AT&T High Level Organizational Goals

Last Updated: 20 Apr 2022
Essay type: Process
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Table of contents

Introduction

A goal is an objective or a projected set of achievements that any given company, individual or an organization aspire to achieve at any given time. Goals are mostly organized plans which can either be long term or short term depending on the aspiration of the organization and the necessity of the goals. To achieve the goals, there is a set deadline that would give a maximum time limit in the achievement of the goal.

In the goal achievement, there is a set of routs or activities that are to be done in order to achieve the goal, the plans must be well analyzed to avoid diversion in the achievement of the goal, and this is also referred to as objectives or aim to be achieved. The goal to be achieved can either be physical or abstract but has to be of value to the organization.

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There are different types of goals that all involves the establishment of a specific, time frame and measurable objectives. The theory in the goal setting must have an effective capability or tools that will enable all participants be aware of the objectives and will enable them achieve the set goals either financial or career objectives.

Organizational goals are the goals that are set by any given organization to achieve their either long term or short term goals. They involve the setting of goals that will enable the organization prosper and high achievements geared by the managers and employees interrelation that will have a similar objectives. In AT&T company, the high level organizational goals are the involvement of the managers and employees in the achieving the company’s goals. These are done through the involvement of different departments in the company, and upgrading the involvement of every individual in the company.

AT&T goals approach

Transmission Systems Business Unit (TSBU), a unit of the AT&T group has an aspiration to be in the eyes and be the first choice in the customers’ decision and eyes. It being the biggest maker of the Transmission equipment in the country, it had to do much to win more on customers’ satisfaction. It had to lay down strategies that will enable the company to have high goal achievements that will be backed by the low level goals achievements in the entire company. The difference between the high level goals and the low level goals is that in the high level goals, the company had to involve the overall structures in the company while in the low lever it works with individualized departments in the company.

AT&T used to customer satisfaction survey to guide the company in distinguishing where it needs to upgrade and what it wants to achieve by when in order to win the customers satisfaction. In analyzing this, it’s dealt with through individual departments in the entire company. (Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award,1992)

Human resource practices

Human resource management has become one of the most important aspects of running a company. It has been realized that having a competent and a motivated workforce can help a company create a competitive advantage which other companies may find hard to replicate in the market especially when planning to achieve high level goals. Therefore there is need for the company to take bold step in order to address issue of hiring and retaining a competent work force. It will begin by changing the style of leadership from the authoritative rule in order to give the workers more freedom to make their own decision as pertains to the operation of the organization. But them most important thing is for the organization to come up with a human resource plan that will be integrated in the overall high level growth strategy. A strategic human resource plan will define issue on hiring, retaining, training and development of the workforce in order to maintain a competitive workforce.

According to the famous McGregor’s theory x and y, in x mangers assume workers are lazy and irresponsible and require constant supervision and external motivation to achieve organizational goals. The theory y managers assume workers want to work and can direct and control themselves. In advocating for theory y, managers who allow opportunities for individual challenge and initiative and who encourage participation would achieve superior performance.

Through the years, AT&T has consistently practiced and emphasized the development of human relation to achieve individual goals. Through practice, The Company has managed to achieve notable achievements in attraction of new and retaining current customers. AT&T has given a great consideration in strengthening relationship between the customers and the company which have brought about a great growth in sales both locally and internationally.

AT&T has a planned strategy to be followed by leaders and employees that avoids differences in interpretation of issues and ideas that may favor the relationship between them. The set rules govern all issues addressing any human relation in the company therefore saving money and time as well as enabling the company in achieving its goals.

The AT&T has set well organized bureaucratic strategies which have eliminated variability in result. When new employees are employed, they often come in with different skills, experiences and goals, the rules themselves are standardized so that the personnel changes do not disrupt the whole company’s human resource management. When each individual employs personal skills, ideas and goals they may not rhyme and this may cause difference in management and definitely misunderstanding between individuals or groups. Therefore this has been fully put in to consideration and has helped the company achieve in the competitive market. This have also helped the company position faster specialized skills eliminating many subjective judgments by managers where rules and regulations are established properly and have a set method to follow to avoid different individuals employing their rules hence causing conflict between the concerned parties. This has gone hand in hand with training of leaders and employees on the set rules to standardize their performance and reinforcing human resource department.

AT&T has currently been able to achieve the right segment in the market which has made it possible for the company to enter the main stream of the market. This was made possible close interaction between the company and customers through entering into contracts with local and international companies raising the need for close relationship and work together to fill the demand and high sales volume.

Motivation

 Motivation is the force or impetus behind behavior and actions. This energizes behavior and directs behavior towards a goal. In AT&T, managers are always expected to create a desire of working to employees by creating conducive environment and a favoring atmosphere for working.

