Everest Turyahikayo
Human Resource Consultant
Kampala
The media in Uganda is currently overwhelmed by stories of violent demonstrations. Children have been depicted as passive participants in the riots. On a sad note however, most of the children who have been caught in the rioting environment are seen moving with or abandoned by adults. It may be true that some of these adults are caught unaware in respect of these riots.
Riots hinder the balanced psychological development of children. Some psychologists like Zimbardo and Richard Lazarus concluded in their studies that children who witness violence are likely to be violent themselves in the future. Worse still, parents or adults who participated in criminal acts were more likely to have an increased number of criminals in their families and communities. This is based on the notion that whatever children see adults do is the right thing. However, if children witness violence on a regular basis or suffer a direct physical and psychological pain as a result of such violence, they tend to revenge on the adults in retaliation for the rejection and unexemplary models.
Moreover, a combination of experiencing riots directly, and watching them on TV and press is strongly criminogenic. That is why, a research conducted by Freedman Jonathan revealed that countries where beatings, killings and murder were common in action movies, and where adults participated in violent acts, had the highest level of community violence after some time. The more the teenagers watched such violent movies, the more they became violent themselves.
Any violent behaviour has a multiplier negative effect of maladjustment in the lives of children. Unfortunately, this impact grows steadily and is felt in the long run after the perpetrators of such violence have gone. As Kevin L. Seifert puts it, children exposed to violent behaviour inflict pain on the future generation they are supposed to protect. To this end, violence tends to metamorphose in a life cycle fashion from one generation to another. In the end, future governments incur heavy costs in creating psychosocial support policies. But even in the presence of such policies, delinquent and violent behaviours are too hard to stamp out.
It is important that adults try as much as possible to prevent children from experiencing riots whether directly or indirectly.
Adults who work in riot-prone areas should be alert when people start violent demonstrations. The best option is to keep children away from rioters as much as possible. For the sake of children, adults entrusted with the future generation should not been seen to participate in the violent demonstrations.
Motion pictures about any violent behaviour should be kept away from children. To this end, parents and other adults should ensure that children do not access movies that depict violent behaviour. If this is done, the number of violent demonstrators will reduce on the streets in the short and long term.
Parents should teach their children the negative impact of rioting and any sort of violent behaviour. It is better for the children to learn of such unacceptable behaviour at an early age than when they are adults. A tree is bent when it is still young, and an old dog cannot be taught new tricks.
Above all, adults should inculcate moral and religious principles among children. One great scholar- Raphael McArthy notes that the moral ideal prompts an individual resist temptations that come to his play in his work and leisure time. Such temptations include participation in violent behaviour. To live up to this moral ideal however, there is need of the help of religion. Realizing that religion and morality are indispensable lubricants of the approved social behaviour is an important measure in creating social order.
Monday, September 19, 2011
UNPLANNED SALARY INCREMENT CAN BE COUNTER-PRODUCTIVE
Everest Turyahikayo
Human Resource Consultant
There is demand on government from teachers and lecturers of public teaching institutions to increase their salaries. The rationale for this demand is based on the fact that costs of living and inflation are high. The justification is satisfactory premafacie. This explains why the legislators have recommended a higher salary increment for teachers. Unfortunately, inflation and high costs of living manifest the poor quality of human resources. These resources are molded by teachers and lecturers. Salary increment without due evaluation of the contract of employment with emphasis on performance review can be counter-productive.
Every employee is in contract with government in which case, each party has to fulfill certain obligations. The government pays salaries and allowances and provides an enabling environment in which teachers perform their duties and responsibilities. Teachers and lecturers on the other hand are supposed to perform work as per the contract of employment.
Before increasing salary, it is important that the contract of employment be reviewed to ascertain whether these obligations have been fulfilled. One important for review is employee performance. This is a critical milestone in the employee-government relationship. Employee performance is what cements the relationship between these two parties. Employee performance and remuneration should balance on the weighing scale of performance review. To that end, the link in the employee performance chain should always be evaluated. This chain relates to employee’s input, output and outcome.
Input relates to the positive application of the employee’s knowledge, skills and experience in performing daily tasks. This is always guided by good attitudes, innovation and creativity. The amount of input can best be measured by assessing the effort of the employee in doing the assigned work on a regular basis. Output relates to the tasks in totality accomplished at the end of a given agreed period. Output of a teacher can be measured by assessing the performance of pupils on a termly basis and grades scored at the end of primary seven. This puts into consideration inevitable factors. Outcome on the other hand relates to the impact of the output on the environment. Outcome can be positive or negative. It is negative if the input and output are negative. Periodic performance assessment enables the employer ascertain whether the outcome is positive or negative. It is makes no sense to retain an employee if his input and output do not result into positive outcome. The world cannot be a better place if there is no positive outcome in what people do. The contribution of graduates in improving society is directly related to the quality of training they underwent.
If a university has been producing engineers, computer scientists, pharmacists, agricultural scientists, the impact these professionals have had on the community should be one of the important determinants for salary increment. The employer should have a mechanism for measuring this important component before any attempt to increase salaries. Without this approach, employees will periodically demand for salary increment based on subjective justifications. This will leave the employer in the compromising situation.
It is important to bear in mind consequences arising from raising salaries of unproductive workforce. Some of these include inflation due to a lot of money paid for no work done, absenteeism from work because employees invest the money in private businesses and spend more time doing private work, slowed development as the government loses the money in salaries it would have invested and poor quality human resource due to the ill-training obtained from less performing workforce.
