Revolutionizing Transportation through Mobile Technology

1. In what ways does Uber’s business model both enhance and detract from the creation of shared value? How is the creation of value for a taxi service shaped over time?

Unlike the traditional taxi in the UK, Uber as a new service bases its function on the mobile technology whereby customers request for rides (Calo & Rosenblat, 2017). Uber enhances the creation of shared value through its many packs using the mobile device. For one, the mobile service gets offered for free. The customer downloads an application on their mobile phone in which they get to access for free. More so, the application gets to match up the client with a driver. Unlike the traditional taxi whereby the customer had to wait for long for a taxi to come to where they are located, with Uber it identifies a driver who is nearest to the customer.

Since the application has a model that gets to identify the GPS coordinates of a customer. Thus, with this provision, it manages to match the nearest driver to the client so as to save time (Dudley, Banister & Schwanen, 2017). The client does not have to call hence using extra money to get taxi service. All they need to do is access the app and request a ride in which the driver will accept it. Uber is consumer friendly because even when the client cannot figure out where they are exactly, the app shows their location and the driver can locate them. Additionally, the user will receive a text message that confirms when the driver will arrive.

Aside from being inexpensive, it is also reliable. One can manage to track how much they spend on the drive as it makes an estimation of how much the user will spend in the drive. A driver will not have the opportunity to take advantage of a situation and overcharge. The application can show the user how much they get to spend on a trip. It as well curbs misunderstandings concerning the price of a ride because the user gets to know beforehand how much they might use and even after the ride the program shows them of the amount used. More so, Uber offers job opportunities to individuals who have free time, a car and no jobs. The company allows one to become self-employed. Though they are accountable to the company, many can create their suitable schedules to carry out their work. Thus professional drivers can turn their downtime into moments of profits.

Uber has managed to enforce the use of strategic corporate responsibility through its system of operations (Calo & Rosenblat, 2017). All the features in their operation are customer friendly and manage to help impact the society positively. The most business organization currently focus on making profits and do little or nothing to ensure that the community is comfortable with the service given. But Uber is not only consumer friendly but also innovative. Hence, it has managed to grow exponentially impacting even the international markets. It consistently strives to offer the customer quality and safety in their services. Thus, over time it is offering growth in the industry and changing productivity in diverse ways.

2. What factors may create operational risk for Uber? How should these risks be mitigated?

Although Uber has made a mark in the international map and managed to grow over time, there exist several factors that act as detriments to the business which may attract competitors. Thus, bringing Uber down. For one, Uber aggressively tries to venture each market every time. If it cannot infiltrate the market it uses price wars as a major strategy to put out other business and remain to stand (David & West, 2017). Uber gets known as one of the cheapest means of taxi service in every area. It gets to understand the pricing of taxis then reduces its prices significantly so as to gain customers. Thus, potential customers find it attractive. Therefore, when it uses this strategy, it ends up spending a lot just to ensure that the service has gained ground in a particular area

Secondly, even though it offers work for individuals who might have been unemployed before, the service has offered a great deal of concern over their drivers’ working conditions. Some of these drivers have other jobs and work part-time with Uber. So after coming from their normal jobs tired they continue working as Uber drivers. Some get to drive for over 21 hours per day just to make ends meet (Berg & Johnston, 2019). Some get to work even during the hours that Uber rules describe them as unsafe. Working overtime is dangerous not only for the diver but also for the customer. Since the driver might feel sleepy on the way, they can engage in an accident.

According to human function some workers when overworked become unbearable at work. Such people might not be able to offer the best service. Therefore, some of these workers might not be friendly to customers or even listen to simple instructions. Such can give Uber as a service a bad reputation. Some clients prefer having a driver who can be able to engage them in conversations throughout the ride. However, when the driver is too tired they might not be able to offer such pleasantries. They just want to drive and get paid. Thus, the client might find such a person unbearable and unfriendly hence offer a poor review.

Thirdly, Uber offers provisions for a corporate culture whereby they do not only make a profit but also ensure the benefit of the society becomes paramount. Consequently, the freedom offered in the companies for drivers to get into the business with little restrictions, so long as they have the necessary qualifications. With such in place, many drivers have infiltrated the work thus increasing the number of riders tremendously. The increase in numbers of drivers will significantly reduce that of clients one receives. Uber needs to monitor the number of drivers in an area instead of allowing a huge number. Less money for drivers will cause discontent. Hence, it needs to establish an ideal number of workers in a given area and stick to it to avoid operational risks.

Lastly, Uber needs to check on their pricing, that is flood assessment. There are times when the prices of Uber becomes too high than expected (Calo & Rosenblat, 2017). Some time it doubles or even triples especially on weekends or holidays. Other times the application tends to overcharge more than what the estimation had predicted before. One of the main advantages that customers aim at with the service is affordable pricing. Thus, if such continues Uber can lose many of its customers.

There are diverse approaches that can work as a mitigating factor in solving issues. For one, the company has to analyze the threats and establish solutions that can work to provide positive results (Dudley, Banister & Schwanen, 2017). Uber should do market research on the areas they want to venture into thus providing better ways in which they can infiltrate it. Understanding a particular area can give business potential avenues into how to gain an advantage. Uber should as well find a way to analyze the working hours of its employees. For example, they should regulate the required number of hours an employee should work. They should put a working time limit for all drivers so as to eliminate the issue of overworking. Just like the service did the same in New York City, they should as well do the same in London.

