Expected Responses – Training and Development

Marzuki, AGM Materials, is fuming and fretting. He bumped into Kamal, GM Materials, threw the resignation letter on his table, shouted and walked out of the room swiftly.Marzuki has reason for his sudden outburst. He has been driven to the wall. Perhaps, details of the story will tell the reasons forMarzuki’s bile and why he put in his papers, barely four months after he took up his present assignment.

The year was 1995 whenMarzukiquit the prestigious SAIL plant atKuantan. As a manager materials,Marzuki enjoyed powers—he could even place an order for materials worth RM 25 million. He needed nobody’s prior approval.Marzuki joined a pulp-making plant located atBesut Terengganu, as AGM Materials. The plant is a part of the multi-product and multiplant- conglomerate owned by a prestigious business house inMalaysia. Obviously, perks, designation and reputation of the conglomerate luredMarzuki away from the public sector steel monolith.

When he joined the eucalyptus pulp making company, little didMarzukirealise that he needed prior approval to place an order for materials worth RM 12 million. He had presumed that he had the authority to place an order by himself worth half the amount of what he used to do at the mega steel maker. He placed the order, materials arrived, were received, accepted and used up in the plant.

Trouble started when the bill for RM 12 million came from the vendor. The accounts department withheld payment for the reason that the bill was not endorsed by Kamal. Kamal refused to sign on the bill as his approval was not taken byMarzuki before placing the order.Marzuki felt fumigated and cheated. A brief encounter with Kamal only aggravated the problem.Marzuki was curtly told that he should have known company rules before venturing.Marzuki decided to quit.

Questions

1. Does the company have an orientation programme? If yes, how effective is it?

2. If you wereMarzuki what would have you done?