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'?