well to heed the discoveries of a 2009 Watson Wyatt study highlighted by the Harvard Business Review.

According to the study, “effective internal communications can keep employees engaged in the business and help companies retain key talent, provide consistent value to customers, and deliver superior financial performance to shareholders” to the tune of a “47% higher return to shareholders over a five-year period (mid-2004 to mid-2009).”

If improving return to stakeholders by nearly 50% doesn’t get your attention, I’m not sure what will. Even investing in standard improvements such as the newest marketing strategies or adopting a high-end enterprise management system struggles to compare with that kind of ROI.

What Do You Want From Your Investment?

Think about your other capital intensive investments – from new machinery and software to revamped branding and strategic alliances or acquisitions – what are you chasing?

Productivity? Scalability? Agility? Flexibility?

These are all objectives to which communication proves crucially and massively impactful. Teams who understand each other, communicate effectively, and know how to create an environment that maximizes every individual’s contribution – those are the teams who optimize productivity. They are more agile and flexible in their ability to respond to the ever-shifting competitive landscape. Such teams actually grow and expand the overall leadership capacity of the team and it’s component members, thereby improving the leadership pipeline of an organization and ensuring it’s sustainability.  

In other words, they extend and drive a company’s scalability by internally increasing leadership depth, skill, and influence. Such resources are integral to success in today’s far-flung, intertwined environment of personal relationship and global interconnectedness.

The Proof Is In The Pudding: Jayne’s Construction Case Study

The upcoming 5-part case study series will take an extended look at the importance of improving team communication through the lens of a general contracting company in Albuquerque, NM called “Jayne’s Construction.”  

After taking stock of their leadership pipeline across all four offices, the company realized it struggled to consistently train, retain, and cultivate leaders of high enough caliber to sufficiently sustain growth. Because the leadership and communication culture suffered, so did scalability. Their inconsistent process for developing leadership capacity and team performance limited their ability to capitalize on growth opportunities. Fortunately, the leadership team embraced humility and began looking for help to fill those needs.  

In our GiANT Worldwide Partner, Maria Guy, Jayne’s found an experienced construction executive with the tools, insights, communication, and leadership expertise to identify and address their pain points. But her process was not a one-off, blink-and-you-miss-it experience. It’s captured in a program we call “Transforming Team Communication.” As a flexible integration program, we have both associates and online tools to fit any organization’s in-person or digital integration needs. Transforming Team Communication takes the lessons learned through the Jayne’s Construction experience and delivers them to any team around the world, fulfilling our commitment to leaders everywhere who are dedicated to the following ideal:

“To help their teams communicate more clearly, deepen relational trust, unlock potential, and accelerate performance by expanding leadership capacity and increasing efficiency.”

So take a few minutes out of your day for the next two weeks and join us as we explore the pain points, the “aha’s,” the scalable solutions, and the transformative results of the Jayne’s Construction leadership journey. 

I would say “what do you have to lose by following along,” but I think the Harvard Business Review made it quite clear what’s at stake:

47% higher returns

Teams that outproduce the competition

A healthy culture that decreases turnover and increases engagement

So the real question isn’t whether to invest in transforming your team’s communication…

The real question is…can you afford not to? 

If you’re interested in learning more about how transforming team communication affects productivity, we’re happy to schedule a meeting to discuss. Just click the contact link below to connect over a call here:

https://bookme.name/abraham/15-30-min.

Cheers, Abraham

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The Importance of Business Communication in an Organization

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The importance of business communication is one of those things that is often overlooked. Most people assume that as long as you can type a sentence or have a voice, you can communicate. And this is true, however, that doesn't mean your communication is actually effective. For business, effective communication on several levels is required. Otherwise, not only does the business suffer internally, but the bottom line will take a hit as well.

Importance of Communication in an Organization

Effective business communication is the art of sharing information in a positive and helpful fashion. Whether this information is being conveyed to employees or customers, it is important that the best method and atmosphere is created when sharing the information. This is especially true when sharing negative information and bad news. That said, the elements of effective communication organization are the same, regardless of the kind of news or who is receiving it.

Honesty Is Key 

Even when the news is bad, and even when it's the last thing you want to do, honesty is a criteria of communication. It might make you feel better to provide half-truths or omit important facts from the interaction, but that relief is short-lived. Eventually, the truth will come out and then you're forced to provide the full details and admit you lied. It is best to tell the truth once and get it over with than to have to address the same issue repeatedly because you weren't completely honest the first time.

Make It Quick

There is no real reason to have a long intro or backstory to lead up to the main point you're trying to convey, other than to buy time (or maybe work up courage). Don't dance around the issue. State the issue, let everyone know the result or problem created by the issue, offer your solution for the issue and thank people for their time. Sometimes we get wrapped up in the emotions of the news and we forget to let people know the actionable options that exist to deal with the issue. Having notes so you stay on track can help. It is also best to wait until emotions have had a chance to settle before addressing issues, especially when dealing with staff issues.

Check Your Body Language

Your body language can support or undermine your message. For example, if you tell an employee, "My door is always open. I'm willing to listen to your thoughts and opinions," but while you talking, you're slouched against the door frame with your arms folded and a frown on your face, your words might be inviting but your body language is not. Good posture, eye contact, and an inviting facial expression will improve your workplace communication and the ability to effectively convey what you need to say.

Know Your Audience

How you convey information will depend on your audience. If you're talking to corporate insiders, you can throw in shorthand and jargon and still get your points across. However, if you're talking to your customers, you'll want to keep the jargon to a minimum. Otherwise, you could spend more time explaining the jargon that sharing the information you wanted to share.

Have a Clear Message

Before you sit down with your team, an employee or the board, know exactly what you want to say. "Winging it" just leads to miscommunication. Take notes and bring them along if you need to. Knowing exactly what you want to say will help you frame your message and make sure your lead up stays on point and drive home the point you needed to make.

Listen More

Being an effective communicator requires you to be a good listener. People want to know they've been heard. So, if you can repeat back what a person has said to you before adding your own response or counter to their argument, you have a better chance of creating a dialogue that benefits everyone.

Effective communication can be a challenge, but if you want to be an effective leader, employee or influencer, honing your communication skills will help you in your career.

• Forbes: 15 Ways To Overcome Communication Errors As A Business Leader

K.A. Francis has been a freelance and small business owner for 20 years. She has been writing about personal finance and budgeting since 2008. She taught Accounting, Management, Marketing and Business Law at WV Business College and Belmont College and holds a BA and an MAED in Education and Training.

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1. WHAT IS TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION?

1.4 Case Study: The Cost of Poor Communication

No one knows exactly how much poor communication costs business, industry and government each year, but estimates suggest billions.  In fact, a recent estimate claims that the cost in the U.S. alone are close to $4 billion annually! [1] Poorly-worded or inefficient emails, careless reading or listening to instructions, documents that go unread due to poor design, hastily presenting inaccurate information, sloppy proofreading — all of these examples result in inevitable costs. The problem is that these costs aren’t usually included on the corporate balance sheet at the end of each year; if they are not properly or clearly defined, the problems remain unsolved.

You may have seen the Project Management Tree Cartoon before ( Figure 1.4.1 ); it has been used and adapted widely to illustrate the perils of poor communication during a project.

The waste caused by imprecisely worded regulations or instructions, confusing emails, long-winded memos, ambiguously written contracts, and other examples of poor communication is not as easily identified as the losses caused by a bridge collapse or a flood. But the losses are just as real—in reduced productivity, inefficiency, and lost business. In more personal terms, the losses are measured in wasted time, work, money, and ultimately, professional recognition. In extreme cases, losses can be measured in property damage, injuries, and even deaths.

The following “case studies” show how poor communications can have real world costs and consequences. For example, consider the “ Comma Quirk ” in the Rogers Contract that cost $2 million. [3]   A small error in spelling a company name cost £8.8 million. [4]   Examine Edward Tufte’s discussion of the failed PowerPoint presentation that attempted to prevent the Columbia Space Shuttle disaster. [5] The failure of project managers and engineers to communicate effectively resulted in the deadly Hyatt Regency walkway collapse. [6]   The case studies below offer a few more examples that might be less extreme, but much more common.

