Organised by
Engineering Education Technical Division, IEM


SYNOPSIS

Culture is a big and somewhat vague term. It has been said that Culture is the glue that holds nations and organizations together. Some define it as "what happens when nobody is looking." In reality, it's much more complex. Culture is the set of behaviors, values, artifacts, reward systems, and rituals that make up an organization. You can "feel" the culture when you visit an organization, because it is often evident in people's behavior, enthusiasm, and even from the organization’s environment itself. Few factors contribute more to business success than culture - that thing that shape how real work gets done within an organization. Organizations that emphasize clearly defined cultures that are aligned with value creation enjoy better performance, greater financial gain and long-term employee commitment. As is known, the world is becoming a global village, in the sense that the technological achievements of this modern time have brought people closer together. This also means that people from different parts of the world and with different cultural backgrounds are working and communicating together. Dealing with people from different cultures requires knowing the different cultural diversities when working with people in an organization on issues such as motivating employees and developing effective teams. No matter how good a strategy is, people & culture will always make the difference. Any organization’s strategy can be copied but culture cannot be easily copied. It is the point of difference for any organization. Hence, an effective corporate culture is a powerful factor for long-term success. However, it is a double-edged sword. Culture can be an enhancer as well as an inhibitor to success.

This talk will look at Culture in general and in specifics, its various types and dimensions, and how it can impact and affect business organizations, both positively as well as negatively.


SPEAKER BIODATA

Ir. Dr. LING Chen Hoe has been working with Meiden Malaysia, a company in the electrical engineering and construction industry in Malaysia since 1990. The company is a subsidiary of Meidensha Corporation, Japan (http://www.meidensha.com/) a manufacturer of electrical equipment and provider of electrical engineering products and services to both the private and public sectors in Malaysia. He is currently the Senior General Manager and Director of the company, with roles for Business Development, Strategic Planning and overseeing of the Engineering and Corporate Departments of the company. Dr Ling obtained his Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia in year 1989. He holds a MBA from the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom (2003) and obtained his Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA) in 2015 from SEGi University, Malaysia. He is also a certified Chartered Professional Engineer of Australia, a Competent Engineer (33kV,132kV) & Professional Engineer in Malaysia. Dr Ling also serves part-time in various universities’ programs, namely in the engineering faculty and post-graduate business management studies.