Reference no: EM132209220
Zetty - The Poor Malaysian Trolley Dolley
Zetty Eunos McWilson has always wanted to become an air stewardess. She believes that she is born to be an air stewardess. She is tall and athletic. She is a swimmer, representing Malaysia for the SEA Games, she is an avid snorkeler and has a pleasant demeanor. More importantly she has the looks - thanks to her Scottish father. Unfortunately, her SPM result were not satisfactory. Her English Language result is so and so; and she merely pass her GCE O-Level English Language "1119" paper, despite having a Scottish father. However, she is determined to be an air stewardess. In her mind: surely there have to be other ways to achieve her ambition; after all her grandmother (father's side) was air stewardess at the TAA (Trans Australian Airways) before retiring in Sydney. She told her father that she is willing to take the A Levels (UK equivalent of STPM) or the HSC (Higher School Certificate of New South Wales, Australia). These can be taken in Malaysia.
But that did not materialize. Just at the time when she was supposed to go begin her A Level in Kuala Lumpur, her father was declared bankrupt. So, no further studies in England or Australia for her. Local universities were not attractive to her as they did not offer the field of study that she is interested in. She could still enter matriculation, but she refused. After a few months of sulking and crying, she was fortunate to get into the Diploma in Airline Services program at the Crescendo International College in Johor.
She managed to pass this course, her grades were not impressive. She found the course to be boring and not up to her standards - with the typical Malaysian teaching and learning methods - of cramping loads of information to achieve rather ambitious but vague course learning outcomes. She did not even pay a lot of attention to her classes and lectures; but she managed to get through the program and eventually got her diploma.
After graduation, she decided to try her luck at Fastjet Asia - when she heard that the Australian airline is looking for cabin crews based in Singapore. Fastjet Asia is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fastjet Airways Pty Ltd. She was interviewed at the Holiday Villa Hotel Johor Bharu. The interview was a success. She was accepted into the Fastjet Cabin Crew training program - with a condition that she pays a AUD 1,000/- bond and on her own, she has to pay for her lodging and food during the 9 months training program in Perth. The training program consists of 9 months of Certificate III in Aviation (Cabin Crew) training in Jandakot, Western Australia and a further 6 months of practical (on the job training). Upon successful completion of the practical - the candidate will be on a 3 months probationary period before being inducted as a full time cabin crew staff of the airline.
The contract was signed at the Holiday Villa Hotel. The HR officer explained the general information with regard to the contract, but due to her over excited-ness, she could not pay any attention to what was told. One important item is that the employment contract will not be covered under Australian labour laws, as officially she is considered to be working for for Pantas Teguh Sdn Bhd, a company wholly owned by nominees of Fastjet Asia. (Officially Pantas Teguh is owned by two Malaysian business men with 55% of its equities, whilst Fastjet Asia and Fastjet Airways own the remaining 25% and 20% of the equity. This company specializes in providing human resources for Fastjet Asia. According to the contract, she will get AUD 300/- per month for the first 9 months, AUD 500 for the subsequent 6 months and AUD 600 during the probation.
Zetty breezed through the 9 months of Certificate III Aviation training despite her mother's complains of her consistent asking for extra money - Jandakot is not exactly a cheap place to rent an apartment for yourself as it is in Perth and it is a prime area (near the airport). But that is not a major problem as one of her mother's cousin is living in Perth, and Zetty always have dinner with that aunt - and her aunt is kind enough to give her a decent weekly pocket money.
The problem started during the practical. She has to work in 20 hour shifts or even more. In a particular, she has to take routes such Perth Airport to Sydney (Kingsford) Airport to Singapore or Perth Airport to Melbourne (Tullamarine) Airport and then to Kuala Lumpur. These journeys may take between 5 to 6 hours to arrive at Melbourne or Sydney and another 8 hours to Singapore or Kuala Lumpur. From Melbourne or Sydney, she must serve other international routes. This may to Jakarta (8 hours), then proceeding to Bangkok (2 hours), Phnom Penh (2 hours) or Saigon (2 hours) or to Hanoi (3 hours). Then she will be given between 8 to 12 hours of layover. Then the cycle starts again ending back in Perth.
She privately complained to her mother of tiredness and prolonged fatigue, but that is as far as she would do. Talking to colleagues or to her supervisor is not an option due to the general theme that was imbued during the cabin crew training- 'Fly with Cheers and Positivity' and 'Love Your Job and Fly High with Us'. There are long standing rumors that trainees who complain about long working hours are deliberately marked lower during the practical and probationary period. Some of them are failed and they have to forfeit the AUD 1,000/- bond.