In small groups, examine each “case” and determine the following:

• Define the rhetorical situation : Who is communicating to whom about what, how, and why? What was the goal of the communication in each case?
• Identify the communication error (poor task or audience analysis? Use of inappropriate language or style? Poor organization or formatting of information? Other?)
• Explain what costs/losses were incurred by this problem.
• Identify possible solution s or strategies that would have prevented the problem, and what benefits would be derived from implementing solutions or preventing the problem.

Present your findings in a brief, informal presentation to the class.

Exercises adapted from T.M Georges’ Analytical Writing for Science and Technology. [7]

CASE 1: The promising chemist who buried his results

Bruce, a research chemist for a major petro-chemical company, wrote a dense report about some new compounds he had synthesized in the laboratory from oil-refining by-products. The bulk of the report consisted of tables listing their chemical and physical properties, diagrams of their molecular structure, chemical formulas and data from toxicity tests. Buried at the end of the report was a casual speculation that one of the compounds might be a particularly safe and effective insecticide.

Seven years later, the same oil company launched a major research program to find more effective but environmentally safe insecticides. After six months of research, someone uncovered Bruce’s report and his toxicity tests. A few hours of further testing confirmed that one of Bruce’s compounds was the safe, economical insecticide they had been looking for.

Bruce had since left the company, because he felt that the importance of his research was not being appreciated.

CASE 2: The rejected current regulator proposal

The Acme Electric Company worked day and night to develop a new current regulator designed to cut the electric power consumption in aluminum plants by 35%. They knew that, although the competition was fierce, their regulator could be produced more affordably, was more reliable, and worked more efficiently than the competitors’ products.

The owner, eager to capture the market, personally but somewhat hastily put together a 120-page proposal to the three major aluminum manufacturers, recommending that the new Acme regulators be installed at all company plants.

She devoted the first 87 pages of the proposal to the mathematical theory and engineering design behind his new regulator, and the next 32 to descriptions of the new assembly line she planned to set up to produce regulators quickly. Buried in an appendix were the test results that compared her regulator’s performance with present models, and a poorly drawn graph showed the potential cost savings over 3 years.

The proposals did not receive any response. Acme Electric didn’t get the contracts, despite having the best product. Six months later, the company filed for bankruptcy.

CASE 3: The instruction manual the scared customers away

As one of the first to enter the field of office automation, Sagatec Software, Inc. had built a reputation for designing high-quality and user-friendly database and accounting programs for business and industry. When they decided to enter the word-processing market, their engineers designed an effective, versatile, and powerful program that Sagatec felt sure would outperform any competitor.

To be sure that their new word-processing program was accurately documented, Sagatec asked the senior program designer to supervise writing the instruction manual. The result was a thorough, accurate and precise description of every detail of the program’s operation.

When Sagatec began marketing its new word processor, cries for help flooded in from office workers who were so confused by the massive manual that they couldn’t even find out how to get started. Then several business journals reviewed the program and judged it “too complicated” and “difficult to learn.” After an impressive start, sales of the new word processing program plummeted.

Sagatec eventually put out a new, clearly written training guide that led new users step by step through introductory exercises and told them how to find commands quickly. But the rewrite cost Sagatec $350,000, a year’s lead in the market, and its reputation for producing easy-to-use business software.

CASE 4: One garbled memo – 26 baffled phone calls

Joanne supervised 36 professionals in 6 city libraries. To cut the costs of unnecessary overtime, she issued this one-sentence memo to her staff:

After the 36 copies were sent out, Joanne’s office received 26 phone calls asking what the memo meant. What the 10 people who didn’t call about the memo thought is uncertain. It took a week to clarify the new policy.

CASE 5: Big science — Little rhetoric

The following excerpt is from Carl Sagan’s book, The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark, [8] itself both a plea for and an excellent example of clear scientific communication:

The Superconducting Supercollider (SSC) would have been the preeminent instrument on the planet for probing the fine structure of matter and the nature of the early Universe. Its price tag was $10 to $15 billion. It was cancelled by Congress in 1993 after about $2 billion had been spent — a worst of both worlds outcome. But this debate was not, I think, mainly about declining interest in the support of science. Few in Congress understood what modern high-energy accelerators are for. They are not for weapons. They have no practical applications. They are for something that is, worrisomely from the point of view of many, called “the theory of everything.” Explanations that involve entities called quarks, charm, flavor, color, etc., sound as if physicists are being cute. The whole thing has an aura, in the view of at least some Congresspeople I’ve talked to, of “nerds gone wild” — which I suppose is an uncharitable way of describing curiosity-based science. No one asked to pay for this had the foggiest idea of what a Higgs boson is. I’ve read some of the material intended to justify the SSC. At the very end, some of it wasn’t too bad, but there was nothing that really addressed what the project was about on a level accessible to bright but skeptical non-physicists. If physicists are asking for 10 or 15 billion dollars to build a machine that has no practical value, at the very least they should make an extremely serious effort, with dazzling graphics, metaphors, and capable use of the English language, to justify their proposal. More than financial mismanagement, budgetary constraints, and political incompetence, I think this is the key to the failure of the SSC.

CASE 6: The co-op student who mixed up genres

Chris was simultaneously enrolled in a university writing course and working as a co-op student at the Widget Manufacturing plant. As part of his co-op work experience, Chris shadowed his supervisor/mentor on a safety inspection of the plant, and was asked to write up the results of the inspection in a compliance memo . In the same week, Chris’s writing instructor assigned the class to write a narrative essay based on some personal experience. Chris, trying to be efficient, thought that the plant visit experience could provide the basis for his essay assignment as well.

He wrote the essay first, because he was used to writing essays and was pretty good at it. He had never even seen a compliance memo, much less written one, so was not as confident about that task. He began the essay like this:

On June 1, 2018, I conducted a safety audit of the Widget Manufacturing plant in New City. The purpose of the audit was to ensure that all processes and activities in the plant adhere to safety and handling rules and policies outlined in the Workplace Safety Handbook and relevant government regulations. I was escorted on a 3-hour tour of the facility by…

Chris finished the essay and submitted it to his writing instructor. He then revised the essay slightly, keeping the introduction the same, and submitted it to his co-op supervisor. He “aced” the essay, getting an A grade, but his supervisor told him that the report was unacceptable and would have to be rewritten – especially the beginning, which should have clearly indicated whether or not the plant was in compliance with safety regulations. Chris was aghast! He had never heard of putting the “conclusion” at the beginning . He missed the company softball game that Saturday so he could rewrite the report to the satisfaction of his supervisor.

• J. Bernoff, "Bad writing costs business billions," Daily Beast , Oct. 16, 2016 [Online]. Available:  https://www.thedailybeast.com/bad-writing-costs-businesses-billions?ref=scroll ↵
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Technical Writing Essentials Copyright © 2019 by Suzan Last is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Case Study on Business Communication

1. Shantanu performed well as an intern at a company and was assured by his manager that he would be hired permanently. 2. However, after a formal interview that differed from previous assurances, Shantanu was told he was not being hired. 3. This damaged trust between Shantanu and his manager due to lack of transparency and conflicting communications. Read less

