By:bdullah R. SIrad
In management, we have the so called company values and personal values. A company values is embodied in the company’s core values which is vertical to the mission and vision of the company. It is a stable, evaluative belief that guides employees’ preferences in everything that he or she is doing in the workplace. Personal values on the other hand are the stable, evaluative beliefs that guide individual’s preferences.
In a multi-level company with diversified employees like where I belong at present, values is a constant problem. Although the company had clearly stated its values which supposed to be the basis for working relationship among employees, personal values still dominate especially to a company composed of densely diversified employees. This kind of situation resulted into “values incongruency” in which conflict and misunderstanding is the effect. In such, people in the company tend to be protective and sensitive. They do everything to protect their own preferences as how they believe to perform particular task just like how they were doing it in their own country. When these preferences are not given chance, employees tend to perform poorly and make ways to insist what they want to happen. Employees eventually used to group themselves according to their ethnicity or nationality and conspire against those people out from their own kind.
This kind of relationship brings incompatible decisions, lower satisfaction and commitment, and increased stress and turnover. Nasser Diampuan, as he experienced it within his almost 20 years of being an overseas worker, said collective decision making is not almost practiced. Decision making is usually being made abruptly without passing it through the immediate boss or supervisor most especially when the boss or supervisor does not belong to the ethnicity or group. Employees are only reporting to work for attendance so that they can maintain their earning. They lost their dedication that they don’t exert an effort to meet the work schedule on time.
I had been a manager for almost 5 years in Philippines before I worked abroad and there I learned that to establish a personal relationship; you have to spend time with colleagues or clients during break-time or meal-time. In this way, I learned that spending time to your colleagues is one way of knowing their personal values. This then lead to our compatibility and in long run could verticalized to the company’s values. Thus, a conducive working relationship.
These are some of the many differences I found about working relationship in a native land and in abroad. Based upon my perception, this is because of an international culture differences. There are things or act which is acceptable to other nationality but for others, it’s a form of stupidity. For example, among Arab managers, public confrontation is acceptable regardless of whoever is witnessing the confrontations but for Asian managers, it’s an act of unprofessionalism. For Filipinos (in particular), we are very concern about saving “face” or sensitivity. Thus, confrontations are being held privately.
One time, I posted a question in our company’s social network called OgerPedia – the Saudi Oger collaboration initiative for simple discussion about existence of conspiracy among employees in the company expecting that in such a way, participant would also express their experiences on conspiracy as result of values incongruency. Employees from the company’s various branches and sub-offices interacted. Here’s some of the comment given on the query:
Do you think the existence of mafia (conspirator) in every company or organization a threat or a trait?
Comment 1:
I'm 100% agreeable with you. It’s true that mafia exists in this company and it continues to exist because they are getting good benefit. They were protected by their fellows who belonged to VIP.
Comment 2:
mafia? .... you mean the Italian mafia?.... a crime syndicate?.... or just a local version of mafia?... like the yakuza of Japan or triad of china?
My reply:
I am not referring to any international mafia (syndicate). I used the term "mafia" to refer conspiracy among some group to some of the SOL Sites... It has been my observation that since we were composed of diversified nationality in the company, some used to group themselves according to their nationality and tried to conspire in putting down someone else... thus, the question.
Comment 3:
Isn’t awful to accuse someone or somebody without presenting solid evidences or proof that proves these speculations that mafia exists inside the SOL? In my own understanding the word MAFIA, is a group of wicked people who manipulate, operate illegally and do dreadful acts that fulfill the benefits of their own.
Does SOL do these things? In fairness to this company, doesn’t do this MAFIA thing.
SOL, actually helps thousands of employees to put food on the plates of their families left on their respective homeland and help them as well to cope up with their financial difficulties in some ways, isn’t it? Even though, there is negligence and inattention to some employees needs but still we cannot assume these as mafia performance. But in a way it is a charity works and a give and take scenario.
