RadioShack and Effective Communication With Employees Essay

Employee termination is a hard experience both for the terminator and one being fired (Susskind, Moore, & Kacmar, 2018). Additionally, the use of technology has raised both positive and negative implications in the firing process. Various ethical concerns and challenges face managers during the process of downsizing.

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When RadioShack utilized emails to fire a vast number of employees, it encountered a lack of feedback barrier. It denied the workers the opportunity to inquire about issues they may have had with the layoff (Goyder, Atherton, Car, Heneghan, & Car, 2015). Moreover, the use of email deprived the show of emotions that would have otherwise been expressed through body language. Thus, it became insensitive. The main motivation RadioShack may have had for using email for the mass firing may have been to avoid the long process it would have taken to layoff one at a time. Electronic mail presented a quicker method for the massive termination. Additionally, the management team may have been evading the emotional confrontation of the process that may have led to the development of chaos within the organization.

Had RadioShack not declared bankruptcy, the best suggestion would be for it to use more personal techniques when firing employees. For instance, it should have used face to face communication, thereby presenting the employees with the opportunity to ask anything they need to make the process less mortifying. Moreover, it would show the workers that they were valued members of the organization and increase their morale when looking for new jobs.

Technology has enhanced the ability to communicate effectively by providing diverse mediums for communication such as emails, telephone, and social channels. Additionally, the methods are quicker and cheaper (Goyder et al., 2015). Technology has further boosted effective communication through easily bridging the geographical gap between places. However, it has played a big role in undermining the ability for effective communication. The choice on what channels to use for various interactions is always difficult. For instance, the use of email to terminate employees is an insensitive method and should not be used.

Sacking individuals in a company is faced with various ethical concerns and challenges. For instance, the downsizing criteria to use to ensure only the needed number and employees are laid off often pose as difficulty to managers, especially if the people that should be fired are friends. Additionally, managers are left with the decision on what benefits to accord the downsized workforce such as severance pay (Susskind et al., 2018). The appropriate notification and time given for the employees and the choice to stay or leave is often an ethical concern to bosses.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the termination process is a sensitive issue that should be undertaken through personal methods. Managers should consider ethical concerns to preserve the dignity of employees and also show them their value. Moreover, technology should be used appropriately to enhance effective communication.

References

Goyder, C., Atherton, H., Car, M., Heneghan, C. J., & Car, J. (2015). Email for clinical communication between healthcare professionals. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, (2). Retrieved from: http://uobrep.openrepository.com/uobrep/bitstream/10547/583169/1/Goyder_et_al-2015-The_Cochrane_Library.pdf

Susskind, A. M., Moore, O. A., & Kacmar, K. M. (2018). Organizational Downsizing: How Communication Networks Connect with Employee Performance. Retrieved from: https://scholarship.sha.cornell.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1259&context=chrpubs