Kentucky Harvest needs to improve its internal processes to ensure senior managers do not misuse their authority. The firm needs strong human resource policies that prevent ethical malpractices done by senior managers. All workers need to be encouraged to report incompetent senior employees to the board to ensure speedy action is taken against employees who abuse their authority.
The firm needs to establish proper work procedures that outline steps all employees are supposed to follow whenever they perform their duties. Stan Curtis did not observe high standards of integrity during his time in the organization. He easily took advantage of weak human resource policies to engage in actions that were not beneficial to the firm’s interests (Aula & Siira, 2010, p. 130). Therefore, Kentucky Harvest needs to ensure that remaining senior managers do not engage in activities that tarnish its reputation.
The firm’s board of directors needs to show all workers that no one will be favored by new policy changes. They need to create new departments which specify how different responsibilities in the firm are performed. Each department needs to have its own manager to ensure workplace functions are performed in the right manner. The firm needs a new Chief Executive Officer working closely with the board to ensure all operations in the firm run smoothly without any hitches.
The firm needs to inform workers the importance of restructuring and how this will improve the way they perform their duties. This will make it possible for them to support the new system without any misgivings. This will help strengthen employees’ confidence in the firm. This will also improve the way they perform different workplace functions, which will enable the firm achieve positive results in its operations (Aula & Siira, 2010, p. 133).
The firm does not have a strong accounts department and this made it possible for Curtis to embezzle funds. The firm needs to establish an effective internal financial system to make its operations more transparent. It also needs to establish an independent accounts department that records all financial dealings it transacts.
A strong financial system will help the firm regain its reputation which has been severely damaged by Curtis’ malpractices. The firm needs to rely on external auditors to audit its records after every three months to ensure all financial records are accurate (Rahim, 2001, p. 79). The financial department will work closely with other departments to determine priority areas in the firm’s strategy that need more attention. This will enable the firm set long term objectives that guide the way it operates.
Kentucky Harvest needs to change its organizational values and practices to regain its reputation. The firm needs to encourage managers and employees to interact freely to enable them exchange information related to different activities they are doing. Curtis exploited ineffective communication channels to defraud the firm. Senior managers and other employees in the firm did not know Curtis was squandering the firm’s funds. Constant communication between managers and employees in the firm will reduce such incidents in future (Moffitt & Bordone, 2012, p. 84). This will ensure all employees in the firm are accountable to effective control systems to ensure they satisfy internal quality benchmarks.
In conclusion, Kentucky Harvest needs to improve its internal structures to ensure all employees meet and satisfy the organization’s expectations. This will help the organization carry out its objectives effectively.
References
Aula, P., & Siira, K. (2010). Organizational communication and conflict management systems. Nordicom Review, 31 (1), 125-141.
Moffitt, M.L., & Bordone, R.C. (2012). The handbook of dispute resolution. San Francisco, CA: Wiley.
Rahim, M. A. (2001). Managing conflict in organizations. Westport, CT: Quorum Books.