Civil Defense Training in Abu Dhabi - Case Study Example

1 Civil Defense Training in Abu Dhabi Outline of the Case Study The General Directorate of Civil Defense (GDCD) of the UAE headquartered at Abu Dhabi was set up keeping in view the fast rate of growth in industrialization and urbanization in the entire country. Its basic objectives are in keeping with international civil defense norms and include measures to protect public and private property and to ensure smooth functioning of the public utility, transportation and communications systems. It also has the task of protecting the national heritage and wealth of the nation at all times whether it is during war or peace or any emergency situations. The civil defense is entrusted with the task of preventing disasters and to involve in fire fighting whenever the need arises. The UAE Civil Defense at Abu Dhabi comprises of: Civil Defense Council General Directorate of Civil Defense Civil Defense Regional Committee for each Emirate Additionally there is also a Civil Defense Institute that conducts training 2 programs on the subjects relating to civil defense activities so as to enable staff to keep abreast of the latest systems and techniques to protect life and property. Essentially the programs include training on fire fighting, handling of explosives and operations. Organization Background In this light we will report on the study conducted about the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, which has significant presence in the oil and natural gas area of the entire UAE and is ranked amongst the top ten oil companies of the world. It is a private company owned by the royal family of Abu Dhabi, was formed in 1971 and has over the years successfully diversified in other areas such as transportation, shipping marketing and distribution. It has fourteen subsidiaries working in the area of oil, gas, crude and petrochemical industries, and gas transport services. In size it’s a massive company accounting for the production of 2.7 million barrels of oil every day. It is implied that a company of this size and strength will have a large work force as also a well organized contingency plan in place to meet eventualities of fire and other risks. The company has over 11000 employees 3 and a planned strategy in place to manage its people with appropriate opportunities for rewards and career advancement. For any organization to be successful it is first essential that its people are managed and motivated in a way that they bring about maximum productivity which is what matters in the end to ascertain a large bottom line. The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company understands the need to train its people to keep them abreast of the latest technological developments. In view of the sensitive nature of the products of the company and the large risk of fire and other industrial hazards, the latest fire fighting equipment is installed in all production facilities and so far there has not been a single untoward incident of large magnitude. All fire safety equipment is most technically advanced and is regularly replaced with those that are more advanced in technology and convenience in using. Role of Organization Team Lot of stress is given to learning opportunities being given to employees and there is a system in place whereby all workers get opportunities to enhance their skills. The Company believes in the importance of investing on human capital and performance and learning of employees is considered an 4 important factor in career advancement. Learning is measured by the number of technical and theoretical training programs undergone by different sections of employees and is controlled by limiting learning opportunities based on the need and department that a person works in. In this context the Company emphasises on the behavioral and cognitive perspectives on learning whereby the learner is said to be an active processor of information and can imbibe the same most effectively for use in his work environment if given the right impetus and motivation which also leads to positive change in behavior in the long run. Learning in the Organization In this viewpoint personality is an important aspect to be taken care of in the corporate world especially in view of the changing trend in knowledge being given priority in all functions. A high knowledge level certainly enhances a person’s personality and makes him more effective and responsive in his duties as also enabling him to achieve better productivity. Keeping in line with this understanding, The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company encourages its people to avail of all learning and personality development opportunities available within the company. The Company has an organized HR 5 Department, which keeps tab on all employees and assesses their performance as also the amount of learning they have undergone. Essentially an important part of such curriculum is the update and training in fire fighting and civil defense matters. Keeping record of assessment of each employee’s training and personality helps the company to utilize staff as per need in different areas of its functions. It is important for any organization to have a communication system that is most effective in executing all company functions with the best results. However often, in view of different human values and behavior patterns, there are barriers to communication that reduce the effectiveness of management to achieve optimum behavioral patterns amongst its people. Such barriers relate mostly to attitudinal issues and environmental differences. People located in different buildings and sites tend to have a communication gap, which can be removed by organizing opportunities to work together and share work issues with each other by giving networking opportunities. Attitudinal problems occur when there are personality conflicts amongst sections of employees, and can be removed by counseling the employee empathetically. Sometimes the organizational structure may be faulty due to which workers are confused about whom to communicate with 6 in regard to particular issues. Other barriers to effective communication include psychological factors, physiological barriers and linguistic differences. However the past record of The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company is clearly indicative of the fact that there is least complication in its communication system with workers and that there is mostly a situation of harmony and understanding. Motivation For a person to get going towards hi goals, he needs to be motivated to pursue wholeheartedly with whatever he is expected to do. He could be motivated by himself due to self realization or he may have to be motivated by using techniques that change his ideology and he starts working to achieve pre set goals and targets. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs explains this concept very clearly and is most effective in motivating people to get excited and interested in doing productive work. Basically the hierarchy of needs implies that a person first does work to satisfy his physiological needs, and then he makes efforts to secure himself by way of getting shelter and a house etc after which comes the need for love and belongingness. He then needs to build his self esteem and lastly he goes for self actualization which implies 7 spirituality and selflessness. Any organization can effectively tap such different needs by identifying them for each worker and targeting the particular stage that an individual may be in at any given time. Consequently he appreciates the sense of belongingness shown towards him and gets motivated to give his best to the Company. At work people are motivated by the advancement in career, rewards for work done, job satisfaction derived and productivity achieved. The sensible management as that of The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, understands the Hierarchy of Needs very well and has used the principle very effectively to keep workers motivated always. The Company has a well established and managed Training Institute and the HR ensures that all workers, staff and officers are rotated in a way that they have to attend the training programs which are always scheduled for all sections of workers. During such programs the trainers are competent enough to judge the caliber of each trainee and go about a training regimen so that each of them benefits from the training. A particular point in this regard is the seriousness with which all sections of staff and officers are made to go through fire fighting training and exercises so that they are ready to meet any eventuality. It is for this reason that there has not been a single 8 incident of a large fire breaking out in any of the Company’s premises or facilities. There have been minor incidents but they were controlled immediately. This is all due to the positive results of the company’s practice of giving top priority to learning and growth opportunities to its people. Organization Teams and Group Structure During this learning process lot of emphasis is laid on group dynamics and team work and the advantages of synergy amongst workers are fully exploited by the Company. Group activities are encouraged and team building exercises are regularly conducted to make it a consistent effort. Most of the functions of the company cannot be executed effectively without teamwork and demonstrations of such work is also exhibited during mock exercises of fire fighting operations. Indeed effective fire fighting is one function that cannot be ignored by the management of the company and is considered crucial in keeping all employees alert to the dangers of such risk, and the preparedness for which has been aptly proved during minor fire accidents during the last few years. In this context the prime dependence is on effective team work and coordinated group dynamics. There is an 9 organized hierarchy in place that ensures effective functioning of all departments in achieving targets in all areas of work. Organization Culture, Development and Management The management of the Company consists of a well defined hierarchy that speeds up work to get desired results for the Company. The management steers the company towards its objectives as has been experienced for the last several years and teams are formed for particular assignments to achieve the predetermined targets within the given time schedule. Management has been aptly described as 'the process of planning, organizing, leading and controlling the efforts of organization members and of using all organizational resource to achieve stated organizational goals.' The Company’s management executes its functions of managing its people, financial matters, and machinery and equipment in a way that required results are achieved with optimum mix of inputs and teamwork. The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company understands that organizational learning, development and planned change cannot become a reality unless culture is considered a prime factor to bring about change. Hence culture of an organization has a very strong bearing on its ultimate long term outcome. 10 In this context Schein’s three levels of culture that include artifacts, espoused values, and basic assumptions/values are of immense importance to effectively harness the culture of any company to its advantage. Culture implies and entails resistance to change, and The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, has a tactical system in place to mould its organizational culture that benefits its people and ultimately is responsible for the growth of profits as also betterment of the workers. Such a broad based structure cannot be brought about unless the organization’s management does not characterize itself with leadership, decision making and conflict management techniques of the highest order. Leadership and decision Making The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company leadership is highly effective and qualified to coordinate and manage its people to bring about productivity and a systematic approach to achieving its goals. The most effective decision making is achieved when, of the several options available before the management, the most effective choice is made that leads to optimum results. This is achieved only after psychologically examining the several set of choices available that are in the form of a problem solving exercise and 11 dependant on the caliber of the management. The Company has maintained an excellent record of taking the most appropriate decisions in the ultimate interest of the organization. In this process there is a constant stream of conflicts within the decision making exercise, but these are considered an integral part of the role of the management, which too has been handled by way of conflict resolution. Various other hurdles by way of political interference of workers’ unions and occasional anti social elements working within the company have also been handled effectively with a strong hand to bring about discipline and coherence to ensure smooth functioning. Conclusion In conclusion it is stated that The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company is a company that has to constantly endeavor to achieve profitable targets in the face of several hurdles and cut throat competition as also in the face of immense risks faced of fire and other related hazards due to the delicate nature of its operations. Over the decades it has successfully overcome all such challenges, which are considered a part of the ongoing process to ensure its growth and profitability. This has been achieved by the farsightedness of the management in bringing about effective people 12 management, since people are the most important asset a company has, provided the leadership and decision making process is conducive to creating a positive management structure and an environment that always encourages the enhancement of motivation amongst the workforce. References General Directorate of Civil Defense, http://www.icdo.org/pdf/struc/uae-en.pdf Civil Defence Department organizes a specialist course for trainers, http://www.adpolice.gov.ae/en/?T=4&ID=5247 Dina El Shammaa, Abu Dhabi's new training institutes, http://www.gulfnews.com/Nation/Education Darwish Al Qubaisi: Serving the market with quality, May 2007, http://www.adnoc.ae/AdnocNews_Details.aspx Oil and gas industry in the UAE 30/05/2007, http://www.adnoc.ae/AdnocNews Janet A. Simons, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, 1987, http://honolulu.hawaii.edu/intranet/committee "The Secrets to Successful Strategy Execution", Harward Business Review, Jan 2001 Edgard Schein, defining Organizational Culture, 1992, http://www.12manage.com/methods_schein_three_levels_culture.html 13 Vadim Kotelnikov, Effective Decision Making Process, http://www.1000ventures.com/business_guide/crosscuttings/decision_making Dr Jack Eaton , ORGANISATION THEORY: STRUCTURE AND STRATEGY , 2005, http://www.aber.ac.uk/modules/2005/   SLOW'S HIERARCHY ONEEDS MASLOW'S HIERARCHY OF NEEDS Read More