In order to maintain value for money, performance management mechanisms should reveal whether demands for salary increment are justifiable.
Human Resource Consultant
There is demand on government from teachers and lecturers of public teaching institutions to increase their salaries. The rationale for this demand is based on the fact that costs of living and inflation are high. The justification is satisfactory premafacie. This explains why the legislators have recommended a higher salary increment for teachers. Unfortunately, inflation and high costs of living manifest the poor quality of human resources. These resources are molded by teachers and lecturers. Salary increment without due evaluation of the contract of employment with emphasis on performance review can be counter-productive.
Every employee is in contract with government in which case, each party has to fulfill certain obligations. The government pays salaries and allowances and provides an enabling environment in which teachers perform their duties and responsibilities. Teachers and lecturers on the other hand are supposed to perform work as per the contract of employment.
Before increasing salary, it is important that the contract of employment be reviewed to ascertain whether these obligations have been fulfilled. One important for review is employee performance. This is a critical milestone in the employee-government relationship. Employee performance is what cements the relationship between these two parties. Employee performance and remuneration should balance on the weighing scale of performance review. To that end, the link in the employee performance chain should always be evaluated. This chain relates to employee’s input, output and outcome.
Input relates to the positive application of the employee’s knowledge, skills and experience in performing daily tasks. This is always guided by good attitudes, innovation and creativity. The amount of input can best be measured by assessing the effort of the employee in doing the assigned work on a regular basis. Output relates to the tasks in totality accomplished at the end of a given agreed period. Output of a teacher can be measured by assessing the performance of pupils on a termly basis and grades scored at the end of primary seven. This puts into consideration inevitable factors. Outcome on the other hand relates to the impact of the output on the environment. Outcome can be positive or negative. It is negative if the input and output are negative. Periodic performance assessment enables the employer ascertain whether the outcome is positive or negative. It is makes no sense to retain an employee if his input and output do not result into positive outcome. The world cannot be a better place if there is no positive outcome in what people do. The contribution of graduates in improving society is directly related to the quality of training they underwent.
If a university has been producing engineers, computer scientists, pharmacists, agricultural scientists, the impact these professionals have had on the community should be one of the important determinants for salary increment. The employer should have a mechanism for measuring this important component before any attempt to increase salaries. Without this approach, employees will periodically demand for salary increment based on subjective justifications. This will leave the employer in the compromising situation.
It is important to bear in mind consequences arising from raising salaries of unproductive workforce. Some of these include inflation due to a lot of money paid for no work done, absenteeism from work because employees invest the money in private businesses and spend more time doing private work, slowed development as the government loses the money in salaries it would have invested and poor quality human resource due to the ill-training obtained from less performing workforce.
In order to maintain value for money, performance management mechanisms should reveal whether demands for salary increment are justifiable.
What is the Future of the Breastfeeding Employees?
Everest Turyahikayo
Human Resource Consultant
I recently presented a paper at a conference in which I urged human resource managers in Uganda to propose amendment of the Employment Act to accommodate provisions for breastfeeding employees. The need to provide an environment in which female employees can freely breast feed their babies at the work place should be prioritized.
Most employers grant sixty days of maternity leave to female workers to allow them recover from the labour pain. This period also enables mothers to breast feed their babies for their healthy growth. After this period, employees are supposed to report to work. Some workers leave their two month old babies to house maids or relatives. Others surrender these babies to day care centres. Some employers especially in the private sector may not grant any maternity leave at all. In this case, these employees have two options. The first option is to choose raising families and give up formal employment. In this option, survival becomes difficult as families need money. The second option is to join formal employment and give up raising families. If every mother took this option, the world would face extinction as no one would procreate.
Psychologists like Sigmund Freud, Jean Piaget, Lawrence Kohlberg and Carl Rogers tell us that mothers establish a strong relationship with their children in the process of breastfeeding and the time spent together during infancy. This relationship is a great determinant of positive human behaviour right from childhood to adulthood. Research by psychologists has shown that there is a strong variation in behaviour among children who had more time with their mothers and those whose mothers abandoned them at home or day care centres for jobs. Whereas a big percentage of adults who grew up with their mothers exhibited good behaviour approved by society, the reverse was true with children from upper class families whose mothers were busy making money outside home. Children from peasant families whose mothers had enough time with them had exhibited behaviour whereas most children from families where mothers spent much time at their place of work had deviant behaviour.
There are negative consequences on the employer arising from female employees who leave their infants at home. First, performance of such employees slackens because as their breasts get filled with unsucked milk, they tend to develop fever. This makes them disconfortable and puts them in pain. As normal human beings, this category of workers miss their babies and the time they would spend performing assigned tasks is spent thinking about the infants they left at home. They sit in their offices physically while mentally they are at home.
It is important that the employment Act be amended as a matter of urgency to compel employers provide venues where breastfeeding employees can have a break time and breastfeed their babies. USA and Canada labour laws provide good examples of how this is properly done. There is need to sensitize employers on the importance of maternity leave. If our mothers had given up producing us inorder to make money, Uganda would probably be without people! The working environment should allow mothers raise their children without interference. At the same time breastfeeding employees should balance between work and raising children. This calls for equity and fairness in the contract of employment.
There is need to establish Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in Uganda. Such a commission will handle maters related to the welfare of employees including affirmative action in recruitment, fairness in remuneration, observance of safety and health policies of employees and any complaint lodged by employers.