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• 1. PSG Institute of Management Effective Communication should be developed through trust A Case study on Effective Communication should be developed through Trust Prepared by SUNAM PAL KIRAN VARGHESE JACOB PGPM student of Marketing Specialization, PGPM student of Marketing Specialization, Alliance University School of Business Alliance University School of Business Official Address Official Address Sunam Pal, Kiran Varghese Jacob Room number MS-324, Room number BS-202, Boys Hostel, Faculty Quarters (Boys), Alliance University School of Business, Alliance University School of Business, Central Campus, Central Campus, Chikkahagade Cross, Chikkahagade Cross, Chandapura - Anekal Main Road, Chandapura - Anekal Main Road, Anekal, Bangalore - 562106 Anekal, Bangalore - 562106 Karnataka, India Karnataka, India Contact Number: +91 9620368402 Contact Number: +91 9886401773 Email-Id: Email-Id: [email protected] [email protected] BENCH MARK 2011 PSG Institute of Management, Coimbatore Page 1
• 2. PSG Institute of Management Effective Communication should be developed through trust Effective Communication should be developed through Trust Transparency, credibility and sticking to the commitments are very important while communicating. Effective communication is driven through loyalty and trust of the people. Purpose is of this case is to know:  Importance of communication in business  Understanding unethical practices in business  Transparency, Credibility & accountability are a major concern for managers.  Trust is must in an employee driven company.  Commitment is a worth of company’s values  Effective management is won through loyalty This case is based on a real incidence that happened last year in one of the top fortune 100 company. NOTE: Names of all character, company & events in this case has been kept confidential with the intension not to reveal the identity of those who had an impact or were responsible for this incidence. Good communication is as stimulating as black coffee and just as hard to sleep after. Anne Morrow Lindbergh, 'Gift From the Sea' Think like a wise man but communicate in the language of the people. William Butler Yeats (1865 - 1939) Let us make a special effort to stop communicating with each other, so we can have some conversation. Judith Martin, (Miss Manners) Source: http://www.quotationspage.com/subjects/communication/ BENCH MARK 2011 PSG Institute of Management, Coimbatore Page 2
• 3. PSG Institute of Management Effective Communication should be developed through trust Case Overview Mr. Shantanu Bannerjee was having his cup of coffee near the balcony of cafeteria after he had completed his task for the day. It was dusk all around. He was sitting alone & thinking upon few important issues. He couldn’t digest few things about the day & was regretting that why he didn’t act upon it before. He was also disturbed that why did he trust his manager & also why was he not made aware of it before hand. Any how Shantanu had no other choice as he knew that it was too late & only what he could think ahead was for a better future & learn a good lesson out of what had happened. Mr.Shantanu recently passed his B.Tech from Punjab Engineering College in computer science. Just as a part of his internship training he joined this company. Although he was technically sound, on his part he could make the best of what he could do for the company. He was selected for the position of project trainee in a domain meant for hardware testing. During the entire tenure of 6 months of his internship technically he learned a lot. Initially he was being appointed to simulate the circuit diagrams & review the wires, cables in case of any disorder. He was very good at performing tasks. Though he was a fresher he could mend circuits and verify it better than any other person in his team. Soon within span of 2 months he was given the in charge of the project that dealt with procurement & reviewing the electronic items. Being a fresher it was like a prestigious reward for him to be given a responsible task that was just new to his field of work. It gave him much courage & also motivated him to perform his tasks in a more productive way. As per one of his team member Satyajit Khurana, “Shantanu was very talented & technically expert. Once you provide him with the objective, he does that task before the stipulated time with perfection. There is no need of any mentor or supervisor to guide him all the time. He knew his work, deadlines & how to make things done” While he was undergoing his new project he could found some flaws in the inventory management system for procurement. He worked for about a fortnight and could come up with a solution to optimize the inventory management system using software’s which reduced the whole procurement project life cycle time by 23%. It was a huge achievement and an abnormal gain that no one can ever estimate. Soon his model of inventory system was being adopted by other teams & implemented. His manager rewarded him for his extreme innovation at his work. Shantanu got more priority over other trainees. He also got opportunity to interact with clients overseas. Shantanu’s instant innovation made him to be a lime light in his team. However he could notice that some of his senior team members were not happy with his manager’s decision. He could realize that his dynamism & progress were taken as a threat to the position & prestige of other team members because he was just a fresher & was doing well compared to those experienced. BENCH MARK 2011 PSG Institute of Management, Coimbatore Page 3
• 4. PSG Institute of Management Effective Communication should be developed through trust One month was left for Shantanu to complete his training. Shantanu knew that apart from his good performance there was no vacancy for him in his domain as most of the old employees were on bench during recession. However on 5th July he got a call from Miss Sheela, Project manager of CII team from other domain. It also dealt with hardware testing which was very close to Shantanu’s work profile. She gave an offer to him saying that they have an urgent vacancy in their team & they would like to hire him, if he is right for the job based on two rounds of technical interview. Shantanu before agreeing for the proposal decided to speak to his current manager so that there are no disputes. So he asked for some time from Miss Sheela to convey his opinion. His current manager Mr. Ravi Sharma called Shantanu to his cabin. He said that he would ask his manager Mr. Shyam Kumar about it & let him know soon as he hopes that there is some project about to come to his team in next 2 months and they need to hire someone. Based on past 5 months performance of Shantanu, he & his manager were very satisfied & would like him to work as a permanent employee for the new project. Within two days Shantanu was informed to extend his internship by three months so that he would be absorbed as a permanent employee based on a formal interview. However it was clearly indicated to him that the interview was just a formality. Ravi & his manager Shyam were ready to hire him at any cost. He also mentioned “no need to worry. You can decline your proposal from Sheela & also from other teams if coming to you. Interview is just a formality. You are in. Now don’t think about your interviews much & concentrate on your projects. We have lot of expectation from you.” The news was spread all over the team that soon Shantanu will be a part of their team. But few members in his team were having objections but there were no other alternatives as it was manager’s decision. Shantanu called Sheela & said “Hi! Sheela, thanks for your offer. But today my manager informed me that there is a vacancy for me in my team itself. So sorry for keeping you on hold” Sheela replied “No problem at all. Congratulations” Shantanu was eagerly waiting for the days to pass & finally the day came when he was about to attend the formal interview. He was assured quite a number of times before that “the interview was formal & his performance was no way going to affect his selection. He was already being selected by both of his immediate managers. Interview was just a step to follow the employee recruitment guidelines of the company.Shantanu was also asked not to concentrate much on interview & rather pay attention on his routine work. Finally Shantanu had his interview on 30th July, 2009 at 5:00 Pm. Interview was carried by his team members some of whom were not always in favor of him. Shantanu was surprised to find that none of his managers were in the interview panel as they promised that at least one of them would be there. BENCH MARK 2011 PSG Institute of Management, Coimbatore Page 4
• 5. PSG Institute of Management Effective Communication should be developed through trust Shantanu had a tough time in the interview. He was asked with the questions that were out of context & those that were not related to him & his work. Neither he had worked in that nor did his profile for which he was being selected match to the questions asked. Bust since Shantanu was technically sound & also had been resolving partly the technical disputes of other teams, he had ideas about the out of box questions and could manage to perform satisfactory in his interview. Still 8 days were left. Shantanu didn’t ask about his feedback as he was assured that it’s not going to impact anyway. Mr. Ravi gave him a call. Shantanu went to his cabin. Shantanu was told that “he will not be hired because he couldn’t perform well in the interview”.Shantanu argued that “Why Ravi, I performed well till date. I am having a very good track record for last 5 months & feedbacks were very good as given by you only. I kept to all my deadlines. You people awarded me. Because of you only I denied sheela’s offer. You only assured me that the interview was just a formality & I need to concentrate on my work.” Ravi replied back “Our Company’s policy says that while recruitment it is the interviewer who decides the final selection. The panel of your interviewer is not ready to hire you. They have an opinion that the task to which you were going to be assigned is different from your current profile & does not meet their expectation. So you can apply for your resignation latest by next 5 days so that it gets updated to the database before your tenure of training ends by default” Shantanu was helpless. He also knew that as per company’s policy “Interns are hired temporarily for projects & thus have no assurance about confirmation of their job after completion of the project even if they had performed well. He also didn’t have any documentary proof as everything was intended to him orally. There was no written evidence or mail that could suggest that he was being assured that he will be hired. He could have talked to HR’s, But in his company he knew that HR will only say that if the line managers are not ready then no one can do anything as the entire decision is based on managers. He called Sheela in case vacancy was still there. She replied that the vacancies were filled and there were no other vacancies in her team and in the entire domain for coming 6 months. Finally he had no other alternative, sat in front of his system. He applied for resignation, filled the form, clicked on the final button & his resignation got accepted. Then he went for a cup of coffee to the cafeteria.He could realize that he made some mistakes and could have rectified it earlier by being alert rather than taking the situation very casual. BENCH MARK 2011 PSG Institute of Management, Coimbatore Page 5
