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IIMB Management Review

Document Type

Article

Abstract

The genesis of this article arises from a series of workshops titled 'Culture Beyond 2000' carried out by the author in a prominent manufacturing company, covering over 200 participants in groups of 25, over a 3-day period for each group. The context was the situation that arose on the induction of relatively new management staff into the new businesses of the company. The participants, mainly engineers and professionally qualified non technical staff averaged between 28 - 35 years. All belonged to the managerial cadre and 75% of the management staff were new to the company and were going into a new location. They were asked to supervise employees who in turn, were fresh recruits in the age group of 21 to 24 years. Many of the management staff were from outside the state and were new to the city and the work life expectation. Over 50% of the management staff had not supervised people earlier and were conversant only with the theories of managing people. The remaining 50% had worked for small and medium scale companies where managing people was not an important condition for performance evaluation. Most of the new recruits were now into the company for over 12 months without a formal socialisation programme, given project completion pressures. By the time the workshop was visualised, the company management had inevitably begun to feel the difference in managerial cultures  between the new recruits and the prevailing management style. Several behavioural and administrative signs led to the finalisation of the workshop. Communication between management and nonmanagement staff was deteriorating. Project deadlines and delays were being attributed to issues beyond individual control. Fatigue and loss of direction in the workmen (FLM - First Line Management) was becoming obvious. The first-time supervisory cadre was fumbling and the management style of experienced supervisors brought in from small and medium scale companies differed from that of the management. Communication episodes amongst staff were driven by strong negative undercurrents.The business manager, an enlightened professional, was keen to bring in an appropriate behavioural intervention to help resolve current issues and build an organisation for tomorrow. The learnings from the workshop with FLMs was implemented into Culture Beyond 2000.

Publication Date

3-1-2001

First Page

45

Last Page

52

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