The Most Common Reasons Why Usa Today Needed to Restructure

Introduction and Background:

From a business perspective, having a successful history can lure any organization into a false confidence in its ability to achieve success; many times this creates a comfortable and lackadaisical attitude towards new technologies, new innovations, better quality, and ultimately satisfaction for employees and their customers. I will attempt to identify the most common reasons why USA Today needed to restructure. Their reinvention decisions were mostly based upon:

* a rapid increasing internal and market place complexity; proliferation and market divisions

* competition for reliable news resources

* increase in cost of manufacturing and sales

* diminishing returns and/or profits

* declining share of the news market

* decreasing productivity gains

* external pressures from federal regulators and local influence groups

* increasing impact of new equipment and technologies

* new and unexpected competition within the news market segments

My analysis of USA Today will be focused in the following areas:

* The Management of Ability

* Organizational Commitment

* Job Satisfaction

* Organizational Ethics

Organizational Behavior Analysis:

High turnover rate- How do we apply appropriate turnover reduction strategies? USA Today management must first determine the cause of turnover. Was it voluntary: when an employee leaves by their own choice, and can be caused by a number of factors; reasons include better career opportunities, increased compensation, and boredom with current tasks, poor job feedback, job dissatisfaction, unmet job expectations, performance problems, situational constraints, socialization difficulties, greater degrees of job stress, and an overall lack in career advancement opportunities? Was it involuntary: where employees are asked to leave for reasons including poor performance or inappropriate behavior; discharged or terminated, for just cause? The following are a few reasons while USA Today's employees have a lack of support and motivation; ultimately wanting to leave a company:

* they don't feel appreciated for their contributions

* they feel the company doesn't care about them

* there is favoritism of specific employees or supervisors

* the company doesn't deal effectively with problems and/or marginal performing employees

Some employees and management staff may have an affective commitment: The employee has a positive emotional attachment to the company. This employee wants to be a part of the organization. Some employees and management staff may have a continuance commitment: The employee commits to the organization; they perceive and know the loss of membership, finances, and/or the social costs that would be incurred will have a severe impact economically. Some employees and management staff may have a normative commitment: The employee commits to and remains with an organization out of obligation and/or loyalty.

Reasons why employees at USA Today may have lost job satisfaction:

* Possible conflict with co-workers?

* Possible conflict with management?

* Inappropriately paid on the job?

* Lack of necessary equipment and/or resources?

* Lack of opportunities for promotion?

* Having little or no role in the decision making process?

* Fear of losing jobs and/or reduction in force?

* Boring and/or routine work?

* Failure to utilize expertise, education, skills, and/or special interests?

How do we create job satisfaction at USA Today? We do this by implementing systems that both challenge and reward employees for the success that's being created daily. USA Today and its subsidiaries have to create an environment that enhances job satisfaction and the need to incorporate the following:

* flexible work arrangements and schedules

* better and/or more opportunities in training and professional growth

* interesting work that offers variety and challenge and allows the worker opportunities to claim ownership and responsibility on a finished product

* opportunities to exercise talent and creativity

* job security and continuity of a stable and secure environment

* performing under a one team concept, part of a congenial team in which workers are supported by management that provides continuously and prompt feedback

* flexible benefits and facilities

* better use of technology and newly designed innovations

* a competitive salary and opportunities for advancement

A recent study published in the California Management Review (1999) organized the Corporate Responsibility Program in a way that's designed to shape the organization as a community in dynamic connection; USA Today could see a productive and more specific outcomes like:

* reduction in unethical or illegal behavior

* awareness of ethical and legal issues

* willingness to seek ethical and legal advice

* willingness to report wrongdoing

* willingness to take bad news to management

* use of values in the judgment processes

* commitment to the organization

* meeting external stakeholder and consumer expectations

Individualistic approach; all employees within USA Today is morally responsible for their own behavior and any efforts to change behaviors must focus directly on the employee. Communal