• 6. PSG Institute of Management Effective Communication should be developed through trust Teaching Notes Prior action to overcome the situation Shantanu’s intuition should have predicted beforehand that something is wrong with the point of not giving a feedback immediately after his interview was over that he wasn’t selected. He was conveyed the same just 8 days before his internship last date. Shantanu was not clarified properly about the reason for not hiring him and thus Shantanu had no faith in what managers were saying. His manager’s statement was ambiguous and didn’t match to his action. Shantanu’s next project manager was out of the scene. Shantanu could have overcome the situation by being alert for his interview without taking it casually and preparing well for it.He should have not only questioned his manager Ravi but also to his further higher manager Mr.Shyam about his doubts & to justify the reason to not hire him.He should have given a trial, to freely convey the same to his domain HR.He should have intelligently managed to use the written documents like mail about the assurance given by the manager , so that he could have at least conveyed to HR about his circumstances. He should have talked to HR regarding other vacancies in other teams or domains. Major Communication Barrier The major communication barriers were the lack of transparency in communication, non- fulfilment of commitment by the manager which indeed lead to lack of trust, improper Organizational structure because he couldn’t convey his problems to his domain HRs. He had a prior perception as he believed that the HR’s cannot solve his problem in any way. Lack of autonomy & privileges given to bottom employees to discuss & resolve their personal issues with higher officials were lacking. Shantanu’s expectation was not high. The strength of an ethical company lies in its commitment. So when an organization assures him that he is being selected, it is quite genuine for anyone to think & stick to what organization has committed. Also Shantanu’s expectation was quite genuine from his team as he was being awarded for his work & could meet all deadlines within time. He could also fix many technical issues in his entire tenure of work. Mistakes committed by the management Shantanu’s project manager did the mistake by giving assurance. He should have kept control on his emotions & could have patiently watched the outcome till the interview was over. He shouldn’t have assured him, rather should have told him to prepare well without giving any guarantee beforehand. He should have justified Shantanu at the end, stating him the actual reasons for not hiring & should have clarified all his doubts. BENCH MARK 2011 PSG Institute of Management, Coimbatore Page 6
• 7. PSG Institute of Management Effective Communication should be developed through trust He should have conveyed the message with the motive to convince him, till he found that Shantanu was with his statement & was in a position to agree to what he was saying. Shantanu should have been given with adequate time to make necessary arrangement in the meantime & to make up himself for the cause. Conflicting statements His earlier statement was “No need to worry. You can decline your proposal from Sheela & also from other teams if coming to you. Interview is just a formality. You are in. Now don’t think about your interviews much & concentrate on your projects. We have lot of expectation from you.” But his later Statement statement was “Our Company’s policy says that while recruitment it is the interviewer who decides the final selection. The panel of your interviewers is not ready to hire you. They have an opinion that the task to which you were going to be assigned is different from your current profile & does not meet their expectation. So you can apply for your resignation latest by next 5 days so that it gets updated to the database before your tenure of training ends by default” Role of HR & their policy There should be an open door policy where employee can approach them with any sort of problem they have. There should be a well expertise team to carry out employee counselling & manage stress. HR department should train those Managers without a Management Degree about communication barriers. How to tackle them. How to frame sentences so that they don’t deviate from their statements. Also they should be made learnt about the importance of maintaining transparency, accountability, credibility & autonomy within employees. They should know how to build trust & be loyal to its subordinates. There should be a feedback form to be filled by every employee while leaving their organization. From survey in various Indian software company it is being concluded that majority of the employees don’t leave their company but leave their managers” All employees who are undergoing resignation process should be examined well. They should track their details & come up with report to analyze different types of circumstances to encounter such problems before hand & optimize them. BENCH MARK 2011 PSG Institute of Management, Coimbatore Page 7
• 8. PSG Institute of Management Effective Communication should be developed through trust Conclusion To maintain effective communication, maintaining transparency within the company and sticking to its commitment plays a very important role. The doubts among the bottom line employees should be clarified and HR should take care to resolve such issues. Enough of clarification should be given so that the person is convinced with manager’s decision and should have faith in the organization. Organizational structure should be designed in such a way that it is easy for employees to sort out their problems with HR and is genuinely clarified with the cause behind such decisions. Q Questions based on above case study: 1) What were the major communication problems faced in this case? Were Shantanu’s expectations his team were very high or it was quite genuine. 2) Do you think there was lack of transparency? 3) What would Shantanu have done to overcome the situation? 4) In what better way Ravi could have handled the situation? 5) What were the conflicting statements said by Ravi in this case? How could he have sorted it? 6) How HR within an organization can play an important role in tracking miscommunication and resolve such issues BENCH MARK 2011 PSG Institute of Management, Coimbatore Page 8
• 9. PSG Institute of Management Effective Communication should be developed through trust Exhibit-1 FACTORS: EXPRESSER DRIVER RELATER ANALYTICAL They seek a lot of They like their They like positive data, ask many How to own way; decisive attention, to be questions, and They get excited. Recognize: & strong helpful & to be behave viewpoints. regarded warmly. methodically & systematically. What (the results Why? (The How? (The Who? (the personal Tends to Ask: oriented personal non-goal technical analytical dominant question) question.) question.) question.) Rejection, treated Boring Someone wasting impersonally, Making an error, What They explanations/wasting their time trying uncaring & being unprepared, Dislike: time with too many to decide for unfeeling spontaneity. facts. them. attitudes. Reacts to Taking charge Becoming silent, "Selling" their ideas Seeking more data Pressure and taking more withdraws, or argumentative. & information. Tension By: control. introspective. Get excited with Provide lots of Best way to Deal Let them be in Be supportive; them. Show data & With: charge. show you care. emotion. information. Activity & Likes To Be Applause, feedback, Results, Goal- Friends, close busyness that Measured By: recognition. oriented. relationships. leads to results. Get into a Make decisions at Relax, feel, care, Must Be Allowed Get ahead quickly. competitive own pace, not and know you To: Likes challenges. situation. Likes to cornered or care. win. pressured. A position that A structure of Recognition & some Interpersonal and Will Improve requires goals & methods structure with which communication With: cooperation with for achieving each to reach the goal. skills. others. goal. Face. They hate to Effort they rely Time. They like to Relationships. make an error, be Likes to Save: heavily on hunches, be efficient, get Friendship means wrong or get intuition, feelings. things done now. a lot to them. caught without enough info. Allow them Care & provide Inspire them to Structure a For Best freedom to do detail, specific bigger & better framework or Results: things their own plans&activities to accomplishments. "track" to follow. way. be accomplished. Source: http://www.drbackman.com/print-communication-styles.htm BENCH MARK 2011 PSG Institute of Management, Coimbatore Page 9
• 10. PSG Institute of Management Effective Communication should be developed through trust Exhibit-2 Passive Assertive Aggressive Communication Communication Communication style in which you style in which you style in which you put the rights of stand up for your stand up for your Definition others before your rights while rights but you own, minimizing maintaining violate the rights your own self respect for the of others worth rights of others my feelings are not we are both your feelings are important important not important Implications to Others I don't matter we both matter you don't matter I think we are I think I'm inferior I think I'm superior equal apologetic I statements you statements Verbal Styles overly soft or firm voice loud voice tentative voice looking down or staring, narrow looking direct away eyes Non-Verbal Styles relaxed posture, stooped posture, tense, clenched smooth and excessive head fists, rigid posture, relaxed nodding pointing fingers movements lowered self higher self esteem guilt esteem anger at self self respect anger from others Potential false feelings of respect from lowered self Consequences inferiority others esteem disrespect from disrespect from respect of others others others pitied by others feared by others Source :http://www.cedanet.com/meta/communication_styles.htm BENCH MARK 2011 PSG Institute of Management, Coimbatore Page 10
• 11. PSG Institute of Management Effective Communication should be developed through trust References http://www.quotationspage.com/subjects/communication/ [ Page-2] http://www.drbackman.com/print-communication-styles.htm [ Page-9] http://www.cedanet.com/meta/communication_styles.htm [ Page-10] BENCH MARK 2011 PSG Institute of Management, Coimbatore Page 11
• 12. PSG Institute of Management Effective Communication should be developed through trust BENCH MARK 2011 PSG Institute of Management, Coimbatore Page 12
• 13. PSG Institute of Management Effective Communication should be developed through trust BENCH MARK 2011 PSG Institute of Management, Coimbatore Page 13

