Labour Market Reform Commission Technology, Innovation and Productivity Committee Human Factors Working Group
Human Factors Affecting Productivity in Jamaica Technical Report on Preliminary Findings
WG Chair:
Dr. Marina Ramkissoon
Members:
Ms. Sonia Jackson (Co-Chair) Dr. Vanessa Tennant (Co-Chair) Ms. Tashana Briscoe Commissioner Silburn Clarke
Date:
February 14, 2016
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Table of contents Table of contents .......................................................................................................................................... 2 Acknowledgements....................................................................................................................................... 4 List of tables and figures ............................................................................................................................... 5 Preamble ....................................................................................................................................................... 6 Key definitions .............................................................................................................................................. 7 Chapter 1: Precarious employment and social mobility ............................................................................... 8 General features of the talent pool .......................................................................................................... 8 Gender disparities ................................................................................................................................... 11 Precarious employment .......................................................................................................................... 12 Declining employee productivity ............................................................................................................ 12 Informal employment ............................................................................................................................. 13 Youth unemployment ............................................................................................................................. 16 Child labour ............................................................................................................................................. 16 Policy recommendations ........................................................................................................................ 17 Chapter 2: Independent thought and governance ..................................................................................... 20 Dependency ............................................................................................................................................ 20 Policy recommendations ........................................................................................................................ 20 Chapter 3: Cultural values and practices .................................................................................................... 22 Post-colonial value system...................................................................................................................... 22 Policy recommendations ........................................................................................................................ 27 Chapter 4: Interpersonal relationships ....................................................................................................... 30 Personal sensitivities............................................................................................................................... 30 Social networks ....................................................................................................................................... 31 Employer-employee relations ................................................................................................................. 31 Theoretical perspectives on building trust ............................................................................................. 32 Policy recommendations ........................................................................................................................ 33 Chapter 5: The leadership challenge .......................................................................................................... 35 Challenges with leadership ..................................................................................................................... 35 Theoretical perspectives ......................................................................................................................... 35 Policy recommendations ........................................................................................................................ 38 Chapter 6: Training in human resource development ................................................................................ 40
3 Lack of training opportunities ................................................................................................................. 40 Theoretical perspectives ......................................................................................................................... 40 Policy recommendations ........................................................................................................................ 40 Chapter 7: Paucity of human factors data .................................................................................................. 42 Lack of ‘human factors’ indicators nationally ......................................................................................... 42 Theoretical perspectives ......................................................................................................................... 42 Policy recommendations ........................................................................................................................ 42 Chapter 8: Learning organization approach ............................................................................................... 43 Learning organization model .................................................................................................................. 43 Chapter 9: Social affirmation ...................................................................................................................... 44 Barriers to collective efficacy .................................................................................................................. 44 Theoretical perspectives ......................................................................................................................... 45 Policy recommendation .......................................................................................................................... 45 Appendix – 1 ............................................................................................................................................... 47 Workshop Proposal ................................................................................................................................. 47 Appendix – 2 ............................................................................................................................................... 51 Compendium of Workshops ................................................................................................................... 51 1. Radical Collaboration ........................................................................................................................ 51 2. Exploring Applied Creativity Workshop ............................................................................................ 53 3. CEO Roundtable .................................................................................................................................. 55 Appendix – 3 ............................................................................................................................................... 56 Potential measures/scales for HF module .............................................................................................. 56
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Acknowledgements This report was made possible through the rich deliberations among the members of the Technology, Innovation and Productivity Committee, comments from the Labour Market Reform Commission, and the combined efforts of the members of the Human Factors Working Group. We are honoured to contribute to national development, and look forward to the ensuing dialogue.
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List of tables and figures Table 1 – Main Labour Force Indicators........................................................................................................ 8 Table 2 – Population by Age Group .............................................................................................................. 8 Table 3 – Labour Force by Age Group ........................................................................................................... 9 Table 4 - Labour Force by Examination Passed............................................................................................. 9 Table 5 – Labour Force by Training Received ............................................................................................... 9 Table 6 – Labour Force by Occupation Groups ........................................................................................... 10 Table 7 – Labour Force by Industry Group.................................................................................................. 10 Table 8 - Changing Structure of the Economy - Percentage Contribution ................................................. 11 Table 9 - Informal Sector Employment ....................................................................................................... 13 Table 10 – Informal Sector by Age Group ................................................................................................... 14 Table 11 – Educational Qualification by Highest Exam ............................................................................... 14 Table 12 – Employment by Industry Group ................................................................................................ 15 Table 13 - Management versus Leadership ................................................................................................ 36 Table 14: Servant Leadership Attributes .................................................................................................... 37 Figure 1: Servant Leadership Model .......................................................................................................... 37 Table 15 – Leadership Styles and Action Logics .......................................................................................... 38 Figure 2 Voter participation in Jamaica, 1949-2011 ................................................................................... 44
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Preamble1 The ultimate goal of national initiatives like the Reform of the country’s Labour Market is always to achieve positive change at the broadest level. The vision presented in the Vision 2030 Labour Market and Productivity Task Force section, is to revamp the labour market such that it contributes significantly national prosperity, and it specifies criteria for success at the firm, leadership, mind-set, workplace, workforce and technology levels. To achieve this reform, it is prudent to consider the major, longstanding obstacles. The greatest challenges are not usually in figuring out ‘what to do’ to achieve these goals, but ‘how to do it’ (implementation), part of which is generating enough commitment and will from power-brokers, both in the leadership and the collective. A disproportionate amount of time and effort is spent on getting the ‘what to do’ right (if it can ever be gotten right in such a dynamic world), through reviews, analysis and report writing, compared to the ‘how to do’. The guidelines to the Technology Innovation & Productivity Committee (TIPC) from the Labour Market Reform Commission (LMRC) clearly indicate that the Commissioners are all too aware of this risk; they have asked that each Working Group chair of the TIPC identify key players, mechanisms and action items for immediate implementation of the ‘whats’. The current report of the Human Factors Working Group (HFWG) of the TIPC attempts to adhere to these guidelines. The recommendations in the report are mandated to be sustainable, evidence-based, implementable and dynamic. All recommendations are also aligned with Vision 2030, which is used as a basis for guiding principles: “Jamaica’s transformation must have people at the centre of its development and have equity, social cohesion and partnership at its foundation” (E. Emmanuel, NEPA). Developing human resources is the nation’s first priority. The ethical imperative also cannot be ignored as an underpinning theme of this report. Additionally, the current report does not use the terms “labour” or its derivatives, except when referencing other documents. A paradigm shift is needed in how the Government speaks and thinks about citizens and their productivity. We instead use the terms “employee” and its derivatives and the “talent pool”, to describe individuals who engage in producing. Before many of the more specific ‘hows’ from the TIPC can be put into action, a strategy for creating a shared vision that things can be and must be better must be devised. Cynicism, mistrust, hopelessness, helplessness, individual self-seeking etc. must all be dealt with upfront and directly. An infection of positivity in attitude and approach to national development and productivity is urgently needed. Additionally, resources, especially dedicated talent, must be identified to implement the ‘hows’. Giving persons additional work without resources will not bring the desired results. This current HFWG report also recognizes that change agents and champions must be identified and empowered to lead the charge for each initiative. These agents must be competent in their fields of expertise, but also skilled in collaborating, visioning, coordinating, planning, analysis, team building, problem solving and should be trustworthy, with high levels of integrity. They must also be skilled at monitoring and evaluation of programmes. Successes, failures and areas for improvement must be systematically traceable. Finally, the current report is incomplete. The work presented here must be reviewed and developed, in as wide a forum as possible. Dedicated resources, including time, are also needed. 1
Marina Ramkissoon, HFWG chair
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Key definitions
2
i.
‘Human factors’ are broadly defined as psychological, social-psychological and cultural factors at the individual, group, organizational and national levels of analysis.
ii.
Human Resource Development (HRD) is defined as the “organized learning activities arranged within an organization in order to improve performance and/or personal growth for the purpose of improving the job, the individual, and/or the organization”. HRD includes the areas of training and development, career development, and organization development (Singh, 20122).
iii.
‘Talent pool’, broadly defined, refers to all persons who have talents which can potentially be applied productively.
Singh, 2012
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Chapter 1: Precarious employment and social mobility General features of the talent pool Considerations for increasing productivity must take stock of the features of the talent pool3.
i.
Table 1 – Main Labour Force Indicators ITEM MALE FEMALE TOTAL Total Population as 31/12/2013 Estimates 1,347,000 1,375,900 2,722,900 Population 14 years and over 1,022,400 1,061,200 2,083,600 Labour Force 717,000 593,700 1,310,700 Employed Labour Force 645,900 478,600 1,124,500 Unemployed Labour Force 71,100 115,100 186,200 Outside the Labour Force 305,400 467,500 772,900 Employment Rate 90.1 80.6 85.8 Unemployment Rate 9.9 19.4 14.2 Job Seeking Rate 7.1 12.1 9.3 %age of population under 14 years 24.1 22.9 23.5 %age of population 14 years and over 75.9 77.1 76.5 %age of population 14+ - outside the LF 29.9 44.1 37.1 LF as %age of total population 53.2 55.9 48.1 LF as %age of population 14+ 70.1 55.8 62.9
For females, the unemployment and job-seeking rates are almost doubled that of males. Possible drivers of these rates may be that more females are seeking employment in the formal sector and are enrolled in education institutions.
Table 2 – Population by Age Group AGE GROUP Under 14 14 - 19 20 - 24 25 - 34 35 - 44 45 - 54 55 - 64 65 and over TOTAL
3
MALE 324,600 169,800 127,100 201,300 172,800 149,600 97,800 103,700 1,347,000
FEMALE 314,700 163,500 126,300 216,600 189,400 150,100 95,500 119,800 1,375,900
TOTAL 639,300 333,300 253,400 417,900 362,200 300,000 193,300 223,500 2,722,900
STATIN Labour Force Survey Annual Report, 2014. Tables 1 to 12 are based on data from this report.
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Table 3 – Labour Force by Age Group
AGE GROUP 14 - 19 20 - 24 25 - 34 35 - 44 45 - 54 55 - 64 65 and over TOTAL
MALE 20,600 92,700 181,800 160,800 137,100 79,800 44,200 717,000
FEMALE 14,300 68,900 166,900 154,500 115,800 54,100 19,200 593,700
Males outnumber females in all age categories of the labour force, especially 14-19 yrs (~60%), 55-64 (~60%) and over 65 yrs (~70%)
TOTAL 34,900 161,600 348,700 315,900 252,900 133,900 63,400 1,310,700
Table 4 - Labour Force by Examination Passed Highest Exam Passed None CXC Basic, J.S.C., etc. 1 to 2 G.C.E. ‘O’ 3 to 4 G.C.E. ‘O’ 5+ G.C.E. ‘O’ 1 to 2 G.C.E. ‘A’ 3 or more G.C.E. ‘A’ Degree Other Not Stated Total
MALE 502,500 9,700 19,900 33,500 33,600 1,000 2,600 62,300 18,100 33,800 717,000
FEMALE 318,500 13,700 22,600 40,100 44,600 2,300 3,500 106,300 20,900 21,200 593,700
TOTAL 821,000 23,400 42,500 73,600 76,500 3,300 6,100 168,600 39,000 55,000 1,310,700
14-19 yr. old males may be taking informal and/or non-skilled jobs, while 14-19 yr. old females may be doing housework or are still in school
Males 65 yrs. and older in the maledominated informal sector are not required to retire and may continue to work, (self-employed, owners, family business etc.)
