For the pursuance of the research, the company Telenor Group was chosen. Telenor Group is one of the largest mobile operators in the world, which serves 140 million subscribers. This company holds a strong position in Central and Eastern Europe as well as in Asia. Telenor Group was included in the list of 500 largest companies in the world. In addition, it is one of the leaders of the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes rating. The company totals nearly 30,000 employees all over the world. In light of the above, one can definitely consider Telenor Group a successful company. Along with that, the company can be praised for its ability to recruit and retain high-qualified and experienced employees. Telenor Group provides a policy of loyalty towards its principal staff, which helps to keep them working well. The company provides a wide number of benefits to its employees to ensure their satisfaction.
This paper will provide a detailed analysis of Telenor Group and several aspects of its activity such as internal organizational performance, type of culture, structure of the company, model of communication, nature of authority, motivational techniques the company uses towards its employees, areas of emotional quotient, and components of a virtual organization within the company.
Type of Culture
Telenor Group was established in 1855 under the name Telegrafverket as the telegraph service provider. In 1966, the company launched a mobile phone network with manual switching. In 1981, it was replaced by an automatic mobile network. Due to the activity of Telenor Group, Norway became the first country with an automatic mobile communication in Europe. Since 1993, the development of networks of a global system for mobile communications began. Finally, in 2004, commercial network 3G was commissioned. Telenor Group is a company that operates not only in Scandinavian countries but all over Europe and Asia. It can be definitely considered as the most popular and famous company, which provides telecommunication and networks services in the world. In addition, it has its own standards of culture. Telenor Group can provide the appropriate conditions for the total satisfaction and loyalty for its employees. Thus, this company seems to be a very good employer. In examining the type of culture, to which the company operates respectively, it can be noted that the principles of a “salad bowl” are followed. It means that Telenor Group provides the policy of unconditional belief in the equality of people from different countries and nations. Being an international company, it also respects the diversification of cultures.
Telenor Group policy towards its employees can be characterized by equal and fair treatment of every representative of the company. All of them can expect benefits and perks to an equal extent. In addition, the company maintains an informal and friendly atmosphere in offices. The existing hierarchy is not emphasized. The office space is not divided according to the colonelcy. Due to such organization of working operation, all employees have equal opportunities to express their professional qualities and the similar tools and possibilities to get a benefit. The policy of equality of all employees helps to make communication and discussion of professional issues easier and more effective. Such an organization of the working process gives the opportunity to engage all employees in the decision-making process to a certain extent. Thus, one can conclude that Telenor Group employees are compensated appropriately to their professional achievements and are totally satisfied with their jobs. In turn, it positively influences the turnover rate. Telenor Group can be considered to be a stable company that is able to retain good employees. Without a doubt, it is difficult to follow the principles of a salad bowl culture in such a huge company as Telenor Group. However, this company has successfully been doing it and keeping its employees satisfied for many years. As a result, such loyal policy indisputably makes profits for the company. As it is known, any company’s success is founded on the professionalism, devotion, and efforts of its employees. Telenor Group shows excellent performance. It can be noted that the values inherent to the company culture have a huge impact on its success. The principles of determination, devotion, and hard working are introduced into the professional consciousness of its employees. Thus, loyalty towards its employees and their satisfaction leads Telenor Group to success. Furthermore, this company does not use negative competition as a motivational factor. Telenor Group suggests its employees the concept of teamwork and mutual assistance. This company excellently reflects the advantages of the teamwork approach as a way to achieve the goals of the organization. The employees are allowed to feel free to express their opinion and suggest ideas to improve the working performance. The principles of the salad bowl culture are reflected in the instance of specified quotas proved by Telenor Group. The company practices hiring candidates representing different cultures and professional backgrounds. In addition, the permissible part of a number of hiring women is very high.
Modes of Communication
Communication at Telenor Group is organized in a way that provides the maximum effectiveness and helps get benefits. All the barriers to communication are removed. As it has been mentioned above, the offices of Telenor are the large open spaces with no sectorization. Also, there are no closed doors and private rooms that can prevent free communication. The working atmosphere is predominantly informal. The employees are encouraged to all the types of communication in regard to any work or even private issues. Such norms of company communication at Telenor Group are established for the purpose of making the employees feel comfortable and open to each other. Advanced business communication between employees has a positive impact on the company’s performance in general. It should be noted that employees do not abuse these advantages. Thus, verbal communication can be considered the main method of transmitting information at Telenor Group. However, written communication also plays a significant role in the company’s activity.
Telenor Group has its own internal network, through which the information can be shared within the organization. Thus, both forms of communication are established and working well in the company. The employees can choose the appropriate way to communicate with colleagues according to the current situation and working needs. It is remarkable that the employees of different ranks do not need to overcome the obstructions to communicate. Telenor Group is the company that removes the rank differences in terms of the communication between its employees. For example, every trainee is allowed to reach the higher ranks of the company’s management in case he/she has thoughts or suggestions that can help improve the company’s performance. The practice of frequent informal meetings amongst employees is developed in the company. Additionally, regular team meetings are held in order to monitor the continuous improvement of employees’ professionalism and performance of the company. In case an employee shows bad performance, he/she is not penalized but is given advice and tools to improve it. The employees who show good performance and high-quality work are appreciated for it and can expect benefits and additional compensation. Without a doubt, it is the right way to increase the morale of the staff. To solve any issue, any employee can have a private conversation with the colleagues verbally. Also, there is an internal telephone network at Telenor Group. The employees can use it as well as an online chat system. E-mail communication is used to share formal documentation or providing documented information.