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Communicating with your audience is more than giving a handful of information, it is the use of clear language that is factual and logical to depict to the audience that the message is essential to their lives and their future.

The biggest communication problem is we do not listen to understand. We listen to reply.

Here is a video depicting why it is important to tailor to your audience's needs

Communicating to a Diverse Demographic Audience

This video depicts the importance of communication to different demographic audience members. Making sure that your presentation is understood by all individuals is a valuable communication tool

Remember that no matter the audience, everyone should understand and enjoy the information you are presenting.

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Supervising your representatives’ business communications

This is Information Sheet 283 (INFO 283) . It provides guidance for market intermediaries, including investment banks and participants of exchange and over-the-counter (OTC) markets, on appropriate supervision of their representatives’ business communications to prevent, detect and address misconduct and contraventions of financial services laws.

It provides guidance about:

• the importance of supervising representatives
• managing risks from unmonitored business communications
• supervisory arrangements to monitor business communications , and
• reviewing the effectiveness of supervisory arrangements for business communications .

In this information sheet, we consider business communications to include any written, voice or electronic communications used by market intermediaries and their representatives to carry on their financial services business. This includes, but is not limited to, communications reasonably required to meet record-keeping obligations and enable monitoring of compliance with financial services laws.

The importance of supervising representatives

Market intermediaries play an important role in upholding the integrity of financial markets.

In order to prevent and promptly detect misconduct and poor behaviour, market intermediaries need to adequately supervise their representatives. We expect market intermediaries to take reasonable steps (in line with the potential harms from misconduct) to actively monitor and store business communications, in keeping with their obligations.

Market intermediaries should also ensure they have appropriate governance frameworks for their businesses to detect and respond to misconduct and poor behaviour by their representatives, consistent with their existing obligations under the financial services laws.

Managing risks from unmonitored business communications

A market intermediary that is an Australian financial services (AFS) licensee must (among other things and unless exempt):

• take reasonable steps to ensure that its representatives comply with the financial services laws (section 912A(1)(ca) of the Corporations Act 2001 (Corporations Act))
• have available adequate resources (including financial, technological and human resources) to provide the financial services covered by the licence and carry out supervisory arrangements (section 912A(1)(d) of the Corporations Act), and
• have adequate risk management systems (section 912A(1)(h) of the Corporations Act).

The ASIC market integrity rules for securities and futures markets require market participants to (among other things):

• have appropriate supervisory policies and procedures to ensure compliance by each person involved in its business with the market integrity rules, the operating rules of the market and the Corporations Act (Securities Markets Rule 2.1.3 and Futures Markets Rule 2.2.8)
• maintain records of instructions received from clients (Securities Markets Rule 4.1.1 and Futures Markets Rule 2.2.4), and
• record, via telephone lines and/or other electronic devices, all conversations with clients and other parties relating to client instructions (Futures Markets Rule 2.2.7).

New communication technologies are developing rapidly and changing how market intermediaries communicate when carrying on a financial services business. While new technologies present challenges, they also offer solutions for complying with record-keeping and compliance monitoring obligations.

Market intermediaries must have adequate arrangements to supervise and record their representatives’ business communications, considering the nature, scale and complexity of the business. The supervisory arrangements that are required to satisfy the obligations may vary between market intermediaries. In addition to considering the nature, scale and complexity of the business, market intermediaries should take into account their risk appetites and assessments when designing and implementing adequate supervisory arrangements that consider risks specific or more significant to certain business functions and roles.

The use of unmonitored communication channels and encrypted communication applications in business communications can significantly increase the risk of misconduct going undetected. This is an important consideration for market intermediaries when implementing and assessing their supervisory arrangements.

Effective supervisory arrangements are important for managing the risk of harm to clients or market integrity, including harms from:

• inappropriate or unauthorised disclosure of confidential or inside information
• market abuse, including insider trading and market manipulation, and
• bribery, fraud or other behaviour that may be prohibited under law or a market intermediary’s internal policies.

Supervision frameworks and controls to record and monitor the business communications of a market intermediary’s representatives must be designed to comply with workplace surveillance laws, which differ between states and territories.

The case study below is designed to help market intermediaries consider these issues and risks.

Case study: Personal devices

A market intermediary adopts a ‘bring your own device’ policy or allows the use of personal devices for business communications..

The use of personal devices for work-related purposes has increased dramatically as remote or hybrid working arrangements have become part of many market intermediaries’ normal business operations. When adopting ‘bring your own device’ policies, market intermediaries should consider their risk appetite and assessments, and how adequate supervision of representatives can be effective under these arrangements.

What does the market intermediary do?

The market intermediary’s policies and procedures are updated to outline its expectations in relation to the use of personal devices and applicable confidentiality requirements for business or client data. There are various ways the market intermediary could adequately record business communications conducted on personal devices to meet record-keeping and compliance monitoring obligations, considering the nature, scale and complexity of its business. For example:

• installing technology on devices to give access to, record and monitor specific applications or communications
• manually recording or summarising the business communications on a communication channel available for compliance monitoring (e.g. email, order management systems), based on a documented policy and procedure
• transitioning client-initiated communications onto an approved communication channel at the earliest opportunity (e.g. transmitting an order through to the office immediately if out with a client).

Supervisory arrangements to monitor business communications

Market intermediaries should ensure their supervisory arrangements for monitoring business communications are adapted as the business develops and its risk profile changes over time: see Regulatory Guide 104 AFS licensing: Meeting the general obligations ( RG 104 ).

Some important measures to consider include:

• policies and procedures that identify communication channels approved by the market intermediary for business communications and outline how to handle communications through unapproved channels for record-keeping and compliance monitoring purposes
• ongoing training on relevant policies and regulatory requirements that include real-life worked examples. Representatives should regularly attest that they have read, understood and will comply with internal policies
• consequence management frameworks and actions for breaches of policies or regulatory requirements that provide a visible and credible deterrent
• supervisory arrangements for monitoring business communications that reflect the market intermediary’s risk appetite and are reviewed regularly to consider emerging conduct risks and the impact of communication applications, with input from all relevant stakeholders (e.g. front office, compliance, legal, operations, IT and HR), and
• processes for regular independent review and testing of the effectiveness of surveillance controls and supervision frameworks (e.g. by internal audit) to ensure the arrangements remain adequate and comply with financial services and other applicable laws.

The scenarios below are designed to help market intermediaries consider these issues and risks, but they are not exhaustive.

A representative of a market intermediary contacts a client on an encrypted messaging app from their personal device to discuss trading strategies.

Business communications on unapproved channels increase the risk of misconduct or poor behaviour going undetected. Adequate arrangements for recording and monitoring business communication channels will vary across market intermediaries. In this scenario, the market intermediary has policies that clearly identify approved and monitored channels for representatives to conduct business communications. The policies also specify certain unapproved channels and set out what representatives should do if a client or other third party initiates business communications through an unapproved channel, to ensure those business communications can be recorded and monitored appropriately.

When the market intermediary detects a representative has used an unapproved communication channel, the market intermediary conducts reasonable investigations of whether the communications and related conduct comply with the market intermediary’s policies and the law. Following the investigation, the market intermediary applies its fair consequence management frameworks, which are clearly outlined for representatives in its policies, to retrain, discipline and deter representatives as needed.

