Introduction
Having one’s own business is a challenging and severe process that requires knowing and applying certain practices, acquiring specific skills, and being ready to risk. Unfortunately, not all people who want to start their own business realize that this is only the first step, and maintaining a good reputation and remaining successful is much more difficult than entering the market. Business owners need to remember that their actions and behaviors typically affect their companies’ recognition and reputation, and having numerous clients is not enough to consider oneself a good leader. Employees are probably the most essential part of an organization as they make sure that its processes work well. That is why it is vital to take care of the workers and ensure that they are comfortable at their workplace by creating and maintaining a healthy environment and atmosphere.
Not following the mentioned and some other recommendations was the main mistake of Shawn Mungo, the owner of a fashion and accessories business called Snap-a-Dap. This failure has resulted in both his reputation and that of his company being severely damaged. In this paper, particular practices that can help Mr. Mungo increase levels of trust and employee engagement, meet basic standards of employment practice, prevent sexual harassment, and increase the ethical reputation of his company will be given.
Increasing Levels of Trust and Employee Engagement
For any organization to survive and thrive, it is necessary to make sure that its workers have enough energy, engagement, and commitment. Therefore, leaders need to regularly implement specific practices to increase employees’ trust, loyalty, comfort, and determination to achieve the company’s mission and goals. This is the first step that Shawn needs to take because losing the trust and engagement of his workers was a severe mistake that has started a series of developments damaging Mr. Mungo’s and Snap-a-Dap’s success. Below are several techniques to improve employees’ trust and engagement.
Those workers who are not fully engaged in committing their energy, time, and talent to their jobs reduce the productivity, performance, and success of their company. To begin with, Shawn needs to make sure that all his employees, especially warehouse staff, are aware of being valued and appreciated and also know the importance of their duties and responsibilities (Gleeson, 2017). Sharing the goals and values of Snap-a-Dap may help employees feel involved in a team, the success of which will be beneficial not only for the business owner but for everyone in the company.
Further, it would be great to remove any obstacles and provide the team with proper development and interesting training. Although effective courses for staff are expensive, this is an incredibly beneficial investment since it will “build a culture of trust and accountability — and much less improve engagement” (Gleeson, 2017, para. 26). Employees will be able to learn new skills and become more experienced, which will increase their desire to put extra effort into their jobs.
Finally, another practice is to talk with the staff about the necessity of being involved in the process. According to Gleeson (2017, para. 29), successful leaders should “hold ‘state of engagement’ meetings and ‘engage’ everyone in the discussion — and solutions” as such an approach is likely to convince the workers that they are respected and their managers want to hear their suggestions, creative comments, and innovative ideas.
In the case study, it is mentioned that Mr. Mungo’s employees have lost confidence in him due to several negative factors. First, he refused to recognize a trade union to avoid having ‘them and our culture.’ However, the workers already feel the division since their boss earns vast amounts of money while they are underpaid. To solve this complex problem, Shawn should increase his employees’ wages, convince them of the reliability and stability of their work by signing additional contracts with more privileges and recognize the trade union for collective bargaining purposes (Young Entrepreneur Council, 2020). These steps will increase the workers’ trust and allow them to see that their opinions and requests matter.
Further, it would be effective to create a particular system of rewards and penalties. The staff needs to know that they can get extra money or other bonuses if they work hard and outperform others (Young Entrepreneur Council, 2020). What is more, it is also essential that the company has proper grievance and disciplinary procedures so that all employees feel safer and know that if something happens, violators are punished. Such a measure increases the staff’s confidence in Mr. Mungo’s fairness and desire to support and protect his employees.
Meeting Basic Standards of Employment Practice: Child Labour
Being engaged in business relationships with suppliers that use child labor has significantly damaged the reputation of Shawn and Snap-a-Dap and caused a loss of revenue. Therefore, from now on, Mr. Mungo has to make sure that the company’s suppliers meet basic standards of employment practice by treating the staff well and not using children. This may be achieved by several steps. First, Snap-a-Dap should review the contracts it has with various suppliers in India and find any suspicious details or inconsistencies that may indicate that child labor is used. Then, Shawn needs to sign agreements only with suppliers certified to the quality standards. Supply chain codes of conduct and contractual provisions are better to be incorporated, and there should be visible within supply chains. Finally, it is recommended that at least in the beginning, Mr. Mungo sends a trustworthy manager to India to check the reliability of potential suppliers and their working conditions.