Human Resource Consultant
I recently presented a paper at a conference in which I urged human resource managers in Uganda to propose amendment of the Employment Act to accommodate provisions for breastfeeding employees. The need to provide an environment in which female employees can freely breast feed their babies at the work place should be prioritized.
Most employers grant sixty days of maternity leave to female workers to allow them recover from the labour pain. This period also enables mothers to breast feed their babies for their healthy growth. After this period, employees are supposed to report to work. Some workers leave their two month old babies to house maids or relatives. Others surrender these babies to day care centres. Some employers especially in the private sector may not grant any maternity leave at all. In this case, these employees have two options. The first option is to choose raising families and give up formal employment. In this option, survival becomes difficult as families need money. The second option is to join formal employment and give up raising families. If every mother took this option, the world would face extinction as no one would procreate.
Psychologists like Sigmund Freud, Jean Piaget, Lawrence Kohlberg and Carl Rogers tell us that mothers establish a strong relationship with their children in the process of breastfeeding and the time spent together during infancy. This relationship is a great determinant of positive human behaviour right from childhood to adulthood. Research by psychologists has shown that there is a strong variation in behaviour among children who had more time with their mothers and those whose mothers abandoned them at home or day care centres for jobs. Whereas a big percentage of adults who grew up with their mothers exhibited good behaviour approved by society, the reverse was true with children from upper class families whose mothers were busy making money outside home. Children from peasant families whose mothers had enough time with them had exhibited behaviour whereas most children from families where mothers spent much time at their place of work had deviant behaviour.
There are negative consequences on the employer arising from female employees who leave their infants at home. First, performance of such employees slackens because as their breasts get filled with unsucked milk, they tend to develop fever. This makes them disconfortable and puts them in pain. As normal human beings, this category of workers miss their babies and the time they would spend performing assigned tasks is spent thinking about the infants they left at home. They sit in their offices physically while mentally they are at home.
It is important that the employment Act be amended as a matter of urgency to compel employers provide venues where breastfeeding employees can have a break time and breastfeed their babies. USA and Canada labour laws provide good examples of how this is properly done. There is need to sensitize employers on the importance of maternity leave. If our mothers had given up producing us inorder to make money, Uganda would probably be without people! The working environment should allow mothers raise their children without interference. At the same time breastfeeding employees should balance between work and raising children. This calls for equity and fairness in the contract of employment.
There is need to establish Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in Uganda. Such a commission will handle maters related to the welfare of employees including affirmative action in recruitment, fairness in remuneration, observance of safety and health policies of employees and any complaint lodged by employers.
NETWORK MARKETING CAN CURB UNEMPLOYMENT
Everest Turyahikayo
Human Resource Consultant
Network Marketing (NM) is a lucrative business that should be embraced by not only job seekers but also people who want to make additional income in their free time. Network marketing is not about hawking products of a company as some people think. It is about telling your friends, colleagues, or relatives about the goodness of a product or service of a company. This can be done by telephone, sms or email. I have always advised people to join companies that specialize in a variety of products people use. Such products include washing and cleaning products, products for cleaning household items. Other products may include laundry, bathing and body care, food supplements, herbals and agricultural inputs. As long as people continue to exist, such products will be on demand. I have seen young people in their senior six vacation turning into millionaires through network marketing. I have also seen university students retiring on the graduation day. They retire after generating millions of money through network marketing while at campus.
There are several benefits in network marketing business. People become their own boss as the network business is a personal business. There is also financial freedom since people accumulate millions of money in just few years, thereby making it possible to meet all financial needs. The issue of robbing Peter to pay Paul does not arise if one is in the network marketing business. All members in the network team get monetary benefits from the contribution of the whole team in respect of network building. This business provides solutions to employees whose meager salaries cannot afford them to meet basic necessities of life. Employees can do this business in their free time such as weekend and other public holidays. As you become more advanced in the business, a good network marketing company pays you leadership and training bonus.
Non-monetary benefits include sponsored travels to some of the most beautiful and prestigious cities of the world. In such places, people meet and interact with other successful business men and women across the globe. There are free training sessions in which everyone is encouraged to share their success stories with group members. People learn communication skills and confidence building techniques. A lot of time is at ones disposal to plan and invest the accumulated money. The list of the benefits in network business marketing is endless. Not all network marketing companies can offer all these benefits. One should carefully identify a network marketing company that offers a variety of benefits.
The good news is that some Ugandans have started embracing this venture. In the near future, it will be shameful for one to complain of lack of employment. Network marketing, if embraced, can absorb all people interested in work. It is a business for all people regardless of their background or status. I have seen professional managers, engineers, medical doctors, university professors, former housemaids, security guards and waitresses give testimonies of how network marketing business has improved their lives.
Some people express uncertainty about the reputation and credibility of network marketing business companies. It is easy to ascertain whether a network company is serious about offering opportunities to people. The number of years such a company has been in business and how wide it has spread across countries reveal its impeccable quality of services or products. It is wise to join a company that has existed for over 50 years or a company that has spread in many countries. The profile of its founders and transparency in conducting business play a big role. By attending some training sessions you are able to make an informed decision before joining a network marketing company.