Females out-performed males in highest exam passed, esp. 1-2 GCE A levels (~70%) and degrees (~63%). Of those who did not pass any exams, 61% were male. Data suggests that males will have less opportunity to be in formal sector jobs
Table 5 – Labour Force by Training Received Training Received Vocational Without Certificate Vocational With Certificate Professional without degree or diploma Professional with degree or diploma Apprenticeship On-the-job Training (OJT) None Not Stated TOTAL
MALE 6,700 64,500 3,800 64,800 2,800 34,600 535,500 4,300 717,000
FEMALE 10,200 81,700 5,300 113,500 600* 22,100 355,600 4,700 593,700
TOTAL 16,900 146,200 9,100 178,300 3,400 56,700 891,100 9,000 1,310,700
More females had prof. degrees and diplomas; more males had apprenticeship experiences and OJT
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Table 6 – Labour Force by Occupation Groups Occupation Groups Professionals, Senior Officials & Technicians Clerks Service Workers and Shop & Market Workers Skilled Agricultural & Fishery Workers Craft and Related Traded Workers Plant & Machine Operators & Assemblers Elementary Occupations Occupation not Specified CLASSIFIABLE LABOUR FORCE NO PREVIOUS OCCUPATION TOTAL LABOUR FORCE
MALE 108,400 30,600 96,400 172,400 142,600 62, 200 85,300 600* 698,500 18,500 717,000
FEMALE 158,100 92,900 162,000 39,500 9,900 4,400 90,600 1,100 558,500 53,200 593,700
TOTAL 266,500 123,500 258,400 211,900 152,500 66,600 175,900 1,700 1,257,600 53,700 1,310,700
Females are heavily represented in prof., senior officials, clerks, finance, service, shop and market workers; more males are found in agri., craft/trade, plant, machinery operations
Table 7 – Labour Force by Industry Group INDUSTRY Agriculture, hunting, forestry & fishing Mining & Quarrying Manufacturing Electricity, Gas & Water Supply Construction Wholesale & Retail, Repairs of M/Vehicles & Equip. Hotels & Restaurant Services Transport, Storage & Communication Financial Intermediation Real Estate, Renting & Business Activities Public Administration, Defence, etc Education Health & Social Work Other Community, Social & Personal Services Private Households with Employed Persons Industry not specified TOTAL CLASSIFIABLE LABOUR FORCE NO PREVIOUS INDUSTRY TOTAL LABOUR FORCE
MALE 171,700 6,400 53,800 5,800 100,500 110,600 37,000 63,900 9,000 38,400 29,200 20,200 7,600 28,900 13,100 1,800 698,500 18,500 717,000
FEMALE 43,000 1,600 27,100 2,800 4,500 138,400 64,500 17,900 16,100 32,500 31,200 59,700 27,100 36,300 56,200 2,300 558,500 35,200 593,700
TOTAL 214,700 8,000 80,900 8,600 105,000 249,000 102,100 81,800 25,100 69,600 59,000 79,900 34,700 65,200 69,300 4,100 1,257,000 53,700 1,310,700
Women are more represented in education, health, social work, community/social and personal services, and private household employment
Data supports the gender disparities in education and job opportunities, and possible implications for social mobility.
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Table 8 - Changing Structure of the Economy - Percentage Contribution INDUSTRIES
1970
1980
1990
2000
2011
2014
Wholesale, Retail; Repairs; Install.
18.9
19.2
18.2
19.7
18.9
17.6
Producers of Government Service
7.9
14
7.4
11.7
14.2
13.15
Real Estate, Renting ,etc.
9.5
8.5
9.9
9.3
12.2
10.74
Financial & Insurance Services
3.5
4.8
6.8
9
10.2
11.05
Transport, Storage & Commun.
5.5
5.1
8.4
10.7
9.7
10.99
Manufacturing
15.8
16.6
16.9
10.5
9.2
8.46
Construction
13.3
5.8
7.2
7.6
7.3
7.12
Other Services
5.6
4.3
6
6.6
6.7
6.9
Agriculture Forestry & Fishing
6.4
8.2
6.8
7
6.5
6.98
Hotels & Restaurants
1.6
0.9
6.1
5.1
4.3
5.55
1
1.6
2.2
3.2
3.6
3.16
Mining & Quarrying
12.7
14.2
7.8
4.2
1.5
2.32
Less: FISM
1.7
3.3
3.7
4.6
4.3
4.02
100
100
100
100
100
100
Electricity & Water Supply
Total Value Added
Gender disparities i. ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
vi. vii.
Given the downturn in manufacturing, mining and construction, it is possible that more males are shunted to the informal sector. If formal jobs are created in these industries, perhaps males would be more inclined to get training in the skills required, and join the formal sector.
There are approximately 1,310,700 persons in the talent pool. Women represent 50.53 % of the total population (Table 2) but are The changing disproportionately represented in the total labour force, being only structure of the 45.30 % of the total labour force (Table 3). economy requires Notwithstanding the disproportionate representation, the women are more persons who availing themselves of better educational opportunities as shown in the are educated and exams passed (Table 4) and the training received (Table 5). trained above the The structure of the labour force by Occupation Groups (Table 6) basic levels. indicates that there are still traditional male and female dominated occupational groups. The changing structure of the economy (Table 8) from a “production/manufacturing” to a “service economy” requires more persons who are educated and trained above the basic levels – hence the higher levels of females employed in these sectors (Table 7). There are still Of the labour force total, 14.2% are unemployed, of which 38% are males traditional maleand 62% are females. and femaleAll persons 14 years and older who were not classified as employed or dominated unemployed, are considered to be ‘outside the labour force’. Included in occupational this category are full-time students, persons engaged in home duties, groups. persons incapable of working, and persons not wanting work or not available for work.
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Precarious employment viii.
ix.
x.
The employment situation in Jamaica is described as precarious4, The employment especially in the public sector. Precarious work refers to forms of work situation in Jamaica characterised by atypical employment contracts, limited or no social is described as benefits and statutory entitlements, high degrees of job insecurity, low precarious, job tenure, low wages and high risks of occupational injury and disease. especially in the public sector. From a workers’ point of view, precarious work is related to uncertain, 5 unpredictable and risky employment . The relationship between employee and organization in the Jamaican context has largely been reorganized into contractual relationships and freelance work. The LMRC called for a framework that allows for organizational flexibility but which also protects Jamaican human resources that need stability in order to increase their levels of productivity. “… the “disguised” employee, labouring under a contract of service, is bereft of access to the range of protections and benefits provided under various Jamaican statutes. This is a growing source of discontent within the labour force and the labour movement. He is generally placed in a precarious position because he, being unprotected, cannot enforce an inquiry into his contract to determine whether he is a worker and entitled to the full range of entitlements prescribed for workers.”6,7
Declining employee productivity xi.
xii.
xiii.
4
Labour productivity or output per worker has been declining at an average Output per worker annual rate of 1.3 per cent over the past thirty six years (1973-2007). For has been declining the past five years (2003-2007) this decline has increased to 1.8 per cent at an average per annum…In 1997 the average worker in Trinidad was 3 times more annual rate of 1.3 productive than the average Jamaican worker. However the gap widened per cent over the to over 5 times by 2007.8 past 36 years The four sectors with the lowest productivity levels in 2007 were (1973-2007). construction and installation, wholesale and retail, hotels and restaurant services, and agriculture, forestry and fishing. The contraction of the manufacturing, mining and construction industries eliminated many jobs which were popular for males. Even though these industries have contracted, their potential for employing large volumes of the talent pool is greater than the growing formal sector industries. Perhaps if these industries were grown, males would be more inclined to pursue training in appropriate skills and to join the formal sector. More skilled-labour opportunities are needed, especially for males.
LMRC document (2015) Moving from Precarious Employment to Decent Work, John Evans & Euan Gibb, Global Union Research Network, ILO, 2009 6 Orville Taylor (2001), p. 7 7 Orville Taylor, (2014). Broken promises, hearts and pockets: a century of betrayal of the Jamaican working class. Kingston: Arawak publications. 8 Productivity Summary Report 1972 – 2007, (2010), Charles Douglas, Jamaica Productivity Center (p. v) 5
13 xiv.
xv.
xvi.
In a 2010 survey of 2,000 remittance recipients in Jamaica9: a. 75.2% were female b. 63% had education up to the secondary level; 27.5% up to tertiary level c. 38% were employed full-time; 11% were self-employed full-time d. 24% were unemployed; 13% were not seeking a job; this is a total of 37% e. 20% were working in an unclassified industry; 17% in ‘other’ category; this is a total of 37% f. Approximately 60% receive money between once per week and once per month Jamaica’s Human Development Index (HDI) for 2014 is 0.719. However, when the value is discounted for inequality, the HDI falls to 0.593, a loss of 17.5 per cent due to inequality in the distribution of the HDI dimension indices10 Jamaica is described as being in an efficiency-driven stage of development. It therefore has to move to a transition stage before it can be classified as innovation-driven11.
Informal employment xvii.
There seems to be a heavy reliance on remittances for basic living by both employed and unemployed persons. Jamaica has to move to a transition stage before it can be classified as innovation-driven. The data suggests that education is necessary to advance to higher stages.
Informality in employment supports the notion of precarious employment in Jamaica.
Table 9 - Informal Sector Employment Year 2014 Formal Informal Agriculture Domestic Worker Unclassified TOTAL
Male 205, 700 255,200 169,000 0 9,600 639,500
Informality in employment supports the notion of precarious employment in Jamaica.
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Female 237,000 170,000 38,800 32,100 4,800 483,500
TOTAL 443,300 425,400 207,800 32,100 14,400 1,123,000
%age 39.47 37.85 18.50 2.90 1.28 100
The formal and informal sectors employ almost the same percentage of persons. About 60% of those in informal sector are male.
Remittance Survey 2010, E.G. Ramocan, Bank of Jamaica HDI Report, 2015 (Briefing Note, Jamaica) 11 Global Competitiveness Report, 2015-16 10
Males outnumber females in all age groups in the informal sector, especially 20-24 year olds.
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Table 10 – Informal Sector by Age Group Age Group 14 – 19 20 – 24 25 – 34 35 – 44 45 - 54 55 – 64 65 and over TOTAL
INFORMAL SECTOR Male Female Total 6,600 3,600 10,200 26,100 12,000 38,100 65,500 42,300 107,800 67,400 45,200 112,600 53,500 37,000 90,500 25,000 20,700 45,700 11,100 9,400 20,500 255,200 170,200 425,400
Total Formal 5,000 56,300 142,100 113,900 80,200 39,000 6,800 443,300
As expected, more persons with passes are absorbed into the formal sector than the informal sector. This suggests that males may be more risk-taking and entrepreneurial than females or cannot enter the formal sector because they lack certification.
Table 11 – Educational Qualification by Highest Exam Highest Exam Passed None CXC Basic, J.S.C., etc. 1 to 2 G.C.E. ‘O’ 3 to 4 G.C.E. ‘O’ 5+ G.C.E. ‘O’ 1 to 2 G.C.E. ‘A’ 3 or more G.C.E. ‘A’ Degree Other Not Stated Total
INFORMAL SECTOR Male Female Total 209,300 126,900 336,200 2,500 3,200 5,700 6,000 5,300 11,300 7,600 8,600 16,200 5,800 6,600 12,400 200 500 600 500 600 1,100 8,400 6,500 14,900 4,700 5,900 10,600 10,200 6,100 16,300 255,200 170,200 425,400
For the same certification categories, there are more persons employed formally than informally, especially persons with degrees. Yet of the persons with degrees working informally, more are male.
Total Formal 150,000 8,600 15,300 34,500 44,500 1,600 4,800 134,000 20,000 29,500 443,300
Under-education of persons within the informal sector will restrict their chances for upward mobility through the formal sector.
Of the males in the informal sector, ~82% did not pass any exams compared to 74% of the females. Data suggests that lack of certification keeps males in the informal sector indefinitely.
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Table 12 – Employment by Industry Group Industry
Informal Sector Female Total 0 0 0 25,800 11,300 37,100 0 0 0 67,300 0 68,100 71,000 86,000 157,000 10,600 21,800 32,400 40,200 1,600 41,800 10,800 6,400 17,200 1,000 3,400 4,400 17,100 26,500 43,600 10,100 11,800 21,900 0 0 0 255,200 170,200 425,400 Male
Mining & Quarrying Manufacturing Elec., Gas & Water Construction Wholesale, Retail & Repairs Hotels & Restaurants Transport & Storage Real estates, Business Act & finance Public Admin., Education & Defence Health, Social work & Personal Services Private Household employee Not Stated TOTAL
xviii.
xix.
xx.
xxi.
xxii.
Formal Sector 5,400 34,000 7,900 10,100 63,700 46,200 32,200 73,600 122,200 44,100 1,400 2,000 443,000
The services and other professional industries cannot absorb as many employees as the manufacturing, mining and construction industries.
