Terra Nova is a premier consulting engineering firm which was established in 1970 by a small group of ten engineers. Tera Nova initially started as a boutique operation specializing in geotechnical engineering consulting associated to civil engineering projects. After benefiting from a series of major highway projects which required specialized ground engineering on soil conditions and rock formations, Terra Nova successively expanded its firm by providing engineering design work for other public works projects, such as subways, bridges, and dams. By the 1980s, Terra Nova was providing geotechnical services to the mining industry. Expertise in groundwater and hydrogeology were also added to address contaminated soils and site radiation issues. Technical excellence and innovative solutions led clients and industry partners …show more content…
The partners believe that the flat organizational structure is appropriate and exhibits a structure that encourages collaboration for the entire firm. However, this structure presents a clear problem with the junior staff, who stressed that there was “a need for more structure, including the codification of policies and procedures regarding things like professional development, equipment requests, and international assignments” (Cawsey, 2016). It is evident that Terra Nova concentrates more on meeting the demands of partners instead of the development of professional staff. This disorganized structure creates a work environment that stagnates results and pushes away the junior staff which represents the future of Terra Nova. Lack of communication also contributes to the challenges associated with managing professional workers. The communication displayed by the partners is ineffective regardless of whether the firm actually felt a need to develop the junior professional’s talent; this lack of communication isolated one of the most important aspects of Terra