BIMP-EAGA Seaweed Forum

Salam and hi everyone...

Just to inform u all that UMS will join BIMP-EAGA in organizing "Research & Development Forum - Towards Finding Solution To The Challenges Facing The Seaweed Industry In BIMP-EAGA". The forum will be held in Kota Kinabalu (will updates about the place later once it's confirmed) from 1st - 3rd July 2009.

I'm one of the committee member of the forum and i will be so occupied from next week onwards. As you all know BIMP-EAGA stands for Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and Philippines - East Asia Growth Area. And since last two years, we've (UMS) been a committee member of Seaweed R&D for BIMP-EAGA. It is been a great opportunity for us to build a 'solid body' for our seaweed community here in Malaysia that will helps to bust the development of the commodity itself.

Our fifth prime minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has been so kind to includes seaweed in high impact project and our government has injected a big sum of money to make sure this project growing. And it is really a good news for us!! We've (UMS) been in this project since 1999 and together with Department Fisheries of Sabah, Fisheries Development Authority of Malaysia (SABAH and KL), MoA, Ministry of Rural, we worked hard to bring this project to a local community in Sabah especially to help the hard core poor.

Hence, we hope from the forum, we will come out with one solution to maintain seaweed industry in Malaysia and hopefully seaweed will become one of main commodity export besides palm oil and rubber. In future, we really hope that there will be "Seaweed Development Authority of Malaysia"!!

was learning how to tied the seaweed. this was taken during our visit to seaweed farm in Sulawesi Selatan, Indonesia

our workers at Serunding Reef Research Center in Kudat

me and my colleague

me and the workers at Banggi Island, Kudat

***am excited about the coming forum because i've already identified few people to interview. will talk to as many key resources person as i can for my thesis!!

(",)v

my first proposal

I finished my proposal last saturday. It's ready to be send to my supervisor and then to postgraduate center... alhamdulillah...

Hopefully, they will accept it and i can start interview my key resource person!! hmmm... new experience... got a few names on my mind, but who should be the first???

after so long...

hi there... i've been neglecting this blog for quite some time... it's not that i don't like this blog, its just that i really don't hv anything to post. my mind blocked!! and after doing a lot of thinking, and talked to my hubby, i finally decided to further my study... yup, am pursuing my master degree... here at UMS!!

i met my supervisor last week, act it's not official yet, i still preparing all the documents to be send to "Center for Postgraduate Student". btw, i finished my proposal and is about to email it to Dr. Arsiah, my supervisor, and one more thing to do is i need to see Prof. Ridzwan.... there are things i need to clarify with him especially on budget part.. hhhmmmm, i need fund for my master... uuhuuuuu...

and this coming July, i would be very busy with thesis write up, field trip, collecting data, yada... yada... yada... blalalalalalalala..... early July, i hv to go to semporna again for seaweed R&D workshop... i think Dr. Suhaimi wants me to be the chairperson... again.... hhhmmmm, that would be my 3rd times being the chairperson. i remember those two are 'last minit punya pasal...' and this time around i must confirm it first so that i can prepare something that related to my thesis.

and the most important part is... my tutorial class will also start in July... and am meeting new students... with new attitude. act, i don't hv any problem with my previous student... i don't mind their dressing coz some lecturers are a bit fussy about the way the student dress up, i mean girls especially... "takut mengalahkan pensyarah la ba tu kuuuununnn... teda2 la ba tuh!!"

anw, i hv a big hope for me and hubby this year!! Insya Allah, everything's going to be perfect... hhmmm... ok, maybe not perfect, perfect.... i mean as long as we achieve what we already planned, then we're satisfied... am G.L.A.D i found hubby, very understanding!!

friends out there, wish me luck (",)v ok... and good luck to all of you too...

catch ya later!!! ^0^

I PRAY FOR U ALL....

i received a call from one of my student today. they just finished final paper for management. thanks to you, am really appreciate it. for those of you who answered in bahasa, not to worry, it's not gonna harm your marks. be cool, and be smart...

you've managed to get this level in your life, so don't ever give up for your future... being a uni student, it's just another episode of your adventure. you still have a lot to explore, give yourself time to cope...don't rush, and don't get too excited, there is more awaits you out there...remember, don't forget where you come from... cheers ya \(^0^)/

big thank you ^-^

Salams,

Final exam is just around the corner. I hope you guys doing well in the exam.

I would like to thank you all for being in my class. This is my 1st experience as a tutor and I hope I can improve my skills in a future. So, good luck on your exam ya.... (^_~)

~~ ganbatte!! ~~ p(^0^)q

** FYI, for an essay question you can answered in English or Bahasa.

MORE NOTES ON CONTROLLING

What's the transformation process in a service business like a dry cleaners or a VCR-repair shop?

