Tan Kin Lian's Blog: Case study - responding to a difficult issue

Friday, May 07, 2010

Case study - responding to a difficult issue

This is a hypothetical case. I wrote it to illustrate the different approaches to respond to a difficult issue at work.

X is in charge of the daily work at the CDP which keeps the records of shareholders of listed companies. An activist shareholder Y wrote to request that a letter be circulated to all shareholders of a listed company Z regarding a corporate issue, volunteering to pay for the printing and postage cost.

What is the typical response of most people in this situation if they were in X's place? What type of response will you give?

Survey results
Here are the survey results based on 29 responses.

Most people are willing to be helpful and positive, if they feel that they have the authority.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...: have done the survey, of course have to ask boss first, if you call Y first, wait create PR blunder, your answer may not align with the company policy.; May 06, 2010 9:18 AM
Anonymous said...: 'X' can always call 'Y' and clarify some basic points such as intent and
reasons and why choose the CDP as an avenue to further his cause.

Having gatherd the infomation, 'X' can then reaffirm the role of the CDP and how that role can address the interests of 'Y', who is a customer anyway.

It is paramount that 'X' understands the role of CDP and his own personal duties. This is the crux.
Many employers want to hire people on the cheap and expect committed attitudes.This is the CDP. an agency that looks after the interests of shareholders.
The position that 'X' is working in should not be filled by a mismatched candidate.; May 06, 2010 12:33 PM
J said...: X should fix Y, and buy Z's votes...

Just kidding! (This survey is too abstract for me.); May 06, 2010 8:00 PM
Anonymous said...: im sorry, but i do not understand the moral implications. may someone explain to me the implications?; May 07, 2010 12:03 AM
Anonymous said...: Touching on the SGX, it is very strange that SGX is as careless about S-Chip Companies listing their IPO on our Exchange, as before. Why did SGX not make a through search on the recent saga about the Chinese Shipbuilder's legal entanglement that was not revealed in the prospectus.
No wonder these Chinese prefer to list on our bourse, rather than the Hongkong Ex, where over there the officials are more street-smart
and have the information at their fingertips.
The fact that the intended IPO is so large should be cause for extreme caution and suspicion for SGX officials. Most large S=Chip companies head to th HK Ex, why should they pick Singapore.
Singapore investors should avoid S=Chip IPO either before or after listing. SGX out of trying to compete for foreign IPO are lax in their regulations, they would grab the bones and skins discarded by HK.
So, do not be the sacrificial lambs of the China Chinese, or rather of our local bourse, who are all out for their own financial gains, hoodwicking our people. Do not place trust in others.; May 07, 2010 9:43 AM
Anonymous said...: From what i see, X is someone that is in charge of the operational duties. Usually this kind of person, duties will be squeezed onto her to the brink. and what she is doing doesn't really add to the income of the organisation, so her pay won't be high too.she won't have the time to comtemplate or analyse on how to handle the issue with Y.; May 07, 2010 10:49 AM
Anonymous said...: X will just refer to his/her boss, if X is a lowly paid employee.

If higher on pay scale, X will wonder what are the legal implications for doing this request?

Another view, X might say, this is not part of my job duties , so I can't do it for you.; May 07, 2010 1:53 PM
Anonymous said...: i read your survey result. I find that the majority of the people feel that X will refer to the boss.
i think it is because usually what I see is that the Boss will not want to give so much autonomy and spaces(resources like times and information)to someone who is just in charge of the daily work. they will rather built up the system but not develop the person X,

and even if one day X is replaced by someone cheaper, faster and better, they won't be any problem.; May 07, 2010 6:15 PM
Anonymous said...: A lot of people like to think that people that used to hold high position in their previous job are picky in their choice of work and unwillingly to take a job which they think lowly of. Actually i don't think so, for people who have been in that same high position job for more than 10 years, when they go to another job that is low in position in the organisation chart, it is a totally different areana which they have to relearn and pick up everything from scratch again. I feel that it is like from living in city to moving to kampung. even if you were once a kampung boy 20 years ago, now 20 years later , moving back to kampung again, it take a lot of time to adapt.
but i urge all these people to hang on, just like me, i treat these experiences like adventure of my life which made my life fuller. and just like a child learning writing, my writing is getting better and better everyday.( if you take care of a child learning writing, you will get what i mean); May 07, 2010 6:58 PM