Even though these steps are sometimes complicated as they require additional time and expenses, taking them promptly is incredibly beneficial. The company’s clients and shareholders will make sure that its owner is not only interested in making money and increasing his profit but also cares about social issues like poor working conditions and child labor. What is more, those suppliers that follow the law, make sure that their operations are correct and precise, and do not seek to reduce expenses by using child labor are more reliable and trustworthy, and building strong business relationships with them is easier and more likely.
Preventing Sexual Harassment
Another issue that Mr. Mungo has not noticed but allowed to become more serious and damage the company is sexual harassment in the workplace. There were several incidents of sexual harassment at social events organized for company employees, and now it is crucial to adopt several strategies that will help ensure that this does not occur in any of Snap-a-Dap’s operations in the future. Otherwise, the problem will not disappear on its own but will continue becoming worse and threatening the company’s fate.
To begin with, it is crucial to address the laddish culture at Snap-a-Dap reported by the staff. There should be a written policy regarding the ways employees, managers, and clients are allowed to behave during social events or working hours. According to Rio (2018), in case the rules are violated, both female and male employees need to be able to safely report violence against them and get immediate help. Such a system and strict policies on sexual abuse, as well as the company’s readiness to part with customers who allow themselves to mistreat the employees, will strengthen Snap-a-Dap’s internal culture and the relationship between Mr. Mungo and the staff.
Ethical Reputation
The case study details make it evident that the company’s ethical image and reputation are severely damaged, and several practical steps are needed to improve the situation. Unfortunately, in these complicated circumstances, recommendations for Mr. Mungo to be honest or open-minded are likely to be almost ineffective. The current and potential employees need to have evidence proving that Snap-a-Dap is a first-rate employer that has corrected its previous mistakes.
First Measure
To begin with, it is crucial for the company to “identify a set of values to guide how employees work together and engage with customers or society” (Top 10 tips for… improving ethics in the workplace, no date, para. 4). Creating a code of ethics and practice where all promoted or prohibited behaviors are clearly stated makes it easier for employees to follow the rules and maintain a healthy and friendly working environment. Moreover, potential workers are more likely to choose Snap-a-Dap as their workplace if they learn that this company knows for sure what it wants from and gives to its staff (Top 10 tips for… improving ethics in the workplace, no date).
Second Measure
Next, Mr. Mungo himself needs to change his behavior. As the company owner, he needs to understand that all his negative or positive actions are reflected in the status and success of Snap-a-Dap. Therefore, instead of going to clubs and parties where photographers can catch him being drunk, it is recommended to attend charity and cultural events that are more likely to find respectable clients. If Mr. Mungo manages to improve his moral status and learn to take care of his workers instead of money, the ethical reputation of his company will also improve.
Third Measure
Finally, Shawn needs to focus on building a friendly, bias-free, and healthy environment at the workplace. There should be a culture of acceptance, support, respect, and trust, and it is beneficial if Mr. Mungo himself is seen as the leader and role model of these values. It is not typical for business owners to be a part of the team, and only truly honest and fair leaders can win recognition from their employees. If Shawn allows his employees to participate in some decision-making processes, the company’s ethical reputation will change for the better.
Comparison
These three measures depend on Mungo’s readiness to improve and the staff’s desire to give him another chance. Overall, none of them requires considerable financial investments, and these measures can prove their effectiveness in the shortest possible time. They are aimed at making the atmosphere at Snap-a-Dap healthier by improving Shawn’s image, leadership, and relationships with his employees. If implemented correctly, these changes can increase the staff’s confidence in Mr. Mungo and their jobs, which will help Snap-a-Dap secure its recognition as a first-rate employer.
Conclusion
To conclude, one may say that ethical decision-making, thought-through behaviors, and healthy relationships between employees and business owners are essential for any company to thrive. In the case of Snap-a-Dap, even though severe mistakes were made, it is possible to change the situation for the better and improve the company’s image. All it needs is to focus on the workers’ comfort, create a more transparent system of rewards and penalties and establish shared values and mission.
Reference List
Gleeson, B. (2017) ‘5 powerful steps to improve employee engagement’, Forbes, Web.
Rio, A. (2018)Sexual harassment prevention starts with leadership. Chief Learning Officer. Web.
Top 10 tips for… improving ethics in the workplace (no date) Web.
Young Entrepreneur Council. (2020) ‘10 effective ways to develop employee trust during periods of change’, Forbes, Web.