Bechtel Company: Negotiation Strategy and Plan Essay

Introduction

Bechtel occupies a highly competitive position in the world market, so it is possible to consider the company’s existing negotiation strategy fairly efficient. However, there are two issues that were not discussed in detail in the initial Stakeholder Analysis, although they need more thorough consideration. The first thing to be analyzed is the company’s sustainability efforts. The second one is the opportunities for employment in local communities.

Negotiation Strategy and Plan for Reducing the Environmental Footprint

1. First of all, Bechtel needs to evaluate what types of footprints are left as a result of its work process. Čuček, Klemenš, and Kravanja (2012) differentiate between the following kinds of environmental footprints: carbon, water, energy, emission, nitrogen, land, and biodiversity. Therefore, in order to arrange negotiations concerning its sustainable development, the company will need to assess the major types of harmful outcomes of its operations.
2. The next step will be choosing the most appropriate tools for footprint evaluation. According to Čuček et al. (2012), there are many ways of assessing one’s environmental footprint, the most popular of them being calculators for energy, carbon, nitrogen, and water footprints. There are also different types of software developed for calculating and reporting the companies’ environmental footprint: SPIonExcel, RegiOpt, PNS solution, Bottomline³, and mathematical programming tools (Čuček et al., 2012).
3. After choosing the method of evaluating its environmental footprint, Bechtel should launch the assessment program and find out the most adverse outcomes of its operations.
4. Further, the process of negotiating the ways of reducing the most dangerous footprints should be arranged with stakeholders and managers.
5. Due to promoting sustainability and transparency of its work, Bechtel will become able to predict and resolve any issues and operate efficiently in any environment.

Negotiation Strategy and Plan for New Employment Opportunities

1. Prior to launching a new project in developing regions or communities, the company should perform the analysis of the workforce in these areas. It may happen so that hiring workers on the site will bring advantages both for Bechtel and the local people.
2. In order to make the analysis more accessible, the company may contact local unemployment offices to find out whether there are people with sufficient professional skills necessary to perform some types of work that Bechtel is planning to do in the region.
3. To make the process of search and negotiation easier, it is possible to place adverts in local newspapers or on community websites. By doing so, those who get interested in being employed in the company’s project will be able to contact the HR manager, provide information about their skills and competencies, and explain their desire to participate in the project. The HR manager will obtain an opportunity to ask additional questions and make a conclusion about the applicants’ fitness to do the job.
4. Upon collecting relevant data about the prospective employees, the company will decide how many vacancies can be filled by people from local communities and how many specialists will need to travel to work on the site.
5. The positive outcomes for the company will be as follows. Bechtel will gain an opportunity of finding new eager employees to support the company’s successful strategies. Also, the organization will be able to save on travel and accommodation costs for the employees that will not come from local areas.
6. The benefits for the community will concentrate on the possibility of developing its infrastructure and provide employment opportunities for local people.

Reference

Čuček, L., Klemenš, J. J., & Kravanja, Z. (2012). A review of footprint analysis tools for monitoring impacts on sustainability. Journal of Cleaner Production, 34, 9-20.