AT&T has been advocating the use of reinforcement by rewarding. An attractive object or event is supplied as a consequence of a particular work done perfectly. According to behavior approach to motivation, managers have an understanding of employees’ motivation which begins with careful analysis of incentive and rewards that are present in the company. These incentives are like privileges and money. Its always managers responsibility in AT&T to identify behaviors that need to be reinforced like outstanding performance, punctuality, neatness and completion of work. Also read Motivational Approach to Work Design

The managers are always alert to notice the desired behavior occur. Occurrence is always accompanied by reinforcement. An employee who shows an improved performance is rewarded.

The principle is that reinforcement strengthens behavior and gives that exact behavior a chance to occur again. In AT&T, cognitive approach state that behavior is determiner by over thinking and not reward or punishment, it is initiated and regulated by mental process and not external events.

Managers’ role in motivation is to help workers develop on curiosity and help them develop methods for searching for information. In AT&T, workers are trained to be intrinsically motivated.

The social working approach is an integration of cognitive and behavior aspect. This theory sees motivation as a product of two main forces, individual expectations of success in a task and vicarious experience. Individual expectation of success is determined by personal effectiveness; personal effectiveness is also called self efficiency and refers to personal confidence. The manager should empower employees to become competent in performing a task. If the empl9oyee knows that he will succeed in doing a task, then his motivation will be high.

Vicarious experience constitutes the observation of other workers and compares performance. If the worker discovers that his performance is poor, he may lose his sense of competence. In this respect the manager should the employee to keep up with level of performance of other employees so that motivation is highlighted.

            Though intrinsic motivation comes from the worker, is referred to as ego involvement. This results from employees’ identification with desired goal. The employee is fully involved in learning a task. Managers’ task is to empower the employee to identify with that work if the need for confidence is made. (Competence means ability to perform)

                  Ability to master every a task also mean competitiveness. In a task every employee has interest and desire to perform confidently in a company’s task. Managers’ role is to discover how to empower the employee to achieve. In AT&T company managers assist the employee by providing them with opportunity to become competent and help them to avoid failure. They achieve this by giving them a task that they are intellectually capable of achieving. When an employee is successful in performing a task, his self concept is enhanced and this gives great respect to the company. (Siliconfareast.com, 2008)

In AT&T Company, motivation is displayed in personal goals and that very many motives are personalized depending on what the company wants to achieve. These personalized goals determine individual level of aspiration. Due to continued success, there is always         an aspiration to modify and develop company’s strategies that would enhance better performance for both managers and employees.

Organizational structure

The AT&T Company has a well planned leadership strategy which is an important factor that determines the viability of an organization operation. Good leadership is responsible for growth of the organization while unplanned leadership is responsible for drift in an organization. Planning mode of leadership, there should be a procedure to follow and that will help in determining the weaker points in the leadership therefore avoiding drift. (David, 2004)

 Management is the most important factor that determines the viability of any organization operation. Good management is responsible for growth of the organization while bad managements can be held responsible for collapse of organizations. The AT&T Company is currently being held at ransom by the kind of leadership structure. There are many kinds of leadership that are used in running organizations depending on the kind of the organization. In AT&T the authoritative kind of leadership in the Company had been responsible for some of the problems like making of decision for the organization. In this regard it is clear that there is a problem in making decision since they are made from the top and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) has to be consulted before any decision is made despite the fact that there are other people in the organization who are more experienced in this work. Authoritative leadership holds the organization to the management and it discourages innovation since the CEO has to be consulted on all matters regarding the operation of the organization.

The CEO acts to provide guidance for the organization and one of the duties of CEO are to delegate duties of the office. In this regard, the CEO has to give some of the authority to other managers in the organization in order to decentralize decision making process.

Rise in the interest in developing people through out the organization could be attributed to a number of factors. In AT&T, employees are taking broader ranges of responsibility, managers, in particular are faced with a completely new environment. They are responsible for more people often worked in strategy-oriented companies and therefore, the skills and competencies that previously served them well no longer work. They have to make fundamental changes and come up with more planned productive strategies to avoid drift.

Advertisement is another most important component that characterizes the operation of AT&T Company in the market since it raises the awareness of the consumers about the availability of the products in the market. Therefore a well planned advertisement is an important component that helps a company to penetrate the market especially when introducing a new product.

Lack of a planned advertisement may have limited growth of the company which in return may cause losses in the company. Keeping in mind that the company is operating in a very competitive market, there is a need to plan strategies to follow to avoid any sort of dissatisfaction to the customers which may lead to a drift.