The definition of “Informal Sector” being used by STATIN in the Labour Social Welfare Force benefits such as NIS Survey (LFS) is in accordance with the international definition being used and pensions are by the ILO: not available to a. All own-account workers and employers who own informal persons in the enterprises informal sector. b. Employees working in enterprises with less than 10 employees c. All contributing family members d. All employees in jobs where NIS contributions are not deducted from the wages. It is to be noted that the definition does not include “workers in the agricultural sector” (207,800 in 2014; 18.5% of the LFS) and “household domestic workers” (32,100 in 2014; 2.9% of the LFS) Social welfare benefits such as National Insurance (NIS) and pensions are not available to persons in the informal sector. The comparative ages of the persons employed in the formal and informal sector (Table 10) indicates that more persons remain employed in the informal sector after the usual retirement age of 65. In addition there are a higher number of persons in the 5465 age group, who are approaching their pensionable age without the necessary securities for retirement. The Labour Force Survey statistics indicate the overall under-education of the informal sector (Table 11). This under-education of persons within the informal sector will restrict their chances of upward mobility through transferring to jobs which require higher levels of skills and competencies, particularly within the formal sector. Formal employment dominates only for real estate, business and finance, public administration, education and hotel/restaurants. All other sectors are either equivalent with or surpassed by numbers in the informal sector.
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Youth unemployment xxiii.
xxiv.
Youth employment (15-29 years of age) has its own challenges. a. Unemployment rate among youth (14-24 years) was 36.0 %12 Only 50.1% of the b. More young females than males are expected to complete respondents stated university/tertiary level education (62% versus 55%) that they were c. More females are expected to complete post-graduate studies than better educated males (25% versus 18%) than their fathers d. Only 50.1% of the respondents stated that they were better educated than their fathers e. Youth were working mainly in the informal sector (42%) and in informal employment outside the informal sector (33.2%) 38% of unemployed f. 38% of unemployed youth were seeking employment for over 2 youth were seeking years employment for g. For females, 31.5% cited family responsibility or housework as the over 2 years reason for not being in school or seeking work; 20.2% cited pregnancy; 20.3% cited illness, injury or disability h. 38.7% had spells of unemployment with or without spells of employment or inactivity in their transition from school to satisfactory employment i. Youths who were still in transition were largely unemployed (78.6%) or inactive, nonstudents with future aspirations (10.7%). Disaggregated by wealth The data shows that quintiles, the data shows that in-transition youths from the in-transition youth poorest two quintiles had the longest current duration of from the poorest transition. The current duration of transition declines from 73 two quintiles had months for the poorest quintile to 50 months for the wealthiest the longest current quintile. duration of Youth are the largest subgroup (15-24 years) involved as both the transition. primary victims and perpetrators of violent crimes and murder in particular.13
Child labour xxv.
xxvi.
12 13
Many Jamaicans believe that children are the property of their parents/ caregivers and that children don’t have rights of their own until they are older, or out from under their parent’s roof. These beliefs underpin child labour and other forms of child exploitation. Article 32 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child defines child labour as any activity engaged in by children,
School-to-Work Transition Survey results, 2013 Vision 2030, pg. 104
22% both lived and worked on the street; 25% worked on the street and lived elsewhere; 4% were sexually exploited; 8% were commercial/industrial employees. Most children begun work/street life at age 10; 11.3% begun at age 6 and 6.6% at age 5.
17
xxvii.
xxviii.
compensated or not, but which implies exploitation and interferes with optimal development including education14. Four major baseline studies were conducted in Negril, Montego Bay, Spanish Town, Rocky Point and Old Harbour Bay as part of Jamaica’s involvement in the International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC). In Spanish Town, 1,220 children were estimated to be workers, with 41% being agriculture/domestic helpers. About 22% both lived and worked on the street, while 25% worked on the street and lived elsewhere, 4% were sexually exploited and 8% were commercial/industrial employees. Most children begun work/street life at age 10; 11.3% begun at age 6 and 6.6% at age 5. Boys were twice as likely to be involved in commercial and industrial establishments or living/working on the streets while more girls were involved in domestic and agricultural labour. Only about 13% of the sexually exploited children were male. There were 800 children estimated to be child labourers in Montego Bay and Negril, 450 of which were female. Most of the males were street vendors, while 100 of the girls were in the sex industry. There were also reports of 6-8 year old children transporting drugs and 11-12 year olds transporting guns. In Rocky Point and Old Harbour Bay, absenteeism in school was used to estimate that about 2,000 students were street/working children.
Policy recommendations Strategies 1- Employee and talent pool data should be analysed by gender, age, education level, location (rural versus urban) and formal versus informal sectors etc. to complement economic analysis of productivity and innovation
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Proposed responsibility Led by JPC – Charles Douglas Collaborators: STATIN – Carol Coy, PIOJ – Colin Bullock, chair of HFWG, JEF – Brenda Cuthbert, PSOJ – Janet Morrison, MLSS – Minister and PS, UWI – specifically Heather Ricketts as
Think tank 15 support
Expected outcomes
TIPC – esp. all members of HFWG, LMRC, UWI – esp. Orville Taylor, Edwin Jones, Clement Branche, Silburn Clarke, Danny Roberts, UTECH, ResearchGate community, Barrington Robinson – HR consultant, CAPRI,
Results should fill gaps in knowledge for use in solutions, such as: - What are the relationships between attitudes towards productivity, performance and organizational productivity levels (non-economic measures) analysed by age, gender, sector, location, education level etc.? - What are the perceived pros and cons and attitudes towards formal and informal employment, child labour and youth employment analyses by the same variables? - How is success and productivity defined and what
The impact of the social environment on Early Childhood Development and Survival …, FINAL REPORT, Dudley Grant Memorial Trust Resource Center Upgrading Project, M. Ramkissoon, October 2005 15 The idea of having a think tank to support each initiative is based on the fact that some persons contribute effectively based on their knowledge base and analytical/critical thinking skills, while others are better at implementation of ideas and coordinating efforts
18 Strategies
2-The talent pool is severely undereducated; reform the education system in general, but at least to educate and train the talent pool based on findings of the consultants’ report. 2a- Conduct separate focus groups discussions with boys and girls in schools, 10-13 years old, on career options in formal and informal sectors 2b- Create an effective strategy to increase collaboration between employers and schools to improve school-work transition rates such as internship programmes 2c- Create an effective strategy to increase collaboration between Child Development Agency (CDA) and schools etc. to manage exploitation of children and child labour 2d- Community outreach programmes should be funded by the government to encourage out of school males to get certified and 16
Proposed responsibility head of 16 SPSW
Think tank 15 support
Led by MOE – Minister of Education and PS
LMRC, TIPC esp. HFWG and LMIS WG, HEART/NTA, UWI – School of Education, and SPSW, CDA, Caribbean Child Development Center, UN Envoy to Jamaica
Collaborators: LMRC – Marshall Hall, HEART/NTA – Wayne Wesley, MLSS – Minister and PS, LMIS TIPC chair, National Youth Service, MYC – Minister and PS
Sociology, Psychology and Social Work
Expected outcomes are the aspirations analysed by same variables? - What are the psychological effects of precarious employment on talent pool members? - What are the differences in views on entrepreneurship analysed by these variables? - What are the variations in productivity profiles of employees at the intersection of these variables? E.g., males in the informal sector with a degree versus females with CXCs in administrative jobs? - Are persons with postgraduate degrees absorbed into the formal or informal sectors and what is their transition story? Collaborations should result in: - males performing better in examinations - females being encouraged to explore entrepreneurship - males being educated about risks of informal employment - males being encouraged to seek education and training for formal sector jobs and skilled work - more opportunities for youth transitioning from school to work - strengthening of approaches to prevent child labour and education of child labourers
19 Strategies
Proposed responsibility
Think tank 15 support
trained, and to educate them about some of the negative effects of informality as a value on which to base their livelihood 3- Government needs to create more and better jobs especially in manufacturing, construction and mining 3a- More opportunities for youth employment should be created as well
All of the above
Expected outcomes
20
Chapter 2: Independent thought and governance Dependency i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
Speaking about post-emancipation society and the imperative to develop independence and freedom for development, Lloyd Best wrote: “How could we, in defense and defiance, not have assumed a whole new identity? How could we, on that basis alone, not have become entrepreneurs in human development, innovating and creating anew, in the mere act of survival?”17. Overall, Best proposed an ideology of self-responsibility and independent thought as a means through which Caribbean states could attain freedom, charting a course of individual self-determination and emancipation from other-determined behaviours. Without individual ambition, drive and self-determination, any environment which is pregnant with opportunities for self-development and personal growth would not be exploited.18 Development as freedom requires “removal of major sources of unfreedom: poverty as well as tyranny, poor economic opportunities as well as systematic social deprivation, neglect of public facilitates as well as intolerance of over-activity of repressive states”19 New World thinkers argued that the root of the Caribbean development problématique lay in epistemic dependence, the reliance of regional elites on ‘imported’ concepts and theories of limited relevance to actual conditions in the region. They proposed the creation of a Caribbeancentred cosmology and theory of society derived from historical study: the ‘epistemic decolonization’ of the region.20 “You can’t lead your country to Independence wearing a waistcoat” (Lloyd Best)
Policy recommendations Strategies 1- Independent thought, selfresponsibility, integrity and freedom should be considered for addition to the list of core values for Jamaicans in Vision 2030 if consultations deem 22 them applicable . 1a- Consultations should be held with a wide cross-section of Jamaicans. 1b- Definitions of these terms should 17
Proposed responsibility Led by PIOJ – Colin Bullock (then approved by Cabinet) Collaborators: Min. of Youth and Culture – Minister and PS
Think tank 21 support
Expected outcomes
Brian Meeks, Denis Benn, Edwin Jones, Center for Caribbean Thought, conscious reggae artistes, Bob Marley Foundation
Any campaigns promoting national values and positive attitudes will include promotions of these additional values, which may then have a positive impact to reduce ‘foreign-mindedness’, braindrain, civic disengagement, increase calls for greater transparency and reduced corruption, greater collective
Best (1967) Silburn Clarke, (November, 1995). Jamaican Constitutional Reform Issues. 19 Sen (1999). Development as freedom 20 Norma Girvan, Caribbean dependency thought, revisited 21 The idea of having a think tank to support each initiative is based on the fact that some persons contribute effectively based on their knowledge base and analytical/critical thinking skills, while others are better at implementation of ideas and coordinating efforts 22 Honesty may be subsumed under integrity 18
21 Strategies be generated using the references cited above and other global sources and meanings. 2- The teaching of civics in primary schools should be extended into secondary schools and reinforced throughout the curriculum.
Proposed responsibility
Led by MOE – Minister and PS, amina blackwood meeks
Think tank 21 support
Expected outcomes
representatives
participation in nation building initiatives etc.
Same
22
Chapter 3: Cultural values and practices Post-colonial value system i.
ii.
Carl Stone’s analysis of Jamaican society23 paints a dismal picture in relation to cultivating productivity values. He stated that for each historical period, we need to identify how far the core values are reinforcing the existing power structure and how far core values critique or challenge that power structure to reform or change it (pg. 6) The core values characterizing post-emancipation Jamaica are as follows, (excerpts from Stone) a. b. c. d. e. f. g.
Low self esteem among blacks Deference to superiors Conformist behaviour Status and worth being defined mainly by ascribed rather than achievement values Rigid moral and behaviour codes that attached a stigma to deviant behaviour A pre-occupation with social status and recognition Eurocentric values and strong psychological identity with Britain and colonial authority symbols reinforced by belief systems that associated civilisation and refined culture with things European h. Acceptance of the authority and power of whites [Euro-centric Jamaicans] and lightskinned persons and their natural right to be dominant i. Acceptance of inegalitarian values derived from a strong master-servant social ideology j. A strong sense of everyone’s entitlement to social justice derived from religious ethics and morality and justification of defiant and rebellious behaviour where social justice is defined. k. Strong identity with family and community l. Admiration for the brave few who beat the system of this rigid social order by being clever, cunning and street wise in finding loopholes in and around the system m. Great admiration for education and educators but tempered by the notion that only a few blacks had the brains to assimilate much of it iii.
The newer core values and features of Jamaican society which he identified are as follows (excerpt from Stone): a. Paternalism and deference to superiors have declined as all groups now compete for social space in this more open and competitive social order. b. Strong strivings for upward social mobility and improved life chances have replaced acceptance by the poor of their poverty c. Large scale upward social mobility has resulted in blacks constituting a majority of the country’s upper middle professional, technical and managerial class. But these upwardly mobile blacks have yet to behave with the authority and confidence of the traditional white and light skinned elite or to gain full legitimacy or acceptance of their authority by the more disadvantaged black majority.
23
Stone, C. (1992). Values, norms and personality development in Jamaica.