In as much as they aim at having independent workers, they should find a way to have an overall supervisor who is responsible for a given area. That individual can look into the working conditions of their drivers and give feedback every time. Also, provide solutions for problems arising from their area. Such a move will enhance accountability in the industry. Additionally, Uber should find ways to regulate on their pricing and ensure that their prices are predictable and constant and not exceeding at certain times. Lastly, they should check on their applications and redevelop or improve their functions so that they do not get to mess up with the charges.

3. Identify the factors which could be potentially damaging to Uber’s corporate reputation or brand. Using appropriate concepts, recommend how Uber can prevent these issues from developing into a crisis for the organisation

Over time, Uber as a company has managed to create a great business model for its customer and has successfully managed to overcome most of the challenges that arise in the industry. Uber has managed to maintain an innovative culture by creating new means to satisfy their customers. It still stands as one of the most secure taxi administration in the industry. However, for it to remain and make a mark in its area of operation, it has to deal with the issues that arise and the claims that have been made by customers. For one, currently, most people have termed Uber with poor PR. Some customers have claimed to have engaged in an exchange of words with their drivers while others have made claims of having been raped (A. L., 2017). Thus, Uber has to go back to its recruitment strategies. They should not just employee drivers as workers just because they can drive but they should go as far as checking their background information for potential threats.

More so, Uber should focus on strategies of dealing with complaints to full satisfaction instead of overlooking them just because they died down. Customer service involves going the extra mile to deliver that quality service. When they show full engagement to the issues that arise when customers will trust them more. Management of business gets characterized by interpersonal relationships (David & West, 2017). Thus, one has to learn ways of dealing with these relationships and uplifting them. Thus, every innovative business gets associated with disruptions. Thus, the new challenges that crop up should be a defining agent for change. Thus, to create a stable environment for innovation Uber needs to provide a fresh perspective that can counteract such issues that give the company a poor name.

Part B: Block 3 mind map Create a mind map showing how the main themes and concepts from Block 3, ‘Long-term success’, relate to each other. Your mind map should bring together the main themes and concepts that explore how organisations build long-term success.

Mind mapping is a method of acquiring data and developing a strategy to come up with desired results through efficiency imagination as well as memory (Malycha & Maier, 2017). For example, for Uber to develop a strategic plan for long term success, in its relaxed state, it should allow brilliant reasoning to come into its distance brain compasses so as to increase mental leap heads. With the flow of ideas, Uber will manage to come up with thoughts that will help in the deliberation of creative outcomes in the business. At this stage, innovative ideas will flow without restrictions. Most of the ideas will help in the innovation and advancement of the company.

Uber should review all the data provided from part A and compile it in the last Mind Map. Recognition or choice which involves the creation of an additional snapshot of the mind map should be its creative goal. The process involves acknowledging the right strategies that will help in bringing about positive results and choosing them. The long term success for the company can only crop up due to the facilitated new methods in the company. The relevant knowledge acquired in the process can help in establishing methods of advancing and bettering the innovation and management system for the success of the company. Uber Mind Mapping entails the appropriate combination of diverse systems so as to bring forth a relevant outcome.

Part C: Demonstrating your skills and knowledge development Attach one of your answers to one of the activities in Block 3 and write a short commentary in no more than 150 words explaining how it would demonstrate to an employer your improved skills and/or knowledge of business and management.

Since Uber focuses on removing other already established businesses in the market, it should do thorough research on other businesses and establish their weak points more than just the monetary aspect of it. From this weakness, Uber should capitalize on them and offer a training program for a new driver before they allow them to venture into the market. They should ensure these employees get at standards of training so as to offer the best kind of service in the market. Thus raising Uber’s reputation in each area they venture into. Improving the taxi industry service should be their main goal in their management.

References

• A. L. (2017). What Operators Can Learn from Uber’s Harassment Scandal. FoodService Director, 30(9), 34. Retrieved from ="http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=hjh&AN=125088921&site=ehost-live">http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=hjh&AN=125088921&site=ehost-live.
• Berg, J., & Johnston, H. (2019). Too Good to Be True? A Comment on Hall and Krueger’s Analysis of the Labor Market for Uber’s Driver-Partners. ILR Review, 72(1), 39–68. href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0019793918798593">https://doi.org/10.1177/0019793918798593.
• Calo, R., & Rosenblat, A. (2017). The Taking Economy: Uber, Information, and Power. Columbia Law Review, 117(6), 1623–1690. Retrieved from href="http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=133451468&site=ehost-live">http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=133451468&site=ehost-live.
• David, C., & West, R. (2017). NDIS Self-Management Approaches: Opportunities for choice and control or an Uber-style wild west? Australian Journal of Social Issues, 52(4), 331–346. href="https://doi.org/10.1002/ajs4.23">https://doi.org/10.1002/ajs4.23.
• Dudley, G., Banister, D., & Schwanen, T. (2017). The Rise of Uber and Regulating the Disruptive Innovator. Political Quarterly, 88(3), 492–499. href="https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-923X.12373">https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-923X.12373.
• Malycha, C. P., & Maier, G. W. (2017). The Random-Map Technique: Enhancing Mind-Mapping with a Conceptual Combination Technique to Foster Creative Potential. Creativity Research Journal, 29(2), 114–124. href="https://doi.org/10.1080/10400419.2017.1302763">https://doi.org/10.1080/10400419.2017.1302763.