The misunderstanding regarding the school administration’s directive to look into the emails of the employees has come to the attention of the School Board. The School Board deems it necessary to initiate an appropriate response. The first thing that has to be done is to examine the key management issues surrounding this problem.
Key HRM Issues
One of the major issues is the problem regarding privacy. Various forms of correspondence including emails are considered private messages. Thus, the enforcement of a directive compelling the school’s Management Information Systems director to provide full access to personal emails can be interpreted as a breach of trust. More importantly, this action will significantly affect morale of the teachers and the staff.
It is also important to look at the big picture, and appreciate the value of the new computer networking system. The adoption of the said technology resulted in greater collaboration between teachers and staff. The computer network also provided an effective way to communicate with one another.
Major Stakeholders
It is important to consider the employee’s right to privacy, however, it is also important to understand the role played by school administrators. Everyone should realize the interplay of various stakeholders. It is imperative to realize the value of teamwork, nevertheless, the company exists because of the parents, students, and donors. School administrators serve them, and their primary responsibility is to ensure the efficient utilization of company resources.
Without a doubt, the efficient management of resources is a key component to success. However, it is not prudent to create a situation that will lead to disharmony within the school system. It is imperative to satisfy the need to develop an efficient way to utilize resources. It is also crucial to factor in the feelings of the teachers and staff when it comes to a directive that constitutes an invasion of privacy.
Alternative Approach
The best course of action is to consider this memo as a warning for those who deliberately abused the privilege of using the company’s computer network system. Nevertheless, this memo also clarifies the policy that the School Board will never allow school administrators to access emails that are private in nature.
However, two weeks after the circulation of this memo, school administrators will receive a report from the Management Information System director regarding the email activities of the teachers and staff. The report contains the names of the employees and the number of emails that were sent through the computer network. The report highlights the number of messages sent to fellow employees, and those that were sent outside the school system.
The report contains enough information to ascertain if employees are abusing the privilege of using the computer network. The directives were created to ensure the proper use of the computer network system. However, it is crucial not to prevent the flow of ideas, and dampen the spirit of collaboration that was at work after the establishment of the new communication tool. The said directives aim to preserve the culture of collaboration and effective stewardship of resources.
Satisfying the Needs of Primary Stakeholders
The new directives demonstrated the school’s commitment to the parents, students, and donors. It is clear that it was not only their needs that were met, but also the needs of other contributors. The rationale for the said directive was to demonstrate to the employees that they are valued stakeholders as well.