Human Resource Consultant
Network Marketing (NM) is a lucrative business that should be embraced by not only job seekers but also people who want to make additional income in their free time. Network marketing is not about hawking products of a company as some people think. It is about telling your friends, colleagues, or relatives about the goodness of a product or service of a company. This can be done by telephone, sms or email. I have always advised people to join companies that specialize in a variety of products people use. Such products include washing and cleaning products, products for cleaning household items. Other products may include laundry, bathing and body care, food supplements, herbals and agricultural inputs. As long as people continue to exist, such products will be on demand. I have seen young people in their senior six vacation turning into millionaires through network marketing. I have also seen university students retiring on the graduation day. They retire after generating millions of money through network marketing while at campus.
There are several benefits in network marketing business. People become their own boss as the network business is a personal business. There is also financial freedom since people accumulate millions of money in just few years, thereby making it possible to meet all financial needs. The issue of robbing Peter to pay Paul does not arise if one is in the network marketing business. All members in the network team get monetary benefits from the contribution of the whole team in respect of network building. This business provides solutions to employees whose meager salaries cannot afford them to meet basic necessities of life. Employees can do this business in their free time such as weekend and other public holidays. As you become more advanced in the business, a good network marketing company pays you leadership and training bonus.
Non-monetary benefits include sponsored travels to some of the most beautiful and prestigious cities of the world. In such places, people meet and interact with other successful business men and women across the globe. There are free training sessions in which everyone is encouraged to share their success stories with group members. People learn communication skills and confidence building techniques. A lot of time is at ones disposal to plan and invest the accumulated money. The list of the benefits in network business marketing is endless. Not all network marketing companies can offer all these benefits. One should carefully identify a network marketing company that offers a variety of benefits.
The good news is that some Ugandans have started embracing this venture. In the near future, it will be shameful for one to complain of lack of employment. Network marketing, if embraced, can absorb all people interested in work. It is a business for all people regardless of their background or status. I have seen professional managers, engineers, medical doctors, university professors, former housemaids, security guards and waitresses give testimonies of how network marketing business has improved their lives.
Some people express uncertainty about the reputation and credibility of network marketing business companies. It is easy to ascertain whether a network company is serious about offering opportunities to people. The number of years such a company has been in business and how wide it has spread across countries reveal its impeccable quality of services or products. It is wise to join a company that has existed for over 50 years or a company that has spread in many countries. The profile of its founders and transparency in conducting business play a big role. By attending some training sessions you are able to make an informed decision before joining a network marketing company.
MISUSE OF ICT REDUCES EMPLOYEE PRODUCTIVITY
By Everest Turyahikayo
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) can provide remedy to many performance related challenges in organizations. One challenge that can be overcome due to ICT is poor organizational communication. Traditionally, communication in organizations used to be effected through the use of notice boards, meetings, and internal memos delivered to offices by office messengers. Many organizations could be overwhelmed by tons of waste paper and high costs of purchasing stationary. The need to employee full time workers to organize and keep these documents became inevitable. As a consequence, hard copy files and documents started competing with employees for space. Organizations would communicate with the outside environment by use of posting letters and office telephones. There were no mobile phones to ease communication.
Today, this communication mechanism has been made archaic by the introduction of ICT. Organizations use electronic gadgets to communicate not only internally but also to the outside world. Instead of employing office messengers, officers communicate through emails, twitter, facebook, blogs, Skype, yahoo messenger to mention but a few.. Organizations can use Facebook to discuss corporate issues with colleagues who may not be able to meet physically. Instead of discussing on phone with someone overseas about urgent issues in an organization, modern organizations use email, facebook, YouTube, twitter among others.
Websites are gradually replacing the traditional methods of advertizing which used to be radios and one or two public television stations. They are becoming the primary source of information about services or products offered by respective organizations. Yet, organizations offering consultancy services can use this channel to look for business all over the world. Many companies use facebook to get feedback from the consumers of their products or services.
Organizations are investing heavily in ICT because it is cost effective and makes corporate governance easy. However, ICT can easily be misused by employees thereby reducing employee productivity. As you read this article, an employee in a corporation is busy surfing the internet to find some funny pictures or messages they will email to their friends in other organizations. The time they would spend working to meet targets is wasted surfing the internet for irrelevant materials. Facebook can be used as a tool to search for intimate relationships. When employees cheat employers of their time by building personal social networks through facebook, we say facebook has been abused.
The marginal propensity to misuse ICT by communicating irrelevant issues is high because of its addictive nature. Instead of increasing productivity of employees, ICT can reduce performance of workers in organizations. Without regulation and sensitization, ICT cannot meet the purpose for which it was intended. I suggest the following measures in ensuring that employees use ICT for the effective and efficient performance of their duties and responsibilities.
There is need to train employees in organizations about the proper use of ICT. It is not enough to install ICT and leave it to the workers to choose how to use it. Every organizational strategic objective hinges on the use of ICT as a means to achieve it. Training employees on how best they can manipulate ICT to achieve organizational objectives is fundamental.
Sometimes workers need self judgement in discerning why and when to use ICT. Some scholars like John Stuart Mill and Jeremy Bentham advise that people can make good decisions in a given situation if only they follow the principal of utilitarianism. That is, a decision that creates happiness for the greatest number of people is considered good. Another scholar Immanuel Kant in his philosophy of categorical imperativism advises human beings to act in such a way that if everyone acted in a similar way, the world would be a better place. I find these views important in guiding employees about the use of ICT in organizations.
