Employee Relations Assistant in Abu Dhabi Distribution Company Essay

Introduction

Abu Dhabi Distribution Company (ADDC) was established in 1998. The company is wholly owned by Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority. It operates as a subsidiary of the authority. The organisation is charged with the responsibility of distributing electricity and water to the Abu Dhabi population. However, it is important to note only three regions in Abu Dhabi are served by the company (Haddabi 51). The three include Liwa and Silla, which are in the western region.

The eastern region has Mussaffah and Baniyas. Finally, there is the Abu Dhabi Island itself. The Al Ain region is excluded from the services of the company. The reason behind this is that the region has its own independent utility, the Al Ain Distribution Company (AADC). The autonomous entity offers services that are similar to those of ADDC. Like AADC, ADDC is committed to the duty of offering high quality services to its customers.

In this report, I will analyse the position of Employee Relation Assistant (ERA) in ADDC. I was on internship in the organisation. In the report, an organisational chart of ADDC will be provided. The chart will highlight the position of ERA, which I occupied during my internship. A situational analysis of the entity will be provided. A number of motivational and de-motivational factors associated with the position will be analysed. Finally, recommendations on how to improve the organisation are provided.

Like many organisations, ADDC’s organisational chart provides for the post of an employee relations assistant. I was assigned to the post during my internship program in the company. The major role of the incumbent is to strengthen the relationships between the organisation and its employees (Field 32).

The management team at ADDC realised that for the company to succeed, a motivated workforce was essential. They could only achieve this through a powerful human resource department. As such, they required specialists in the area of employee relations. I got the opportunity to study on this area in college. It is for this reason that I was assigned the position of employee relations assistant.

The Main Activities of Abu Dhabi Distribution Company (ADDC)

The company is mandated with the responsibility of distributing electricity and water to persons residing within the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. The only exception to this mandate is the Al Ain region. The company is mainly concerned with the aspects of planning, designing, and constructing utilities to be used in the distribution of the two commodities.

As such, it constantly formulates plans aimed at improving the existing infrastructure in the region. It is also involved in the establishment of new utilities. The company’s undertakings are in line with its mission. Its organisational objective is to develop, maintain, as well as operate an electricity and water distribution system that is economical, efficient, and safe (Haddabi 31). As such, the organisation will be able to achieve its vision, which is to become a world-class electricity and water distribution company.

Situation Analysis

There are a number of factors that affect the effectiveness of the organisation. The factors are both internal and external to the company. I will conduct a situation analysis in this section to identify the negative and positive issues facing ADDC. The issues affect the organisation in the process of setting up objectives and formulating policies.

External Factors

Most contemporary organisations, especially those involved in the provision of services, have realised the need to focus on human resource (HR) strategies. The reason behind this is that effective HR strategies motivate employees. As such, the labour force is committed to its work. The process enhances the success of the organisation.

With regards to companies involved in the delivery of services, effective HR strategies help to improve the quality of what is availed to consumers. Motivated employees will also help a company to achieve its objectives and realise its vision. Today, many organisations in Abu Dhabi Emirate have invested in their employees’ skills development with the aim of helping them develop positive attitudes towards customers and work in general (Haddabi 50).

Internal Factors

As a service delivery company, ADDC has come up with a number of values to improve performance. Major values include commitment to customers and employees, ethical behaviour, insistence on excellence, teamwork, as well as trust (Lechner 14). Commitment to customers has enabled ADDC to constantly engage in activities aimed at improving the quality of services provided. The organisation is also concerned with the welfare of its employees.

To this end, the management has adopted a culture of trust and teamwork (Lechner 14). As such, the organisation is able to keep its employees motivated. Consequently, the quality of services provided is enhanced. Excellence in delivery of services is, as a result, one of the key attributes associated with the organisation. However, many employees still feel that the management has not done enough to improve their welfare.

Technological Factors

Distribution of electricity and water requires large scale infrastructural development. Specialised systems are also required to ensure that the services are offered to the population in an effective and efficient manner. For this reason, ADDC has invested in world-class technology as it strives to become one of the leading electricity and water distribution companies in the world (Lechner 16).

One of the areas that have seen major improvements entails the billing system. The company has also embarked on automation of all distribution networks to enhance control. Emphasis is put on voltage and water pressure controls. Currently, electricity is distributed to customers at 33kV and 11kV.

Market Considerations

Electricity and water are some of the vital needs associated with any population. ADDC is the body charged with the responsibility of distributing the two commodities to all customers within the Abu Dhabi Emirate (with the exception of Al Ain area). No other company is mandated by the government to distribute the two items to its citizens (Lechner 14). As a result, the operations of ADDC must be efficient enough to cater for the needs of the customers given that there is no alternative.

The employees working in the organisation must also ensure that the services are accessible to all customers within the jurisdiction of ADDC. The price of the services provided by the company should also be affordable. As such, the organisation will be able to fulfil its mandate, which is to create systems that aid in the distribution of electricity and water to all.

Competitive Considerations (SWOT Analysis)

Strengths

To analyse competitive considerations affecting ADDC, the SWOT analysis matrix will be used. The framework seeks to evaluate the strengths, limitations, opportunities, and risks associated with an organisation.

To this end, ADDC has a number of strengths. To begin with, the company is committed to quality (Haddabi 51). Both customers and employees are highly valued by the management. As such, favourable HR strategies are employed to motivate the workforce. In the process, the quality of services availed to the consumers is improved.

