Processes, Culture and Values for sale

Jamaicans are not strangers to the world. We are a nation without snow that competes in Bobsledding in the Winter Olympics. Our music, food and athletes are world renown. It would seem logical then that we have a society that is tolerant of others. While this maybe true in some aspects, it is not so with everything.

Have you noticed that many of the major companies in Jamaica today are not locally owned? What does this mean for the workforce in Jamaica. The laws of the country dictate that non-nationals require a work permit if they are working in the country. So do we simply allow everyone a work permit and deny our locally qualified workers the jobs? The question to ask is are non-nationals taking jobs that belong to Jamaicans? With the impending sale of Air Jamaica will our local staff lose their jobs and be replaced by other Caribbean nationals? Will these non-nationals contribute to the organization and help to develop Jamaican workers. What about the culture? Will they stop serving jerk chicken or ackee and salt fish for Cou Cou and Doubles? Will staff now be trained to neutralise their accents?

What about the development of our human resources? Are these expatriates really more knowledgeable than we are? One complaint I have heard is that our work ethic is poor. We are bad time managers and have the wrong attitude towards business and service. I have often wondered if for the sake of organizational growth we must lose ourselves and our identity. Will the overt influence of individualistic societies change the 'ole time Jamaican values'?

Does HR have strategic value?

Good old Porter! When we consider how to grow a business we get some sound advise from this Value Chain. Sure, some businesses develop into international operations, some are even 'born' as global.

Have you ever considered the role that HR plays in establishing these subsidiaries? Is HR even necessary?After all, is HR not just another expense? The role of HR depends upon the parent company and the role HR plays. If HR is not considered as part of the strategic planning team then it can spell disaster for the new operations. The resulting loss of resources (human and capital) not to mention brand integrity, both at the employee and customer level can be overwhelming.

Everyday creativity!

Seems like if you are not texting, Twittering or on Facebook via your Blackberry or iPhone then you were probably born in 1920 or just a few years before! Why, Amazon and Sony have created new ways for you to have information (books and newspapers) easily, wherever you are in the world. As information increases daily, technology is one way to keep ahead of the game.

Blogs are just another medium to voice your thoughts and opinions. Global Psyche focuses on issues and research relating to International Human Resources. You will be invited to participate in our discussions and to give your opinions on current ideas on how to address some of these issues before we evaluate them in more details in the classroom.

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