23 d. Black self-esteem has grown and the lower classes have begun to display greater selfacceptance, confidence and aggression in their dealings with the upper and middle classes e. In sports and entertainment there has been a flowering of creative talent reflecting a new sense of self-acceptance, confidence and positive self-images at the base of the society. Entertainers, artistes, sportsmen and sportswomen come increasingly from lower income households. Forms of creative expression increasingly reflect local culture, values and styles rather than imitation of foreigners. This new self-confidence is expressed in the creative outpourings of popular drama, reggae music and new dance forms f. There is a massive demand for expanded training and educational opportunities that runs far ahead of the growth of the expanded education system leading to a deep sense of frustration g. Behaviour styles of deference and docility have been replaced by aggression, assertiveness and competitiveness (added emphasis) h. Rampant individualism has replaced and weakened the strong family bonds and community ties of the past, thereby weakening the traditional mechanisms of social control (added emphasis) i. Exposure to new ideas and modes of behaviour through new exposure to mass communication media and large scale foreign travel have undermined the rigidly conformist behaviour patterns and have created a social climate supportive of a greater diversity in styles and modes of behaviour j. New notions of egalitarianism have challenged the traditional master-servant ideology and modified relations between the classes and ethnic groups k. The majority strives after more power and to unburden itself of the legacy of being marginalised and strongly identifies with political parties, leaders and political personalities supportive of that aspiration. l. Violence and aggression are increasingly justified as legitimate responses to injustice and social oppression, resulting in increased social violence. m. Rigid behaviour codes give way to a great diversity of behaviour modes and styles and a tendency towards experimentation and deviant behaviour. Taken to extremes this syndrome manifests itself in a drift towards lawlessness and indiscipline and a refusal to conform to rigid standards and rules of behaviour. (added emphasis) n. Status respectability based on speech patterns, modes of dress, old school ties from high status high schools, light skin colour and high educational attainment have declined in importance as money has become the dominant currency defining social rank and status (added emphasis) o. New sources of wealth and income have opened up the rigid and closed class and racial structure of the past and created more diverse middle and affluent classes with very pluralistic values, norms, behaviour styles among the lower classes
24 p. In the past the lower classes invariably tried to imitate the upper classes to get recognition and status. In this new social order the younger generation among the elite and the middle class are imitating behaviour styles among the lower classes q. As competing old and new values create a climate of social disequilibrium and weakened authority systems, violence and capacity for violence has emerged as a major mode of articulating power, hence the power, influence and prestige of inner-city dons and drug dealers r. Overall, goal fulfilment at the base of the society has declined as aspirations for a better life have run far ahead of the social and economic opportunities, leading to increased political and social disaffection and a view of the new social order as promoting social injustice and oppression combined with resentment against those who visibly display symbols of success and affluence… s. This has been compounded by the failure of the economy to grow over the past 20 years and the failure of both government and corporate private sector to expand fast enough to accommodate the employment, income and welfare needs of the majority. As a result, a huge underground economy based on drugs, contraband imports, buying and selling and self-employed occupations has emerged as the major growth sector of the economy and it thrives on corruption, lawlessness and illegality, creating serious problems for law and order and efforts to regulate behaviour in the society (added emphasis) t. Strong institutions, the enforcement of rules of behaviour, sanctions against rule breakers, strong leadership and the strengthening of authority systems in all domains and social space are required to stabilize the new social order but they are conspicuously absent in most areas of social space from schools, to sports, to politics, to entertainment, to law enforcement and to religion, community affairs and the workplace environment. Lawlessness and the tendencies towards anarchy, indiscipline and weak control of behaviour plague organizational performance, productivity, resource use and efficiency in virtually all domains of social space. (added emphasis) u. Large scale emigration has weakened the traditionally strong family bonds between mothers and children and has undermined the nurturing and parenting associated with family life, leading to the emergence of more aggressive, violent and criminal tendencies throughout the society. v. The dominance of money as the single most important currency of influence, power and status and the decline of respectability as a status defining factor have promoted increased and rampant corruption both in government and in the private sector corporate world. w. These profound changes in values, norms and modes of behaviour in all domains of social space have undermined the old authority systems without giving birth to a strong new and legitimate social order. The old order is still crumbling but new and coherent authority systems have not emerged to replace it.
25 x. The masses or majority classes feel marginalised by the evident concentration of wealth and economic power in the hands of the dominant elite families and ethnic minorities. y. The undeveloped new social order is laying to waste most of the enormous talent and creative energies that are abundant at the base of the society among the majority classes because it has failed to expand opportunities for human development and to harness and make use of this talent in the building of a stronger nation and more viable economic base. (added emphasis) z. The new social order increased the flow of information to people and stimulated a heightened and keen interest in public affairs. This increased the potential to develop greater and deeper channels for democratic participation but there has been a reluctance by the elite and the political powerbrokers to undertake far reaching democratic political reforms to facilitate this. (added emphasis) iv.
v.
vi.
vii.
viii.
ix.
24
There is a tension between African and European cultural norms and value systems in today’s society which is the product of slavery and colonialism.24 This duality and ambivalence reinforced the historical African fictional character ‘Anancy’ who used methods like play acting, joking and trickery to achieve his goals.25 As a consequence of the double bind, Jamaican society is also described as striving to hold itself together or to complete its creation and to push past its debilitating history through strengths forged out of constant struggle (Brathwaite, 1974). The structural/ functional instability of the society, the ambiguities introduced into it through the plural framework and the persistent poverty and low status of the overwhelming majority of is numbers, led/leads, according to most of those who have written on this, to social and individual disnomia: inhibiting growth, change and the realization of identity. (p. 6) …today’s disorder [is not] channelled through political processes informed by a vision of the future which is collectively shared. Rather, it is the spontaneous result of individualistic antisocial behaviour sanctioned by the morality of the free market that is more aptly described as a social implosion (Witter and Lindsay, 1996, xxii, in Weis, 2005)26 Jamaican post-colonial society has “strong individualism that contributes more to clashes of interest in interpersonal relations than to co-operative activity; the exploitative tradition that prevents cooperative decision-making and associative productive effort”, and the tendency for the masses to emulate the ethics of this higher in the social order and aspire to a “great house” lifestyle with characteristic high propensities to consume imported luxuries and to invest in nonproductive assets” (Beckford, 1972, 216-17, in Weis 2005, pg. 131). Jamaican society is characterized as having “crisis management mode’ of economic planning, the hardening and atomisation of social ethics; the factorialization of ghetto communities by
Brathwaite, E. K. (1974). Caribbean man in space and time: A bibliographic and conceptual approach. Austin, Texas: Savacou Publications. 25 Marshall, E. Z. (2012). Anansi's journey: A story of Jamaican cultural resistance. University of the West Indies Press. 26 Weis, T. (2005). A precarious balance: Neoliberalism, crisis management, and the social implosion in Jamaica. Capital & Class, 29(1), 115-147.
26
x. xi.
xii.
xiii.
xiv.
xv. xvi.
xvii.
27
both politics and the drug trade; the rise of a security complex (i.e. the militarization of police forces and the proliferation of private security enterprises); and the derogatory, migrationaspiring youth culture” (Weis, 2005, pg. 117) Patterson (2000) also states that Jamaican youth are foreign-minded and are influenced by American media (in Weis, 2005) In a case study of Jamaica, Jones (2015) describes the public service culture as “…essentially conservative, more committed to gradualism in politico-administrative action and with a strong predilection to bureaucracy.27 National values impact the extent to which CEOs have control over actions in their firms. CEOs in America have more impact on their firms’ performance than those in Japan and Germany (Crossland and Hambrick, 2007). The US cultural value system has a more individualism and less uncertainty avoidance compared to the other two countries. Data collected from the late 60s to early 70s28 showed that Jamaica was low on power distance: (score of 45) which means that the following characterised the Jamaican style29: Being independent, hierarchy for convenience only, equal rights, superiors accessible, coaching leader, management facilitates and empowers. The interpretation is that power is decentralized, managers count on the experience of their team members and employees expect to be consulted. Control is disliked and attitude towards managers are informal and on first name basis. Communication is direct and participative. Some of these results may not be applicable for contemporary Jamaican society. Jamaica had a low preference for avoiding uncertainty. In other words, people believe there should be no more rules than are necessary and if they are ambiguous or do not work they should be abandoned or changed. Schedules are flexible, hard work is undertaken when necessary but not for its own sake, precision and punctuality do not come naturally, innovation is not seen as threatening. The LMRC process positions “Cultural Change” as the first action item in its Path to Labour Market Reform. Vision 2030 (pg. 89, chapter 3) states that we recognize that a positive sense of self and prosocial and transformative values such as respect for others and their rights, punctuality, honesty and tolerance for the differences between us are essential to the maintenance of harmony and a productive environment. It also notes that values are learnt, taught, enduring, morally desirable, and a basis for action (pg. 89) The Values and Attitudes Secretariat (2002) advocated the following core values: n. Respect o. Honesty and truthfulness p. Forgiveness and tolerance q. Fairness
Edwin Jones, (2015). Contending with Administrivia: Competition for Space, Benefits and Power. Kingston: Arawak Publications. 28 Geert Hofstede, Culture’s consequences: International differences in work-related values. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage, 1980. 29 http://geert-hofstede.com/jamaica.html
27
xviii.
xix.
xx.
xxi.
xxii.
r. Discipline s. Responsibility t. National pride u. Love/ compassion v. Cooperation w. Punctuality x. Good work ethic The National Transformation Programme (NTP), branded as Fresh Start Jamaica, was launched in 2009 and aimed to “mobilise, co-ordinate and energise a process of positive renewal for the Jamaican people, by the Jamaican people.” It was designed to be a non-partisan initiative with collaborators from the state, church, private sector and civil society. The NTP’s focus was on moral, social and economic interventions and inculcating the 12 select national core values and attitudes necessary for individual prosperity, community development and sustainable growth of the national economy.30 The NTP should have involved a communication programme, technology-based coordination, and appropriate monitoring and evaluation strategies. In the Medium Term Social Policy Framework 2009-2012 (PIOJ), no estimated cost or completion date were identified to determine how core values should be communicated or inculcated (pg. 135) The Students for Transformation Jamaica Facebook page, which was launched in 2008 as the youth outreach arm of the National Transformation Programme, made its last post on May 4, 2014. It announced that a new project was coming soon in April 2013, but no further details were shared. There appeared to be more activity on the page in 2012. A 2006 case study of Jamaica’s Values and Attitudes campaign concluded that barriers to the success of the programme included lack of visibility of the programme, insufficient funding, and negative perceptions of political leadership31 A disproportionate amount of effort has been allocated to cultural heritage, Brand Jamaica and sport, compared to promoting core/transformative values and family in Jamaica.
