When MBA is management by anxiety
I'd like to tell you the name of my friend's international company where she works as a secretary. But revelation would lead to revenge -- as you will learn.
This month, senior staff received memos recommending they attend a seminar on new management techniques by a US guru. The theme is loyalty through leadership, respect, trust and fairness. Another American expert telling Indonesians how to foster good staff relationships.
Respect? Fairness? The visitor is wasting his time. My friend's employers have their own special management philosophy. It's simple and highly successful.
It's the new MBA -- Management By Anxiety.
This company, which has branches in every province, has been earning record sums since being taken over by foreign buyers last year. However these profits haven't been passed down to the local workers -- they've been sent to the overseas shareholders.
Staff pleaded that it was impossible to cope with rising living, housing, education and transport costs. Inflation was eroding lifestyle.
Their demands for pay rises were met with the usual stalling tactics of holding reviews, sending out questionnaires and asking employees to be patient.
When patience yielded to threats, the European, U.S. and Singaporean-trained management revealed its true face; no wage increases. If workers were unhappy, well, they should leave. Obviously, no value was to be put on long service, dedication, loyalty, experience and hard work.
The company then added salt to the wounds by holding a staff awards function.
Fine, except that the event was on a Saturday night, all workers had to attend, no overtime or travel allowances would be paid and those absent without very good reason and prior permission would be sent warning letters, a prelude to dismissal.
No wonder my friend and colleagues fear to go home before the boss, even when he's just killing time with his mates late at night. The managers can come to work mid-morning or disappear mid-afternoon to the golf course -- but underlings must clock on early and be always available.
They also don't take prescribed lunch hours or other legal entitlements including legitimate sick leave in case the godboss shouts for another pack of cigarettes and they are not there.
Even at weekends they are on call in case he's lost his battery charger, but have to bear any attendant cell-phone costs themselves.
Uhm, want to express concern about disruption to private life? Suggest overtime or recompense? At your peril.
So where's the union in all this? Nowhere; it has been cleverly seduced into complicity by management and has lost its independence.
What about the law? The House of Representatives may be passing new labor legislation and the Ministry of Manpower now has regulations which bring Indonesia a little closer to international standards.
But the reality in many big city offices, behind the designer furnishings, snazzy uniforms and modern IT systems, is a feudal industrial workhouse which says: Step out of line -- and step out. There are hundreds more where you came from; they're campus-fresh, younger, pliable, cheaper and hungry for work at any cost.
We can still make a fortune for shareholders without considering the needs of existing staff or respecting past service -- so EGP (emang gue pikiran -- Like I care)!
In this day and age, with all our aspirations to having comfortable, welcoming workplaces, is this any way to run an office.
-- Duncan Graham