Interview
I interviewed Tushar Vyas, an entrepreneur cum managing director at the CaisaPharma International based in Kinshasa, Congo. Vyas holds a Bachelors degree in Chemistry. He took a technical job with zero technical background with a pharmaceutical firm, gaining experience in the laboratories, and developing new product becoming his first managerial experience. Then he became the manufacturing manager. Then with technical skills, he was employed in the CaisaPharma as an MD where developed a venture plan: increasing the company’s production level through automation; and reducing costs, strengthening the cash flows through buying of input in bulk and ensuring steady flow of raw materials. Vyas is watchful of the market for a chance to produce the next major drug, he is attentive to prevent the production of drugs similar to those of the firm’s competitors, ensures the firm’s diversity of products, and is thinking of approaching some venture capitalists to boost the firm’s capital. Also, he’s considering expanding the firm to the adjacent countries’ cities, and getting a business loan. He ascertains that employees sign a performance contract because he has a strong belief on performance-based appraisals. Vyas first evaluates a company before it can be acquired to ensure that it will take the firm to the next level and not merely increasing its size.
The hardest part about my job is curbing the high employee turnover. This affects the organization in that it kills the employees’ morale, hurts the productivity of the firm, and the efficacy of the rest of the employees. I am planning to give the employees as much freedom as possible. This is because contentment is associated with a positive attitude and its crucial as the employees difficult situations in their daily activities. Also, employees with freedom perform their tasks with enthusiasm. I keep my employees motivated by rewarding the best performers. Ways through which I reward my employees include increasing their payment, promoting them, and giving them bonuses.
My education has immensely helped me in my current role. I have acquired managerial skills of motivating employees to boost the productivity, build a strong teamwork so as to realize the firm’s goals, and learned the strategies of solving problems in the workplace. My education is an added advantage to success, however, it is not necessary for success as it is in Vyas’ case ;whereby despite his education, he got a technical job, rose up the organization hierarchy becoming a manager and came to steer CaisaPharma. If there is a thing that I would change about my company’s corporate culture, is developing a ritual ceremony. I would come up with a motivational award named after an former employee that whose performance was admired. I schedules some time when we can meet with my professor to seek advice. The professor also doubles as my mentor. In my opinion, benefits of having a diverse workforce include boosting the output and the employees’ morale, alleviating complaints and conflicts in the workforce, reduction of costs in training employees, and boosting the corporate culture. The most important skill that a young graduate should develop is how to implement what he or she has learned. A component in my job that I don’t like is the company’s published culture which doesn’t match with the actual culture. This is because the company culture changes with every employee that deserts the company. I would change it and make it an adaptive culture.
I have learned that experience is as important as education in management when steering a company into the desired direction (Oliver at al. 2008). About the career, I think that while education can be taught, experience can’t be, also, for in management, both education and experience are important. The interview with Vyas paints him as a person whose experience and education have been crucial in the management of and greatly benefited CaisaPharma firm. I could see myself doing the job but not with the wit of Vyas. This is because Vyas has been in the field for a longer time than me and consequently, longer experience in management.
Reference
Gassmann, O., Reepmeyer, G. & Zedtwitz, M.V. (2008). Leading Pharmaceutical Innovation: Trends and Drivers for Growth in the Pharmaceutical Industry. Berlin: Springer.
