MANAGEMENT & PLANNING FOR WORLDCOM

Management & Planning for WorldCom

Management & Planning for WorldCom

Introduction

Many times we think of planning as one function of management with no variety. Any time you are looking to the future you are just planning. Throughout this week's readings, the class has learned that there are actually four levels of planning. These levels include: strategic, tactical, operational, and contingency planning. Each level has a different purpose and impact on the planning process. In the following paragraphs, we are going to describe three of the four levels of planning and how WorldComuses them to its advantage. First we will look at how WorldCom uses tactical planning in the employment of producing excellent services. Then we will talk about how WorldCom's operational planning built a reputation that carried them through difficult times. Lastly, we will discover how WorldCom embraced a new product and used strategic planning to overcome some daunting obstacles.

Planning Function of Management

Tactical planning is a set of procedures for translating broad strategic goals of an organization down to a specific set of goals for a distinct portion of the organization (Bateman, 2003, p. 112). Our goals for WorldCom is to provide our customer with the highest quality part with unparalleled customer service, while effectively utilizing every employee working in an environment of mutual respect, dignity and unyielding integrity. You will see how this translates to our facility at WorldCom.

Effects of Legal Issues, Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility on Business Planning

Business plans optimize growth and development according to the plans and priorities set forth by management; therefore; guidelines for securing corporate monetary and legal security are applied during the planning process that determine an organization's success.

Legal Issues

Legal issues which every business must be aware of are its business's proprietary information, business strategies, customer lists, copyright information, patents and any intellectual property provided by its employees during their normal course of work. WorldCom ensures that its legal rights are protected whenever a new employee is hired through documents each person signs at the beginning of their employment.

Ethics

Planning how the company will deal with question of ethics brought about requirement of WorldCom managers to take leadership courses provided by Development Dimensions International. These courses often stress and teach the importance of ethical behavior in the workplace and how management should handle situations which arise. The company's managers monitor their employee's behaviors and both are encouraged to anonymously report unethical behavior through use of the company's Speak Up Program.

Corporate Social Responsibility

There are two views of the corporate social responsibility of organizations, the classical and socioeconomic. The classical view states, "business is an economic institution directed towards profit whose only responsibility to society is to provide goods and services and to return maximum benefits to shareholders" (Robbins et al, 2003: 136). The Socioeconomic view states, "business is a part of the larger society and, therefore, it has responsibilities other than simply maximizing profits" (Robbins et al., 2003: 137). WorldCom's business plan is to market itself to its customers as a local ...