Job Discussion Forums

[happyroofus]

Isabel has it fairly bang on..

There is no reason in the world why the place cannot be salvaged, or even much improved, by the appointment of such an individual.
Alas, even that second-in-command has been saying that he's presently exploring his options. Pity.

[isabel]

[veiledsentiments]

I actually didn't know for sure whether the person referred to here was Arab or Western. Personally I have had some good Arab managers in the Gulf... and a number of abysmal Western managers. I have found management skills in general to be lacking in TEFL in the Gulf, and passport seemed to be irrelevant.

VS

[isabel]

[veiledsentiments]

With a problem involving a manager holding the local passport, the only choice is often a promotion because they can't be fired. That said... I have too often seen that same "cure" in US companies where I worked. We've all heard of the "Peter Principle" - which states that people are promoted until they reach their level of incompetence. I've also worked in US companies that would have been good examples of management positions held because of wasta and/or familial ties.

The Gulf is so new to all this... education, management, international business... our expectations are likely as unrealistic as the demands of the current student protestors.

VS

[happyroofus]

Yes Isabel, you're very much correct re: the present Fumbling Director - is a mullah (of sorts). Known to be a friend of the current High Mufti himself and protected by his VC school-pal.

Right now, there are attempts by the said Dr. Fumbles to hold back on about 20+ teachers requested holiday time and to force them to take the dates they're given with most having to accept base-pay for Summer vacation (if and when they get it).

The place right now really is in an absolute mess!

[russianbear]

Post deleted by author

[isabel]

[veiledsentiments]

Meta discussions are also frowned on... but. From what I have seen, threads tend to get locked when they turn into personal attacks on each other rather than issues, naming names, or when it is obvious that it is "socks" - or one or two people with various screen names. There is a locked thread on ELS giving the salient details. And any thread re-opening a locked thread is quickly deleted. Any search of ELS will turn up few positive details...

Back to UoN... UoN has had its ups and downs. Hopefully it is bottoming again and will inch back up.

VS

[happyroofus]

Possible, though it might be in millimeters rather than inches!

Between the hostage-to-holidays, the threat to hold back on vacay tickets, the insanely high turnover of staff, the current lack of staffing numbers, along with the thoroughly low morale to boot, one wonders just how long even the new teachers will last there.

Me thinks that going to that dentist-without-an-anesthetic might be a better option than working at the UoN right now.

[Warning Bells]

[happyroofus]

F/y/i:

For those affected esl'ers from the UoN watching this thread, it is worth noting that there is a very interesting post which has just started that includes relevant Oman legal & Labor dispute information over on: "Company not paying teachers on time or at all! Advice needed"

[eha]

'... it isn't easy for Arabs (and Asians I would add) to sort a westerner's hyperbole from reality, and they end up choosing self-promoting types from the west to management positions...'

How many times have we seen it happen?!!!! But it's not just in the Gulf, is it. It happens everywhere. How many of us have had the delightful experience of having, after, say, three decades of experience in all kinds of situations, a bossy twenty-five-year-old glibly tell us how it's done? I think the worst thing is when they actually believe it themselves... that because they've conned someone into promoting them, that proves they must be the next Tom Peters.
Fred Taylor, more like, in most cases. Jobsworths.

[urbanversion]

[isabel]