THE GOOD MANAGER

CHAPTER ELEVEN
THE CONTEMPORARY WORKER
What are the moral challenges offered by the contemporary worker?

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Todays Employees

SMART AND TOUGH

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 Case 1
Jayaprakash, mechanical engineer with MBA was the manager at the paint
shop of a popular brand car factory where 24 people worked in three shifts
He had already four years of experience as junior manager on the assembly
line
The paint shop needed some tough handling since the employees here
were notorious to get rid of their managers in less than three months; the
one who did last long, for an year, ended up getting psychiatric treatment
and presently is sitting at home, a burden to his family
Jayaprakashs first day began as though he did not exist; out of the eight
workers two were absent; of the six left, three were in their 20s, two in their
40s and one in late 50s all of them ignored him, even when he tried to
make a conversation
After the lunch recess the employees found on the notice board a list which
disbanded the team of shift workers by making substantial changes to the
existing team formation
During the night, as the security guard made his rounds, he found the
lifeless body of Jayaprakash on a garden bendch

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Continued:
The union bosses landed with lightening speed and took matters in their
hands and dealt with the diseased and handled his family
The senior managers were nowhere in sight till morning and the CEO had
arrived only at noon all seemed dazed and shocked
The police mauled them up and declared them irresponsible and agreed
with the union bosses that the man had suffered heart attack which was
further corroborated by autopsy report and arrested the CEO as soon as he
arrived on charges of negligence and lack of medical facilities
The parents of the diseased gave statement to the media against the
management and thanked the union leaders by saying how they went out of
their way to help them although their son was not their responsibility but that
of the management
The union leaders suggested plant shut down and a day of mourning and
the condolence resolution was passed before the glaring lights of the TV
cameras
Epilogue: The paint shop workers gathered that evening in a city bar and
restaurant and relished the suspense by wondering who would be their next
manger
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 Debate
There is no need for managers,
employees can manage
themselves

Note: As a background the students must do research on

managers versus employees
The purpose of the debate is to seriously reflect on the
managerial profession

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Contemporary Worker

MANAGERS DILEMMA

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Manager versus Employee
Manager
Educated and out of touch with
employee world
Wants to make a quick climb on
the career ladder by switching
firms from wherever the salary
packet is fatter.
Thinks the employees must be
treated with a carrot and stick
policy
Expects the employees to accept
all decisions without questions
Wants to be respected
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Employee
Well informed and experienced on
the job
Thinks manager is redundant who
only succeeds to take bigger
salary packet and thus deprive
him of better pay
Considers managers come and
go, they lack loyalty, hence must
be treated with disdain
Hates the authority exercised by
the manager
Wants to be respected
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 Discuss
How to reduce the gap between the
manager and the employee?
How would you deal with an employee who
confronts your decision?
What action would you take when a senior
employee insults you publicly as
inexperienced and ignorant?

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Manager and Good Manager

QUALITIES OF A GOOD
MANAGER
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 Qualities of a Good Manager
Some Predispositions
Whether you are professionally qualification, competence
and ethical values eligible for the task
Whether you are ready to learn and do not think you know
everything
Whether you are prepared for the task ahead
Whether you are aware of the legal repercussions of your
decisions
Whether you are sensitive to the social and cultural issues
of the employees
Whether you can bear criticism
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 Some Dispositions
Whether your manners please, thank you are
dependable
Whether your attitude towards your employees is not
taken for granted
Whether your behaviour has positive impact on the
employees
Whether you consider the uniqueness of each employee
Whether you discriminate employees on the basis of
sex, sexual orientation, religion, region, etc.
Whether you can communicate comfortably

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 How will you deal with the
following situations
Your staff gheraoes you on the charges of molestation of
one of the employees of the opposite sex
An angry employee insults you publicly
Two employees come to loggerheads in your presence
A group of employees are agitated by your decision
which will affect their pay adversely and want to confront
you
You are hauled up before the senior manager due to a
scathing negative feedback by your staff

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 THANK YOU

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