Sustainability Issues Affect the Operations of Companies Different

Question: How To Impact Of Sustainability Issues Affect The Operations Of Companies Different? Answer: Introduction The issue of sustainability is topical in different countries as organisations strive to ensure that their activities are not detrimental to the environment in which they operate. The issue of sustainability has a strong background in the concept of sustainable development defined by Nations Commission as "meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs," (Brodwin, 2016). This means that the companies are not expected to compromise the capability of the other future generations from enjoying the same resources that are found in the environment in which they operate. The issue of sustainability can affect the operations of the company in many ways since it can undermine or give it competitive advantage. As such, this report discusses the critical steps that have been taken by TASSAL in order to promote sustainability in its operations. The report specifically focuses on how the company has harnessed the following strategi es: planning and strategy, human resources management, leadership and controlling the value chain and technology to promote sustainability in its operations. Background information about TASSAL Tassal is an Australian based company that was established in 1986 and specialises in offering delicious, fresh and healthy Tasmanian Atlantic salmon to different clients (Tassal, 2017). The company employs 800 people and is now publicly owned following its success in offering delicious sea food to various consumers within Australia as well as the export market. The companys vision is to create a better tomorrow while its mission is to bring sustainable health and wellbeing to the environment and communities in which it operates (Tassal, 2017). To achieve the mission and vision, the company works with suppliers, customers, stakeholders as well as the employees. The company also attempts to achieve and maintain its operational excellence by creating a fine balance between its core values and the community and environment at large in which it operates. The companys strategies are driven by its desire to offer excellent customer value and satisfaction through the products it offers. Planning and strategy It has been observed that a company that fails to plan often plans to fail (Strydom, 2007). This statement boldly captures the significance of planning as well as selecting its strategies in its operations. The firms strategic plan is primarily concerned with establishing the kinds of businesses that the firm will operate in and its objectives of each (Kotler and Keller, 2006). Within each business unit, more detailed planning takes place and various departments within the company must work together in order to make sure that they are in a position to accomplish the strategic objectives of the company. In case of Tassal, it can be seen that the company has quite a number of strategic plans that shape its objectives. The major notable aspect of breeding a Tassal Tasmanian Salmon is that this type of fish takes three years to breed where one and half years are spent in fresh water while the other one and half years are spent in sea water (Tassal, 2017). This implies that every breeding stage of the fish is properly planned so that the desired quality is achieved. Effort is also made at Tassal produce superior value for customers alone. It can be seen that the marketers strive to create customer as well as partner relationships through working with different business departments to form an effective value chain that serves the customers in all areas they operate in. Strategic planning starts with the selection of ideal breeding programs for salmon and these are identified by experts. The breeding conditions are also carefully managed in order to ensure that the desired quality of the breed of fish is obtained at the end of its breeding life cycle. The company works with different partners in order to obtain the right feed for the fish and this is very important since it helps the company to be in a better position to produce quality breed (Tassal, 2017). The other strategy adopted by the company is to work closely with different stakeholders so that it can get their views which can help it to shape its operations towards the attainment of the desired goals and objectives. The company is assured of gaining competitive advantage through maintaining value since the customers are primarily concerned with obtaining value for money when they purchase certain products. Human resources management Managing human resources is critical to the success of all companies regardless of their size and industry (Jackson and Schuler, 2010). There is no best way of managing employees and the organizations need to manage their human resources to fit their unique situations so that they can be in a better position to achieve their desired goals. It can be observed that Tassal is primarily concerned with ensuring that their human resources are satisfied by their jobs and are committed to put optimum performance in their operations. Out of the 800 people employed by the company, there are quite a number of measures that are implemented in order to ensure that they are motivated so that they can meaningfully contribute to the performance of the organization. The aspect of human resources management is also closely related to the concept of social capital which mainly focuses on the resources that can help the organization to accomplish its goals as well as how these resources are located among groups (Hu and Randel, 2014). Employees within the organisation need to create mutual trust, social relationships and they also need emotional support in order for them to put optimum performance in their operations. The other notable aspect about the element of human resources management at Tassal is that the company is committed to the welfare of salmon and excellent fish health and this is achieved through employment of fish health professionals and fish veterinarian (Tassal, 2017). Effort is made to recruit the right people with right qualifications and experience so that they can drive the company in the right direction towards the attainment of its goals. The element of organisational culture is also very important in the operations of the organization (Noore, 2013). People within an organization usually come from different cultural backgrounds and this has an impact on their behaviour as well as the way they socialize with others within the company. This implies that culture affects the overall performance of the employees within the company which means that their values should be taken into account so as to influence their behaviour and ultimately performance. The culture of Tassal Company is designed in such a way that it motivates the employees to develop a sense of belonging to the company. Motivated employees are committed to put optimum performance