A client asks a representative of a market intermediary to use a messaging app that is outside its approved and monitored business communication channels.

The market intermediary’s policies and procedures address how representatives are to deal with business communications outside of approved channels to ensure the business communications can be recorded and monitored to adequately supervise representatives’ conduct. The market intermediary may decide to decline permission for the representative to use the messaging app. Alternatively, it may determine how to record these communications for compliance monitoring, in line with their risk appetite and assessment.

Approaches to recording and monitoring may vary. Formal and documented approval and governance processes may be used to assess, test and approve the application. Alternatively, the business communications could be recorded and monitored through established processes involving compliance, surveillance or other internal stakeholders to effectively monitor the business communications, in line with the market intermediary’s record-keeping and supervision obligations.

A scheduled review of a market intermediary’s business communications finds several representatives discussing business on their personal devices or unapproved channels.

This scenario does not comply with the market intermediary’s record-keeping and supervision obligations and falls short of the expectations for representatives set out in its internal policies and procedures. The market intermediary decides to conduct an in-depth investigation of its representatives’ business communications to assess compliance with its policies and procedures and whether its representatives have engaged in suspicious activity or misconduct, or otherwise failed to comply with financial services laws. The findings are reported to the relevant management, committees and/or the board, with recommended action items to address and remediate any deficiencies in its existing arrangements and any proposed disciplinary action to be taken under its consequence management frameworks.

Reviewing the effectiveness of supervisory arrangements for business communications

Market intermediaries should periodically review their arrangements for supervising business communications to ensure they are operating effectively and remain adequate. The following questions should prompt market intermediaries to consider and review their supervisory arrangements, considering the nature, scale and complexity of the business.

Scope of supervisory arrangements

• Are supervisory arrangements adequate to record and monitor the business communications of representatives and identify potential misconduct, considering the risk of harm to clients or market integrity?
• Do supervisory arrangements incorporate reasonable steps to detect the use of unapproved communication channels, incomplete conversations on approved communication channels or insufficient record keeping?
• Are supervisory arrangements clear in how representatives should appropriately transfer client-initiated communications onto approved and monitored channels?
• Are supervisory arrangements reviewed frequently enough to assess and adequately manage the risk posed by new and emerging communication channels that have not been authorised?
• Do periodic reviews of supervisory arrangements consider whether the controls and residual risks are consistent with the market intermediary’s risk appetite?
• Is the list of representatives subject to business communications monitoring decided by the market intermediary, updated frequently enough to reflect changes in roles, risks and business activities?

Business communications controls

• Are communication surveillance systems effective and updated frequently enough to adequately supervise the business communications of representatives?
• Is the underlying communications data used by surveillance systems to supervise business communications complete, accurate and timely?
• Are the alerts generated by the surveillance systems used to monitor business communications timely and accurate?
• Are communication surveillance systems able to access and store business communications from encrypted channels?
• To what extent does the range of controls and surveillance systems implemented identify potential misconduct? Examples may include surveillance alerts, lexicon analysis and other analytics to identify language suggesting potential misconduct.
• Are alerts of potential misconduct adequately documented and reviewed in a timely manner to disrupt suspected misconduct and any resulting harms?
• Are business communication controls appropriate for the market intermediary’s business activities and the risk of harm or market abuse from misuse of confidential information?

Governance of supervisory arrangements and controls

• Have the market intermediary’s supervisory arrangements been subject to appropriate governance and approval processes?
• Does the market intermediary maintain adequate resourcing (human and technical) to perform supervision of business communications appropriate to the nature, scale and complexity of the business?
• Are appropriate contingencies and back-up arrangements in place to mitigate disruptions to the supervision of business communications, considering the risk of harm to clients or market integrity?
• How does the market intermediary deter representatives from using unapproved communication channels and/or from circumventing supervisory arrangements?
• Are internal governance arrangements relating to the development and use of supervision arrangements and controls effectively documented and are there clear lines of accountability?
• Does the market intermediary have clear accountability measures for representatives and how is this accountability captured (e.g. periodic attestations, accountability statements, etc.)?

Record keeping and training

• Are appropriate records of business communications being kept to facilitate monitoring, reviews and audits in accordance with regulatory requirements?
• How do representatives record informal communications that may arise with clients or other parties that are required to meet the market intermediaries’ record-keeping and other obligations under financial services laws?
• Does the content and frequency of representative training adequately reinforce the expectations of policies and procedures?

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The Transformational Journey of Muangthai Rachadalai Theatre Thailand with Axient Digital

Muangthai Rachadalai Theatre Thailand stands as a shining example of success in the entertainment industry. Situated in the vibrant city of Bangkok, this iconic theatre has captured the hearts of locals and tourists alike with its captivating performances and state-of-the-art facilities. Delve into the intricate details of Muangthai Rachadalai Theatre's remarkable journey as we uncover the strategies and initiatives that have propelled it to the forefront of the entertainment scene. Prepare to be inspired by the secrets behind Muangthai Rachadalai Theatre's outstanding achievements.

Muangthai Rachadalai Theatre was established 16 years ago and placed utmost importance on the ideas surrounding music performance and effective communication with the audience. Resolving audio challenges is essential to continue to deliver exceptional experiences as a leading venue. 

The previous audio systems they were using struggled to capture the full range of vocal characteristics, especially during softer singing or whispering. This resulted in diminished nuances in the performers' voices and compromised the artistic expression and emotional impact of the performances. Additionally, the theater was grappling with frequency coordination issues and interference in their wireless systems. The crowded RF environment and the presence of numerous wireless devices in the vicinity often led to signal degradation, dropouts, and interruptions during shows. This not only affected the audio quality but also caused disruptions in communication between performers and the technical team, leading to inefficiencies and potential performance challenges. These challenges not only impacted the audience experience but also posed difficulties for performers and the production team. 

With its advanced features and unparalleled reliability, Shure's Axient Digital was the perfect choice for Muangthai Rachadalai Theatre. Axient Digital offered a comprehensive range of cutting-edge wireless systems and microphones perfectly suited to the theater’s needs. 

Ten Years After Audio by Born to B Group Lao , a leading live performance rental company in Thailand, played a crucial role in the spec and design of the gear used in the theater. They also took on the responsibility of professionally monitoring RF management, ensuring that the wireless systems operated flawlessly without any interference. 

With Axient Digital, the team can enter every performances with confidence that the system’s reliability and audio quality will remain uncompromised, while enjoying several benefits not limited to the below:

• Impeccable Sound Quality: Axient Digital's TH53 headset microphone became the go-to choice for Muangthai Rachadalai Theatre, ensuring exceptional sound reproduction. It captured the full range of vocal characteristics, from gentle nuances to powerful expressions, providing crystal-clear audio throughout the theater. The microphone's close proximity positioning eliminated the pickup distance challenges of previous lavalier microphones, resulting in enhanced clarity and natural voice details.
• Seamless Wireless Connectivity: With Axient Digital's advanced wireless systems, Muangthai Rachadalai Theatre experienced seamless and uninterrupted connectivity during performances. The transition from their previous UR4D+ wireless system to Axient Digital eliminated interference issues and allowed for simultaneous operation of multiple wireless channels. This enabled flawless communication between performers, crew members, and the technical team, ensuring a smooth and immersive experience for the audience.
• Frequency Coordination: Axient Digital's frequency coordination capabilities revolutionized the theater's approach to managing wireless frequencies. Utilizing the Shure Wireless Workbench software, Muangthai Rachadalai Theatre could analyze the RF environment and identify clear frequencies free from interference. The software's scanning feature provided real-time updates on available spectrum, empowering the theater to make informed decisions and select optimal frequencies for their wireless systems. This improved frequency coordination resulted in reliable and interference-free performances.
• Cost and Environmental Efficiency: The implementation of Axient Digital brought significant cost and environmental benefits to Muangthai Rachadalai Theatre. The utilization of Axient Digital's rechargeable batteries reduced their reliance on disposable batteries, resulting in considerable cost savings over time. Additionally, the move towards rechargeable batteries had a positive environmental impact by reducing waste and promoting sustainability.