AT&T Company market has a wide scope which comprises of many factors. These factors are essential for the maintenances of businesses competitiveness of the services and goods being delivered by the company in the market, either in goods or services, the AT&T marketing team has the privileges of collecting relevant data from its market target which quite fundamental is its goods and service improvements that enable the maintenances of high competitiveness in the international markets. (Annetter, 2000)

When introducing a new technology in the organization, AT&T Company has a proper planning that enables the employees adapt and learn much quicker because lack of proper planning can cause a drift that may be hard to recover. The company has set strategies to be followed and adequate training to lessen the risk of taking more time omitting other duties. The introduction of new technology in a company has caused a drift in many companies for most managers command employees on making use of technology that they are not used to therefore causing alternation of formally followed rules. Example, if the company has been using paper work may in accounting department; introduction of computers may alter the set road map because of training and mental ideas that one is supposed to do more than before therefore causing a drift. To avoid this, the AT&T has set a long term planning and informs the employees in advance so as they may be prepared physically, mentally and psychologically to avoid more excitement on introduction of the new technology.

The goal planning, Retrieved from http://www.center4oe.com/goal_owner.html on March 14th, 2009

Organizational Goal Management, Retrieved from http://www.center4oe.com/goal_owner.html on March 14th, 2009

Internal and external analyses

                  In the internal environment of the AT&T Company, the company has several structures that help it have a smooth running of its businesses. The leadership structure is one of the cornerstones of the company’s success; the good leadership in the company has been a result of the company’s success. The company has also involved itself in the use of technology that has on the other hand propelled it to greater heights as a result of high quality and more products produced by the company.

                  AT&T has well laid policies that enable workers leaders’ interrelation and this helps the company to have smooth running and motivated workers.  The use of IT has on the other hand helped the company to have a good consumer producer relation and also communication in the company. (Siliconfareast.com, 2008)

                  In the external environment, the company more major threats that are likely to arise besides the currently existing, there are threats of entrance of new companies in the market that are likely to add competition on the currently existing. In this regard, there is likelihood that customers are going to increase their bargaining powers as there is variety of products in the market to choose from. This will walk hand in hand with the increase of substitute products in the market thus posing a problem to the pricing of the product. As there would be high demand of low materials, there is likelihood that suppliers would increase the prices of their supplies thus increasing the cost of production that will in turn reducing the company’s revenues. This will all be added to the existing competition among the rivalry companies in the market.

               Strengths and weaknesses in relation to the opportunities and threats

                  The AT&T strengths are of great advantage to the company. It’s strengths are more strong than the weakness thus giving the company a step ahead of its main competitors. The capability of the company to market its products in competitive market has given the company a challenge and a reason to have an idea of moving ahead of its competitors. In comparison of the company’s strengths and weakness in relation to the opportunities and threats, the company is able to overcome all the possible threats for having moved ahead of its competitors enable the company to have a clear view of what steps other companies are taking and therefore reducing the threat.

Recommendations and implementation

            In the regard of the above goal, the company seeks to develop consumer satisfaction strategies based on this. The company will ensure all manufactured products reach the consumer and would give the expected service. It would also ensure that the products are user friendly that will satisfy the consumers’ needs. It company will also ensure that the products are available at affordable prices and maintenance cost is also down. The company would use psychographic and demographic strategies to fulfill this.

            The AT&T Company has a considerable market share in the industry. It has high potential of growth by far if the planned strategies are implemented and are put in to great consideration. The company has strong reputation in the consumers that the products produced by the AT&T are of high quality and affordable. (Stephen, 2002)

            The competition in the market would only be won by the company with customers’ satisfaction strategies that will boost the company’s sale therefore increasing their profits. AT&T is facing stiff competition from other competitors who are well established in the market and have low priced products.

Bureaucracy position faster specialized skills eliminating many subjective judgments by managers where rules and regulations are established properly and have a set method to follow to avoid different individuals employing their rules hence causing a drift in the company. This strategy has helped the AT&T Company to have a step ahead in production and in the leadership.

Rise in the interest in developing people through out the organization could be attributed to a number of factors. In organization where people are taking broader ranges of responsibility, managers, in particular are faced with a completely new environment. They are responsible for more people often working in strategy-oriented company and therefore, the skills and competencies that previously server them well no longer work. They have to make fundamental changes and come up with more productive strategies to avoid drift.

Having implemented this, the company seeps to perform better in the market compared to its major competitors. If the company continues in the same tread, there is a high probability that it would lead in the market in the near future.

Reference:

Annetter, G. (2000) Benchmarking for strategic performance improvement, McGraw-Hill

David, L. (2004) Strategic marketing in a new market. Harvard Business Review

Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (1992) AT&T Network Systems Group, Transmission Systems Business Unit, Retrieved from http://www.quality.nist.gov/AT&T_NSG.htm on 14th March, 2009

Siliconfareast.com, (2008) Total Quality Management, Retrieved from http://www.siliconfareast.com/tqm.htmon 14th March 2009

Stephen M (2002) The Business Information and Analysis, Strategic Thinking and Planning

 

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AT&T High Level Organizational Goals. (2018, Oct 19). Retrieved from https://phdessay.com/att-high-level-organizational-goals/

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