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MAVERICK TRAVELLERS BY MARK FRARY


THE NEWBIE


THERE IS GOOD EVIDENCE (Diag- nosis and Remedies for Deviant Workplace Behaviors, Applebaum and Shapiro) that young people, those who have just joined an organisation or those who are inexperienced, are more likely to exhibit maverick behaviour when it comes to buying things on behalf of the company, in- cluding business travel. In some cases, this might arise because travel policy is only applied at the time of a first trip rather than being part of a general induction into the company, or because the company ethos has not yet become part of the individual employee’s DNA.


Travel buyer (TB) for a UK- based multinational: “In non- mandated organisations, a lack of consequence to non-compli- ance means that poor behaviour continues. Compliance reporting


and actionable information can help, but someone needs to have responsibility to ensure non-compliance is addressed – whether on a company level or by business unit.”


Michelle Taft (MT), head of bids and marketing, Click Travel: “While it’s fair to say people might not know the rules yet, surely wanting to make the right impression is enough motivation to find them out before you start expensing any trip you like? “Here are some things you can do to make sure they are aware from the get-go. First, cover company travel policy and the booking process during the induction process. Second, make sure all employees who need to travel receive a log-in to the online booking tool – if there is one – know how to use it, and


THE STATUS QUO


RESEARCH BY SUSAN KULP (Using Organizational Control Mechanisms to Enhance Procurement Efficiency: How Glaxosmithkline Improved the Effectiveness of E-Procurement) showed that 17 per cent of maverick buying was down to em- ployees wanting to maintain relationships with unapproved suppliers. In terms of the traveller, this might manifest itself in repeatedly staying in a non-compliant hotel because they have had a good experience, know the hotel staff and do not want to change. But there is also evidence that travel buyers suffer from the same problem – sticking with previous suppliers because of a good relationship rather than going for best value.


TB: “To address this, companies should be prepared to include the non-preferred into a preferred programme, in order to change be- haviour. This leads travellers to book through correct channels, to understand the importance of preferred programme benefits and to form a habit of compliance. “But in non-mandated organisations, there may


be no consequence of going outside policy, which means that poor behaviour continues.”


BUYINGBUSINESSTRAVEL.COM


Taryn McLaughlin (TM), sales manager at Egencia UK: “Everyone is their own best travel agent. I once met a traveller and she swore that if you booked travel on the third Tuesday of the month, between 11am and 12.30pm, that is when airlines and hotel released their best rates and that was how you could get the best savings. No matter what I said, she said this was the way she had travelled for the past 20 years. It’s very emotive.”


MT: “The debate between cost and traveller prefer- ence is becoming more prominent as organisations realise that bad traveller experiences can result in poor performance, low morale and staff turnover – the cost of which can outweigh any savings made on travel in the first place. It’s about getting the balance right between cost and experience. “Some tips to get you started would include


speaking to your travellers, and once you under- stand why they have certain preferences, they might not be unreasonable. Also, survey your travellers regularly to check they’re okay. Be open minded about changing your travel policy if it’s just not working. Finally, make sure travellers understand the bigger picture and the impact their decisions have on the wider organisation.”


BBT NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 65


know who to call if they get stuck. Finally, if appropriate for the culture of the organisation, make it clear that unauthorised expenses will not be paid.”


Chris Pouney (CP), Severn- side Consulting: “Policy principles, responsibilities and consequences need to be built into the employee orientation programme. These are busy times though, with a lot of information thrown at newbies. “A neater way is for traveller


profiles to be set up automati- cally through a feed from HR, and those identified as likely travellers singled out for contact by the travel team, to welcome them to the firm and provide further guidance, tailored for their likely travel pattern. This might be email, an invite to a webinar or, in the case of board level travellers, a personal visit.”


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