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) can provide remedy to many performance related challenges in organizations. One challenge that can be overcome due to ICT is poor organizational communication. Traditionally, communication in organizations used to be effected through the use of notice boards, meetings, and internal memos delivered to offices by office messengers. Many organizations could be overwhelmed by tons of waste paper and high costs of purchasing stationary. The need to employee full time workers to organize and keep these documents became inevitable. As a consequence, hard copy files and documents started competing with employees for space. Organizations would communicate with the outside environment by use of posting letters and office telephones. There were no mobile phones to ease communication.
Today, this communication mechanism has been made archaic by the introduction of ICT. Organizations use electronic gadgets to communicate not only internally but also to the outside world. Instead of employing office messengers, officers communicate through emails, twitter, facebook, blogs, Skype, yahoo messenger to mention but a few.. Organizations can use Facebook to discuss corporate issues with colleagues who may not be able to meet physically. Instead of discussing on phone with someone overseas about urgent issues in an organization, modern organizations use email, facebook, YouTube, twitter among others.
Websites are gradually replacing the traditional methods of advertizing which used to be radios and one or two public television stations. They are becoming the primary source of information about services or products offered by respective organizations. Yet, organizations offering consultancy services can use this channel to look for business all over the world. Many companies use facebook to get feedback from the consumers of their products or services.
Organizations are investing heavily in ICT because it is cost effective and makes corporate governance easy. However, ICT can easily be misused by employees thereby reducing employee productivity. As you read this article, an employee in a corporation is busy surfing the internet to find some funny pictures or messages they will email to their friends in other organizations. The time they would spend working to meet targets is wasted surfing the internet for irrelevant materials. Facebook can be used as a tool to search for intimate relationships. When employees cheat employers of their time by building personal social networks through facebook, we say facebook has been abused.
The marginal propensity to misuse ICT by communicating irrelevant issues is high because of its addictive nature. Instead of increasing productivity of employees, ICT can reduce performance of workers in organizations. Without regulation and sensitization, ICT cannot meet the purpose for which it was intended. I suggest the following measures in ensuring that employees use ICT for the effective and efficient performance of their duties and responsibilities.
There is need to train employees in organizations about the proper use of ICT. It is not enough to install ICT and leave it to the workers to choose how to use it. Every organizational strategic objective hinges on the use of ICT as a means to achieve it. Training employees on how best they can manipulate ICT to achieve organizational objectives is fundamental.
Sometimes workers need self judgement in discerning why and when to use ICT. Some scholars like John Stuart Mill and Jeremy Bentham advise that people can make good decisions in a given situation if only they follow the principal of utilitarianism. That is, a decision that creates happiness for the greatest number of people is considered good. Another scholar Immanuel Kant in his philosophy of categorical imperativism advises human beings to act in such a way that if everyone acted in a similar way, the world would be a better place. I find these views important in guiding employees about the use of ICT in organizations.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
everestpublications: everestpublications: everestpublications: EAST AFRICAN COMMON LANGUAGE NEEDED
WHO SHOULD SAVE UGANDA FROM UNETHICAL ADVERTISEMENTS?
For a couple of years now, I have seen a number of unethical advertisements pinned alongside roads, notice boards of various universities, print and electronic media. Visit any university in Kampala and see people advertising themselves that they offer services in doing course works, dissertations, assignments and research proposals. Any one who went through university education will agree with me that students learn by doing assignments, course works through research. Unfortunately, students look for people to do academic work for them. In some universities, a course work contributes 40% to the final semester examination.
If students score 35% in a course work they have bought, it means they will need to score 15% in the final exam to attain 50% pass mark. At the end of the course, students will obtain grades for which they contributed only 15%. This does not only contribute to the academic suicide, but also brings incompetent and unprofessional jobseekers on the labour market who lack research skills. No country has developed economically, politically and socially without doing research. For university authorities to tolerate such adverts in the premises of universities, means they either condone the practice or some insiders especially lecturers- who would be the first complainants, participate in doing course works for students to make a living.
There are also adverts on Kampala streets about jobs available in Dubai, South Africa, London and USA. The owners of these adverts indicate their telephone contacts but no physical address or the name of organization is available. A telephone contact can not be subsititute for physical address. In any case, the two are complementary. One would expect that any individual or organization charged with connecting Ugandan jobseekers and the employers abroad is registered and recognized by government, and utilises the relevant ministry under proper channels. Otherwise in future, the country risks facing problems of human trafficking, slavery and sexual exploitation perpetuated by unethical recruiters. Many Ugandan jobseekers invest a lot of money in education; money which is earned through sweat and blood. Completing studies and you are subjected to exploitation defeats logic, but also discourages majority poor parents in educating their children.
I have also seen adverts in Kampala calling people with short manhood and rough womanhood to go for elongation and smoothening of their manhood and womanhood respectively. This has indeed caused some embarrassment to parents. A friend of mine was recently dropping his children to school and his nine year old son asked him what manhood meant and how it could be elongated. Whereas he managed to describe manhood, he felt embarrassed in explaining the rationale for elongating manhood. After dropping the children, he shed tears in his car as the children were entering the school gate. He was lucky that his son did not ask him about smoothening womanhood! Perhaps many parents have similar stories to tell. The fact that the owners of these adverts do not reveal where they operate from except when called on phone, is a manifestation of their lack of licence to offer such services. The consumers of such services are put to risk since they deal with companies that can not sue or be sued. It also makes it hard to trace providers of such services in the event of complaints about them.
