1. Case Study: What Happened to Your Workers? In the late 1990s, two friendly competitors formed the Mekar Sdn Bhd as a partnership in a rapidly developing industrial area west of Johor Bahru. At first, the partners did most of the work themselves, including plumbing, heating and wiring for both commercial and residential buildings. As the business grew rapidly, several craftsmen and other employees were added. This left the partners devoting almost all their time to managing the business rather than doing the work themselves. Mekar competed with 10 other companies within a 50 mile radius both for business and for the best craftsmen. This became difficult in the 1990s when the Malaysian Aerospace Center was built nearby. Most of the skilled workers left their jobs to work at the center for better pay and benefits, causing a great shortage of craftsmen in the area. At the same time, demand for plumbing, heating and wiring was increasing. It would have been a good opportunity for Mekar to expand its operations if the needed workers could have been found. The partners decided that the only way to have an adequate supply of trained craftsmen was to do their own training, so they started an apprenticeship program. The plan was to hire high school graduates or dropouts to work with some of the older craftsmen as apprentice plumbers and electricians, at the prevailing wage rate, until they learned the trade. When they finished their training, they would train others so there would be a continuous training programme. Although the programme gave the young people an opportunity to learn a trade that would be valuable to them in future years, the plan did not work. The trainees would work for Mekar just long enough to be trained; then they would quit to take another job, go into the armed services, or go back to school. The partners had to reduce the amount of construction work they bid on because of their limited work force. To compensate for their loss of revenue, they started a wholesale plumbing, heating and electrical supply business. The worker shortage at Mekar continued until there were only plumbers, three plumber helpers, two electricians and two electrician helpers left. Because the craftsmen were nearing retirement age and the helpers were not interested in learning the trade, the owners had to go on with wholesale business, although they would have preferred to continue in construction. You are required to propose THREE (3) types of recruiting methods that could be implemented by the two partners at Mekar Sdn Bhd. In addition, you are to formulate FOUR (4) types of actions the company could have undertaken when the new Aerospace Center was built nearby