Huangpu Customs - Organization Behavior

PartⅠ: Background

It is 8:45 in the morning; the customs declaration hall is still quiet. Usually at this moment in the other days of a week, the declaration hall would be crowed with people. All the customs declarers know that the Clearance Section(通关科) would hold their weekly meeting on Wednesday, a tradition that last for many years.

This is one of the subordinated customs of the Huangpu Customs(黄埔海关), located in the western part of Dongguan, which is know as the famous “world factory”. Because of its special location, the workload of this subordinated customs is getting bigger and bigger. However, jobs are still well done here, because the law enforcement officials are very professional, especially those from the Clearance Section.

Every year, there will be a personal transfer within the direct affiliated customs. Those leaders who have been working in a same subordinated customs for more than three years have to be exchanged to another subordinated customs. This is an institution of anti-corruption. Jack has just been exchanged from another subordinated customs and became the leader of the clearance section. His predecessor is a powerful leader who has strong personalities and leaves him an excellent team. Jack is a very happy to lead such a high efficiency section. He is a man who tries never to offend anybody, so he kept the disciplines and standards of behaviors unchanged at first. That’s the reason why they still have weekly meeting on Wednesday morning.

Jack lowered his head, reading a document intermittently, hardly noticed that everyone else except the two vice section chiefs was looking at their cellphones. He didn’t prepare for this meeting; the document was picked up from his desk in a hurry early in the morning. He knew that this tradition is some kinds of ritual of this section that may bring help to his management. However he found it hard to pick up topics every week. His two assistants, the vice section chiefs, Mike and Tim, are very professional and had done all the operation works well. Jack used to do operation jobs himself. He was happy at first that most of the works have been done by others that he would have many spare hours. But later he found himself boring everyday in the office; he doesn’t know how good or bad his teams’ works have been done. So every week he has no choice but to read those boring documents because he had no idea of the real-time situation.

Mike, one of the vice section chiefs, an expert of Tariff, sit quietly listening to the vice of the chief. His eyes were looking around; noticing that nobody was listening carefully, although the boring document the chief is reading is an important one. He thought that he should emphasize the rules of the meeting, although it’s Jack’s job. When the chief finished his reading and asked anyone else want to speak, Mike said: ”I have something to say.” Mike is a strict man. When he began to talk, others raised up their heads，draw themselves up and listen. Mike pointed out that it is not respectful playing cellphones when other people are talking during a meeting. He emphasized the rules and told people to abide by the rules. When he finished, Jack continued this topic: ”I knew you are not listening, but I think you are all adults and know have to be polite, so I didn’t point it out. Since Mike has said so, I think it’s time to remind you the rules. To remember, don’t play your cellphones next time. Over.”