Author Archives: Gabriel Goring

Career & Retention Case Study

Long term employment is a factor that affects a majority of employees and companies on a daily basis. While companies prefer to keep the senior staff members settled in their position, senior employees tend to loose the drive to continue performing the same job if growth and development are not provided by the employer. In terms of our case study, for four years, Harper had held the same position of Marketing Coordinator at Marketable Inc. She is a seasoned employee who had developed a great work relationship with her prior boss Jose. Jose created an environment that was one on one and personal. He helped his staff complete assignments on an individual basis. Six months ago, Jose left the position and was replaced by David. David does not foster an environment of open communication and interpersonal interaction. He does not find time to work with staff to complete assignments. David role demands leadership of the team as a whole, while Jose only had to oversee Harper and one or two other employees. Due to this change of leadership and personality, the daily workload demanded from Harper has increased. The change in leadership and the fact that she was not considered for a promotion is demotivating to Harper. She does not feel appreciated for her years of service and believes She was overlooked as a potential replacement for Jose. She was excluded from all communication by management regarding the position vacancy and whom would be entitled to apply for the position. Management simply installed David in substitution for Jose.

If I were a hiring manager consulting David on how to re-engage Harper, I would suggest that he speak to her on a one on one to see exactly what demands must be met to settle her grievances. I would do my best to remind her that She is a valued employee whose contributions have helped the company in various ways. If David wants to maintain a healthy balance while in charge, he must find the time to communicate with all staff on an individual basis to see where problems are developing and what can be done to find a solution. In return, Harper and other staff will begin to trust David as a manager and feel that he is approachable regarding work or issues that arise. Loosing Harper will have negative repercussions on the workflow balance and potentially create a productivity dip. Plus, It would be costly to hire and train a new individual. The new employee will lag output wise compared to the usual load Harper is able to easily complete. This process will drain other employees who have to over compensate in their average workload to help close loose ends while the new employee is trained. It is also morale damaging to senior employees who potentially may find themselves confronted by longevity issues.

The MTA and its socio-ethical duty to the people of NYC

A company that I interact with daily is the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). The MTA is a public benefit corporation responsible for public transportation in the New York City metropolitan area. It is the largest public transit authority in the United States serving 12 counties in downstate New York, along with two counties in southwestern Connecticut. The MTA is responsible for carrying over 11 million passengers on an average weekday systemwide and over 850,000 vehicles on its seven bridges and two tunnels per weekday.

In terms of public philanthropy, the MTA is under-invested which adds to the long-standing infrastructure weaknesses the company has sustained. Philanthropy has an important role to play as community-based advocates call for reform and improvement of the public transportation system. As per David Bragdon, Executive Director for the Transit Center, “We will only obtain change through civic activism that causes the government to change”.  Our government has focused its attention on rising levels of greenhouse gas emissions caused by automobiles leaving the MTA and public transportation in general to manage its own affairs. Through public philanthropy, broader aspects that affect our communities such as racial justice, socio-economic access and clean air would be addressed due to an improvement of our public transportation system.

The MTA is committed to delivering a long-lasting system of public transportation. It delivers on its promise by building a more climate resilient transportation system through increased energy efficiency of its fleet and facilities. Greenhouse gases are the leading causes of global warming and climate change. By taking people out of cars and placing them on mass transit, our regions carbon footprint will be decreased. Replacement of lighting, heating and cooling systems with energy efficient models positively impacted our region. As of March 2019, 102,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide were avoided. Heating and cooling savings include 299,000 gallons of fuel oil and 1.6 million therms of natural gas. In terms of electricity and power, 208 million kilowatt hours and 282,000 kilowatts were saved. Current active conservation projects have also positively impacted our region. 24,800 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions were avoided. In terms of electricity and power, 30.8 million kilowatt hours and 45,000 kilowatts were saved. Heating and cooling savings totaled at 36,900 gallons of fuel oil and 1.9 million therms of natural gas.

The MTA and the New York City Transit authority support the concept that economic and social development are the results of environment protection. Through long- and short-term planning, studies demonstrated an increase in community and business growth will occur without depleting the health and productivity of surrounding natural systems. NYC Transit uses significant amounts of electrical power, fuel, water and construction materials every year, but stands firm in its commitment to sustainability and meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations and their needs.     

