Mr Chua Chian Kiat, 57, is a quantity surveyor working at JIA Quantity Surveyors & Project Managers Pte Ltd. Having worked in this company for twenty years since 1990, he has since been promoted to the position of Director of the company.
Part of his job scope involves managing and providing consultancy services for various building construction projects, and giving accurate measurements of building component quantities. Also, he manages and gives advice on building contractual laws and the preparation of tender and contract documentation for the building project. He is also responsible for settling project costs and accounts as well.
Pertaining towards his job responsibilities as a manager; being the Director of his company, his responsibilities include managing various project teams of quantity surveyors to accomplish the abovementioned services. He also monitors and reviews staff performance and looks after the welfare of his employees.
Mr Chua’s management style is an amalgamation of various approaches, however, he sums it up in a few words; “Basically I take a more personal approach towards my employees.” Mr Chua explains broadly the importance of first building up a strong rapport between the managers and their employees. This aspect thus closely relates with one of Henri Fayol’s 14 principles of management; whereby building up strong Esprit De Corps promotes harmony and unity within the organization. Mr Chua explains that as most of his work requires working as a project team, nothing is more important than first getting the team dynamics right, to get off to a good start.
Mr Chua stresses on the importance of giving due recognition and accreditation towards those who deserve it, yet at the same time approaching those who are lacking in their work to see what the problem is as well. Part of his managerial style thus involves an understanding of the Human relations school of management, where Maslow’s hierarchy of needs come into play. By giving recognition in terms of praise or public accreditation, it would help fulfil an employee’s level of Esteem, whereby the need to be thus appropriately recognized is achieved. “Nothing is quite as motivating as being publicly recognized and praised by your superiors for your good work and effort.” Mr Chua adds.
However, as mentioned, there is a need to properly address those who are lacking or underperforming as well. As Mr Chua stresses the importance of personal relations between the manager and the employee, he would often personally and privately meet up and/or counsel his employees that are not up to par. “I would find time to privately meet and discuss with my employees any problems that they have that is causing a lapse in their work, as I believe that everyone makes mistakes. However, if they still continue providing slipshod work, I will be very firm with my decision to penalize or even terminate them if the case is serious enough.” Mr Chua’s style of management in this aspect closely reflects Theory Z of Human relations management. Indeed, interpersonal relations between managers and workers are explicitly stressed. However, a strong sense of authority is maintained as well in the form of being firm with his constantly underperforming employees, to be in control.
Additionally, it is also in Mr Chua’s style to “provide employees who have no confidence in their projects with guidelines and the necessary assistance so as to help persuade the employee to push on.” Mr Chua explains that it is important to understand and take into account the needs of his employees, as it directly affects their work as well. To quote as an example, he elaborates the point of new employees having a tendency to be lost or confused in their work due to their inexperience, and thus steps should be taken to ensure that they are not left to fend for themselves.
Thus, this managerial process can be closely linked to “Theory X and Y” of Human Relations as well; where managers indeed integrate the needs of the workers and those of the organization. Also, by providing employees with assistance, it can be seen as a Theory X style of employing coercion to motivate them.
Some difficulties that Mr Chua faces as a manager includes the fact that many of their new employees may possess the technical qualifications or certifications, but do not possess the work or industrial experience to work well. “Even if you graduate with first-class honours in bachelor of engineering or construction, it does not mean much if you do not know a thing about Quantity Surveying.” Mr Chua adds.
This is coupled and closely tied to the second problem that he faces as a manager: “The most recent trend in many workplaces and industries is that we are facing a higher and higher turnover rate, which is extremely bad for any company. The young and fresh graduates who step into the working society are becoming less and less tolerant of staying in any line of work for long and they switch companies or jobs like they change clothes.”
Mr Chua explains that whilst employee inexperience is an expected norm, the high turnover rate makes it such that no one stays long enough to “learn the ropes”, and this poses a great problem to his company. Part of his effort to mitigate this problem thus involves providing additional motivations and incentives. “Salary increases or adjustments to personal welfare can be made towards potential employees to persuade them to stay.” Mr Chua adds. “However, this is dependent on the financial health of the company.” Herzberg’s Hygiene and Motivation Factors can be applied here, in his effort to mitigate the problem, giving due recognition of his employee’s work thus pertains to the Motivational Factors and the salary and welfare adjustments to the Hygiene Factors.
When asked if there was any additional points that factors into the making of a good manager, Mr Chua replies, “Towards all the points I have listed out, if you are even able to meet the abovementioned points & criteria and keep it in balance constantly, you will already be a very good manager, and go far in your career.”
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