Nature of Authority
Telenor Group has a well-developed organizational structure, which can be characterized by the wide rank of responsibilities and opportunities given to employees. The nature of authority at Telenor Group has a flat organization (Kyng & Mathiassen, 2003). It means that employees are not strictly controlled by managers and have the authority of doing their work in the way they want. They are free in choosing the approach to organize their working process. Workers are highly empowered in this company, and the main criterion of their effectiveness is the level of performance they show. On the one hand, employees are expected to show professional qualities that are appropriate to the position they hold as they are responsible for their job. On the other hand, employees are given an opportunity to make decisions and solve the issues themselves in the way they consider the most effective. They are allowed to take working challenges, which can improve their working skills. Thus, the work at Telenor Group is interesting, rewarding and will not become monotonous for employees if they perform well. The main goal of the management policy at Telenor Group is building a strong team of the professionals consisting of responsible, self-reliant and passionate employees who are able to meet the complex working challenges. A sense of trust among the colleagues is highly appreciated in the company.
In addition, Telenor Group makes every employee feel his/her own worth and professional value. Employees are encouraged to be passionate about what they do. They should believe that they are not only earning money, but they are pursuing a higher cause in their work. Telenor Group management policy helps employees to consider themselves as an important part of the company. This feeling motivates them to work hard and achieve the goals of the company. Thus, employees develop their professional qualities, become more confident, and over time, become able to solve more and more difficult working problems. They are satisfied and loyal to the company. The responsibilities given to them make employees feel like an important part of a huge organization and be increasingly insistent in achieving the goals of the company. The increasing feeling of their significance improves leadership skills amongst the employees, which, in turn, creates value for the company in general. These are the positive results of the competent management policy at Telenor Group. Furthermore, every worker is expected to be ready to work individually as well as a part of a team. For example, sometimes workers from different departments are gathered in order to work for a specific project. This is made for the purpose of improving the communication between different parts of the company thus giving the employees the opportunity to share experience amongst themselves and achieve better results.
Motivational Techniques
Without any doubt, Telenor Group is a company that can be characterized by the devotion and loyalty of its employees. They do not leave the company and seem to be satisfied with working for it. It can be proved by a very low turnover rate at Telenor Group. The company ensures the appropriate environment for the workers from different cultural and professional backgrounds. There are several motivational tools and techniques in the management policy system of Telenor Group. The quality of job performance strongly depends on the employee’s motivation. To be more precise, motivational techniques can be divided into two directions: extrinsic and intrinsic motivation. In contrast to many other organizations, Telenor Group uses both these motivational techniques to encourage its employees for better performance. Extrinsic motivation includes different financial rewards that are given to employees in case they show outstanding performance. The rewards can include overtime pay, profit sharing, merit pay, stock options and other monetary facilities that are involved in providing additional physical compensation for employees. They are given a wide number of benefits that encourage them to work hard for the company’s success. Thus, one can conclude that extrinsic motivation is a very strong part of the management policy at Telenor Group. However, indubitably, intrinsic motivation must be provided, as well. Therefore, for the purpose of ensuring the stable performance of the employees that maintain and increase the company’s value, Telenor Group provides intrinsic driving powers. They can be one of the main reasons for the company’s high achievements. Telenor Group motivates the employees internally by highly empowering them, giving them freedom in decision making and appreciating them for their professional qualities. In such a way, employees’ work is always recognized, and that gives them the feeling of their significance. These are the tools that are used for the internal motivation of the employees.
Areas of EQ Incorporated
Telenor Group is a huge organization, with more than 30,000 employees all over the world. One might argue that a large number of people representing different cultures working together leads to inevitable conflicts. Working stress strongly contributes to it. Thus, it is necessary to use the theory of emotional intelligence for every large company that pursues the coordinated work of its employees. The theory of emotional intelligence involves the ability to determine, feel and manage emotions of others in an unobtrusive and effective way. It can help establish links among employees. It is of crucial importance for every employee to be able to empathize and create a trustful relationship with colleagues. This ability contributes to increasing team morale and, as a result, work performance. There are some ways to manage the emotions of employees within the company. For instance, when a conflict appears, the employees’ emotions must be controlled. The project managers at Telenor Group are familiar with the basics of corporate psychology, which helps them solve and eliminate the conflicts.
How are the components of a virtual organization embraced?
Telenor Group is an organization that provides networks and communication services. Thus, it is not surprising that it is highly technically advanced. Furthermore, due to its technical opportunities, it is possible for employees to work from home virtually. Telenor Group created global networks and servers that give employees the advantage to work efficiently wherever they are located. Telenor Group has its internal software, and all employees are taught to use it. Each of them knows how to improve his/her professional performance using technical advantages the company gives to them. The excellent example of using the newest technical possibilities at Telenor Group is creating virtual teams, in which employees can communicate with each other, share their experience and complete the current projects.
Telenor Group is a well-organized company that ensures stable high performance of its employees with the help of different management techniques. Following the principles of the “salad bowl” culture, the company promotes equality amongst people of different cultures and provides fair treatment for its employees. The model of communication within the company involves both writing and verbal forms. The nature of managing allows employees to get authority of doing their work in the way they want. Both extrinsic and intrinsic motivations are used to encourage their employees. Telenor Group is a highly technically advanced company, and all of its advantages are used by its employees. Furthermore, the theory of emotional intelligence is successfully used within the company, as well as the components of a virtual organization.
