‘BusTravel PLC’, a UK based multi-national public
limited company, have just won a tender to build a new bus transport network in
Qatar. The new network will be run by a new joint venture company, ‘Jameela
Transport’ which will be set up to run the new operation.
BusTravel PLC will provide the expertise and lead
on the project to build the transport network and to establish Jameela
Transport. The joint venture partner are a local based engineering and
investment firm, Nasir Holdings who have been trading for over 40 years in Qatar.
BusTravel PLC currently operates within the UK,
Germany and Spain and have built up a strong reputation over many years. The
company places emphasis on management practices which include the empowerment
of employees, career development and stringent health and safety. Moving to a new international
and middle eastern market presents a new direction for the Company under the
guidance of its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO). It is hoped that if the
company successfully establishes Jameela Transport, it might be a route to
securing more business in the Middle East and
beyond.
It is typical in Qatar to draw upon an
international workforce. As such the new company (Jameela Transport) will
comprise of an in-country project team, whose nationalities will be made up of
UK, German, Spanish and Qatari staff members. It will be led by a small executive
team comprising of one German MD, one Qatari senior project lead and a Scottish Head of Operations. The project team will also work
closely with European based counterparts who will not be in country.
The wider workforce, which is made up of drivers,
customer service and assorted operational support staff will comprise of
Indian, Filipino, Pakistani as well as assorted Arab states – Jordanian and
Egyptian).
The objective is to complete essential
infrastructure (such as bus stations) and launch the trial routes of the
network within 9 months of the company launch. The full complement of staff
(circa 400 in total) should be in place within 12 months before the full launch
which is due 16 months after the launch of Jameela
Transport. At this point Jameela Transport will be regarded as fully
operational.
Running in parallel to BusTravel PLC’s endeavours
in Qatar, has been a company wide review of operations in the context of
sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). This has been in part
driven by the sensibilities of the new CEO but also customer demand (in the
West) and one of the Company’s major pension fund shareholders.
BusTravel PLC are keen to explore options for
Jameela Transport in this regard. Having now won the contract, the senior team
of BusTravel PLC have decided to scrutinise, in more detail, the realities of the project. Your
expert team have been tasked by the CEO with identifying and reporting back to
the BusTravel PLC head office executive team on key challenges and how to meet
them. Y
our team is required to deliver a presentation which covers the
following essential information:
The cultural and ethical challenges that you think
the BusTravel PLC project
leadership team could reasonably expect to encounter.
Challenges and opportunities the multi-national
staffing model could present
Challenges and opportunities the multi-national
staffing model could present