Policy recommendations 1) Research on contemporary values is required to better understand the cultural landscape, and how this relates to productivity and performance. The JPC, in collaboration with research institutions, STATIN, and PIOJ should commission a study of national values and attitudes, especially as they relate to productivity and performance at the individual, firm and community levels. 2) The JPC should create a post for an Industrial/Organizational Psychologist or Organizational Behaviour Specialist who can use the psycho-socio-cultural framework to conduct analyses into human factors affecting productivity, complementing the current work of the JPC. The JPC should adopt such a framework into their analysis of productivity and output. Without this complementary paradigm addition, the JPC’s stated priority objectives of promoting a national productivity30
http://jis.gov.jm/transformation-programme-introduces-fresh-start-jamaica/ Grey, Sandra Melissa Nicola. "Social capital formation: A case study of the Jamaican values and attitudes campaign." Social and Economic Studies (2008): 149-170. 31
28 conscious culture and building productivity-driven private and public sector organizations may only be partially achieved. 3) Re-visit Vision 2030: the government should increase support for the following Vision 2030 strategies: a) Infuse the teaching of core values in all areas of the education system b) Use media to promote core values through programming c) Facilitate psychosocial healing in communities d) Build parenting capacity 4) A. ‘Success with integrity’ media campaign – this initiative should be funded by the government to empower the following groups/agents to promote productivity and integrity, as well as other positive national values. The Ministry of Youth and Culture should be the government’s representative on this project. Change agents would serve as ambassadors. They should be initially identified by the LMRC, but then be subject to popular election using a highly transparent system to identify voters and evaluate ambassadors. Ambassadors may include but are not limited to: Sportsmen and women (e.g., Bolt, Fraser) Media personalities community leaders and organizations (e.g., Smile Jamaica hosts, radio DJs, Rotary clubs, churches) Youth and children NGOs (especially related to youth development) Successful entrepreneurs in the public and private sector (e.g., Yaneek Page, Gary Matalon, Silburn Clarke, Trevor Munroe, Deane Shepherd) Educators and advocates (e.g., Prof. Verene Shepherd, Prof. Elsa Leo Rhynie) Successful professionals in the diaspora Professional and technical societies and associations The concept is that with the currently diminished perception of political leadership and general societal distrust, the campaign has a better chance of being impactful if led by change leaders in other sectors of the society, but funded by the government. The media campaign needs to also take full advantage of all social media outlets and ICT. A coordinator to manage the collaborations is needed. Integrity is the primary value underpinning this campaign. All ambassadors should have publicly recognized and trusted reputations of integrity. A significant aspect of the campaign will highlight positive stories of success through integrity and other values to combat the negative myths, perceptions and values. Examine the Digicel ‘be extraordinary’ brand for ideas on promoting integrity-related values. Put out a tender for private contractors of campaign development and implementation. B. Creative fund raising i. The Ministry of Youth and Culture should fund a representative to attend the Bahamas Social Media Summit 2016 scheduled to take place April 5th, 2016 at Grand Lucayan in Freeport, Grand Bahama Island (or a similar event). The theme is ‘Maximizing profits through Social Media”, will feature New York Times Best-selling author Joel Comm who will address internet fund-raising
29 through New Media, Twitter and Periscope. John Cornetta, who has been named one of the top 12 Internet marketers in the world, speak about generating profits through Facebook while Jocelyn Jones will present on creative ways to earn money through Instagram. LinkedIn expert Gary Kissel will talk on how to optimize your LinkedIn profile for success and Mitch Carson and David Mackey will present on video marketing through YouTube and how to produce for YouTube. Attending this event should generate ideas and contacts for creating effective campaigns that can be financially self-sustaining. ii. Options like Mobile Money, WhatsApp commerce should be explored to fund the ‘Success with integrity’ campaign iii. The campaign managers should seek to collaborate with Digicel, Scotia Bank and International Finance Corporation (World Bank Group) to determine if the Tcho Tcho Mobile service can be used in the campaign. This m-banking service operates in Haiti, and recently won the 2011 Consumer Service Innovation Award from Global Telecoms Business Magazine. iv. The LMRC should consider the potential of crowdfunding for the campaign. According to a Forbes.com contributor, crowdfunding websites promoting crowdfunding campaigns of all types raised $US 5.1 billion dollars in 2013. However, crowdfunding depends a great deal on established trust. v. Volunteer programme: the idea here is that talent is underutilized because of general apathy, despair and disengagement in the population32, 33. A state-of-the-art volunteer campaign and programme can provide talent at low or no cost for the campaign. CUSO International should be examined as a volunteer programme model. A coordinator to manage the collaborations is needed. vi. There is also the potential for a small portion of remittances to go towards the campaign. 5) Non-governmental support – A. Youth and child-based change programmes – these programmes can be quite persuasive and should also assist with guiding future generations. B. Grass-roots initiatives – community-based initiatives for productivity may reach more members of the talent pool who are in precarious positions, rather than formal or organization-based initiatives. 6) Models of campaigns for examination – A. Respect Jamaica B. Yes we can C. Man in the mirror D. Top 15 media campaigns of the 21st Century (http://adage.com/lp/top15/#intro)
32
Silburn Clarke, (November, 1995). Jamaican Constitutional Reform Issues. Views recently echoed in newspaper articles: The joke is on us — Empty promises and pathetic, outdated antics Adiel Thomas, Thursday, February 11, 2016, Jamaica Observer; Ian Boyne: Roll Call For The Uncommitted, February 14, 2016, The Gleaner 33
30
Chapter 4: Interpersonal relationships Personal sensitivities i.
ii. iii.
iv.
v.
vi.
34
Caribbean people pay more attention to the interpersonal relationships in the workplace than the work itself. Interpersonal relationships are the basis of the organizing experience. People engage in micro-plays of power. Institutions and formal structures are constantly disrupted by the personal and interpersonal challenges (Branche, n.d.). There is both psychological and cultural informalism in Jamaican workplaces (Branche, n.d.) “In the colonial world, the emotional sensitivity of the native is kept on the surface of the skin like an open sore which flinches from the caustic agent; and the psyche shrinks back, obliterates itself and finds outlet in muscular demonstrations which have caused certain very wise men to say that the native is a hysterical type.”34 “…the colonization of the body and of the material world is also always, the colonization of psychic space”35. What this means is that we are particularly prone to taking things personally, recognition and respect are extremely significant to our sense of self, and that ‘power-over’ is desired, rather than ‘power-with’ In a study of 351 individuals diagnosed as having a personality disorder who visited a psychiatrist in Jamaica (47.3% male and 53.7% female), (83.5% born and raised in Jamaica), (mean age of 33.92 years), results of factor analysis of phenomenological features of the disorders identified five components: psychosis, major depression, power management problems, psychosexual issues, and physiological dependency.36 The authors propose a novel Axis I unitary concept of problems with impulse control and authority and conflict management as its replacement … (p. 260) Based on a study of employees at a large institution of higher education in Jamaica:37 a. Perceptions of defensive culture environment negatively impact feelings of psychological safety in the workplace b. Employees who display more self-serving defensive behaviours have less of a desire to share knowledge with their colleagues; employees with an adaptive ego defense style have a stronger desire to share knowledge c. Employees with stronger maladaptive defense styles exhibit more self-serving defensive behaviours d. Employees who dealt with conflicts, stresses and anxiety in a more positive way engaged in more innovation at work
Fanon (1968), Wretched of the Earth, pg. 56 Kelly Oliver (), The Colonization of Psychic Space: a psychoanalytic social theory of oppression 36 Hickling FW, Paisley V. Redefining personality disorder: a Jamaican perspective. Rev Panam Salud Publica. 2011;30(3):255–61. 37 Ramkissoon, M. Doctoral dissertation, 2014: Exploring individual defensiveness, psychological safety and employee learning activities at a university in Jamaica 35
31
Social networks i.
ii.
iii. iv. v.
vi.
vii. viii.
ix.
x.
The AmericasBarometer 2014 survey shows that for Jamaica, “…levels of interpersonal trust have been somewhat stable, with changes statistically insignificant over all periods, except for a decline between 2012 and 2014 (pg. 154)38. Average score on interpersonal trust from 2006 to 2014 was 58.4 out of 100 points (a little more than half). However, results showed a negative and statistically significant relationship between citizens’ level of trust in one another and perception of insecurity. On the other hand, neighbours’ willingness to help, getting along with neighbours, wealth and age were positively related to interpersonal trust. The results also showed that 73% of Jamaicans believed that “most people would try to take advantage of you if they got the chance” (pg. 204) Approximately 90% say that “you can never be too careful in dealing with people in the government” (pg. 205) Nearly two thirds of Jamaicans (61.7%) say their ‘lived experience’ is a “you-or-me” one, implying that the dominant mode of perception for them most of the time is a zero-sum one. Only about a third (38.3%) indicates that they perceive the social world to be a cooperative “you-and-me” one (pg. 208). The authors argue that this context is hostile to building “social capital and trust in Jamaican society between citizens and government, labour and management etc.” Malaysia’s “Prosper Thy Neighbour” campaign is credited with aiding social transformation and supporting that society’s present cohesiveness and economic success39. Successes of the campaign and policies include increased efficiency and competitiveness generally. Currently, lack of collaboration among institutions is hindering attempts of TIPC sub-groups (LMIS) to achieve their goals The national MSME Entrepreneurship policy (2013) noted that there needs to be greater collaboration among all the key stakeholders at all levels nationwide for the provision of training and development services for MSMEs. Despite numerous calls for increased collaboration and despite numerous meetings, individuals and organizations continue to operate in silos because they lack collaborative skills and intentions The impact of the LMRC may be significantly diminished if lack of collaboration results in its policy recommendations not being implemented in a coherent manner across all relevant organizations.
Employer-employee relations Based on the Global Competitiveness Report for 2015-16:
38
Harriott, Lewis and Zechmeister (2015) Yean, T. S., & Teng, K. K. (2007). Prosper-Thy-Neighbour Policies: Malaysia's Contributions after the Asian Financial Crisis. ASEAN Economic Bulletin, 24(1), 72-97. 39
32 i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
vi.
vii.
Cooperation in labour-employer relations was identified as a significant problem with a global rating in the 6th decile (global ranking of 75 out of 140), although it is important to point out that data came from executives rather than employees. Executives were asked “In your country, how do you characterize labour-employer relations?” where 1 = generally confrontational to 7 = generally cooperative. The score was 4.3. Reliance on professional management was seen as a competitive advantage. Executives were asked, “In your country, who holds senior management positions?” where 1 = usually relatives or friends without regard to merit to 7 = mostly professional managers chosen for merits and qualifications. The score was 4.6 Pay and productivity is viewed as a major detractor to competitiveness. Executives were asked “In your country, to what extent is pay related to employee productivity?” where 1 = not at all to 7 = to a great extent. The score was 3.4 Data also indicate some degree of brain drain. Executives were asked “To what extent does your country retain talent?” where 1 = not at all – the best and brightest leave to pursue opportunities abroad to 7 = to a great extent – the best and brightest stay and pursue opportunities in the country. The score was 2.9. In a Jamaican study based on data from several sectors including manufacturing, banking and finance, health, education, transportation, utilities, services, agriculture and tourism conducted in 1974 to 1988, 24% of the employees (N = ~10,800) described themselves as motivated, 3% as highly motivated, 76% to be generally demotivated, 40% of whom were considered to be marginally or irretrievably demotivated; reasons which workers cited as the source of their lack of motivation included: lack of respect an recognition for workers by management, poor communication, top-down decision making, poor opportunities for professional development, and lack of trust in management. In a national sample of 1,026 private sector workers from various industries including mining, manufacturing, wholesale and retail, hotels/ restaurants, financial services and communications/IT, only about 15% had negative attitudes towards working; 65.7% saw their job as central to their lives; 49.3% were satisfied with opportunities for growth and development on the job; 71.2% were satisfied with how they were treated by their supervisors; and 62.8% were satisfied overall with their jobs; 36.9% agreed that ‘management does not really trust workers’ (30.6% were neutral on this question); 50.8% agreed that ‘management has a real interest in the welfare and happiness of employees’. In a sample of 150 private sector employees, autonomy-supportive work climate positively predicted autonomous motivation40
Theoretical perspectives on building trust i. ii.
40
The community level is likely to transfer to the organizational level, and therefore affect the workplace Social capital is in the general sense, a measure for an actor of the value of his social connections41
Briscoe, T., Master’s research paper: Work Climate and Motivation in a Corporate Organization in Jamaica
33 iii. iv. v. vi.
vii. viii.
ix.
Creating networks which tie organizations together can be useful for sharing information and building social capital which leads to other benefits Organizations in innovation networks form ties with new organizations rather than only maintain ties with prior alliances so that they can benefit from diversity42 Social networks and social capital are difficult to build in low trust societies Effective collaboration is not only necessary in order to thrive, it has become essential even to survive, because organizations cannot compete externally if they can’t first collaborate internally. Effective collaboration has become the fastest, easiest, most cost effective way to become more competitive in the market place. FIRO theory (Will Schutz) states that all individuals want to feel significant, liked and competent in their relationships. Fulfilment of these needs is the basis of healthy relationships and collaborations. Psychological safety must be fostered in the workplace to ensure that employees’ concerns are heard.
Policy recommendations 1. Conduct training workshops to build collaborative skills with key stakeholders from organizations including but not limited to: Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN), Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ), Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Private Sector Organization of Jamaica, Jamaica Productivity Center, HEART/NTA, leading institutions of higher education, Ministry of Youth and Culture, Ministry of Education, LMRC, and trade unions (See appendix for detailed proposal). 2. Exploiting Caribbeanness in behaviour change programmes: change programmes that follow a strictly formal approach are unlikely to be successful in changing the ‘masses’. Clement Branche suggests that change agents work within the constraints of cultural and psychological informalism to achieve buy-in for change. Jamaicans want a sense of ownership, empowerment and autonomy and a sense that their self-interests will be served in any change programme. Giving a sense of power, control and gain, while also promoting collective productivity and integrity may be more successful than ‘telling’ approaches from above. With respect to organization culture transformation, Edwin Jones states that “the ascendancy of a hybridized and ambivalent administrative culture is explained as the product of contradictory socio-historical, organisational and contemporary interaction of political and structural forces. In consequence, a highly sophisticated and modern wing of this culture has been operating side by side with, but often separately from the colonial oriented section. This operating cultural system accounts for various patterns of tensions, conflicts and other bureaupathologies that create overarching problems for programmes of change and reform. The nature of such overarching problems resides in cultural practices and legacies of direct and indirect
41 42
Kenis and Oerlemans Kenis and Oerlemans
34
3.