Adverts of pastors on radio stations calling people to pay before they submit prayers are common. Why would someone pay inorder to ask a pastor intercede for him to God? Perhaps these pastors are not registered and therefore not recognized by the Association of pastors in the country. But failure to condemn these unethical and ungodly adverts makes people think the salvation is being commercialized! The same applies to many herbalists who claim in their adverts to cure all diseases on planet earth. The earlier these unethical adverts are discouraged the better for Uganda.
Everest Turyahikayo
Human Resource Consultant
Kampala
For a couple of years now, I have seen a number of unethical advertisements pinned alongside roads, notice boards of various universities, print and electronic media. Visit any university in Kampala and see people advertising themselves that they offer services in doing course works, dissertations, assignments and research proposals. Any one who went through university education will agree with me that students learn by doing assignments, course works through research. Unfortunately, students look for people to do academic work for them. In some universities, a course work contributes 40% to the final semester examination.
If students score 35% in a course work they have bought, it means they will need to score 15% in the final exam to attain 50% pass mark. At the end of the course, students will obtain grades for which they contributed only 15%. This does not only contribute to the academic suicide, but also brings incompetent and unprofessional jobseekers on the labour market who lack research skills. No country has developed economically, politically and socially without doing research. For university authorities to tolerate such adverts in the premises of universities, means they either condone the practice or some insiders especially lecturers- who would be the first complainants, participate in doing course works for students to make a living.
There are also adverts on Kampala streets about jobs available in Dubai, South Africa, London and USA. The owners of these adverts indicate their telephone contacts but no physical address or the name of organization is available. A telephone contact can not be subsititute for physical address. In any case, the two are complementary. One would expect that any individual or organization charged with connecting Ugandan jobseekers and the employers abroad is registered and recognized by government, and utilises the relevant ministry under proper channels. Otherwise in future, the country risks facing problems of human trafficking, slavery and sexual exploitation perpetuated by unethical recruiters. Many Ugandan jobseekers invest a lot of money in education; money which is earned through sweat and blood. Completing studies and you are subjected to exploitation defeats logic, but also discourages majority poor parents in educating their children.
I have also seen adverts in Kampala calling people with short manhood and rough womanhood to go for elongation and smoothening of their manhood and womanhood respectively. This has indeed caused some embarrassment to parents. A friend of mine was recently dropping his children to school and his nine year old son asked him what manhood meant and how it could be elongated. Whereas he managed to describe manhood, he felt embarrassed in explaining the rationale for elongating manhood. After dropping the children, he shed tears in his car as the children were entering the school gate. He was lucky that his son did not ask him about smoothening womanhood! Perhaps many parents have similar stories to tell. The fact that the owners of these adverts do not reveal where they operate from except when called on phone, is a manifestation of their lack of licence to offer such services. The consumers of such services are put to risk since they deal with companies that can not sue or be sued. It also makes it hard to trace providers of such services in the event of complaints about them.
Adverts of pastors on radio stations calling people to pay before they submit prayers are common. Why would someone pay inorder to ask a pastor intercede for him to God? Perhaps these pastors are not registered and therefore not recognized by the Association of pastors in the country. But failure to condemn these unethical and ungodly adverts makes people think the salvation is being commercialized! The same applies to many herbalists who claim in their adverts to cure all diseases on planet earth. The earlier these unethical adverts are discouraged the better for Uganda.
Everest Turyahikayo
Human Resource Consultant
Kampala
Monday, February 28, 2011
Evereyone Needs a Manifesto
During the recent presidential and parliamentary campaigns, all contesting candidates had manifestos. The word manifesto originated from Latin manifestum meaning clear or obvious to the eye. Today manifestos are generally understood as public declarations of principles and intentions, often political in nature. These principles and intentions can originate from individual political candidates in a non-party political system or from a group of members within a political party. As such, manifestos clearly indicate priority areas which must be tackled by the political candidate. Most of these areas include health, roads, education, agriculture, security and good governance free of corruption. There is a tendency by some people to think that individual politicians can fulfill whatever they promise in their manifestos without a collective effort.
One former US president John F. Kennedy once said “My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country”. If this remark was to be made at every political rally, supporters of a political candidate would know that before they ask their candidate to produce a manifesto, they must first have theirs. A collection of individual manifestos make a community manifesto. Community intentions, desires and needs have an impact on the national development.
Quite often, some politicians seeking re-election find it difficult to convince their electorate why they did not fulfils me promises. Surprisingly, one finds that at the community and household level, there are people who did not fulfill their obligations. It is common to see some parents who do not sent their children to school yet there is free primary and secondary education for all. Even when the government establishes garbage collection centres, some people choose to throw garbage wherever they choose. When the government established health units at the parish level, some people continued with their old ways of visiting witch doctors for simple illnesses like cough and malaria. Politicians can design and implement very good manifestos. However, without a collective effort, and realizing that development starts at the individual level, little success can be attained.
In respect of this therefore, every responsible citizen must have an individual manifesto. Individual manifestos can make corporate organizations flourish. Communities can move forward with everyone implementing their manifestos. Objective personal manifestos can help to eliminate all the evils in society.
Individual manifestos that spell out personal or household priorities enhance accountability at that level. If households can account for their plans, activities and expenditure of family resources, then accountability at the political levels is simplified. People tend to be vigilant about issues affecting their affairs when they understand the implications of certain courses of action. If they do not have individual manifestos, they become passive. They sit on the development band-wagon without knowing the next destination.