Weaknesses

In spite of these strengths, a number of weaknesses exist. For example, there is poor coordination between departments. The human resource department has come up with a number of strategies to improve employee relations. However, the management rarely adopts the recommendations made (Haddabi 54).

As such, the relations between employees and the organisation are strained. The development may result in services that are of poor quality. Lack of adequate funding is another constraint facing the organisation. For example, the HR department is not empowered enough to fulfil its mandate. One of the important objectives that are jeopardised by lack of funding includes the one aimed at improving the relationships between the workforce and the organisation.

Opportunities

There are a number of opportunities that ADDC can exploit. The opportunities have the potential of improving the performance of the organisation. To begin with, ADDC has an effective employee relations mechanism. The organisation has achieved this with the help of a powerful HR department.

Members of this department are committed to their work (Lechner 15). The organisation’s employees are also highly trained. As such, they help ADDC to offer high quality services to its customers. The exemplary performance of the workforce improves the relations between them and the organisation.

Threats

In spite of the opportunities, there are a number of issues that threaten the performance of ADDC. For example, most employees are discontented. They feel that the organisation is not doing enough to improve their welfare. As such, their motivation is likely to wear out. The discontentment may also result in high employee turnover (Haddabi 51). Employees are also rarely consulted with regards to policy matters. As such, this acts as another source of dissatisfaction as they feel ignored when it comes to matters concerning them.

Motivation and De-motivation Factors at ADDC

Like all organisations, ADDC has both motivating and de-motivating factors. One of the main motivators associated with the company is its good organisational culture. The company is fairly committed to the welfare of its employees and customers (Haddabi 57).

Individuals working within the HR and employee relations offices feel that the organisation is committed when it comes to the adoption of improved strategies. The organisation is also dedicated to the development of its employees. The workforce regularly undergoes training aimed at improving the quality of services provided. In the process, the organisation appears to highly value its workforce. Such moves by the management complement the role of employee relations professionals.

However, there also exist a number of de-motivating factors. For example, there is inadequate funding to the HR department. As such, the recommendations made by the employee relations office are rarely implemented.

For this reason, HR officers at ADDC feel that their efforts are in vain. Another major de-motivating factor within the organisation is that there is poor coordination between departments (Haddabi 58). After tabling its recommendations, the HR department lacks the mandate to do a follow-up on the issues they have identified as the source of conflicts between ADDC and its employees.

Recommendations

There are a number of changes that can be made to ADDC to improve the performance of the organisation.

1. The organisation should focus on employee relations. One of the major changes that should be made is to appraise and reward the performance of employees (Lechner 14). Reward in this case should be in terms of benefits or raised salaries. As such, the employees will be motivated to offer better services to customers.
2. The organisation should also carry out salary revisions on a regular basis. As such, employees will feel that their continued stay in the organisation is valued. In the process, the issue of employee turnover will be solved.
3. Employee promotion is another change that should be implemented by ADDC. It mainly entails raising the job positions of the workers. In most cases, it comes with a salary increment.

If implemented, the three recommendations will go a long way in raising the morale of the employees. As such, the quality of services provided will improve. Improved performance will raise the standards of the organisation and make it a world-class water and electricity distribution company.

Innovation Aspects of the Recommendations

The innovation aspect of the recommendations can be identified when it comes to performance appraisal. To ensure that the process is free and fair, an employee database should be developed.

The activities and performance of employees should be recorded in this database. As such, there will be no cases of unfairness. Employees will be rewarded solely by merit (Field 32). With the help of the database, employees will be able to engage the organisation on matters revolving around promotions, salary revisions, and performance appraisals.

Timetable and Action Plan for Recommendations

The Gantt chart below will be used to highlight the timeline required for the implementation of the recommendations:

The changes will be implemented between June 2015 and March 2016. Performance appraisal will be the first step. As such, the management will be in a position to gauge the contributions made by each employee to the success of the organisation. The salaries will then be revised in accordance with the findings of the appraisal committee.

Finally, the performance of the employees will be rewarded. The reward will be in terms of both job promotion and salary increment (Field 35). The company must uphold fairness to enhance the success of the implementation process. Actions taken by the organisation should be backed by facts to avoid a situation where employees become hostile to the process.

A Brief Overview of Results and Recommendations

The role of employee relations practitioners cannot be ignored. An employee relations assistant is important to ADDC as they help to improve the relations between the organisation and the workforce. It is evident that employees working for ADDC feel that their employer has not done enough to improve their welfare.

The discontentment among the workforce may negatively affect the quality of services offered by the organisation. To change the attitudes the workforce has towards the company, a number of changes should be made (Field 32). They include carrying out performance appraisal and revision of salary schemes. Finally, employees should be rewarded and promoted.

Works Cited

Field, Shelly. Career Opportunities in Advertising and Public Relations. 4th ed. 2006. New York: Ferguson Facts on File. Print.

Haddabi, Mohammed. Developing a Hybrid Model for Network Planning in Abu Dhabi Distribution Company Subsidiary of Adwea, Sharjah, UAE: American University of Sharjah, 2006. Print.

Lechner, Norbert. Plumbing, Electricity, Acoustics: Sustainable Design Methods for Architecture, Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley & Sons, 2012. Print.