Newsletter No. 1

CU HK Newsletter '... they will eventually find that the new system can bring greater job satisfaction.‘ our administrative machinery has to be so tuned that it can achieve new tasks efficiently, smoothly and in good time. This is the major reason for making changes. • What are the main features of this reorganization and the principles behind the changes? • First, there is a much clearer definition of job responsibility, authority, and accountability at levels where services are actually being delivered. The principle is to minimize the overlapping of roles and duties. Secondly, comparatively greater responsibility and authority are to be given to the job holders. And along with this the concept of accountability is stressed. That is to say, the job holder may find that he has fewer authorities to go through to get a job done. Things will therefore move faster and he will have greater scope to exercise his initiative. At the same time, however, he will be held accountable for the actions he has taken. He must be prepared to justify his decisions when necessary and be answerable for any repeated mistakes he makes. The principle here is to encourage staff concerned to assume an independent role of a 'doer' rather than a subsidiary role of a 'supporter'. Thirdly, the University Development Section, an administrative area devoted specifically to the University's external relations, is now set up to reflect the University's increased activities and interaction with the outside world and the importance of such actions. • Why do you think the new system can function better than the old? • I don't think we should compare the two systems this way. Any system has to grow and change with time. A system that is completely all right for a small size operation may not be suitable when the operation grows larger. With the emergence of a lot of new tasks and before adjustments can be made in the existing system, there is bound to be some overlapping of roles and crisscrossing of responsibilities. That's why changes naturally follow if we want to be efficient again. I must emphasize we do not change for the sake of making changes. A l l changes are direct responses to real needs. • Do you think the staff concerned will have any difficulty adapting to these changes? When do you expect to see results? • To me, changes are exciting; they are a part of life. You will lose the zest for life without them. I do however realize that many people have a tendency to prefer stability to change. I believe that it will take a while before the new system can really settle into shape. I do not expect to see immediate results. In fact, things may even look worse at the beginning when everybody has tolearnto adapt. But I have never doubted the capability of our staff and their willingness to work and I am sure they will eventually find that the new system can bring greater job satisfaction. I only hope that they could make the adaptation process shorter by being ready to take on responsibility, to be accountable for them and still feel comfortable. • Why do you worry that some may not feel comfortable? • In a civil service type of management system where responsibility and authority are normally vested in the higher echelons, some people may feel a little fidgety if they suddenly find that they are no longer 'instructed' to do things but are giving instructions themselves and are being held responsible for such instructions. • It is easier to draw a new organization chart; it is more difficult to change ways of thinking or to inculcate a new attitude towards responsibility and accountability. Say if I normally have to clear with three parties before I can get the green light to do something, will I not continue to do so in the new system, thinking that if things go wrong, at least there'll be other people to share the blame ？ I may not realize that consultation is only to assist decision- making and cannot replace it and that the decision is ultimately mine, for which I and nobody else will be accountable, I may not realize that if I have to revert to a higher authority every time I carry out duties which I have the full authority to discharge,