IF there are two big companies planning for a merger,听 both parties must first discuss serious matters concerning the company’s operations.听For example, the balance sheet, corporate assets, receivables and debts, corporate capital, etc., including supporting documents.
The experts of both companies – sometimes assisted by their business consultants – easily resolve the emerging issues.听But the difficult issue is combining听“Corporate Culture”听辞谤听“Organizational Culture鈥 of the two companies, because each has a long established company culture and they are rather difficult to combine.听Organizational culture is important because it determines the advancement of companies.
In the science of personnel management, there are two kinds of institutional cultures, the first听is “Terminal Value”听– the goals the organization desired to achieve for example听excellence听, stability, innovation, profit, etc.听The second is ”听Instrumental Value听” is the behavior desired by the organization to its members to implement it, such as hard work, creativity, respect for tradition, etc.
Respect for tradition including respect for the seniors is the value an organization desires for everyone.听If it is a university, then the values 鈥嬧媘ust be run by all academicians.听Excellence with Morality听of UNAIR also includes the values 鈥嬧媡hat must be implemented by everyone in campus.
When I entered Faculty of Economics (now FEB) 东京热 in 1973, I and my colleagues knew each other and respect the seniors, both faculty and university.听This culture has been planted since I was there, so I know some students outside my faculty (FE).
At that time I knew the names of professors in the Faculty of Medicine.听For example the late Prof.听Asmino, who loudly taught discipline to young doctors.听Also Prof.听Ilyas, Prof.听Sudarto and so on who certainly did not know me.
Me and my friends also memorized by the name of “General” -or the head of another faculty team during the orientation period.听My Senior, Prof.听Komang Wiarsa Sardjana from FKH confessed that his character was built by his seniors in UNAIR, such as Mas Tjuk Sukiadi, and Mas Husein Suropranoto from the Faculty of Economics.
Knowing colleagues and seniors from other faculties, became a culture “deep rooted in the human heart”听.听In 1985 I went to Dusseldorf, Germany, the immigration officer at Sukarno Hatta airport did not check me carefully, but instead saying hello: “You are mas Cholis Economics student who uses English well, aren鈥檛 you?” I asked back,听do you听know me?听He turned out to be my junior from Faculty of Law UNAIR.
As a result of this noble culture, “esprit de corps”听was very high, they did not think sectoral, but wider: UNAIR.听When I met with colleagues, juniors and seniors from other faculties, my soul said that I met UNAIR academicians.
Now, when I become a lecturer at several private colleges and teaching nowadays听students, I feel some stress: because the culture of knowing and respecting the seniors does not exist anymore.听You can imagine, when there is a student who missed his Quiz and have to ask a follow-up Quiz from me with a letter from the academic section, and before asking for my autograph, he asked me -without an apology: “What your name, sir?”.
In my final class before an exam, I circulate听the academic听questionnaire听about the performance of lecturers, the students also asked me my name: After I have taught them 14 meetings, and they should have known my name when taking my class.
Does the phenomenon occur only in the area I teach?听Apparently not.听Last December 2017, when I ate at a restaurant in Bandung, there were two female students from Bandung Padjajaran University selling flowers in a fundraising.
I bought the flower while informing them that I have a friend as a former Dean of Communication Faculty Unpad, his name was Professor Deddy Mulyana, Ph.D.听They shook their heads as they did not recognize the name.
Prof.听Deddy Mulyana is famous even at the international level and his books become听compulsory听textbooks听in various universities.听He also often writes in local and national newspapers.
I asked again where they are from, it turned out the two female students were from Faculty of Economics Unpad.听But in my heart I said听that it was not a reason, because I was also from FE but I know the names of Professors from FK, FH, and other faculties.
When I told the story to Prof.听Deddy Mulyana and his wife, when they invited me for dinner, both also showed a disappointment face to see the reality in Unpad when a faculty student is not familiar with the name of the dean.听The professor and my friend implied that the听“Organizational Culture”听had disappeared from college.
What about in ?听It is the same.听Many students were sitting in the mosque of Campus C, which when I asked: “Do you know him?” when there was a professor passing by, they did not know when they were almost graduated.
Lectures and Collective Activities are Important
Given the importance of acquaintance and respect as part of the noble values 鈥嬧媜f organizational culture, then campuses such as UNAIR need to promote joint activities, a lecture attended by all students of faculties in their early days in campus.
This joint activity will foster high听esprit de corps听and they will get to know each other.听Esprit de Corps听is generally defined as “A听feeling of pride, fellowship, and common loyalty shared by the members of a particular group.”
If this is not done then the feeling of pride is only sectoral or faculty level.听As a result, they only know people in the faculty, or limited circle.听Our yells are also of faculty, not a university!
Noble culture of knowing and respect each other that is actually part of the听motto听of Univeritas Airlangga:听“Excellence with Morality”听– so unfortunately it just becomes rhetoric alone when the student do not know the professors, when students never say hello to his lecturers in the streets.
If it happens, even if a student is clever, with IQ 150, and graduated听cum laude, the student is听Excellence听产耻迟听Without听Morality听.听(*)
Editor: Bambang Bes