The transformation process in a service business is very similar to that of a manufacturing organization. That is, a service business takes in inputs, transforms them or processes them into the service being provided which, in effect, is the output. What makes it somewhat difficult to understand this transformation process in service businesses is the fact that you don't "see" the output of a service business. The transformation process and the output are inseparable since the service is produced and consumed simultaneously.

Is productivity an individual or an organizational measure?

Both! And it's also an industry or a national (country) measure! Very simply, productivity is a measure of output divided by the inputs needed to generate that output. It's an identical term to efficiency. The term "productivity" typically is used as a measure of organizational, industry, or country performance although you may hear references to how productive an individual is. Government agencies collect productivity information for various sectors of the economy and use these as measures of how well our economy is doing. Likewise, organizations will collect information about resource usage and level of outputs in order to determine organizational productivity. Some organizations even collect productivity information for their various divisions, departments, or units.

Why have operations issues become so important to organizations?

Operations issues have become important to organizations because every single organization "produces" something-even not-for-profit organizations. Doing this in a way that is efficient and effective and that leads to an organization's being globally competitive requires strict attention to operations issues. Those organizations that expect to successfully and profitably compete in the future are incorporating operations decisions into their strategic plans and are approaching the operations processes as carefully as the marketing, financial, and human resource management processes. Do you think that Southwest Airlines would be where it is today if it hadn't paid attention to its operations? Would it be able to have the quick gate turnarounds that it does if it didn't pay close attention to operations inputs and processes? After all, as Southwest's CEO Herb Kelleher says, "You don't make money sitting on the ground." Successful companies know that operations management issues are important ingredients in success.

Why have organizations recently become so enamored with building strong supplier relationships?

Organizations have begun to recognize the interdependent relationship they have with their suppliers. Since suppliers provide the "inputs," the organization is heavily dependent on them. Their fortunes are closely linked! In this supplier-organization relationship, two goals that tend to be quite important are controlling costs and increasing quality. By collaborating and partnering with suppliers, organizations are discovering that they can achieve better quality of inputs, fewer defects in finished products and services, and lower costs. Wal-Mart is an example of an organization that has a system of highly developed alliances with its suppliers. This hand-in-hand collaboration is good for Wal-Mart because it gives them greater control over costs and quality. And it's good for the suppliers because they have assurances that their products are being sold through the world's largest retailer!

How does value chain management provide value?

Well, first off, let's define what value is-the performance characteristics, features and attributes, and any other aspects of goods and services for which customers are willing to give up resources. Value is created through the transformation of raw materials and other resources into some product or service that customers need or desire when, where, and how they want it. Value means different things to different people. For instance, your next class starts in 30 minutes and you're hungry. You're willing to give up resources (money) for a product and service that's quick and filling. You see a Subway Sandwiches poster on a campus bulletin board and decide to go there because it's close by. You willingly hand over $3.99 for a sandwich at Subway. You received value because you got a product that met your specific needs at that time and place. How did Subway provide that "value?" It was created through the value chain-which simply is the entire series of organizational work activities that add value at each step. From the purchasing of the food supplies to the assembling of the sandwich to the advertising that you saw on the campus bulletin board, each work activity was designed to provide value to customers. Because every organization needs customers if it's going to survive and prosper, it's important to understand how value is created and delivered to those customers. By the way, that's the whole concept behind value chain management.

Why should an organization want to closely integrate its work activities with other outside organizations?

This does seem counter-productive, doesn't it? After all, wouldn't this type of close collaboration seem to give managers less control over important work activities? And since when can you trust others outside your organization? These cultural beliefs are among the hardest to change as an organization pursues a value chain management approach. Yet, we have to remember that the goal of value chain management is to create a value chain strategy that meets and exceeds customers' needs and desires and allows for full and seamless integration among all members of the value chain-inside and outside. For this value chain strategy to work, all value chain participants must collaborate. That's the only way to provide the value that customers want and are willing to pay for. The result of this collaboration-better customer solutions. And, when value is created for customers and their needs and desires are satisfied, everyone along the chain benefits.

How can an organization successfully manage its value chain?

The first thing to recognize is that it's not easy to manage the value chain because it can be difficult for managers to know and understand what the organization's value chain encompasses. However, successful value chain management is possible if six main requirements are met. These include (1) a close coordination and collaboration among value chain partners, (2) a significant investment in technology, (3) a critical evaluation of organizational processes to determine where value is being added and making changes, if necessary, (4) strong, supportive, competent leadership, (5) human resource requirements including flexible approaches to job design, an effective hiring process, and ongoing training, and (6) very important...a supportive organizational culture and attitudes.

A business model sounds a lot like a strategy. Is it?

You're very perceptive. Yes, a business model is simply a strategic design for how the company intends to profit from its strategies, processes, and activities. As today's managers face a dynamic competitive marketplace, they're having to experiment with new business models that will allow them to be more efficient and effective.

