Managerial Leadership in Asia (MLA864) October 2018 [Case Study] CONFIDENTIAL RODZIAH AHMAD _ M70209180012 CASE STUDY -Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions Required a) Based on your assessment of the four cultural dimensions data for Malaysia, determine the strengths and weaknesses in the context of management and leadership. ANSWER: Hofstede’s Culture Dimension 1. Power Distance Index: As the PDI in Malaysia is high, leaders want to be recognized and distinguished from their followers. Even though the salary or pay is not much difference from the one step lower ranked, they want a title for them to mark some mutual respect for his position. An example of high PDI, a designated car park, room, job title to show they have more authority or power than their subordinates. Strengths It will be easier to recognize a leader or manager. A hierarchy in organization will show who is more responsible on one matters and followers easily knew who they should report to. Weaknesses Too much position needs to be addressed in an organization. For example, when we have Deputy President to assist President, there will be another few posts of Vice Presidents, under the Deputy. Whilst the all deputy A proper designated job can or vice should assist president be divided among leaders/ to manage the organization. managers and each of them knows their scope and Another example when we limitation of work. have Chief Executive Officer and/or Managing Director we have another Chief Operating Officer to man the overall operation of a company, Chief Risk Officer just to look into risk management and Chief Financial Officer to control the overall financial activity. For a company, it will incurred higher managing cost with this higher ranked post, whereas you may just need Senior Managers to man each section and report to CEO/MD. 2 Managerial Leadership in Asia (MLA864) October 2018 [Case Study] CONFIDENTIAL RODZIAH AHMAD _ M70209180012 2. Individualism. Low individualism in Malaysian organization context simply implies that Malaysian are collectivism. They are likely to be grouped together and are integrated. They do not mind to wear uniforms despite of their rank. As a multi-cultural society, it is important for Malaysians to have low individualism but higher collectivism. They need to work in a harmony organization. This will further reduce the management cost in terms of security. Leaders/ managers are concerned about their followers/ subordinate. Their teamwork will support the success of the organizations. Collectivism leads to a strong employee union that may affect management cost particularly on the employee rights. It will also be very difficult for managers to lay off unproductive employee and management need to undergo series of unnecessary procedures to lay off staffs, which incurred cost. Not only it will be a waste of operational hours, but it will affect the managers emotionally. 3. Masculinity. An average MAS index shows that Malaysian accepting women leaders/ managers. There are not clear of gender bias in terms of selecting leader/manager. In selecting leader/manager, gender does not place a top role. Malaysians easily accepting a leader/manager even though a lady manager managing a group of men. Some scope of work has limitations as to gender. Though lady leaders may stand on their own, naturally they still need to be protected by men. This will be less problem for an organization to elect the leader or manager. As long as the scope of work is achieved, a lady may become a manager/leader. It could be a weakness in having average masculinity, Malaysians generally overlooked on the safety issues on the lady leaders/ managers. Generally, a lady leader is more scrutinized in her works and some overlooked matters may be identified by her. For management, this will create more trustworthiness towards the leader. It will be more difficult if the lady leader are more on the family-bonded type of person, it may be difficult for the person to lead her team. 3 Managerial Leadership in Asia (MLA864) October 2018 [Case Study] CONFIDENTIAL RODZIAH AHMAD _ M70209180012 4. Uncertainty Avoidance Index. A moderate-low index for Malaysia suggested that the society has a tolerance for uncertainty and ambiguity. The society accepts and feel comfortable in unstructured situations or changeable environment and try to have as few rules as possible. People in this culture tends to be more pragmatic and tolerance of change. Few rules and regulations are Researchers found that required to manage or lead customers’ trust are rather low the organization. in society with low index in high loyalty in high index Less formality in this culture in society. With moderate-low their interaction with others index, Malaysian organization would open-up subordinates can predict their customers to voice out their opinion to will have only a little loyalty on leaders or managers. At the their organization or product. same time, managers and They must put more effort to leaders may have a good gain customers’ trust bonding with subordinates to especially for export markets. give instructions and follow the orders without resistance. People in moderate-low uncertainty acceptance index Standard of procedures may tend to change their job but change easily in this probability is not very high. moderate-low society and it Managers and leaders may will make the society progress predict that a small with changes of environment. percentage of sub-ordinates or followers tend to leave the Rules and supervision are group, but it may not easy for required minimally which them too. After some years of provide subordinates a room experience, organization may to be creative in achieving loose their best talent if they organization goals. are not compensate well. 4 Managerial Leadership in Asia (MLA864) October 2018 [Case Study] CONFIDENTIAL RODZIAH AHMAD _ M70209180012 b) What would be the best approach (in terms of focus) for managers/leaders in Malaysia? ANSWER: The best approach is to select a leader that is easily identified by giving the person of a certain post to show that he or she is in charge. The leader must be differentiated from the followers. Give the manager/leader minimum rules and regulations to allow some room for he/she creates his/her own leadership creativity to reach the organization goals. The selected leader must be accepted by all race in the organizations to achieve more power and gain more respect from their sub-ordinate / followers. The support that he/she received from the subordinate/followers may lead the subordinates’ energy to focus in achieving their organization goals. It is not difficult to select a leader in Malaysia as the society is not a gender bias in terms of obeying their leaders. Organization may focus on the leader performance despite of the gender. To conclude, a good leader in Malaysia is acceptable by the multi-racial society, has a creative leadership style with minimum supervision as he/she gain the trust and respect from his/her people and organization may focus on the goal and objectives. *** END OF QUESTION PAPER *** 5