The journey of Muangthai Rachadalai Theatre Thailand showcases the transformative power of Axient Digital by Shure. By addressing the theater's audio challenges, enhancing sound quality, ensuring seamless wireless connectivity, and providing cost and environmental efficiency, Axient Digital has propelled Muangthai Rachadalai Theatre to new heights of success. The theater can now deliver exceptional performances, captivating audiences with an immersive and flawless audio experience. Through their partnership with Shure and the implementation of Axient Digital, Muangthai Rachadalai Theatre has solidified its position as a leading entertainment destination, setting the stage for unforgettable experiences for years to come.

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Introduction to standardization in business reporting.

Posted on June 27, 2024 by Numbers around us in R bloggers | 0 Comments

Why Standardization Matters

Hey there! Thanks for joining me on this exciting journey into the world of International Business Communication Standards (IBCS). Before we dive into the nitty-gritty of the SUCCESS acronym, let’s take a step back and chat about why standardization in business reporting is such a game-changer. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by messy reports with inconsistent formatting, you’re not alone. I’ve been there too, staring at a sea of numbers that don’t quite add up.

Standardization in business reporting ensures that data is presented in a consistent manner, enhancing comprehensibility and comparability across different reports. Imagine flipping through different reports where each one tells its story in its own unique language — confusing, right? Standardization is like translating all those languages into one that everyone can understand easily.

Consistency is Key

Think of standardized reports as a well-organized bookshelf. You know exactly where to find what you’re looking for, and every book (or in this case, piece of data) is presented in a way that makes sense. This consistency is crucial for making informed business decisions quickly and accurately. No more wasting time trying to figure out what’s what!

I remember a time when I was working on a project that involved analyzing sales data across multiple brands. Each region had its own way of reporting — different formats, different terminologies, and different visualization styles. It was a nightmare to compile all this information into a coherent report. That’s when I discovered the power of standardization. By applying consistent formats and visual styles, the report not only became easier to read but also revealed insights that were previously hidden in the chaos.

Time-Saving and Efficiency

Let’s be honest, who wouldn’t want to save time? Standardization not only reduces the risk of misinterpretation but also enhances the efficiency of report generation and review processes. Once you have a standardized template, creating new reports becomes a breeze. You can focus more on analyzing the data rather than formatting the report.

Understanding IBCS Standards

Now that we’ve established why standardization is so important, let’s get to know IBCS. The International Business Communication Standards provide a comprehensive framework for the design of business communication, particularly in the context of reports, presentations, and dashboards. The goal of IBCS is to improve the clarity, efficiency, and effectiveness of business communications.

The SUCCESS Formula

The heart of IBCS is the SUCCESS formula:

• SAY : Convey a clear message.
• UNIFY : Apply consistent semantic notation.
• CONDENSE : Increase information density.
• CHECK : Ensure visual integrity.
• EXPRESS : Choose proper visualization.
• SIMPLIFY : Avoid clutter.
• STRUCTURE : Organize content logically.

Let’s break down each component briefly:

• SAY : It’s all about making your key message unmistakably clear. Your audience should be able to grasp the main point at a glance. This involves using clear titles, highlighting key figures, and ensuring that the message is front and center.
• UNIFY : Consistency is key. This principle ensures that all visual elements (like colors, shapes, and fonts) are used consistently throughout your reports. This helps in creating a familiar look and feel, making it easier for readers to navigate and understand.
• CONDENSE : More information doesn’t necessarily mean more clutter. This principle focuses on presenting data in a compact and dense format, without overwhelming the reader. Think of using small multiples, sparklines, and condensed tables that pack a lot of information in a small space.
• CHECK : Accuracy and integrity are paramount. This involves verifying the data, ensuring that scales and labels are accurate, and avoiding any visual misrepresentations. It’s about being honest and precise with your visuals.
• EXPRESS : Choosing the right type of visualization for your data is crucial. This principle guides you on selecting the most effective chart types to convey your message clearly, whether it’s bar charts, line charts, scatter plots, or more advanced visualizations.
• SIMPLIFY : Less is more. Avoiding unnecessary elements and focusing on what’s important helps in reducing cognitive load on the reader. This means removing gridlines, reducing colors, and using white space effectively.
• STRUCTURE : Organize your content logically. This involves structuring your reports in a way that guides the reader through the data naturally. Sections, subsections, and a logical flow of information are essential here.

Clarity and Comprehension

I’ve been standardizing reports in my previous roles for quite some time. But I only came across IBCS recently, and let me tell you, I’m absolutely loving it as a framework. It has transformed the way I think about presenting data. Suddenly, my reports are not just a collection of numbers but a coherent story that my audience can easily understand and act upon. Each element of the SUCCESS formula plays a critical role in achieving this clarity.

Practical Steps to Implement Standardization

Alright, let’s get practical. How can you start standardizing your reports? Here’s a step-by-step guide that I’ve found incredibly useful:

• Evaluate Current Practices : Start by evaluating your current reporting practices. Identify inconsistencies and areas for improvement. Trust me, you’ll find plenty of “aha!” moments here.
• Educate and Train : Educate your team about the importance of standardization and the principles of IBCS. Knowledge is power, after all. Conduct workshops or training sessions to get everyone on the same page.
• Develop Templates and Tools : Develop standardized templates and tools that align with IBCS guidelines. This step is crucial for ensuring consistency across all reports. Tools like Quarto can be incredibly helpful here.
• Monitor and Collect Feedback : Regularly review your reports for compliance with the standards and gather feedback from users. Continuous improvement is the name of the game. Set up a feedback loop where users can suggest improvements and share their experiences.

Personal Experience in Implementation

In my previous role, we initiated a project to standardize our sales reports. Initially, there was some resistance — change is always hard. But after a few training sessions and some hands-on practice, the team started to see the benefits. The reports were not only easier to produce but also much more impactful. We even started receiving positive feedback from our clients who appreciated the clarity of our presentations.

Here’s a personal tip: Start small. Implement standardization in one type of report first. This approach allows you to refine the process and make adjustments before rolling it out across all reports.

Challenges and Solutions

Of course, it wasn’t all smooth sailing. We faced challenges like getting everyone to adopt the new standards and ensuring consistency across all reports. But with persistent effort and open communication, we overcame these hurdles. The key was to make everyone understand the long-term benefits of standardization.

One challenge we faced was with custom reports requested by different departments. These reports often deviated from the standard format. Our solution was to create a flexible template that allowed for some customization while still adhering to the core IBCS principles. This compromise ensured that the reports remained standardized but could still meet the specific needs of each department.

Types of Data Analysis

Before we dive deeper into reporting, let’s quickly touch on the different types of data analysis. Understanding these will help you tailor your reports to your specific needs.

Descriptive Analysis: The What

Descriptive analysis is all about summarizing past data to understand what happened. Think of it as the “what” of your data. It’s like looking at your car’s speedometer to see how fast you went. This type of analysis uses statistics like mean, median, and mode to describe the data.

For instance, if we look at the nycflights13 R dataset, a descriptive analysis might involve calculating the average delay time for flights, the total number of flights, or the distribution of flight delays across different months. This helps to paint a clear picture of historical performance.

Diagnostic Analysis: The Why

Diagnostic analysis moves us to the “why.” This type of analysis examines data to understand why something happened. It’s like figuring out why your car’s speed dropped suddenly — maybe there was a traffic jam? Diagnostic analysis involves looking at correlations and potential causal relationships to uncover the reasons behind certain trends or anomalies.

In the context of nycflights13, we might investigate why certain flights are delayed more frequently. This could involve examining variables like weather conditions, carrier performance, or airport congestion. Understanding these factors can help pinpoint the causes of delays.

Predictive Analysis: The What Might Happen

Predictive analysis uses statistical models and forecasting techniques to predict future outcomes based on historical data. It’s like forecasting whether you’ll hit traffic on your next trip based on past experiences. This type of analysis helps in anticipating future trends and making proactive decisions.