so as to be able to positively contribute to the overall performance of the organization. Leadership Leadership refers to the ability to influence the behaviour of the other people within the organization towards the attainment of the desired goals and objectives (Werner, 2007). Leadership is one of the key drivers of success in the organization since it mainly focuses on ensuring that the efforts of the employees are directed towards the attainment of the set goals and objectives. The leadership at Tassal makes an effort to ensure that the employees are motivated so that they can put optimum effort in their work. For instance, the company is comprised of caring staff members and these are also attentive to the needs of fish and their environment (Tassal, 2017). This can only be achieved when there is good working relationship between the employees and the leaders. This also means that the employees are happy about their work as a result of the treatment they get from their leaders. The other important aspect about leadership is that it cannot be separated from change. Reissner (2011) posits that change in an organization is inevitable and effective leaders should anticipate change in their operations. In order to keep pace with the changes that may take place in the environment in which the organization operates, it is imperative for the responsible leaders to adopt transformational leadership. According to Voet (2014), transformational leadership is primarily concerned with articulating the vision, accepting group goals while at the same time fostering individualized support. As such, effective leaders change the basic values, attitudes as well as beliefs of the individuals so that they can be willing to perform beyond the expectations specified by the organization. Transformational leadership can be effective in transforming the organization especially by defining the need for change as well as creating new vision for the organisation (Voet, 2014). It can be seen that Tassal uses transformational leadership in its vision since the company makes an effort to share its vision with all its employees so that they can also have good understanding of what the company really needs to achieve. The other important aspect about Tassals leadership is that it involves the other stakeholders in its operations. For instance, quite a number of decisions are made following consultations with different stakeholders so as to help the decision makers to incorporate the views of the stakeholders in making decisions that also affect them. The stakeholder approach to decision making utilised by the leadership in the company is very effective since it helps to create mutual trust between the organisation and the stakeholders. Controlling the value chain and technology The companys value chain is comprised of various departments that carryout value creating activities to design, produce, market, deliver and support a firms products (Kotler and Armstrong, 2010). As such, Tassal is committed to achieving operational excellence while at the same time protecting its core values around the elements of community and environment as well as quality (Tassal, 2017). The company is committed to growing quality salmon while at the same time paying attention to the consumer priorities such as taking into account their needs while at the same time ensuring that food salmon is grown in a socially responsible and environmentally way. In order to maintain quality and control the value chain, Tassal has internal Fish Health Management Plans and it also has a program meant to ensure that there is no harm caused to the fish under the program that is based on the UK RSPCA Freedom Food Animal Welfare Standards for Salmon (Tassal, 2017). Like any other animals, salmon fi sh need right growing conditions that can promote healthy growth and the company makes effort to select farms that have excellent growing conditions. Effort is also made to ensure that the fish is provided with nutritious food. The other notable measure taken by the company to ensure that it maintains quality is that it does not farm GMO salmon and it adheres to the requirements of ASC certification (Tassal, 2017). Virtually, the aspect of quality is prioritised by the company since this helps it to create good relations with different stakeholders. The other thing about value chain is that customer value and satisfaction are major ingredients for the marketers formula for success (Kotler and Armstrong, 2010). Though marketing alone is very important in attracting, keeping and growing customers, it cannot produce superior value for customers alone. Marketers must strive to create customer as well as partner relationships where they work with other business departments to form an effective value chain that serves the customers. The company also works with other stakeholders in a bid to create superior customer value. For instance, the company works with major feed suppliers and WWF Australia to reduce the forage fish meal input while at the same time increasing the protein from other sources and this is good for the planet (Tassal, 2017). The company has done this in direct response to the stakeholder response as well as to try to align its operations with best practice certifications that include the Aquaculture Stewardship Coun cil (ASC). This has significantly helped the company to control its value chain in the production of Tassmanian salmon. Conclusion In conclusion, it can be observed that the issue of sustainability is topical to the operations of different organisations in various ways. Enlightened companies strive to do the right thing by looking beyond written laws and regulations to ensure that their operations do not cause harm to the environment (Kotler and Armstrong, 2010). As illustrated above, Tassal strives to implement various strategies that are meant to promote sustainability in its operations in Australia. The companys determination to ensure that it creates and maintains value has helped it to attract many customers. However, the company still needs to take certain measures into account to continue improving its operations hence the following recommendations. Recommendations The company should put measures in place to ensure that its operations can promote sustainable development and are not detrimental to the environment. This also helps the company to gain the trust of the targeted consumers. Therefore, it is recommended that the company should implement training and development initiatives that are meant to equip the employees with the knowledge and skills required to improve their performance instead of relying on hiring expertise with knowledge in fish breeding as is the case at the moment. It is also recommended that the company should implement retention programs that are meant to motivate the employees so that they can continue working for it. This helps it to retain skilled and talented workers in the long run. 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