4. 5.
6. 7.
8.
43
politicization, administrative sabotage, institutional corruption, various patterns of capacity destruction, and new and old commitments to administrivia.”43 Additional training: should include but is not limited to interpersonal skills, intra-personal skills, emotional intelligence, and human resource development. All employees should have training in emotional intelligence and conducting conversations, to assist with interpersonal conflict, starting with those who have been identified as disruptive, combative/argumentative, non-team players, and for those especially in occupations where they interface with internal and external customers on a daily basis. A national diagnostic tool is needed which allows educators and employers to assess both students and employees on key psychological and soft-skill factors. This tool can be used in career coaching. Additionally, to assist SMEs in selecting appropriate talent for their organisations, they should have affordable access to low-cost tools for conducting psychometric tests, diagnosis and analyses of recruits. Organizational status reports including periodic assessments of engagement and climate should also be conducted. Given the prevalence of interpersonal challenges and stressors within the workplace and based on global best practice, organizations should employ trained specialist professionals (e.g., HRD consultants, Occupational Psychologists, I/O Psychologists) to deal with the psychological well-being and health of employees in the workplace. The required work involves the diagnosis, study and intervention into psychological issues at the levels of the employee and the firm. Depending on the size of the organisation, these professionals may be in-house or outsourced. Labour relations laws which protect employees (Whistleblowing Act, Official Secrets Act, Access to Information Act, Employment Act etc.) must be enforced by the government so that employees do not feel disempowered.
Edwin Jones, (2015). Contending with Administrivia: Competition for Space, Benefits and Power. Kingston: Arawak Publications
35
Chapter 5: The leadership challenge Challenges with leadership i.
ii.
iii.
Columbia, Argentina, Guyana and Jamaica … all have levels of reported corruption victimization that are below the hemisphere average, but rank in the top seven countries where citizens perceive that corruption is common among government officials44 a. Canada was lowest in perceived corruption victimization with 61.8% b. Jamaica was in-between with 78.1% c. Venezuela was the highest with 80.0% …the sense of trust in public institutions among Jamaicans is generally low… The army and the mass media enjoy the highest level of trust, scoring approximately 66 and 61 points respectively. Other institutions receiving marginally above 50 points were the Electoral Office and Supreme Court. The institutions in which citizens expressed the least trust were the Police and Political Parties, having received mean scores of about 33 and 34 respectively45 Public trust in politicians, and favouritism in decisions of governmental officials were seen as major detractors to building strong institutions for competitiveness on a global level46
Theoretical perspectives iv.
v.
44
Leadership is less about managing and more about inspiring, coaching and guiding. Leadership is creating the guiding vision and direction, communicating and sharing the vision in a manner that all the stakeholders will see it, buy into it and mobilise the staff to deliver. Northhouse (1997) (in Russell and Stone, 2002) says that integrity incorporates honesty and trustworthiness while Clawson (1999) (in Russell and Stone, 2002) states that the moral foundation of leadership are essential values: truth-telling, promise-keeping, fairness and respect for the individual.
Harriott, Lewis and Zechmeister, 2015, AmericasBarometer 2014 study. (p. 60) LAPOP study, 2010. (p. 129) 46 Global Competitiveness Report, 2015-16 45
36
Table 13 - Management versus Leadership 47 MANAGEMENT Planning and Budgeting: Establishing detailed steps and timetables for achieving needed results, then allocating the resources necessary to make it happen.
Organizing and Staffing: Establishing some structure for accomplishing the planned requirements, staffing that structure with individuals, delegating responsibility and authority for carrying out the plan, providing policies and procedures to help guide people and creating methods or systems to monitor implementation. Controlling and Problem Solving:
47
LEADERSHIP Establishing Directions: Developing a vision of the future- often the distant future – and the strategies for producing the changes needed to achieve the vision. Aligning People: Communicating directions in words and deeds to all those whose cooperation may be needed so as to create teams of coalition that understand the vision and strategies and accept their validity.
Motivating and Inspiring:
Monitoring results, identifying deviations from the plan, then planning and organizing to solve the problems.
Energizing people to overcome major political, bureaucratic and resource barriers to change by satisfying basic, but often unfilled, human needs.
Produces a degree of predictability and order and has the potential to consistently produce short term results expected various stakeholders (e.g. for customers, always being on time; for stock holders being on budget).
Produces Change often to a dramatic degree and has the potential to produce extremely useful change (e.g. new products that customers want, new approaches to labour relations that help make the firm more competitive).
Leading Change – John P. Kotter
37
Table 14: Servant Leadership Attributes
48
Figure 1: Servant Leadership Model 49
48
Russell, R. F., & Gregory Stone, A. (2002). A review of servant leadership attributes: Developing a practical model. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 23(3), 145-157. 49 Russell, R. F., & Gregory Stone, A. (2002). A review of servant leadership attributes: Developing a practical model. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 23(3), 145-157.
38
Policy recommendations 1. Leadership training: leaders in both the public and private sector, but especially the public sector, should be selected based on perceived and demonstrated reputations of integrity, in addition to the other meritocratic principles. The Cabinet, PSOJ and Unions should be responsible for participation and funding. Additionally, leaders should be measured on their leadership maturity levels and receive coaching to develop their levels of maturity in leadership. The Leadership Development Profile provides a detailed assessment and can categorize leadership style and behaviour as50:
Table 15 – Leadership Styles and Action Logics Action Logic
Key Characteristics Leadership style associated with each Action Logic
Opportunist
Wins any way possible. Selforiented; manipulative; "might makes right".
Short term horizon; focus on concrete things; deceptive; rejects feedback; externalizes blame; distrustful; fragile selfcontrol; possibly hostile humor or "happy-go-lucky"; views luck as central; views rules as loss of freedom; punishes according to "eye for eye" ethic; treats what they can get away with as legitimate. Seeks personal advantage: takes an opportunity when it arises.
Diplomat
Avoids overt conflict. Wants to belong; obeys group norm; rarely rocks the boat.
Observes protocol; avoids inner and outer conflict; works to group standard; speaks in cliches and platitudes; conforms; feels shame if they violate norm; avoids hurting others; seeks membership and status; face-saving essential; loyalty is to immediate group, not distant organization or principles. Attends to social affairs of group and individuals. Provides supportive social glue.
Expert
Rules by logic and expertise. Searches for improvement and rational efficiency.
Is immersed in the self referential logic of their own belief system, regarding it as the only valid way of thinking. Interested in problem solving; critical of self and others based on their belief system; chooses efficiency over effectiveness; perfectionist; accepts feedback only from "objective" experts in their own field; dogmatic; values decisions based on the incontrovertible facts; wants to stand out and be unique as an expert; sense of obligation to wider, internally consistent moral order. Consistent in pursuit of improvement. Strong individual contributor.
50
http://www.clevelandconsultinggroup.com/articles/leadership-development-profile.php
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Achiever
Meets strategic goals. Delivery of results by most effective means. Success focused.
Effectiveness and results oriented; long-term goals; future is vivid, inspiring; welcomes behavioral feedback; feels like initiator, not pawn; begins to appreciate complexity and systems; seeks increasing mutuality in relationships; feels guilt if does not meet own standards; blind to own shadow, to the subjectivity behind objectivity; seeks to find ways around problems in order to deliver, may be unorthodox. Adopts rather than creates goals.
Individualist
Innovates processes. Relativistic position with fewer fixed truths. Self, relationships and interaction with the system.
Focus on self and less on goals; increased understanding of complexity, systems operating and working through relationships; deepening personal relationships; takes on different role in different situations; increasingly questions own assumptions (part of rise in self absorption) and assumptions of others; attracted by change and difference more than by stability and similarity; increasingly aware of own shadow.
Strategist
Creates personal and organizational transformations. Links between principles, contracts, theories and judgment.
Recognizes importance of principle, contract, theory and judgment - not just rules and customs; creative at conflict resolution; process oriented as well as goal oriented; aware of paradox and contradiction; aware that what one sees depends upon one"s world view; high value on individuality, unique market niches, particular historical movements; enjoys playing a variety of roles; witty, existential humor (as contrasted to prefabricated jokes); aware of dark side of power and may be tempted by it - may misuse their own abilities and manipulate others. Post conventional.
Strategists have been shown to have excellent leadership records and impact on organizational performance. Notably, three types of leaders were associated with below-average corporate performance (Opportunists, Diplomats, and Experts) accounted for 55% of a sample of CEOs. They were significantly less effective at implementing organizational strategies than the 30% of the sample who measured as Achievers. Moreover, only 15% of managers in the sample (Individualists, Strategists, and Alchemists) showed the consistent capacity to innovate and to successfully transform their organizations.51
51
Rooke and Torbert, 2005 (HBR)
40
Chapter 6: Training in human resource development Lack of training opportunities i.
There is a significant deficiency in the availability of training in human resource development. a. Development of skills and competencies which are relevant to addressing fundamental “human-factor” issues facing organizations (leaders and employees) are not facilitated on a wide-scale, regular or systematic basis, and therefore, these skills are scarcely available to influence organizational outcomes, except where organizations specifically desire to include them. Both leaders and employees lack the ability to recognize and characterize issues as HRD issues. There is no wide-spread and ingrained acknowledgement of the significance of developing human resources for enhancing productivity within organizations. b. Jamaica Business Development Corporation (JBDC) provides business services, technical services, marketing, research and project development etc. c. Jamaica Employers Federation (JEF) offers programmes on managing emotions, workplace etiquette, project management, events planning, occupational health and safety, fundamentals of human resource management, planning and managing organisational change, labour laws etc. d. The Small Businesses Association of Jamaica (SBAJ) provides IT consulting, IT project management, software implementation etc. e. The Human Resource Management Association of Jamaica (HRMAJ) offers training in administration, introduction to HRM, supervisory management etc.
Theoretical perspectives i. ii. iii.
HRD training is a key driver of individual and organizational productivity HRD is fundamentally distinct from human resource management A psycho-socio-cultural framework is required to understand human behaviour in the workplace
Policy recommendations Strategies
Proposed responsibility
Expected outcomes
1- Put out tender for the services of an HRD consultant to create a comprehensive package of HRD training options offered through the JPC. See Appendix 2 for sample compendium of training options.
Led by JPC – Charles Douglas
- Management philosophies of organizational leaders will incorporate the well-being and development of employees
Collaborators:
- circulate package widely throughout
Olivene Thomas and
- perceptions of and actual unjust treatment may be
41 Strategies
Proposed responsibility
Expected outcomes
public and private sector
Clement Branche (UWI Mona), JEF, PSOJ, MSEC
reduced
- establish a formal network of providers for this type of training - create a central coordination hub within the JPC to manage the network alliances and to facilitate collaboration among the providers. The central coordination hub should have a web portal to allow interface between trainees, trainers and organizations. - Examine model hubs like Mountain States Employers Council in Denver Colorado (MSEC) - consult with the University of the West Indies, Mona campus (HRD Unit in Department of Sociology, Psychology and Social Work) which already provides graduate degrees in human resource development, applied psychology and organizational behaviour
- employees should feel more engaged and empowered, which may lead to greater productivity
42
Chapter 7: Paucity of human factors data Lack of ‘human factors’ indicators nationally i.
Labour Force Survey traditionally focused on underemployment although it has included the informal sector recently. JSLC focuses mostly on households and emphasizes poverty assessment. Data on innovation and knowledge use are sometimes measured in terms of patents generated or literacy rates rather than in terms of individual behaviour. Lack of empirical support for the impact of human factor variables on productivity and innovation result in these factors being neglected in planning and design of strategies to increase productivity and innovation at the national level. Productivity continues to be viewed in mostly economic terms.
ii. iii. iv.
Theoretical perspectives i.
A psycho-socio-cultural framework for understanding human behaviour in the workplace is required to complement the current knowledge on productivity and innovation.
Policy recommendations 1. STATIN needs to include ‘human factor’ variables in data collection procedures in surveys at the national level in a regular and systematic manner. The JPC should collaborate with STATIN to design and execute an annual survey on human factors which impact innovation and productivity. Both organizations should consult with an HRD expert to inform the content of the survey. See Appendix 2 for suggested human factor variables and items for the surveys. 2. Qualitative studies must also be extensively conducted using the critical incidents approach to create and examine profiles of typical employees in various organizational contexts.52
52
McDonald, S. (2005). Studying actions in context: a qualitative shadowing method for organizational research. Qualitative research, 5(4), 455-473.
