The Primary and Most Significant Problem

The lack of an effective communication channel has been connected to the poor performance of most companies around the world. As revealed by the case study, there has long been a schism between JNO and its Japanese customers. Mr. Bonardi points out that, while they (the firm's agents) have crucial knowledge that could help the company's sales, they do not share it because they are unsure that the information would reach the organization's leaders. In addition, he notes that most of the agents are not familiar with JNO’s executives and their respective ranks, hence, making it challenging for them (the agents) to approach the authorities once they want to express their opinions.

Alternatives to the Problem

There are various alternatives that can be put in place to enhance the communication levels within JNO. These alternatives include: having a hotline contact and formulating an online platform where the firm can interact with its agents.

The Hotline Contact

To boost their communication levels, more so when interacting with its employees, most companies have hotline contacts. The firms encourage an employee (agent) who wants to raise an urgent issue to do so using the hotline contacts. Implementing this policy in JON will no doubt play a significant role in ensuring that the agents remain in touch with the company’s executives. Nevertheless, it would be important for the organization to employ a receptionist who will be obligated to receive all the calls and pass the intended messages to the manger.

Pros of the Alternative

Some of the pros of this communication method include;

a) It is quite efficient since the messages are delivered promptly, hence, it is not time consuming.

b) It encourages the immediate implementation of the desired actions since the message would be delivered once the need for it (the action) is noted.

Cons of the Alternative

a) At times, the calls might not be answered since the receptionist might be engaged in other activities, hence, making it impossible for the agents to air out their concerns.

b) In addition, the receptionist might fail to pass the message to the manager at the intended time. For instance, he/she would not do so in case the manager is in a meeting or on leave.

The Online Platform

With the advancement in technology, most organizations have also created online platforms – such as Facebook pages or LinkedIn accounts – where they interact with not only their agents but also their clients.

Pros of the Alternative

The advantages of the alternative include;

a) Its efficiency is relatively high since the messages would be delivered within the shortest time possible.

b) Since the agent is required to put his/her opinion in writing, he/she can give as much details about the consumers preferences and any challenges he/she might be facing, hence, enabling the firm to have a comprehensive understanding of the issue at hand before coming up with a reasonable conclusion.

Cons of the Alternative

The main disadvantages of the online communication channel would be;

a) In case the clients express their opinions at the same platform, it would take a longer time to sort out the agents’ messages, which implies that the intended information might not be received at the right time. Therefore, the right actions might not be undertaken at the right time.

Recommendation

I recommend that the JNO comes up with a hotline contact in an effort to enhance its communication level with the agents. As brought out by the case study, some dealers have not been making the sales manager aware of some of the strategies that could boost the firm’s overall sales since they fear that the information might get to other executives who might support their (the agents) ideas. The hotline contact will always guarantee that the dealers remain in touch with the sales director, which implies that they will always be in a position to make reasonable decisions on the effective sales strategies they should adopt as soon as the agents get an idea on the consumers' tastes and preferences.