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joelackey92
Joined: 28 Feb 2012
Posts: 18
Location: Arkansas, y'all.
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 Posted: Sun Oct 07, 2012 9:05 pm Post subject: Large Companies vs Small Companies |
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| In China, there are a few large companies that have great benefits. However, those large companies are typically the cause of turmoil among teachers in the ESL community. "They aren't consistent among branches." "They don't usually pay on time." "The teaching hours are too long." These are common statements that are posted throughout ESL forums. On the contrary, I've noticed that, when discussing employment for smaller, private schools, people are usually chipper and have no problems with their employer; they're more personal and want you taken care of. In case you were wondering, the companies I'm referring to are English First, Shane English and Wall Street English. So, my question is this: Though the benefits may not be as good, are teachers more satisfied with working for small schools as opposed to large, corporate chains? |
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chinatimes
Joined: 27 May 2012
Posts: 478
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| Posted: Sun Oct 07, 2012 9:20 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| In case you were wondering, the companies I'm referring to are English First, Shane English and Wall Street English. |
Your title has "Large" and "Small", and you talked about both. So, I am assuming you mean EF, Shane, and WSE are the larger ones, right?
Each branch has to be run by the "mayor" of that region. If you have a good mayor, then you have a well run school. If the mayor is not good, then you will get negative feedback. You are more likely not to see posts by those that have no complaints, but people who are stuck with a bad mayor will want everyone to know that the larger school is bad because of the bad mayor. In reality, it is just one branch run by the bad mayor.
If you interview and find a good branch, then there shouldn't be problems. Other things might come up though. At larger companies, competition between the native English teachers occurs. Everyone is trying to keep themselves out of "firing" range. So, it's a bit like an episode of Survivor. Those that don't survive are more likely to complain about the school.
Now, for the smaller schools. Usually, you get a close knit group. Two or three native English teachers have been teaching together and a new one comes when a replacement is needed. Things don't change much, so it's like being brought into a fraternity or joining a team. At a larger company, you have orientations for all the employees like some union assembling its minions or a political figure shouting their mantra.
When something goes bad at a smaller school, the teacher just leaves and finds another. They usually don't complain about it because their experience was for the most part good, and they don't want to disrupt the harmony their "brothers and sisters" who are still teaching there have. They just leave quietly out the backdoor and get a new job. We don't know all the juicy details as a result.
With a bigger company, that can't be allowed. We must put an end to this injustice. Look at all the victims being laid off or overworked. Anyway, that's the image.
If you want security, high pay, and don't mind working for others then visit a larger company, interview, meet teachers, meet your mayor, and do as told. Don't complain. Follow procedure.
If you want creativity, relative pay, and don't mind working extra hours then visit smaller companies, interview, meet teachers, meet your manager, and offer your ideas. Don't rely on them to tell you what to do. Sell your procedure. |
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doogsville
Joined: 17 Nov 2011
Posts: 924
Location: China
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| Posted: Sun Oct 07, 2012 11:09 pm Post subject: |
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| Keep in mind that most of the branches of the bigger chain schools are run as franchises, so in a sense they are also 'small' schools. How they treat teachers will be up to whoever runs the franchise. Some will be good, some not so good. As long as they make money and adhere to certain rules the head office will be happy and they won't micro manage them. |
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chinatimes
Joined: 27 May 2012
Posts: 478
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| Posted: Mon Oct 08, 2012 12:05 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| so in a sense they are also 'small' schools |
I disagree. Being a soldier under a general/commander is a lot different than being an executive under a CEO.
The owner of the school calls the shots. If you are on good terms with the owner, you can do basically what you want. Even if a small school manager agrees with you, they have to follow the decisions from the head office who you never had any interaction with. These people don't know you, never talked to you, and therefore consider you more expendable than the people that they communicate daily with.
If you work in a smaller school, see the owner every day, schedule changes together, take part in events the owner knows you are a part of, you will solidify your position with the company.
All it takes is a new manager to remove this at a bigger company. The manager you built a relationship with is gone, the owner only has the new manager to trust, and bye bye. You are out of a job.
Moral of the story, get to know the owner. If you only see the owner when you go to sign the contract and then at the end to get a release letter, you are pretty darn lucky to have had good management working between the two of you during that time. It's a gamble. It's less of a gamble if you know the owner.
It's not just Asian employers. I worked in Shenyang with only Americans. Above me was another teacher who went back to America. Until then I never talked with the owner, and in fact when we did we duked it out and fought over housing issues and payment problems. When the other teacher left, the owner came to me as the new manager. It gave me a chance to work together with him. After the teacher returned, things shifted. He had the problems with the owner and quit.