I do not intend to disrespect ones point of view and I do not defend the company as well. I am just looking at the bigger picture, that’s it!
Have a great day!
My reply:
With utmost respect, I am not refuting the fact that SOL in general had helped thousand of people in their financial needs.
For your information Mark, I am not accusing the SOL as a whole. In my recent reply to your comment, I refreshed the term mafia to conspiracy which I said "some" group of some SOL sites were doing. You are interpreting the term in an international context as you read it over internet thus you’re deviating the real essence of the query.
More so, speculation as you used it is just assumptions which need not to be justified with solid evidences and proofs. Lastly, which of any management book you can point out that says negligence and inattention to some employees needs is a charity and give and take scenario? It is an unjust or unfair treatment on the part of employees Mark and you must know that. Charity, as I understood it is giving more what the employees are expecting while give and take scenario means both parties are benefiting.
Thanks anyway for sharing your opinion.
Comment 4:
To mr. alonzo, you said it right, you are definitely right....
If some mafioso do exist in SOL, I think the company will not tolerate such in any way. and about the "grouping" according to their nationalities, I guess that is just normal to help or do some favors first for your own people before attending the needs of the others, but I think not to the extent of putting down someone.
Not like the mafioso who just cares about getting what they want and all the power and connections, in any manner whatsoever, legit or not..... "an offer they could not refuse".... he he he...
Comment 5:
In my view, when a group of people belonging to the same ethnicity feel isolated in a foreign land. Out of natural basic instinct, tend to “conspire” to protect their own rights, which they feel have a chance of being violated. The segregation is not proportionate to the number of people in a certain ethnicity.
If there exists a so called ‘mafia’, it’s a failure on the company’s part to create a safe working and living environment for its employees form different ethnicities.
Have I opened up a new dimension to this topic? Is it a valid observation of human behavior Abdullah?
My reply:
You had shot the ball at 3 points, Izhar.
Another Query:
Is there any other study about good employees vs. bad employees also?!
In order not to keep targeting the managers with direct or indirect darts, it will be wise to discuss the negative effect of bad employees on the efficiency/ quality/ image of any company.
In my opinion, this is worth thinking about as well, hmm?!
My reply:
The saying that goes “tell me who is your friend and I shall tell who you are” will likewise apply to describe a certain manager which may goes “tell me what kind of employees you have and I shall tell what type of manager you are”. In management principle, the behavior of the employees greatly impact to the way the manager handles them. It means that if employees perform poorly, managers are ineffective in carrying out their responsibilities and if they performs well it means managers knows their functions well. As to employees behavior and efficiency in production, managers have no reasons of retaining bad employees because aside the fact that they are degrading the company’s morale, they are a wastage on cost. The company is not only keeping a lid on cost to material expenditures but to the kind of manpower as well. Employees are supposed to be an ASSET in the company. Thus, managers should know how to discard employees who are seemingly a LIABILITY.
Colleague reply:
Adding to what Abdullah has posted. From a career perspective, it’s vital to have a good manager at the beginning of our career. If we observe ourselves, we have unintentionally picked up ways and techniques of our first supervisors. Coz when we first start out, the eagerness to learn things in the real world is so overpowering that by sheer accident we observe and apply the tired and tested techniques of our immediate supervisors and carry on and built upon the skills learnt.
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The question I had posted may not fully meet the answer or may be the participants were not honest enough of sharing what they actually experienced/observed; I am still satisfied for it has been responded.
Conspiracy, in any form and ways is a threat to company. Employees should understand that they were absorbed by the company because the company has trust on them to carry out its mission and vision through its core values.
This undesirable group values must be eliminated or at least be prevented for it would become threats in the long run. Although the group may not mean to threaten the company as a whole, it's still a damaging to motivation levels among employees to collectively work together.
Indeed, incongruent values often display anger, and frequent arguments between groups. This trait is a threat to company in general.
