INTERVIEWEE PROFILE:
NAME: JEFFREY LOH YOON KIN
AGE: 54
DESIGNATION: PRODUCTION, PLANNING & CONTROL MANAGER
COMPANY: CREATIVE TECHNOLOGY LTD.
INTERVIEW
Five questions were posted to the interviewee based on his experience as a manager.
a) Briefly describe your job responsibilities as a manager.
As stated in the name “Manager”, I have to manage a group of packing operators of about 100 people in two shifts, the morning and night. I have to ensure that my workers do not face any problems and conflicts during work and that they are happy working for Creative Technology. In short, I have to make sure that the welfare of my workers is well taken of. Besides, I have to explain my expectations of my workers to them and to create goals for them to achieve so that my workers are encouraged to improve in their work performance. Speaking of encouragement, I have to constantly encourage my workers to do their best and to stand by them at all times.
Other than managing my workers, I am in-charged of the shipping and packing schedules of products and materials in Creative Technology.
For shipping schedules, I have to make sure the material planning is able to meet production schedule. It is important for the suppliers to ship the materials to the company so that we can produce the products on time for sale. Besides, I have to also do warehouse planning so that when products and materials come in, I have enough warehouse space to store them properly before the production dates. In order for the material planning to meet production schedule, I have to work together with my workers to ensure we are on task.
In terms of packing of products, I have to ensure that my workers are constantly working and improving so that we can minimize any product defects when packing.
b) What is your management style?
Personally, I believe my management style is a mixture of being approachable and strict to my workers. It really depends on the situation that I am facing for me to use the various management styles.
For example, if I have to manage workers who are vulgar, quarrelsome, lazy, and with bad working attitude, I would definitely have to be strict. These employees would need a harsher treatment to knock some sense into them so that they can work better for the company. For instance, I had a female worker who always quarrels with others because of her bad temper. To deal with her case, I threatened to sack her if she continues with her nasty attitude. Fortunately, she changed for the better and is no longer as quarrelsome.
Of course, I would also need to possess an approachable disposition because I would need to manage my workers in a way that they are comfortable working with me and to approach me so that needs and welfares are well taken care of. As a manager, it is important for me to take care of their needs and welfares so that they would feel that they are well taken care of and would then work well for the company to generate more profits. Employee’s participation is also important so that an organization can grow. We need to encourage and ensure our employees have good working attitude to bring the best to the company so that the company can flourish. I also understand the importance of interpersonal relations between workers and managers because the workers have to listen and obey instructions from the managers, as managers would always have a higher authority over them.
Besides, as managers, we have to ensure that the relationship between us and our workers are good so that we can work well together to incur higher profits for the company. For example, to have good working relationships amongst workers and managers, the managers can listen attentively to the workers’ ideas and suggestions to improve on the work productivity in a team. We can sit down over a cup of coffee to discuss about it. When the workers ideas and suggestions are taken into consideration, they will feel valued and participated in the company and will work hard to achieve the best for the company.
c) What are some difficulties you face as a manager?
There are a few difficulties that I face as a manager. The most difficult has got to be retrenchment. A couple of years ago, when Creative Technology was performing badly, I was forced to retrench people. I had a really tough time deciding who to go because let us say if you have to pick those workers with bad performances to go, but what if all workers are of good performances? Once, I retrenched a 40-year-old man who is a handicap and walks with a limp. The man performed well in work but I was forced to retrench him because the production line he was working for had to relocate to China.
Next, it is also difficult to manage rebellious workers. Definitely, I have workers who are really quarrelsome and vulgar. Once, a male worker was yelling at a female worker with vulgar language to the extent that she cried. It is a really challenging situation to handle, as you have to talk to both parties to understand the situation properly. Not to forget, I also have to handle workers who are lazy or skip work altogether by just producing their medical certificates.
d) How do you overcome these difficulties?
For retrenchment, I have to pacify the workers and explain to them the reasons for retrenching them. I have to tell them that it is difficult for me to make the decision as well because I certainly do not wish to see any of my workers go, but I am forced to do so. I have to tell them that I am forced to retrench them because the company is doing badly and would like to reduce cost by retrenching employees and not because I do not like them. For example, I explained to the 40-year-old man that I retrench him was not because of his work performance but due to the relocation of his production line. After all, it is a decision made by the senior management to retrench the employees, so as a manager, I just have to perform my expected duties. I would also encourage those workers to look for another job and make sure the company compensates them accordingly.
For rebellious workers, I would always talk to them face-to-face and explain to them what they did wrong. For example, I explained to the vulgar male worker that he should not use vulgarities during work as it might easily cause tension amongst the other workers and would eventually lead to unhappiness. Unfortunately, the vulgar male worker used vulgarities again and so, I issued him a warning letter.
For workers who are lazy, I will ask them to if they are sick and would like to go home to rest or to wash their faces to feel more awake. If they continue to behave like a lazy bag of bones, I would then issue them a warning letter as well.
For workers who are absent all the time, I would speak to them personally to find out the reasons. If it has got to do with personal problems, I would give the workers a few days leave for them to settle their problems first and then come back to work. If it has got to do with constant absence without valid reasons, I would first give them a stern warning but if they still continue to do so, I would have to give them the sack.
Although there are quite a few difficulties being a manager, I have to always find ways and means to overcome them so that the company can still continue to flourish. As the saying goes, "To err is human, to forgive divine". So, I would have to be fair and reasonable to my workers such that if they make a pardonable mistake, I should be gracious and forgiving to give them a second chance.
e) In your opinion, what makes a good manager?
A good manager must be able to react to different situations and manage them tactfully. We must know when to use the different types of management skills on different types of situation and people.
For instance, we must be strict when it comes to managing quarrelsome people by threatening to sack them so that they would know what they are doing is wrong and would change for the better.
On the other hand, we can be approachable and understanding when workers want to make a suggestion or an idea to improve on the productivity of the company. As managers, we can listen to our workers and analyze their views and see if it is applicable to the business. We must always encourage our workers to participate in the company for the company to grow. We must also practice good working relationship amongst our workers and guide them well as their managers, so as to work together as a team.
Besides, a good manager has to know the company business well so as to earn profit for the company. As managers, we have to support the company’s business and interest. For example, in terms of packing of Creative Technology’s products, I have to find ways and means to pack more efficiently to meet our customers’ demands. By doing so, it would help to bring in more sales to the company.
Next, a good manager should also be able to manage their resources wisely. Resources include manpower and machine capacity. We have to make sure there are enough manpower and not too much or too little. For example, we have to utilize manpower, like this job only needs three people but you assigned ten, the rest of the seven people would be idling away and that would incur losses to the company.
ANALYSIS
I can safely say that Mr Jeffrey Loh Yoon Kin is a manager who uses Theory X and Y and Theory Z under the Human Relations School of Management to manage his workers. Mr Loh uses Theory X when he has to deal with workers who are rebellious and tough to handle. Mr Loh mentioned that it is important to be strict with workers when they are rebellious and even threaten to sack them, so that they would change for the better. It is important to control the workers to ensure high productivity of work.
Mr Loh also practices Theory Y because he feels that it is important to take care of the workers’ needs and welfare in the organization. In this way, the workers will be happy working for the company and would continue to bring in more profits for the company.
Personally, I feel that Mr Loh is an admirable manager because firstly, he ensures that his workers’ needs and welfares are well taken care of. Secondly, he does not give up when met with an obstacle but instead he finds ways and means to solve it. Thirdly, Mr Loh is a manager who is approachable and understanding and is open to suggestions and ideas from his workers to improve on their work productivity as a team.