Using nycflights13, a predictive analysis might involve forecasting future flight delays based on historical delay patterns and upcoming weather forecasts. This can help airlines and passengers plan better and mitigate potential issues.

Prescriptive Analysis: The What Should We Do

Finally, prescriptive analysis provides recommendations for actions based on predictive analysis. It’s like your GPS suggesting an alternate route to avoid that predicted traffic jam. This type of analysis uses algorithms to suggest various courses of action and their potential outcomes.

For nycflights13, prescriptive analysis could recommend optimal flight schedules or routes to minimize delays. It might also suggest operational changes, like adjusting staffing levels during peak hours or implementing new maintenance protocols.

Reporting Delivery Platforms

Not all reports are created equal, and neither are the platforms we use to deliver them. Let’s break down the different platforms and how they impact standardization:

Interactive Dashboards

Interactive dashboards are dynamic and allow users to explore data in real-time. Standardization here ensures consistency across various views and interactions. Think of platforms like Power BI or Tableau. These dashboards are great for providing an overview and enabling detailed drill-downs.

Using the nycflights13 dataset, an interactive dashboard might include various widgets and filters that allow users to view flight performance by date, carrier, or destination. Ensuring that these elements are standardized makes the dashboard intuitive and user-friendly.

Presentations

Presentations are typically used for communicating key findings to stakeholders. Standardized slides enhance clarity and ensure that key messages are consistently communicated. PowerPoint or Google Slides are your friends here.

Imagine preparing a quarterly review using nycflights13 data. A standardized presentation template would include consistent slide layouts, color schemes, and fonts, making it easier for the audience to follow along and understand the insights.

Static Reports

Static reports provide a fixed snapshot of data. Standardization in static reports ensures that all necessary information is included and presented clearly. PDF reports or printed documents often fall into this category.

For example, a static report using nycflights13 data could be a detailed monthly performance report. Standardized headers, footers, and table formats ensure that the report is easy to read and understand.

How Different Types and Delivery Points Affect Standardization

Alright, let’s tie it all together. Different types of analysis and delivery platforms influence how you apply standardization:

• Descriptive Analysis on Dashboards : Ensure that interactive elements are standardized so users can easily compare past performance across different metrics.
• Diagnostic Analysis in Presentations : Use consistent visuals to explain why certain trends occurred. This helps stakeholders grasp the insights quickly.
• Predictive Analysis in Static Reports : Present forecasts in a standardized format to make it easier for readers to understand and trust the predictions.
• Prescriptive Analysis Across Platforms : Whether it’s a dashboard, presentation, or report, standardized recommendations ensure that the suggested actions are clear and actionable.

Tools for Standardizing Reports in R

In this chapter, we’ll discuss the tools I’ll be using in R to ensure our reports adhere to IBCS standards. Standardizing reports involves a combination of data manipulation, visualization, and documentation tools. Here are the main tools and packages we’ll be using throughout this series:

Data Manipulation with dplyr and tidyr

To start, we need robust tools for data manipulation. The dplyr and tidyr packages from the tidyverse suite are indispensable for cleaning, transforming, and organizing our data.

• dplyr : This package is perfect for data wrangling. With functions like select(), filter(), mutate(), summarize(), and arrange(), we can easily manipulate our data frames to get them into the right shape for analysis.
• tidyr : This package helps in tidying data, ensuring that it follows the tidy data principles. Functions like pivot_longer(), pivot_wider(), unite(), and separate() make it straightforward to reshape data as needed.

Data Visualization with ggplot2

Visualization is a cornerstone of effective reporting, and ggplot2 is the go-to package for creating high-quality graphics in R. It follows the grammar of graphics, which makes it highly flexible and powerful.

• Consistent Themes : We’ll use ggplot2's theming capabilities to apply consistent colors, fonts, and layouts across all our visualizations. This aligns with the UNIFY principle of IBCS.
• Custom Visuals : We’ll create custom visuals that not only look good but also convey the right message clearly, adhering to the EXPRESS principle.

Enhancing ggplot2 with Extensions

There are several extensions to ggplot2 that can help enhance its capabilities and ensure our visualizations are both informative and aesthetically pleasing:

• ggthemes : Provides additional themes and scales that help in standardizing the look and feel of plots.
• gghighlight : Allows us to highlight specific data points in a plot, making it easier to draw attention to key information.
• ggrepel : Helps in adding labels to plots without overlapping, ensuring that our visualizations remain clear and readable.
• patchwork : Facilitates the combination of multiple ggplot2 plots into a single cohesive layout, supporting the CONDENSE principle by increasing information density.

Reporting with Quarto

For generating and maintaining our reports, we’ll use Quarto, a new, powerful tool for creating dynamic documents in R.

• Dynamic Reports : Quarto allows for the integration of R code and markdown, enabling us to create reports that are both reproducible and interactive.
• Standardized Templates : We can create standardized templates that ensure consistency across all reports.

Table Formatting with kableExtra

Tables are a crucial part of any report, and kableExtra is an excellent package for creating well-formatted tables in R.

• Enhanced Tables : kableExtra provides functionality to produce beautiful tables within Quarto documents. It supports various table styling options, including striped rows, column alignment, and more.
• Interactive Tables : This package also supports the creation of interactive tables, making it easier for readers to explore data.

Supplementary Tools

• scales : This package works with ggplot2 to ensure that our scales are appropriately formatted, enhancing readability and accuracy.
• lubridate : Useful for handling date-time data, ensuring our time series data is properly formatted and easy to manipulate.
• stringr : Helps with string manipulation, making it easier to clean and prepare text data for reporting.

So, there you have it — a comprehensive introduction to the importance of standardization in business reporting and an overview of how IBCS can help you achieve it. In the next episodes, we’ll dive deep into each component of the SUCCESS formula, starting with SAY: Convey a Message . We’ll explore how to clearly and effectively communicate the main message in your reports, using practical examples and the nycflights13 dataset to illustrate these principles in action.

Remember, the goal here is to make your reports not just informative but also engaging and easy to understand. Let’s embark on this journey together and transform your business reporting skills!

Stay tuned, and happy reporting!

Introduction to Standardization in Business Reporting was originally published in Numbers around us on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

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Research: Using AI at Work Makes Us Lonelier and Less Healthy

• David De Cremer
• Joel Koopman

Employees who use AI as a core part of their jobs report feeling more isolated, drinking more, and sleeping less than employees who don’t.

The promise of AI is alluring — optimized productivity, lightning-fast data analysis, and freedom from mundane tasks — and both companies and workers alike are fascinated (and more than a little dumbfounded) by how these tools allow them to do more and better work faster than ever before. Yet in fervor to keep pace with competitors and reap the efficiency gains associated with deploying AI, many organizations have lost sight of their most important asset: the humans whose jobs are being fragmented into tasks that are increasingly becoming automated. Across four studies, employees who use it as a core part of their jobs reported feeling lonelier, drinking more, and suffering from insomnia more than employees who don’t.

Imagine this: Jia, a marketing analyst, arrives at work, logs into her computer, and is greeted by an AI assistant that has already sorted through her emails, prioritized her tasks for the day, and generated first drafts of reports that used to take hours to write. Jia (like everyone who has spent time working with these tools) marvels at how much time she can save by using AI. Inspired by the efficiency-enhancing effects of AI, Jia feels that she can be so much more productive than before. As a result, she gets focused on completing as many tasks as possible in conjunction with her AI assistant.

• David De Cremer is a professor of management and technology at Northeastern University and the Dunton Family Dean of its D’Amore-McKim School of Business. His website is daviddecremer.com .
• JK Joel Koopman is the TJ Barlow Professor of Business Administration at the Mays Business School of Texas A&M University. His research interests include prosocial behavior, organizational justice, motivational processes, and research methodology. He has won multiple awards from Academy of Management’s HR Division (Early Career Achievement Award and David P. Lepak Service Award) along with the 2022 SIOP Distinguished Early Career Contributions award, and currently serves on the Leadership Committee for the HR Division of the Academy of Management .

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