Royal Mail Privatisation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Royal Mail Privatisation - Essay Example For purposes of this brief analysis, the author will consider the case of the Royal Mail with regards to its upcoming privatized nation. Rather than delineating whether or not this is a positive or negative in, per se, the analysis will be contingent upon the activities and obligations that the Royal Mail engenders, how privatized nation might impact this industry, a discussion and analysis of what privatized nation actually entails, a discussion of the market structure of the parcel and packet delivery industry, and analysis of the way that this might impact upon performance, business, industry, and the consumer, and finally a discussion and analysis of whether such a level of privatization might in fact be in the best interests of these respective stakeholders or not (Houghton et al., 2013). It is the hope of this author that such a level of analysis will help to elucidate a further level of understanding in the mind of the reader with regards to the Royal mail and how it is likely to be defined and evolved within the coming years (Whyman, 2009). Q1: As it stands today, the Royal Mail is responsible for delivering and processing tens of millions of pieces of mail, both domestic and international, that transit within the United Kingdom. Tracing its origins back as far as Henry VIII, the Royal Mail service has existed and evolved with the needs of the United Kingdom throughout the years. Currently, the Royal Mail is the primary and most prolific provider of posts and parcel service within the United Kingdom and its territories (The Guardian, 2012). As with many other nationalized entities, the Royal Mail has not operated with ultimate profitability as the core contingent. Although solvency and a level of profitability has been considered, the main driving force that denotes business interactions within the world has not, at least up until this time, then a prescient concern. One of the defining compliments of the Royal Mail is what is known as the â€Å"univer sal service†. This â€Å"universal service† regards the compunction that the Royal Mail has to service all corners of the United Kingdom and provide post and parcel service, as well as a litany of other services, to these individuals; regardless of whether they live in far-flung reaches of the UK (Yarker, 2013). Naturally, privatization threatens to fundamentally redefine the way in which the Royal Mail operates. Consequently, before delving too deeply into the process of privatization itself, or seeking to analyze the means by which privatization will impact upon the Royal Mail, it is necessary seek to understand privatization itself as well as the core fundamentals of what it entails for any operation that engages with such a model of production. As has briefly been referenced above, the Royal Mail has not previously operated within the bounds of seeking to maximize a level of profitability. However, by very definition, privatization is a process through which singula r or joint ownership of a given entity/business seeks to exploit the overall level of profitability that can be realized. As a function of this, privatization threatens to fundamentally shift the way in which such an industry as the Royal Mail might be evidenced within the future. Q2: Whereas the Royal Mail had a near monopoly upon the United Kingd