Manifestos have financial implications as they depict sources of funds to implement the plans. At the household level, manifestos would act as a driving force towards resource mobilization. If the government has introduced NAADS or constructed a feeder road, how do families intend to make use of such initiatives? I have travelled on some Ugandan roads especially Iganga-Mbale and Tirinyi roads only to see people drying cassava and maize on these roads. Such roads can be made more meaningful than just drying cassava.
Apart from assisting households to assess themselves, manifestos provide a time frame within which to implement certain plans. In this direction, individual citizens can assess themselves after a given period of time to see if they fulfilled their promises before blaming politicians. However, as supervisors of government programmes, politicians should keep an ear to the ground in guiding communities and participating in assessing their development challenges.
Everest Turyahikayo
Human resource Consultant
Kampala
One former US president John F. Kennedy once said “My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country”. If this remark was to be made at every political rally, supporters of a political candidate would know that before they ask their candidate to produce a manifesto, they must first have theirs. A collection of individual manifestos make a community manifesto. Community intentions, desires and needs have an impact on the national development.
Quite often, some politicians seeking re-election find it difficult to convince their electorate why they did not fulfils me promises. Surprisingly, one finds that at the community and household level, there are people who did not fulfill their obligations. It is common to see some parents who do not sent their children to school yet there is free primary and secondary education for all. Even when the government establishes garbage collection centres, some people choose to throw garbage wherever they choose. When the government established health units at the parish level, some people continued with their old ways of visiting witch doctors for simple illnesses like cough and malaria. Politicians can design and implement very good manifestos. However, without a collective effort, and realizing that development starts at the individual level, little success can be attained.
In respect of this therefore, every responsible citizen must have an individual manifesto. Individual manifestos can make corporate organizations flourish. Communities can move forward with everyone implementing their manifestos. Objective personal manifestos can help to eliminate all the evils in society.
Individual manifestos that spell out personal or household priorities enhance accountability at that level. If households can account for their plans, activities and expenditure of family resources, then accountability at the political levels is simplified. People tend to be vigilant about issues affecting their affairs when they understand the implications of certain courses of action. If they do not have individual manifestos, they become passive. They sit on the development band-wagon without knowing the next destination.
Manifestos have financial implications as they depict sources of funds to implement the plans. At the household level, manifestos would act as a driving force towards resource mobilization. If the government has introduced NAADS or constructed a feeder road, how do families intend to make use of such initiatives? I have travelled on some Ugandan roads especially Iganga-Mbale and Tirinyi roads only to see people drying cassava and maize on these roads. Such roads can be made more meaningful than just drying cassava.
Apart from assisting households to assess themselves, manifestos provide a time frame within which to implement certain plans. In this direction, individual citizens can assess themselves after a given period of time to see if they fulfilled their promises before blaming politicians. However, as supervisors of government programmes, politicians should keep an ear to the ground in guiding communities and participating in assessing their development challenges.
Everest Turyahikayo
Human resource Consultant
Kampala
Sunday, February 27, 2011
REDUCING RETIREMENT AGE IN UGANDA CREATES HUMAN RESOURCE GAPS
Many job seekers in Uganda feel that reducing retirement age in the public service can help to create more jobs. I wish to differ from this thinking because of the fact that in some government departments, manpower has never been enough. The health sector for example, has always had fewer doctors than the required number. At the moment, the doctor-patient ratio is 1:20,000 patients. This is rather an absurd situation. Even if a doctor worked for twenty four hours, it would be impossible to handle 20,000 patients a day. Reducing the retirement age for doctors may create personnel deficiency in Uganda.
Ugandan institutions of higher learning have never had enough qualified academic staff. The title Professor in Uganda is associated with a grey haired old man or a wrinkled old woman who has excelled in research and teaching in universities. These professors are engaged in teaching instead of enabling them to research and publish. This is because involving them in purely research and administration will create manpower gaps on the academic staff line-up. Moreover, most of the professors in Uganda are nearing the current retirement age or have already reached it. This however does not mean that most of them have out-lived their effectiveness in academic performance. Professors who have joined private universities after retiring from the public service have excelled in their work. Reducing the retirement age of university academic staff to 55 years could weaken public universities.
The Ugandan judiciary is another sector that will be affected. Whereas the retirement age for judges and justices is a bit high compared to other public servants, there is a growing tendency among young lawyers to join the private practice. This is the area where there is more money. If the retirement age of state attorneys, magistrates and judicial officers in various public departments is lowered to 55 years, Uganda will have to borrow additional lawyers from other countries. Any policy on retirement age in Uganda should provide for the introduction of fixed term contracts of employment in some departments like health, education and judiciary. The contract should cover only staff who have reached the retirement age but are still capable of performing in their profession.
Everest Turyahikayo
Kampala
Ugandan institutions of higher learning have never had enough qualified academic staff. The title Professor in Uganda is associated with a grey haired old man or a wrinkled old woman who has excelled in research and teaching in universities. These professors are engaged in teaching instead of enabling them to research and publish. This is because involving them in purely research and administration will create manpower gaps on the academic staff line-up. Moreover, most of the professors in Uganda are nearing the current retirement age or have already reached it. This however does not mean that most of them have out-lived their effectiveness in academic performance. Professors who have joined private universities after retiring from the public service have excelled in their work. Reducing the retirement age of university academic staff to 55 years could weaken public universities.