***Big thank you to Stephen P. Robbins & Mary Coulter, Robbins Online Learning System (R.O.L.L.S), Pearson, Prentice Hall

NOTES FOR CONTROLLING

CONTROLLING

If things are going as planned, why is control necessary?

I think this question can be answered by saying how do you know things are going as planned unless you do control. Control is much more than just taking care of problems that have come up. It also involves monitoring activities, comparing performance to standards, and then taking action as needed.

How is controlling related to the other functions of management?

Controlling is the final link in the ongoing management process. It's the only way we know whether goals are being met and why they are or are not being accomplished as planned. Managing doesn't involve just one or two or even three of the functions. It takes a manager performing all four management functions-planning, organizing, leading, and controlling-to ensure that organizational members' work activities are completed effectively and efficiently.

What's the difference between immediate corrective action and basic corrective action? Which is more difficult to do? When should each be used?

These are all good questions! What options does a manager have when he or she discovers that actual performance isn't measuring up to standards? One option is immediate corrective action. This involves correcting problems immediately in order to get performance back on track. It's "putting out fires" as they arise. The other option for correcting performance is more general and comprehensive in nature. Basic corrective action involves digging deeper-determining why and how performance has deviated and then correcting the source of that deviation. Because it's more thorough, basic corrective action tends to be more difficult to do because it takes time and effort to look for reasons why performance is deviating and then taking action to correct these deviations. Immediate corrective action is real-time, right-now, get-it-solved. There's not the search for reasons behind the deviation. The focus is on getting the problem solved immediately. Each of these approaches does have its place, however. A manager should use immediate corrective action when a problem arises that must be addressed immediately. Let me share an example. One school night I was running late and stopped at a local fast food restaurant to pick up something quick for dinner. When I got home and set out the food for my family, we discovered that part of our order was missing. I got back in my car, drove back to the restaurant, and asked for the manager. When I explained what had happened-trying my best to remain calm-she gladly gave me the missing items and even threw in dessert for all of us. The manager took immediate corrective action to resolve the performance deviation. However, let's say that this problem keeps occurring. Customers aren't getting what they ordered. At this point, the manager needs to take basic corrective action. She needs to uncover where the problem lies. Do employees need better training in order taking and order filling? Is there too much noise in the kitchen and work area for people to properly hear what is being ordered? Is there a problem with the cash register? Knowing when immediate corrective action is appropriate and when basic corrective action needs to be taken is something that managers must learn.

Can managers delegate control?

Yes, managers can delegate, and have been delegating, control to subordinates. Many employees have been empowered to measure actual performance, compare that performance against standards, and then take any necessary action. This doesn't relieve the manager of the ultimate responsibility for work performance, however. The manager's job is to coordinate work efforts so that goals are being met efficiently and effectively. And this means keeping an eye on things even if control has been delegated.

Why is what we control probably more important than how we control?

What we control is more important than how we control because the criteria we choose to focus on determines what organizational members will attempt to excel at. What performance measures will be used to determine whether goals are being met? The choice of performance measures will influence employees' work behaviors.

Which is more serious: overvariance or undervariance?

Overvariance and undervariance refer to the range of variation between actual performance and the established standard. Determining which is more serious really depends on the performance being measured. For example, undervariance on a measure such as quality or profits can be serious. But undervariance on safety violations can be a positive thing. Likewise, overvariance on a measure such as product defects can be serious, but overvariance on number of sales calls completed can be good. Either way, when there is a variation outside the acceptable range, a manager needs to assess the situation to determine if action is needed.

Why would managers want to control for organizational performance?

Performance is the end result of an activity. It's "how you do" on a test after reading and studying your textbook and class notes. It's the score you receive on a term paper after researching, writing, editing, and rewriting the material. It's how a sales rep for Eli Lilly does in convincing physicians to prescribe one of the company's new drugs. It's how an organization is doing in its work. The performance that results lets us know how well we've done at what we said we were going to accomplish. And, of course, managers want to control for organizational performance since that's how they know the end results of all the work processes and activities that are taking place, whether the organization has 100, 1,000, or 10,000 employees.

Isn't MBWA a subjective and inferior way to control work activities?

Quite the contrary! MBWA (management by walking, or wandering, around) is a great way to find out "up close and personal" what your subordinates are dealing with and the types of issues they're facing. You may have the impression that just because MBWA doesn't generate quantitative measures that it's too subjective and thus is inferior to other methods of controlling. However, by getting out and personally observing employees at work, you're getting first-hand information that's not filtered or subject to someone else's interpretation.

***Big thank you to Stephen P. Robbins & Mary Coulter, Robbins Online Learning System (R.O.L.L.S), Pearson, Prentice Hall