Cross Cultrue Managerment

CASE SUMMARY

Blue Bell Construction Sdn Bhd, is a subsidiary of Blue Bell Pte Ltd of Singapore, a firm that invested in Malaysia takes the opportunity of the booming construction activity in Malaysia. There are projects that have been completed by the company include the new Kuala Lumpur-Shah Alam Highway, Pentas Dam and Tanjung Beruntung Township, phase I and phase II as well as the projects in progress are Tanjung Beruntung Township Phase ш. Recently, it has been awarded the main contract to build a steel factory in Banting, Klang.

However, the problem occurred which is, they are running short of staffs since the company has several projects in hand. Therefore, the regional manager of the company, Mr Chew Eng Kee, requested from the Head Quarters in Singapore to send some expatriates with experience in the steel mill industry to oversee the project as Project Directors.

        After that, the company decided to send Mr. Richard White, a graduate engineer who specialised in Industrial Engineering and with his 8 years of working experience as industrial manager in a steel mill in England to join Blue Bell Pte Ltd as Project Director in the South East Asia region. It is because after his divorce, he decided to go away from his country to find a new life. He is happy to take up this challenge and he would like to experience the life style of Malaysia.

        After few weeks, Richard White arrived in Malaysia and met Chew Eng Kee and he was introduced to the project team. One day, Rosli rushed into the office where Richard White was working to tell him a problem occurred when the workers stop working due to the workers believe that there is some ‘superpower’ living inside the tree. It is because in the previous year, the workers encountered similar tree and there is something happened when they tried to remove it by using bulldozer. Hence, they dare not proceed until the company does something to send away the ‘superpower’ from the tree. Richard asks for opinion from Rosli and Rosli suggests that they should engage a ‘Bomoh’ to arrange for some praying ceremony in order to ask the ‘superpower’ to give way for them to continue their job. However, Richard is in dilemma now because he wants to complete the land clearing work on schedule but workers are not willing to do so until a ‘bomoh’ is engaged to send away the ‘superpower’ tree.

PROBLEM STATEMENT

The main problem in this case is the workers stop working to do the land clearing work.

        Worker stop working to do the land clearing work. The workers believe that there is “superpower” living inside the tree. They requested to remove the tree because the dare not to proceed until the company does something to send away the ‘superpower’ from the tree. Also happened in last year, two workers killed by the fallen tree, three workers were injured on the legs and three of the workers were sick for two weeks without any reasons. They are worried the same incident happen again on them. However, if they stop working to do the land clearing work, it will delay and affect the project and it cannot be completed on time.

        In addition, Richard White is facing a hardship when the workers don’t want to do the land clearing job and he does not believe in superstition. Based on the case, Rosli told him that the workers stop working due to they believe there is some superpower living inside the tree. However, Richard White is confused because there is no such experience happened before like this case. He feel confused that just because of the tree, the workers dare not to proceed the work. Also, he may have some different thought and belief with the workers since he is an expatriate. As the workers stop working, it will influence the project because it cannot be completed on schedule.

        Next, there is cultural differences belief between Richard White and the workers. As Richard White has had 8 years of working experience as industrial manager in a steel mill in England, he will have some different thought compared to the workers. His thought might be open minded and believe in the real fact or statistics. In contrast, the workers in Malaysia are more conservative about their thought. That’s why there are some different belief between Richard White and the workers and thus, there will be difficult for them to reach an agreement.

ALTERNATIVES STRATEGY

1. Engage a ‘bomoh’ to send away the superpower from the tree

        Mr Richard White should engage a ‘bomoh’ that suggested by Rosli to send away the ‘superpower’ from the tree. It is because the workers stop working at the construction site and they dare not to proceed the work until the company does something. Besides, in the last year, the tree killed two workers, injured three workers, and caused three of the workers sick without any reasons. Thus, they believe that there is some superpower living inside the tree. In conclusion, Mr. Richard should listen to the suggestion of Rosli to engage a bomoh to send away the superpower from the tree, so the workers can continue the land clearing work on schedule.

1. Hire part time workers to do the land clearing work

        Mr Richard White can hire part time workers to do the land clearing work because part time workers do not have such experience like the previous workers for the belief of there is some ‘superpower’ living inside the tree. According to the case, the workers dare not proceed the land clearing work until the company does something to send away the ‘superpower’ from the tree because they believe that the tree will bring harm to them if they continue doing the work. The tree in last year has killed two workers, injured three workers, and caused three of the workers sick without any reasons. Therefore, they dare not to proceed the work until the company does something to send away the ‘superpower’ from the tree. However, Mr Richard White wants to complete the land clearing work on schedule but now the workers are not willing to do so until a ‘bomoh’ is engaged to send away the ‘superpower’ tree. As a result, those workers who dare not to continue their job should be replaced by the part time workers in order to do the land clearing work on schedule.