Although the MTA is a complex corporation with enumerable working parts, it realizes it social responsibility to not only its employees and leadership, but the people of NYC who are the core of its existence. The ability to provide a high standard of service relies on a strong work ethic, clear corporate policies and the dedication of a creative work force.

As an employee, manager or business owner, you are required by contract to perform your duties and maintain a level of professionalism and courtesy within your organization and publicly. According to Pachamama.org, “social responsibility is an ethical theory in which individuals are accountable for fulfilling their civic duty, and the action of an individual must benefit the whole society”. “In this way, there must be a balance between economic growth and the welfare of society.” “If this is maintained, then social responsibility is accomplished”. Ethics are embedded in the code of conduct at work to regulate individuals who seek personal advancement at the expense of the company. Upholding social responsibility within the workplace develops integrity which, in return, protects the society and the environment from immoral practices which may potentially cause injury or harm.

A few recommendations that I would suggest to leadership of the MTA is remember that although raising the fare may be necessary to balance financial burdens, it impacts the low-income communities it serves often making a single ride unaffordable. Continue to investigate other modes of money generation such as energy conservation or public philanthropy to replenish funds that were used to maintain operations. Utilize statistics to analyze the number of expenditures per quarter and differentiate what was truly necessary compared to inefficient. Lastly, continue to train employees to provide its customers with a safe, clean and courteous experience while onboard a train or bus. Positive public feedback will always foster an environment that the MTA and New York City Transit are dedicated to a high standard of service in return making it the go to alternative over using private transporation.

Resources:

https://new.mta.info/sites/default/files/2018-04/codeofethics.pdf

https://new.mta.info/transparency/new-york-city-transit-and-the-environment

https://new.mta.info/sustainability/energy-efficiency

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metropolitan_Transportation_Authority#Safety_campaign

The Founder

Ray Kroc was an American businessman who knew the gains and losses of the business world on a 1st hand basis and was willing to take those risks. He was willing to put his personal home up for a loan to invest in his dream or scheme as his wife would refer to. He saw the Mc Donald brothers establishment as a huge picture of success built completely from American ingenuity. Ray developed bargaining tools from going door to door as a salesman and utilized those skills to communicate effectively to individuals and conveyed his beliefs nationally to those who also were seeking a piece of the American dream. Unfortunately, the McDonald brothers did not realize how savvy Ray Kroc was and in the long run, lost their brand to the powerful corporation He built right under their noses.

The McDonald brothers knew that they had created a powerful adversary in Ray Kroc and were literally outgunned in their dispute for the franchise. At the time, they settled for $2.4 million dollars to be divided equally between themselves. In the major scope of the business and its holdings, this amount was just a peek into the vast capital vault that the McDonalds corporation had stockpiled. They were left with no choice because neither brother could afford to stabilize a long -term court battle and was forced to accept the terms Ray Kroc offered.  

The local store franchisees earned revenue from food sales. The McDonald brothers created a system that served customers in under 30 seconds compared to other restaurants who served their guests in 30 minutes. This high-speed system was adopted in all the locations and was reacted by the public as “fast food”. Even they way the food was packaged was new as this was not a traditional restaurant but more of a place your order, pick up to go service.  

Under the advisement of Harry Sonnenberg, Ray Kroc purchased the real estate needed to build a McDonalds location. At that point, he became a landlord and was leasing the land to each new McDonalds franchise investor. From his real estate earnings, Ray Kroc’s income grew at an exponential rate. Unless the local franchise owner held enough money to buy the land, location and brand fees, at one time, a substantial portion of their earnings was needed to pay any leasing fees. The remainder is used to pay salaries and restock any necessary materials for their location.

No, I still love McDonalds although it’s not as good as in the past. I feel bad that the McDonald brothers were unable to create a better deal with Ray to ensure a successful and long-lasting relationship prior to him cornering the franchise and its market. The McDonald brothers envisioned a clean family-oriented business, while Ray envisioned a monopoly. It’s unfortunate but in the real world, businesses are divided, sold and stole from their original proprietors daily with money, power and legal influence as the main players on the field.