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Why Jamaicans excel abroad
published: Wednesday | July 12, 2006
Aubyn Hill
ON A regular basis I hear persons in conversation remark, with a measure of amazement, how well ordinary Jamaicans behave when they go to live abroad. 'Abroad' usually means the United States of America, but includes Canada, the United Kingdom and elsewhere in Europe, and even destinations within CARICOM.
There is the consistent observation that Jamaicans who may not generally get to work on time, be absolutely demanding that employers provide every conceivable paternalistic benefit, will generally work to rule by leaving the office on time (or even a little bit before the end of the official working day) and run to his or her union to try and wrestle his or her employer to the ground on the smallest of issues will, once in a foreign country, get to work on time and work extremely hard during the day to try and keep the job.
Jamaicans aboard will work overtime to ensure that the expected amount of work is completed within the day and will not look to a union to sort out small difficulties with their employer. The general observation is correct. The Jamaican immigrant becomes a transformed person at the workplace, as well as in his or her adopted foreign community, and will learn very quickly to play by the rules and follow the laws of the adopted foreign country. The deportees that we hear so much about are often not socialised in Jamaica but socialised in the deporting countries. Some are born in the deporting countries.
THE IMMIGRANT MINDSET
In a sense Jamaican immigrants in the United States behave no differently from Indians, Pakistanis, Filipinos or Egyptians who together form the large immigrant workforce in the Arabian Gulf States, such as Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (of which Dubai is the focal emirate), Oman and Bahrain - all places in which I have lived and done business. Indians who might otherwise flaunt their laws in Mumbai (Bombay), Chenai (Madras) or Bangalore turn up in these Middle East countries and follow local laws (some of which are at variance with their normal customs) with almost a religious fervour. Similarly, Egyptians who might otherwise be boisterous in Cairo or Alexandria come to the Gulf countries and behave with a meekness that would fit perfectly in Jesus' recommendation in the Sermon on the Mount.
In my observation, there is a mindset that a Jamaican immigrant takes with him or her to the adopted country (adopted at least for the period of a work contract in the case of the Middle East) that seems to match most immigrants around the world. Immigrants tend to leave their countries because they are more entrepreneurial and they perceive opportunities in their adopted countries and become very focused on achievement. When they leave their home countries they give a clear signal to those they have left behind that they are gone to better themselves. They then work assiduously to improve their income (sometimes holding three jobs), in the process denying themselves consumer purchases that they would not have thought twice about acquiring while at home, and seek to follow the law so that they are retained in their jobs and avoid the ignominy and shame of returning home as a deportee and without achieving their objectives.
JAMAICAN NON-UNION PILOTS IN DUBAI
The immigrant mindset also tends to steer these Jamaicans who go abroad from getting involved in the kind of confrontational union activities in which they participate at home. Take for instance the former Air Jamaica pilots who work in Dubai, Saudi Arabia and Singapore. Like pilots in the United States and elsewhere in the West, they behave like prima donnas when at home and their unions are extremely powerful and unyielding. Many of these pilots who held executive positions in their union while living in Jamaica went to these Middle Eastern and Asian countries and forgot how to spell the word union - never mind even considering to join one. There are no unions to be joined in Dubai and Saudi Arabia. These pilots who fly aircraft for Emirates Airline and Saudia (the national airline of Saudi Arabia) behave like other ordinary professionals, very reasonably and make every effort not to rock the employment boat.
Another effect of the immigrant mindset that modifies Jamaican behaviour abroad is the recognition of the non-equivocal approach to law enforcement in these countries. Those who work in the Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Singapore or the United States of America know fully well that if they breach the laws of those countries they will be summarily put on a plane and deported back home. Also, they will never have the opportunity of working in those countries again. In the United States a good lawyer may be able to take one's case to the court and in exceptional instances may be able to help an immigrant stay in that country. The countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council in the Middle East are not countries of laws but of powerful men and a summary deportation order will in no way travel through their court system. Indians, Jamaicans, Pakistanis, Egyptians and all other foreign nationals are very law abiding residents in the Gulf countries.
HOW DO WE CHANGE BEHAVIOUR AT HOME?
The first thing we have to change at home is the enforcement of our laws. Whether it is enforcing the 'little ones' like traffic offenses, jay walking, illegal vending on sidewalks, illegal (poorly kept) vehicles on the roadways, or the enforcement of the laws against big crimes such as murder (we seem to accept murder as a natural way of life), extortion and corruption and the misuse of taxpayer's money by private sector executives and senior government officials. Kingfish is changing the tone of our law enforcement arrangements for the better; however, there are still too many 'blies' given to local transgressors of the law.
Certain laws also give too many people the feeling that they can deliver below-average performances, get compensation and remain on the job. The redundancy law in Jamaica is not a performance enhancing piece of legislation and encourages employees to stick around when they should naturally move on. Proper law enforcement in foreign countries, the absence of the redundancy provision and the serious attention to have people perform well above average at their jobs are some of the reasons why Jamaicans who we would otherwise consider to be quite ordinary excel when they emigrate to foreign markets.
