The analysis of Giles’ decision to retire and allow Westpress to lead Eastport News’ further development may be performed from a variety of perspectives. For instance, given the owner’s relationship with his subordinates, such a prospect may seem counterintuitive since instead of improving the performance of the organization jointly or nominating a worthy successor, Mr. Byline puts his company into the wrong hands.
Eastport News employees respect and value their editor-in-chief, and his decision goes against the team principles that have been promoted in the organization over the years. On the other hand, while taking into account the main provisions of such a TUPE transfer, no employee rights are violated, which is clearly indicated in the legislation, and potential benefits can be achieved by joining a larger company. Nevertheless, with regard to the specifics of Eastport News’ work in recent years and its performance results, Giles’ decision is objective and reasonable for several reasons.
One of the main reasons explaining Mr. Byline doing the right thing is his company’s current inability to achieve the necessary performance totals to withstand market competition. The decline in circulation and the loss of a significant proportion of advertising in publications have led to the fact that the organization that had been developing over many decades fell into decay. The need to innovate and move to radically new forms of business has been sharply defined, and in the conditions of the traditional model of work, Eastport News could not succeed.
In addition, the transition to an updated operating mode might help the company expand its audience and attract the attention of target readers, which is one of the key objectives of any business. Building a development model against a background of more flexible organizations would require changes that have not taken place for a long time. As a result, the outdated approach to doing business and the need for optimization are powerful reasons explaining the relevance of Giles’ decision.
Another factor that proves the need for change in Eastport News is the approach to business management. As a conservative leader, Mr. Byline has always denied any advice from others and focused solely on the classic control model. His reluctance to follow trends and introduce new optimization mechanisms, in particular, entering the online space, has led to the fact that the organization has lost its market position significantly and cannot compete with more dynamic companies adhering to modern views on innovation.
While taking into account modern development algorithms based on the involvement of the Internet as one of the most promising platforms, Eastport News could lose completely to other organizations, which would be the final for its long-term business. Giving the subordinates an opportunity to try new working modes with more flexible employment principles may create an environment conducive to optimization.
In addition, Giles’ age is the argument for his retirement because, as the situation shows, the organization needs a fresh perspective on development opportunities. Therefore, the decision to leave and not abandon the business but to hand it over to the competent owner is reasonable.
All these factors prove that allowing Westpress to lead Eastport News’ future development is an objective decision, despite the factors that are not directly related to the business, for instance, employee attachment to the manager. The limited growth opportunity can be overcome through innovation, and with a new owner, the organization can move to a new stage of development with new operating modes and updated resources. Consequently, Giles realizes the existing barriers and makes a difficult but important decision that can solve the current problems of his business and prevent its complete collapse.