7/26/2019 Firm and Fair-leadership

1/2

Firm and Fair1

Mr. Singh is Chief Engineer of M.V. Ashley. Mr. Singh is an enthusiastic middle-

aged engineer who has seen the company growing in sie and stature in the last 1!

years. "e sometimes #ecomes nostalgic a#out the good old days when staff on #oardused to #e more disciplined$ hard wor%ing$ and committed. Mr. Singh is increasingly

de&eloping a feeling that people are no longer as sincere as they used to #e in the

earlier days. Mr. Singh feels that only a handful of people ha&e the interests of the

company in their hearts' others are (ust time fillers and interested only in their hefty

dollar salaries.

)n his opinion$ Mr. Singh*s engine room is the #est-disciplined as compared to other

&essels. "e himself is a no nonsense %ind of officer who is firm and fair with his

people. "is only pro#lem is that his people do not li%e hard wor%. )f gi&en a chance

they would spend all their time in gossip. As an administrator$ Mr. Singh ensures that

people in his engine room o#ser&e all the rules.

"e is a perfectionist and e+pects e&eryone else to wor% the same way. Since not many

people shared Mr. Singh*s single-minded de&otion to wor%$ many a time there are

conflicts.

Mr. Singh is a man of principles. "e has a great respect for the pri&acy of e&ery

indi&idual. "e ta%es care not to tal% to his staff a#out their pri&ate li&es$ a#out their

world outside the &essel unless he feels that their outside acti&ities are interfering with

their wor% on #oard. A person*s life outside the &essel is his own #usiness$ Mr.

Singh says$ My only concern is what he does on the (o#.

Also$ Mr. Singh #elie&es that as long as a person*s wor% is satisfactory$ he should #e

left alone. ,ut if his performance drops or there are too many mista%es$ Mr. Singh will

call the person concerned to reprimand him.

Mr. Singh was sent #y the company to attend a Management e&elopment

rogramme on iscipline and isciplinary Action and was impressed #y the

hotsto&e approach discussed #y a faculty mem#er. /his approach to discipline and

punishment consists of four principles0

a. A forewarning$#. Consistency$

c. )mmediacy of punishment$ and

d. )mpartiality.

Mr. Singh applied this approach recently though he was #affled #y results.

A stic%ler for punctuality$ Mr. Singh was enraged one day when &essel was in dry

doc%$ ndEngineer Mr. Shah informed him that two motormen Mr. e& and Mr. atel

had not returned from shore lea&e till !! hrs. Mr. Shah had planned to do au+iliary

engineer o&erhaul$ and was impatient that he could not commence the (o# as planned.

Mr. e& was a fun-lo&ing$ irresponsi#le and arrogant person on his first contact with1repared #y rofessor eepti ,hatnagar$ )ndian )nstitute of Management$ Ahmeda#ad.

7/26/2019 Firm and Fair-leadership

2/2

the Company$ while Mr. atel was a 2uiet$ sincere and efficient person and an old

hand in the company. Mr. Singh as%ed Mr. Shah to send them to his ca#in as soon as

they reported for duty.

Mr. e& was the first one to arri&e at !3 hrs. "e was promptly sent to the CE*s

ca#in. )n a terse &oice Mr. Singh told Mr. e& that he would #e logged down. Mr.e& was reminded that this was the fourth time in the month that he had come late

and on earlier occasions the CE and ndEngineer had warned him a#out it. /hough he

did not tell Mr. Singh$ he was really not worried4his cousin was in the 5555 6nion$

so there was not pro#lem getting a (o# in another company if he was sac%ed.

A little later$ a worried Mr. atel arri&ed in the office and proceeded toward the CE to

e+plain his unusually delay. 7ust then the ndEngineer called him. /he following

discussion ensured0

Mr. Shah0 Mr. atel$ since you are late today$ the CE wants to log you down.

Mr. atel0 8Stunned9. ,ut how can he do that without as%ing me the reason:

My son met with an accident this e&ening while returning from

school$ and ) had to transfer funds for his operation. /he #an% wor%

held me up. ;ou %now fully well ) hate coming late from shore lea&e.

/oday is pro#a#ly the first time that ) am so late.

Mr. Shah0 ) am sorry to hear a#out your son*s accident. "ow is he now:

Mr. atel )t seems he has fractured his left leg. "e doctor is awaiting the n seeing

Mr. atel$ he coolly loo%ed at his wrist-watch and said$ Mr. atel you are late so you

will #e logged down. /here is no point in pleading with me now.

Mr. atel0 ,ut Sir$ this e&ening my son ?

Mr. Singh0 lease Mr. atel ) am not concerned a#out your family pro#lems. =ego #y certain rules on this ship and e&eryone has to o#ser&e them. )

don*t #elie&e in ma%ing an e+ception$ for whate&er reason. So$ that*

that 8turning to the person he was tal%ing to9 as ) was telling you$ the

hotsto&e approach is e&ery effecti&e in dealing with indiscipline ?

Mr. Singh was puled to note after a few days that there was no impro&ement in the

wor% and #eha&iour of Mr. e&$ and there was a mar%ed drop in the performance of

Mr. atel.

Mr. Singh also sensed resentment towards him in other staff mem#ers. "e was at a

loss to %now the reasons for this hostility.