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Aubyn Hill is managing partner of Corporate Strategies Ltd., a restructuring and financial advisory firm. Respond to: [email protected]
published: Wednesday | July 12, 2006
Aubyn Hill
ON A regular basis I hear persons in conversation remark, with a measure of amazement, how well ordinary Jamaicans behave when they go to live abroad. 'Abroad' usually means the United States of America, but includes Canada, the United Kingdom and elsewhere in Europe, and even destinations within CARICOM.
There is the consistent observation that Jamaicans who may not generally get to work on time, be absolutely demanding that employers provide every conceivable paternalistic benefit, will generally work to rule by leaving the office on time (or even a little bit before the end of the official working day) and run to his or her union to try and wrestle his or her employer to the ground on the smallest of issues will, once in a foreign country, get to work on time and work extremely hard during the day to try and keep the job.
Jamaicans aboard will work overtime to ensure that the expected amount of work is completed within the day and will not look to a union to sort out small difficulties with their employer. The general observation is correct. The Jamaican immigrant becomes a transformed person at the workplace, as well as in his or her adopted foreign community, and will learn very quickly to play by the rules and follow the laws of the adopted foreign country. The deportees that we hear so much about are often not socialised in Jamaica but socialised in the deporting countries. Some are born in the deporting countries.
THE IMMIGRANT MINDSET
In a sense Jamaican immigrants in the United States behave no differently from Indians, Pakistanis, Filipinos or Egyptians who together form the large immigrant workforce in the Arabian Gulf States, such as Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (of which Dubai is the focal emirate), Oman and Bahrain - all places in which I have lived and done business. Indians who might otherwise flaunt their laws in Mumbai (Bombay), Chenai (Madras) or Bangalore turn up in these Middle East countries and follow local laws (some of which are at variance with their normal customs) with almost a religious fervour. Similarly, Egyptians who might otherwise be boisterous in Cairo or Alexandria come to the Gulf countries and behave with a meekness that would fit perfectly in Jesus' recommendation in the Sermon on the Mount.
In my observation, there is a mindset that a Jamaican immigrant takes with him or her to the adopted country (adopted at least for the period of a work contract in the case of the Middle East) that seems to match most immigrants around the world. Immigrants tend to leave their countries because they are more entrepreneurial and they perceive opportunities in their adopted countries and become very focused on achievement. When they leave their home countries they give a clear signal to those they have left behind that they are gone to better themselves. They then work assiduously to improve their income (sometimes holding three jobs), in the process denying themselves consumer purchases that they would not have thought twice about acquiring while at home, and seek to follow the law so that they are retained in their jobs and avoid the ignominy and shame of returning home as a deportee and without achieving their objectives.
JAMAICAN NON-UNION PILOTS IN DUBAI
The immigrant mindset also tends to steer these Jamaicans who go abroad from getting involved in the kind of confrontational union activities in which they participate at home. Take for instance the former Air Jamaica pilots who work in Dubai, Saudi Arabia and Singapore. Like pilots in the United States and elsewhere in the West, they behave like prima donnas when at home and their unions are extremely powerful and unyielding. Many of these pilots who held executive positions in their union while living in Jamaica went to these Middle Eastern and Asian countries and forgot how to spell the word union - never mind even considering to join one. There are no unions to be joined in Dubai and Saudi Arabia. These pilots who fly aircraft for Emirates Airline and Saudia (the national airline of Saudi Arabia) behave like other ordinary professionals, very reasonably and make every effort not to rock the employment boat.
Another effect of the immigrant mindset that modifies Jamaican behaviour abroad is the recognition of the non-equivocal approach to law enforcement in these countries. Those who work in the Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Singapore or the United States of America know fully well that if they breach the laws of those countries they will be summarily put on a plane and deported back home. Also, they will never have the opportunity of working in those countries again. In the United States a good lawyer may be able to take one's case to the court and in exceptional instances may be able to help an immigrant stay in that country. The countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council in the Middle East are not countries of laws but of powerful men and a summary deportation order will in no way travel through their court system. Indians, Jamaicans, Pakistanis, Egyptians and all other foreign nationals are very law abiding residents in the Gulf countries.
HOW DO WE CHANGE BEHAVIOUR AT HOME?
The first thing we have to change at home is the enforcement of our laws. Whether it is enforcing the 'little ones' like traffic offenses, jay walking, illegal vending on sidewalks, illegal (poorly kept) vehicles on the roadways, or the enforcement of the laws against big crimes such as murder (we seem to accept murder as a natural way of life), extortion and corruption and the misuse of taxpayer's money by private sector executives and senior government officials. Kingfish is changing the tone of our law enforcement arrangements for the better; however, there are still too many 'blies' given to local transgressors of the law.
Certain laws also give too many people the feeling that they can deliver below-average performances, get compensation and remain on the job. The redundancy law in Jamaica is not a performance enhancing piece of legislation and encourages employees to stick around when they should naturally move on. Proper law enforcement in foreign countries, the absence of the redundancy provision and the serious attention to have people perform well above average at their jobs are some of the reasons why Jamaicans who we would otherwise consider to be quite ordinary excel when they emigrate to foreign markets.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Aubyn Hill is managing partner of Corporate Strategies Ltd., a restructuring and financial advisory firm. Respond to: [email protected]
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