In this paper, I will be attempting to give my perspective of the organizational climate in my workplace. I will briefly be discussing my personal observations in several different areas. I will be going into greater detail in certain areas more so than others, yet I will attempt to give a little insight to each and every area. The areas I will be discussing are the following; communication (or the lack of), culture, conflicts and technology.

I am currently employed at the largest truck and trailer leasing company in the United States. My current position is a service writer in the truck shop. In this position, I am in charge of fulfilling several different responsibilities. The largest and most important of these would entail being a liaison between the truck drivers, the shop mechanics and also office personnel.

Communication is a major part of my everyday responsibilities. In my position I am responsible for communicating with the truck drivers and interpreting their complaints about their truck. This in itself can be a daunting task and sometimes very difficult due to the various cultures I am entailed to deal with. Once I have interpreted the information the truck driver has given me, I then have to convey this to the mechanics working in the shop. It is then that I transmit this same information to the office personnel. A great deal of this is communication is completed through the use of a computer with the remainder being accomplished over the phone.

Communication is also severely lacking at Swift Transportation. There is a relentless lack of communication between the different departments in the shop area. It appears to me as though each and every department has its own agenda, which does not include any of the other departments. It would also appear as though each department is attempting to gain an advantage over the other departments.

I have also witnessed a tremendous lack of communication between the working employees and management personnel. The working employees have found it extremely difficult to communicate with management. I believe that this is due to the fact that management seldom makes time to include the working employees in the communication process. Management personnel are also extremely tentative of informing the employees about any new events within the company.

Another area in which I have to be accustomed to, is trying to communicate with persons from quite a lot of different countries with various cultures. Several of the truck drivers and shop employees come from very diverse cultures and it is not always easy to converse with them. Dealing with these different cultures can be a very daunting task at times.

As far as conflict is concerned, I do not deal with this issue on a regular basis. Most all of the conflicts within my department, are resolved by middle management. On very rare occasions, I am required to intervene with a minor quarrel between two mechanics or possibly even between a mechanic and a truck driver. I attempt to avoid conflict as much as possible due to the amount of responsibility attached to my position.

One of the last topics I will be discussing is technology within my company. This is another major area within Swift Transportation. Most all of the newest and latest technology available is incorporated into the semi-trucks. The trucks of today are not even comparable to the trucks of yesterday. Most people still have the misconception that all semi-trucks emit a massive amount of pollution, yet technology has come a long way. Although the trucks of today still emit more pollution than a typical passenger car, they are required to pass even more stringent emissions requirements than your ordinary passenger car. These trucks also incorporate some of the latest computer technology. They are equipped with a satellite system similar to GPS, they are outfitted with an early collision detection unit and also a climate control system which will shut the truck off and restart it at the desired temperatures.

As far a Swift as a whole, they incorporate some of the latest computer technologies available. Some of these technologies include state of the art computer systems, an employee intranet, satellite tracking of the trucks and trailers, among various others.

In conclusion, I have attempted to give my best insight into the organizational climate of my current employer. I have briefly touched upon areas such as, communication, culture, conflict and technology.