In terms of the labor laws, foreign cabin crews are not allowed to work in domestic Australian flights. Fastjet seem to be able to get away due to loopholes within this requirement. This situation is known to the cabin crews. The company tells Zetty and the other non-Australian cabin crews that this situation is of no consequence to them and according to the airline, everything is legal. All the staff seem to accept this explanation, with one or two privately saying their concerns.
People are reluctant to speak out as during the training period, trainees are told that the management has done everything to make the job to be as interesting as possible by varying the tasks and asking them to do more. The reward they say is the feeling of satisfaction that the trainees 'can do everything as much as much as possible'. In addition - the trainees are promised rewards not in terms of salaries, but potential future promotion into in flight supervisory ranks due to the rapid expansion of the airline in South East Asia.
This message was propounded over and over during the regular 'pep' talks that the trainees have to attend. In the initial periods - the trainees were introduced to the Job Characteristic Model and then how the airline is applying that model. The 'pep' talks always end with the idea of Organizational Citizenship - the cabin crews are exhorted to give more to the airlines as a mark and show of loyalty and following that they must not to demand anything except gratitude, as the airline will fairly reward competence and loyalty.
The instructors keep repeating the Job Characteristics Model mantra - that interesting jobs would result in the feeling of love - the desired psychological state - that would optimize levels of job performance. The instructors always end this pep talk with a statement such as if you don't love your job - you obviously cannot fit into this organization.
But things were unbearable; eventually Zetty and 10 other colleagues broke the ice and they start to discuss. That happened one night after the long 20 hours shift. They are supposed to get 5 rooms I.e. two people in one room in the Bangkok layover. However due to some mix up (as claimed by the airline) the original rooms was fully booked and they were placed in another hotel but only in a low class budget hostel that fit 10 people. They have to sleep in bunker beds and the 6 girls have to share with the 4 guys. The airline refused to book two separate rooms for the girls and boys stating that they are not allowed to do so by the S.O.P. (standard operating procedure) of the airline. There was a little argument when Zetty and her colleagues tried to talk to the airline's representative vi a phone call but then nothing came out when the representative put down the phone saying that it was late at night and he has to be in office tomorrow morning.
Eventually Zetty's aunt - Sally got wind of the incident. Sally was not satisfied at all with the situation. She managed to contact a reporter from the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) who was investigating the airline for exploitative working conditions. Fastjet was accused of exploiting foreign cabin crews but has made a strong denial in the media - threatening to sue newspapers and TV stations that carried the initial sensational story of how the airline exploit their workers. Zetty was persuaded to talk to this reporter and the reporter managed to convince Zetty to get a few of her colleagues to share their stories.
Each were interviewed, and their stories were recorded and transcribed. They were interviewed three times by the reporter and his team. Zetty went to work as usual. During the interviews with the ABC she continued to work in Fastjet. She managed to complete the training phase and have started the probationary phase. During the probationary period she and her colleagues, continued to endure.
Two weeks onwards, just after landing at Phnom Penh airport - an airline representative gave her a letter, stating that her contract is terminated immediately. No reason was given - except a statement saying that the termination is due to her unbecoming conduct, behavior and attitude towards the airline. With the termination, she has been cut off from all of the airline's facilities. She is told to leave. She is told that she has to get her own tickets to fly back to her base in Perth - she has 48 hours to clear her belonging in her locker and storage space in the airline's facility in Perth.
This termination is final as the letter said by citing a clause in the contract stating that during training and probationary periods, the management has a right to terminate trainees for reasons of unbecoming behavior or unbecoming conduct towards the airline whether such behavior or conduct is in the workplace or outside and even in social media. And this termination is immediate and shall not be contested by the employee in any court of law. With this termination Zetty also have to forfeit the AUD 1,000/- bond. It is noted that Zetty has no recourse to Australian Labor Laws as the contract was signed in Johor Bharu.
Poor Zetty, the Malaysian trolley dolley....
a. Analyze at least one issue in contemporary management that may be relevant in this case study.
b. Examine the situation and clarify who is at fault here? Is it right to conclude that Zetty is at fault? Or is it right to say that the company- Fastjet Airlines is the culprit.
c. Provide suggestion on how to make things right in this situation.Provide a plan of action to deal with the problems posed by the case study.