43
Chapter 8: Learning organization approach Learning organization model Referring to the turnaround made by Jamaica Producers group (2002 – 2012), Lawrence (2015)53 stated that: i.
ii.
53
Firms in turnaround situations need appropriate managerial cognition to build and deploy competitive resources profitably to recover from decline. The cognition is intensely entrepreneurial to figure out ways to reverse decline and sustain recovery. (p. 30) A firm’s ordinary capabilities are high-level organizational routines for deploying resources to produce and sell goods and services. These capabilities become dynamic when firms purposefully reconfigure and redeploy resources by sensing threats, seizing opportunities and transforming organizational behaviour to cope with environmental changes. (p. 27)
Lawrence (2015), Enterprise transformation in the Caribbean.
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Chapter 9: Social affirmation Barriers to collective efficacy i.
ii. iii.
Most citizens report that they feel relatively powerless to affect outcomes or to make a political difference. When asked if the average Jamaican citizen “can have an influence on government decisions” or “there’s not much that people like you can do about how the country is run”, 74% of Jamaicans choose the latter (LAPOP study? Pg. 190). 64% feel that “no matter which party you vote for, it won’t make any difference in what happens”. 49% did however feel that “by taking an active part in political and social affairs, the people can influence events” (pg. 191)
Figure 2 Voter participation in Jamaica, 1949-2011 54 100.0% 90.0% 80.0%
Percentage
70.0% 60.0% 50.0% 40.0% 30.0% 20.0% 10.0% 0.0%
1949 1955 1959 1962 1967 1972 1976 1980 1983 1989 1993 1997 2002 2007 2011
Voter Turn-out 65.16 65.12 66.07 72.88 82.24 78.88 85.21 86.91 2.73% 78.38 67.68 65.42 59.06 60.40 53.17 VAP Turn-out 66.78 61.82 74.18 73.65 54.86 57.27 84.83 74.74 2.14% 58.96 44.67 48.77 50.89 49.56 46.18
54
Data from International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA), http://www.idea.int/vt/countryview.cfm?CountryCode=JM. Voter Turn-out = The voter turnout as defined as the percentage of registered voters who actually voted. VAP Turn-out = the voter turnout as defined as the percentage of the voting age population that actually voted.
45 iv.
v.
vi. vii.
viii. ix.
In terms of perceived barriers to doing business, respondents saw the following as important in descending order: inefficient government bureaucracy (16.4), corruption (10.5) and poor work ethic in labour force (6.9)55. Labour comes from the Latin word ‘Laborem’ or ‘Labor’ which means toil, trouble, hardship, pain, fatigue. Late 14th century use of the word labor was associated with trouble, difficulty and hardship. It is also associated with the word ‘travail’ which means to endure pain and to suffer. Labour is also originally associated with physical work, sometimes unskilled. Labour is also used to represent a class of persons, and in this case, the antonym is ‘management’. Labourers have less power and status in this usage, implicitly. From a Hegelian philosophical perspective, although labouring can be self-defining and liberating, it is enmeshed in a superordinate-subordinate relationship between a Lord and a bondsman. Modern trends tend to favour terms like Work (workers, workplace) and Employment (employee, employers) Australia’s “Ministry” was once named the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (currently dropped workplace relations in the title)
Theoretical perspectives i.
ii. iii. iv.
v.
Social affirmation is a framework for Caribbean studies that emphasizes the process of positive psycho-socio-cultural adaptation in the context of historical, structural and everyday challenges. Social affirmation looks at a wide range of popular expressions and culture, as a fundamental feature of the social affirmation process56 (pg. 3) Social affirmation shifts the focus from distributive to collective power but maintains the important of the two forms of power and of the interaction between them (pg. 3) Promoting social affirmation strategies would be difficult in an environment of low trust. Positive impact can result from name and label changes. Dignity is returned to individuals with intellectual disabilities by discontinuing the labels ‘retarded and ‘handicapped’. Using ‘talent management’ versus ‘personnel management’ connotes attention to development and growth and can publicly demonstrate a company’s human resource philosophy. "[A name change] sets the tone for a company as they evolve," (Brian White). "You wouldn't make a change like that unless you were very confident in the strategy and where the company was headed."
Policy recommendation 1. The title of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security should be changed to reflect a more positive human growth and development orientation with respect to employees and their workplaces. The 55 56
Global Competitiveness Report, 2015-16 Branche (2007). Notes on social affirmation framework
46 LMRC should lead the dialogue with the Ministry about the name change. HRD consultants should be consulted to advise on the name change as well.
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Appendix – 1 Workshop Proposal Value of collaboration As the world’s economies have become both more interdependent and more fragile, industry leaders are recognizing that effective collaboration is not only necessary in order to thrive, it has become essential even to survive, because organizations cannot compete externally if they can’t first collaborate internally. Effective collaboration has become the fastest, easiest, most cost effective way to become more competitive in the market place.
Research support for enhancing collaborative skills Radical collaboration (RC) is well-supported by scientific research. One study showed that executives who were technically very competent, often brilliant, and who have had a string of successes early in their careers, may still ‘fail’ or be ‘derailed’, primarily because they had interpersonal relationship problems and were unable to build strong collaborative working relationships with other executives (see e.g., Capretta, Clark and Dai, 2008; Van Velsor and Leslie, 1995). It showed up in a number of ways. They were not team players, they got defensive, were aloof and insensitive to others, were not trustworthy, didn’t communicate or listen well, or were seen by others as overly ambitious. These are all classic behaviours that undermine effective collaboration. Organizations where employees are effective at collaboration, including managing their emotions and accepting feedback, tend to be significantly more creative and productive. This has a huge impact on the bottom line. In more collaborative environments people feel safe enough to risk trying out new ideas. In less collaborative organizations people tend to be risk avoidant because if they try something new and it fails the result is that someone will be blamed. In more collaborative environments if someone tries something new and it fails, the conversation is usually more about “What can we learn from this?” rather than “Who shall we blame?” The most definitive study of this was by John Kotter and Jim Heskett (1992), both from Harvard. In their classic work “Corporate Culture and Performance” they started with over 200 corporations, from over 20 different industries, all listed on the NY Stock Exchange. Out of that 200+ companies they selected those companies who had a clearly identifiable corporate culture that fit into one of two categories; a more collaborative culture called a Supportive/Enhancing culture and a more adversarial non-collaborative culture call Non-supportive/Non-enhancing culture. Then they compared the two groups over an 11 year period regarding several factors like net income, revenue, stock price, etc. The results were staggering. Over an 11 year period Net income improved Stock price grew Revenue increased Work force expanded
Enhancing Cultures (Green Zone) 756% 901% 682% 282%
Non-enhancing Cultures (Red Zone) __________ 1% 74% 166% 36%
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While the Kotter & Heskett research is the most dramatic, the bottom line is that, generally speaking, over time, companies skilled at collaboration outperform companies which are not skilled at collaboration. Of course there are always exceptions to every general rule, but they are exceptions. Analysis of post-workshop outcomes which was done by Professor Mayte Barba in 1999, focused on the impact of open enrollment (RC) workshops over a 6 year period with participants from 9 different countries. By focusing on learning the five key skills of Radical Collaboration, participants reported, on average, the following gains:
A 49.5% increase in effectiveness in reducing their own defensiveness in conflicted situations. A 44.8% increase in effectiveness at getting their interests met in conflicted situations. A 31.5% increase in effectiveness at problem solving. A 26.4% increase in effectiveness at building and maintaining climates of trust.
Programme content The five skills of Radical Collaboration® can be easily learned, practiced and make a big difference to any organization in a very short period of time. This Radical Collaboration® workshop is specifically focused upon the concepts and five skills as outlined in the book Radical Collaboration: Five Essential Skills to Overcome Defensiveness and Build Successful Relationships:
1. Collaborative Intention: Making a commitment to mutual success in working relationships. 2. Truthfulness: Creating a climate of openness that allows all people to feel safe enough to discuss concerns, and raise difficult issues, dealing with them directly. 3. Self-Accountability: Individuals take responsibility for the circumstances of their lives, the choices they make either through action or failing to act, and the intended and/or unforeseen consequences of their actions. 4. Self-Awareness and Awareness of Others: Individuals commit to knowing themselves deeply and are willing to explore difficult interpersonal issues. They seek to understand the concerns, intentions, and motivations of others, as well as the culture and context of their circumstances. 5. Problem Solving and Negotiating: Individuals use problem solving methods that promote a cooperative atmosphere. They avoid fostering subtle or unconscious competition internally within the organization.
Learning objectives This programme is focused on collaborative skill building. The specific objectives are to help participants:
Build collaborative skills Gain understanding of the elements of building and maintaining long-term climates of trust Develop skills establishing and solidifying partnerships and alliances Learn about the dynamics of interpersonal relationships, particularly in conflicted situations Practice problem solving in simulated and real-time situations Gain personal insight into attitudes and behaviours in conflicted situations
Pedagogical approach
49 Participants learn best through active participation regarding issues that have direct relevance to their lives, rather than listening to lectures. This workshop will be very experiential and hands-on with a direct link back to the participants’ own lives. While there will be a few short presentations, most of the learning will come from exercises, case simulations, interactions among participants, psychometric instruments, and skillful debriefing sessions conducted by the trainers.
Materials for the workshop Workshop materials will include: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
A Radical Collaboration participant workbook module The Radical Collaboration book (English edition) Case Simulations The TLT Collaborative Skills Climate Survey™ (optional) The FIRO Element B® psychometric instrument
TLT Collaborative Skills Climate Survey™ (optional) We suggest that the TLT Collaborative Skills Climate Survey™ be conducted with participants during the month prior to the actual workshop. This is an on-line diagnostic survey measuring the five sets of collaborative skills (Collaborative Intention, Truthfulness, Self-Accountability, Awareness of Self/Others and Problem Solving/Negotiation) along two dimensions (Current and Desired). Research shows that high scores on these skill sets are essential in situations where collaboration is necessary. It is both an excellent diagnostic tool and an opportunity to measure and document collaborative growth over time.
Proposal for consideration We propose to conduct a series of customized and shortened version of the Radical Collaboration workshop to groups of up to 20 of key organizational leaders. The workshops will be two (2) days each. The cost can be negotiated based on number of participants and needs of clients. The clients will be responsible for providing airfare and reasonable hotel accommodation for 3 nights for the core trainer. Additionally, the client is expected to provide suitably-equipped training rooms. If, after experiencing the customized 2-day Radical Collaboration workshop, you believe that the workshop is valuable, there can be negotiations around providing continuous training to leaders and managers of the organizations through Dr. Ramkissoon.
Trainers Jim Tamm Jim Tamm is a former judge and an expert in building collaborative workplace environments, with 40 years of experience in the field of alliance building and conflict resolution. As a Senior Administrative Law Judge for the State of California for 25 years Jim mediated almost 2,000 employment disputes. His legal decisions have impacted national labour policy and he has authored training materials that have been published in twelve languages.
50 The California Senate, the California Assembly and the California Public Employment Relations Board have all recognized Jim for his work building more collaborative employment environments. His most recent book, Radical Collaboration was on Amazon's top seller lists for workplace and negotiations books for over a year. He is a former law professor and is currently on the faculty of the International Management Program of the Stockholm School of Economics, the Management Education Program at NASA, and the Leadership Academy of the University of California, Santa Cruz. Jim has a diverse client base of international organizations ranging from the United Nations, NASA, Toyota and Boeing, to universities and toy companies. Jim is one of the designers and original faculty members of a highly successful training program designed to enhance collaborative work environments; a program that was underwritten by the Hewlett Foundation and the State of California. Jim is President of RC Group and is a senior consultant with the international consulting firm Business Consultants Network with training partners in 18 countries. He specializes in building cultures of collaboration within organizations and training other consultants and trainers how to teach collaborative skills.
Marina Ramkissoon Marina Ramkissoon was recently certified to deliver Radical Collaboration training (2015). She has contributed to the UWI Mona’s Employee Engagement Initiative at the departmental, faculty, campus and center levels. She has also volunteered her services to provide workshops to the UWI Mona community through the HRMD Leadership Development programme and the Mona Change Makers project. Marina teaches work motivation and organizational learning at the graduate level, as a member of the Department of Sociology, Psychology and Social Work. Her experience and training at Mona spans over 15 years. She is the Chair of the Human Factors Working Group, which is a sub-group of the TIPC.