Get to know the owner.
Also, your concept of franchises is wrong. There are essentially 2 owners. 1 owner is the head of all schools. He is the one who got everything started from a small school. Then there is a 2nd person who would buy rights to the franchise. They are the 2nd owner. Underneath them would be the management. Then, you if you don't count your co-teacher/s and the office workers at the head office.
That extra layer of ownership means you never see owner number one. If owner number two has a manager, you only see owner number two twice, as I mentioned. Then, you have the manager who is in a very unstable position. They must satisfy two owners. Like dominoes, you are next in line when something goes wrong. A change in management is a red flag to shape up or ship out.
If you work for a small company, you are like the second owner. You are the only native speaker or one among a few, and together you can pull your weight. |
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doogsville
Joined: 17 Nov 2011
Posts: 924
Location: China
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| Posted: Mon Oct 08, 2012 9:54 am Post subject: |
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| chinatimes wrote: |
| Quote: |
| so in a sense they are also 'small' schools |
I disagree. Being a soldier under a general/commander is a lot different than being an executive under a CEO.
Also, your concept of franchises is wrong. There are essentially 2 owners. 1 owner is the head of all schools. He is the one who got everything started from a small school. |
No, my concept is not wrong, I think you failed (not for the first time) to understand my post. I have no idea why you use a military analogy, nor do I have any idea what the rest of your rambling and confused post is trying to say. I stick to my point. A franchise is run by someone who 'owns' the business under licence from the head office. As long as they stick to the plan as far as marketing and delivering the product is concerned, they will be largely left alone by the head office. I know this because I have worked for several franchises and owned a franchise at one point. What experience of franchising do you have, or are you just spouting opinion based on nothing, again?
So as far as the way the 'owner' of the franchise treats their employees, there is little if any difference between working for a franchise or working for a small, wholly owned private business. Which is what the OP was asking. Indeed he states quite clearly that "They aren't consistent among branches." Which rather proves my point. You may be teaching a proscribed curriculum and have better material than some independent schools, but your 'treatment', which is the subject of the post, is likely to be much the same if you work for a small school. |
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chinatimes
Joined: 27 May 2012
Posts: 478
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| Posted: Mon Oct 08, 2012 10:53 am Post subject: |
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| I have no idea why you use a military analogy |
That's because the second sentence you quoted didn't not come sequentially after the first one. You got to read them in the context and order they were presented.
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| A franchise is run by someone who 'owns' the business under licence from the head office. |
Looks like you actually do have some idea now. It can also be run by a manager while the owner is running another franchise or working elsewhere doing something else.
Landlords are a prime example of this in China.
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| they will be largely left alone by the head office |
It is designed for failure unless there are competing groups. The population dictates this. What are they going to do, ship new costumers from another province or country?
If there are competing groups (say Nike and Adidas for example), one store could get more sales if Nike stores win over Adidas customers (or vice versa). But then there would be less Adidas customers, and that store would not be left alone.
Right now the tablet companies like Apple, Samsung, and Google and trying to compete. Lawsuits are the initial stages before downsizing. Who will downsize? It sure won't be the winners.
It also won't be smaller companies because they don't compete at the same level. I am sure there is a name for what I just described.
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| What experience of franchising do you have, or are you just spouting opinion based on nothing, again? |
I have seen it happen from NOVA in Japan to Gangnam bought out franchises in Korea which failed and had to lay off over 50 Korean staff and a dozen foreign native English teachers. You might want to read how they and other larger franchise chains did some things which led to their demise. It's all on the net and easy to google.
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| there is little if any difference between working for a franchise or working for a small, wholly owned private business. |
Let's agree to disagree then. I have been to Japan, Korea, and now China (all over 2 years at 3 or more schools). I have never seen this. And this is coming from someone who has seen cracks in the ceiling within 6 months of being hired. I was a pretty darn lucky rookie to leave my first gig at NOVA 3 months into the contract period (decision was made 1.5 months though) and then work for a smaller company for 3.5 YEARS!!! Yes, I worked for them for 3.5 years. Why? Because they didn't run things like a larger franchise company does.
Believe it or not.
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| which is the subject of the post, is likely to be much the same if you work for a small school. |
When a new manager is hired, guess who decides on the new curriculum? It is wishful thinking to assume the school will carry on what manager 1 decided when manager 2 replaces them.
Take the gamble if you want, just be aware there are risks. |
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