Among the few essential factors which would define the sustenance and success of the industry anywhere is the middle management as they are the people with passion and experience, and a hunger to excel that propels the industry towards growth. But disappointingly in Bangladesh, the industry attributes most of its limitations and problems to the mindset of the country’s middle management. Manufacturing denim bottoms in Ashulia, the most labour-sensitive region of the country, Sohel Sadat, Chairman, Shin Shin Apparels remarks, “For any industry, the middle management is very important to carry forward the vision of the owners, but ironically we find that in our trade they align themselves with the workers rather than the management. A simple example is seen at times when we incentivise the sewing operators and the middle management also wants the same for themselves, but this is not always possible due to financial constraints, which leads to the middle management inciting the workers to put forward more & more demands. It’s like they work as union leaders for their own good.” Endorsing the same, Ali Azim Khan, Chairman, Shinest Group says, “A sense of sincerity is missing from the middle management and that is why I would attribute the reason for most of the labour problems arising in the country to them, it’s they who either misguide the workers or let the company run smoothly, as they represent us at the shop floor, so they can swing the situation either way.”
Unlike other countries, where the top management keeps the functioning of the company in their control so as not to disclose the financials, in Bangladesh there is no such concern majorly because of the transparency and the very thin margins in which they operate. Yet, instead of taking charge and creating a bridge of understanding between the top guys and workers, they behave otherwise and that is the reason, why most top guys micro manage the company. “Middle management in my company used to decide the pay of the sewing operators and also recommend them for training, but we found that the decisions were based on the relation of an operator with the supervisor or line in-charge, rather than his knowledge and sincerity, so we stopped the practice. The labour is quite good in the country, and if coupled with the right working environment and positive middle management, they can do wonders,” says Sohel.
However, not all agree to the viewpoint and Arshad Jamal, Chairman, Tusuka differs in his perception on how to deal with the middle management in such a situation, “There is a lot of talk regarding why the middle management of the country is not growing, and the reason I feel is that the top management is not letting it go, it is the mentality that everything has to be signed by the main boss. We made it a point that nothing of this sort happens in our organization… People only come to us, when the decision is of utmost importance with regard to the company’s strategy,” avers Arshad. Tusuka is arguably among the few companies who shows utmost trust on their middle management, and have decentralized all their departments at the pre-production levels, making the account or buyer managers powerful people, who can decide whether he has to go for a meeting in Paris or he has to send someone else, and all this has to be done without the involvement of the top management. “It is all about giving the authority to your employees and encouraging them to make money for you,” adds Arshad.
Harinder Lamba, Executive Director Projects, Must Group adds, “I would say the training of the middle management is even more important than the operator’s and in a country like Bangladesh where there is a dearth of middle management, training should be the prime agenda.” With a group turnover as of US $ 300 million, Must has major operations in Bangladesh, China Bahrain and Egypt.
In Bangladesh, the group has a mix of both Indians and Bangladeshi employees and though of late there have been incidences of violence against expats, the Group has devised a winning formula, which is satisfactory and successful for all. “When interaction is required with sewing operators and workforce the Bangladeshis come in the scene, but when it comes to interacting with foreign buyers and brands the Indians do the needful. Other than that we have people from UK, Italy and Turkey and they are placed as per their specialization. So the production manager might be Indian but it is the Bangladeshi who is running the sewing line, and they are achieving everything as a team,” says Lamba.
An uninterested youth was the reason cited by many as the reason for such dearth of quality middle management in the country. “If you go back 20 years in India, even then there was a buzz regarding the apparel industry and they were passionate about it, which though now is going because of the unprecedented growth in other industries like IT, automation, infrastructure, hospitality and health care to name a few. Passion for the garment industry is what drives youth in Sri Lanka to seek opportunities in the sector, but don’t see such passion and vigour in the youth of this country,” remarks Amit Bansal, Director, SA – Sourcing.
No doubt with the opening of fashion institutes and colleges in the country, the youth in Bangladesh is getting exposed to the international brands and markets, in-turn having a positive outlook of the apparel industry, yet the passion is missing. “I started as a merchandiser in 2000 and when I compare myself to the people who form the middle management today, I am saddened to see that they don’t know 50% of their job. Since garmenting is labour-intensive, and most of the workers are illiterate, managing them is a big task and that is why you have to work more, listen more, have passion, and unfortunately passion is what is missing,” opines Nazmul Kabir, Managing Director, Fashion Globe.
Contributing to enhancing the credibility of the middle management, Shin Shin and Shinest Group are involved in continuous training of their middle management. Shin Shin is doing the same through Impact UK, whereas Shinest has gone a step forward and made the same a part of its compliance programs, where a team is responsible for training the middle management. To complement their efforts the companies make it a point towards hiring educated, professional and young minds only.
What it needs is an image-building exercise to attract the younger generation. “I feel that if all the companies, as well as associations like the BGMEA and BKMEA, would begin to invest in making TV programs and corporate documentaries highlighting the achievements and contributions and work environments of all the best companies of the country, and the social benefits arising out of the success of these companies, and how they are contributing to national growth, then the image and perception about the industry would experience a revolutionary facelift. Further, companies need to participate in more career fairs and engage more with the students and graduates of the top universities and attract them with lucrative compensation packages into the industry,” avers Chowdhury Abd-Allah Quaseed, Director – HR, Compliance, Welfare & Admin, Ananta Group.
It cannot be denied that branding of the industry is required for creating positive outlook in terms of the career growth, pay packages, working conditions and other similar aspects which attract the youth towards other industries. “If people see the brighter side of the industry and associate with the pride of working with buyers and brands from all over the world, not only for business but also knowledge sharing, it will certainly make an impact; but then it would have to be promoted in such a manner,” feels Amit Bansal.
Concludes Reaz-Bin-Mahmood, Managing Director, La-Belle Group and Vice President (Finance), BGMEA, “All these aspects are imbibed from the grass root level and institutes like Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) and BGMEA University of Fashion and Technology (BUFT), which have been continuously working in this direction by organizing lectures and discussions with experienced members of not only the Bangladesh industry but the global apparel & textile industry in particular.”