51
Appendix – 2 Compendium of Workshops 1. Radical Collaboration Objectives: This programme is focused on collaborative skill building. The specific objectives are to help participants: • Build collaborative skills • Gain understanding of the elements of building and maintaining long-term climates of trust • Develop skills establishing and solidifying partnerships and alliances • Learn about the dynamics of interpersonal relationships, particularly in conflicted situations • Practice problem solving in simulated and real-time situations • Gain personal insight into attitudes and behaviours in conflicted situations Outline: The five skills of Radical Collaboration® can be easily learned, practiced and make a big difference to any organization in a very short period of time. This Radical Collaboration® workshop is specifically focused upon the concepts and five skills as outlined in the book Radical Collaboration: Five Essential Skills to Overcome Defensiveness and Build Successful Relationships: 1. Collaborative Intention: Making a commitment to mutual success in working relationships. 2. Truthfulness: Creating a climate of openness that allows all people to feel safe enough to discuss concerns, and raise difficult issues, dealing with them directly. 3. Self-Accountability: Individuals take responsibility for the circumstances of their lives, the choices they make either through action or failing to act, and the intended and/or unforeseen consequences of their actions. 4. Self-Awareness and Awareness of Others: Individuals commit to knowing themselves deeply and are willing to explore difficult interpersonal issues. They seek to understand the concerns, intentions, and motivations of others, as well as the culture and context of their circumstances. 5. Problem Solving and Negotiating: Individuals use problem solving methods that promote a cooperative atmosphere. They avoid fostering subtle or unconscious competition internally within the organization. Designed for: • Anyone interested improving collaborative skills Facilitator/Creator: Jim Tamm Jim Tamm is a former judge and an expert in building collaborative workplace environments, with 40 years of experience in the field of alliance building and conflict resolution. As a Senior Administrative Law Judge for the State of California for 25 years Jim mediated almost 2,000 employment disputes. His legal decisions have impacted national labour policy and he has authored training materials that have been published in twelve languages.
52 The California Senate, the California Assembly and the California Public Employment Relations Board have all recognized Jim for his work building more collaborative employment environments. His most recent book, Radical Collaboration was on Amazon's top seller lists for workplace and negotiations books for over a year. He is a former law professor and is currently on the faculty of the International Management Program of the Stockholm School of Economics, the Management Education Program at NASA, and the Leadership Academy of the University of California, Santa Cruz. Jim has a diverse client base of international organizations ranging from the United Nations, NASA, Toyota and Boeing, to universities and toy companies. Jim is one of the designers and original faculty members of a highly successful training program designed to enhance collaborative work environments; a program that was underwritten by the Hewlett Foundation and the State of California. Jim is President of RC Group and is a senior consultant with the international consulting firm Business Consultants Network with training partners in 18 countries. He specializes in building cultures of collaboration within organizations and training other consultants and trainers how to teach collaborative skills. Follow-up training in this area: 1. The TLT Collaborative Skills Climate Survey can diagnose the strengths and weaknesses of collaborative skills within your organization. The survey measures five skills found to be essential in building and maintaining collaborative environments and relationships. 2. RC Training Certification Program
Contact information:
[email protected] R C Group LLC James W. Tamm 401 Marina Blvd, South San Francisco, CA, United States 94080 Tel: 650-504-4559
[email protected] www.RadicalCollaboration.com Skype: jimtamm.rcgroup
http://www.radicalcollaboration.com/
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2. Exploring Applied Creativity Workshop Objectives: This workshop offers participants a "taste" of the Simplexity Thinking System. Outline: Participants discover and learn: The foundation creative thinking skills of divergence, convergence and deferral of judgment and how transformational thinking works. The difference between content and process in problem solving. Their own unique problem solving style and how their individual preferences relate to others. Designed for: Anyone interested in learning about applied creativity Facilitator/Creator: Min Basadur, Founder Dr. Min Basadur is Professor Emeritus of Innovation in the Michael G. DeGroote School of Business at McMaster University and Founder of Basadur Applied Creativity. Dr. Basadur is a recognized world leader in the field of applied creativity and specializes in organizational effectiveness, cost improvements, innovation and problem solving. His years of experience building creative thinking, innovation and problem solving capabilities across organizations has helped numerous industry leaders, including Procter & Gamble, Frito-Lay, PepsiCo, Goodrich and Pfizer increase employee engagement/effectiveness by using Simplexity Thinking and Applied Creativity methods to improve costs and generate increased revenues. Dr. Basadur has recently introduced a new online tool, the Basadur Creative Problem Solving Profile, which is helping organizations build better teams and problem solving abilities. His work is noted for its applicability and scalability within organizations. Dr. Basadur is the author of two books on creativity, innovation and effective problem solving, The Power of Innovation and Simplexity Thinking: A Flight to Creativity. He is the inventor of Simplexity Thinking and the NEW Basadur Creative Problem Solving Profile for effective problem solving and team building. Basadur Applied Creativity recently branched out helping healthcare institutions reduce wait times, optimize results and substantially reduce costs through its Basadur Health division. Follow-up training in this area: Introduction to Applied Creativity Workshop This is both a mind awakening experience as well as a skills development workshop. Individual and group innovation skills and terminology are experienced at a concrete, person-to-person, table-top level. Level I: Using Applied Creativity Workshop
54 People who work in organizations are constantly faced with change issues and ill-structured problems. This workshop builds skills in proactively seeking out problems and opportunities and implementing creative solutions on the job. Level II: Leading Applied Creativity Workshop Participants build skills in facilitating small groups through the Simplexity Thinking process and gain a deeper grasp of the Simplexity Thinking system, preconsulting, meeting roles, phases, group dynamics and debriefing. Level I & II: Using and Leading Applied Creativity Workshop This special workshop combines all aspects of Simplexity Thinking Level I and Level II outlined above. This five-day workshop first builds individuals’ skills in proactively seeking out problems and opportunities and implementing creative solutions on the job. Accelerated Intensive Level I & II: Using and Leading Applied Creativity Workshop This special workshop is especially designed for smaller groups and combines all aspects of Simplexity Thinking Level I and Level II outlined above. This three-day workshop first builds individuals’ skills in proactively seeking out problems and opportunities and implementing creative solutions on the job. Level III: Integrating Applied Creativity Deepen your skills in using Simplexity Thinking to permanently change how you and others think and behave on a daily basis. Supporting and inducing new innovative skills is a critical role for thought leaders at every level. Online Simplexity Thinking Level I e-Workshop Our online Simplexity Thinking E-Learning workshop is the equivalent to our Level I: Using Applied Creativity workshop. Although the online version of the workshop does not provide the same level of real-time involvement and interaction with fellow participants it makes up for it through the detailed feedback provided by our expert coaches. The Basadur Creative Problem Solving Profile Inventory (CPSP) Certification Workshop Certified users are trained and authorized to purchase and administer the Basadur Creative Problem Solving Profile Inventory as both a training and development device, and a research instrument. Contact information: Basadur Applied Creativity 1850 Old Waterdown Road Burlington, ON Canada L7P 0T2 Phone: 1-905-690-4903, Toll Free: 1-888-88SOLVE, Fax: 1-905-689-7510, http://www.basadur.com/
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3. CEO Roundtable Objectives: Our mission is to harness the power of the private sector, leveraging local resources and capabilities to drive economic growth and working with businesses that are capable of creating real change in their industry and their economy. Outline: Within these two areas of specialization, we help CEOs develop strategies to improve their business and create market connections. We encourage clients who are seeking investment to complement this pursuit with internal business and marketing strategies to bolster operations, efficiency and transparency. We also help our clients look outside their business to build important partnerships, enter new markets, make new relationships, and punch above their weight within their industry. Designed for: The CEO Roundtable is searching for business leaders and CEOs who are progressive, innovative and agile. Facilitator/Creator: Julie Kennedy, CEO Julie started her career as an entrepreneur, founding and leading AMERICA SCORES, a US-based educational non-profit organization. She has since built her career managing international projects in two spheres: those that support the role of the private sector and local markets in fostering sustainable economic growth, and those that addressed populations living in extreme poverty across the developing world. Julie specializes in offering strategic support for firms undergoing reorganization, launching new products, entering new markets, and seeking external sources of financing for stabilization, expansion, and growth. She also specializes in helping her clients build robust relationships with external partners. A native of Canada, Julie speaks French and Spanish. Contact information:
[email protected] New York City, USA +1 646-590-3903 http://www.kinesisconnect.com/
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Appendix – 3 Potential measures/scales for HF module (Note that some items will have to be reverse-coded)
1
Construct
Item
Definition
Collaboration
Members treat each other like they belong to one system
Sullivan’s approach, which defines collaboration as “a dynamic, transforming process of creating a power-sharing partnership . . . for purposeful attention to needs and problems (practice) in order to achieve likely successful outcomes.” (In Orchard et al 2012)
2
Collaboration
Members communicate frequently with each other
3
Collaboration
Communication is characterized by mutual trust
4
Collaboration
Consensus is reached on all decisions
5
Horizontal individualism
I'd rather depend on myself than others
6
Horizontal individualism
I rely on myself most of the time
7
Horizontal individualism
I often do "my own thing."
8
Horizontal collectivism
If a co-worker gets a prize, I would feel proud
9
Horizontal
The well-being of my co-workers is
Seeing the self as fully autonomous, and believing that equality between individuals is the ideal.
Seeing the self as part of a collective but perceiving all the members of that collective as equal.
57 collectivism
important to me
10
Horizontal collectivism
I feel good when I cooperate with others.
11
Adaptive defense style
I’m usually able to see the funny side of an otherwise painful predicament.
12
Adaptive defense style
I work out my anxiety through doing something constructive and creative.
13
Adaptive defense style
I’m able to keep a problem out of my mind until I have time to deal with it.
14
Proactive personality style
I tend to let others take the initiative to start new projects.
15
Proactive personality style
If anyone sees something they don’t like, they should try to fix it.
16
Proactive personality style
I am always looking for better ways to do things
17
Proactive personality style
Everyone should be a champion for effective ideas, even against others’ opposition
18
Proactive personality style
No matter what the odds, if I believe in something I will make it happen
19
External regulation
I work for the income it provides me
Adaptive style is an ego defense style (Bond & Wesley, 1996) which comprises mature ego defense mechanisms or those which are considered signs of psychological adjustment and healthy coping with stress, anxiety and conflict.
Bateman and Grant defined the prototypic "proactive personality" as one who is relatively unconstrained by situational forces and who effects environmental change. Proactive personalities identify opportunities and act on them; they show initiative, take action, and persevere until they bring about meaningful change. (Crant, 1996)
58 20
Identified regulation
I work because this job will help me to achieve my career goals
21
Intrinsic motivation
I work because this type of work provides me with security
22
Integrated motivation
I work because this job is part of my life
23
Intrinsic motivation
I work for the satisfaction I feel when taking on difficult challenges
24
Intrinsic motivation
I work for the satisfaction I experience from taking on interesting challenges
25
Traditional org climate
Senior management likes to keep to established, traditional ways of doing things
26
Traditional org climate
The way this organization does things has never changed very much
27
Traditional org climate
Management are not interested in trying out new ideas
28
Traditional org climate
Changes in the way things are done here happen very slowly
29
Clarity of org goals (climate)
People have a good understanding of what the organisation is trying to do
30
Clarity of org goals (climate)
The future direction of the company is clearly communicated to everyone
31
Clarity of org goals (climate)
There is a strong sense of where the company is going
32
Integration (climate)
People are suspicious of other departments
33
Integration (climate)
People in different departments are prepared to share information
34
Integration (climate)
Collaboration between departments is very effective
35
Employability
I use information and my professional or workplace knowledge to come to reasonable decisions and then act on
The extent to which established ways of doing things are valued (Patterson et al, 2005)
A concern with clearly defining the goals of the organization (Paterson et al, 2005)
The extent of interdepartmental trust and cooperation (Patterson et al, 2005)
VAGUE: Employability can be understood in different ways but at its heart is the idea that an employable graduate is one
59 these.
36
Employability
I identify the knowledge I lack / need to improve to be effective in the workplace
37
Employability
I take responsibility for my workplace or professional practice, actions and decisions.
who can be effective as a professional employee on the very first day of employment. (Smith, Ferns & Russell)