The Ugandan judiciary is another sector that will be affected. Whereas the retirement age for judges and justices is a bit high compared to other public servants, there is a growing tendency among young lawyers to join the private practice. This is the area where there is more money. If the retirement age of state attorneys, magistrates and judicial officers in various public departments is lowered to 55 years, Uganda will have to borrow additional lawyers from other countries. Any policy on retirement age in Uganda should provide for the introduction of fixed term contracts of employment in some departments like health, education and judiciary. The contract should cover only staff who have reached the retirement age but are still capable of performing in their profession.
Everest Turyahikayo
Kampala
YOUTHS SHOULD DESIST FROM VIOLENCE
It is perturbing to observe that the youths in Uganda dominate groups that engage in violence. Whenever I watch news on TV and there is a violent demonstration, it is common to see youths on the front line. Pictures of people clashing with police are always flooded by the youths.
The youths, for example, dominated in the violent demonstration against the Mabira forest give away. When the Kabaka was allegedly stopped from visiting Kayunga District, I watched on TV majority of the youth clashing with police. Some of these youth did not even know why they were demonstrating. They jumped on the ‘band wagon for leisure’ without knowing that they could get injuries.
When the Kasubi Tombs caught fire, I saw the youth dominating and causing insecurity for people who had visited the scene to express their sympathy to the Buganda government. The same youth participated in the violent demonstrations against Kisseka market give away to an investor. Surprisingly, some youth did not even know where the market was located. They just rushed to participate in the clashes with the police.
I have watched news on TV of the ‘Kiboko squad’. It has always made me wonder why all the youths holding big sticks are youths. The most recent shock to me was that of terror suspects of July 11. Most of them looked youthful. And even when they were being brought before the courts of law, they were rather jovial and not remorseful. Could some of them be addicted to violence? This is an unfortunate situation that must stop.
The following strategies can help the youth to live a violent free life in Uganda.
• The ministries of Education and that of gender, Labour and Social Development should register youth in their various urban areas and train them in entrepreneurship skills. Such training should equip the youths with skills of managing small businesses, brick laying, urban farming, weaving, carpentry and pottery.
• The government should buy land and lease it to the youth in the major urban areas where they can start income generating projects.
• Youth who are already in small businesses like boda boda cyclists, wheel barrow pushers, hawkers, and market vendors should be encouraged to run and manage SACCOS. They can be encouraged to utilise micro-finance institutions available in most urban towns in Uganda. Through the ministry of finance, the youth should be equipped with knowledge of behavioural finance. This will help the youth not to extravagantly spend their hard-earned cash.
• The youth who have not attained primary and secondary education should benefit from the government programmes of Universal Primary Education and Universal Secondary Education. These programmes are offered free and can generate long term benefits to the youths. These programmes should be made compulsory so that every Ugandan attains an elementary level of education.
• Urban- rural migration should be encouraged. The youths should be encouraged to return to their villages and participate in agriculture and agribusinesses. This should be done through imposing development tax. This tax should be paid by every Ugandan of 18 years and above. Unlike the graduated tax, this should be paid by both men and women. With this, the youths will move to areas where they can engage in meaningful production.
• When these strategies are fully implemented, Ugandan youth shall be occupied most of the time. They will have not time to engage in violent demonstrations. Uganda will be peaceful, productivity will increase and there will be an accelerated national development.
Everest Turyahikayo
Human Resource Management Specialist
Kampala
The youths, for example, dominated in the violent demonstration against the Mabira forest give away. When the Kabaka was allegedly stopped from visiting Kayunga District, I watched on TV majority of the youth clashing with police. Some of these youth did not even know why they were demonstrating. They jumped on the ‘band wagon for leisure’ without knowing that they could get injuries.
When the Kasubi Tombs caught fire, I saw the youth dominating and causing insecurity for people who had visited the scene to express their sympathy to the Buganda government. The same youth participated in the violent demonstrations against Kisseka market give away to an investor. Surprisingly, some youth did not even know where the market was located. They just rushed to participate in the clashes with the police.
I have watched news on TV of the ‘Kiboko squad’. It has always made me wonder why all the youths holding big sticks are youths. The most recent shock to me was that of terror suspects of July 11. Most of them looked youthful. And even when they were being brought before the courts of law, they were rather jovial and not remorseful. Could some of them be addicted to violence? This is an unfortunate situation that must stop.
The following strategies can help the youth to live a violent free life in Uganda.
• The ministries of Education and that of gender, Labour and Social Development should register youth in their various urban areas and train them in entrepreneurship skills. Such training should equip the youths with skills of managing small businesses, brick laying, urban farming, weaving, carpentry and pottery.
• The government should buy land and lease it to the youth in the major urban areas where they can start income generating projects.
• Youth who are already in small businesses like boda boda cyclists, wheel barrow pushers, hawkers, and market vendors should be encouraged to run and manage SACCOS. They can be encouraged to utilise micro-finance institutions available in most urban towns in Uganda. Through the ministry of finance, the youth should be equipped with knowledge of behavioural finance. This will help the youth not to extravagantly spend their hard-earned cash.
• The youth who have not attained primary and secondary education should benefit from the government programmes of Universal Primary Education and Universal Secondary Education. These programmes are offered free and can generate long term benefits to the youths. These programmes should be made compulsory so that every Ugandan attains an elementary level of education.
• Urban- rural migration should be encouraged. The youths should be encouraged to return to their villages and participate in agriculture and agribusinesses. This should be done through imposing development tax. This tax should be paid by every Ugandan of 18 years and above. Unlike the graduated tax, this should be paid by both men and women. With this, the youths will move to areas where they can engage in meaningful production.
• When these strategies are fully implemented, Ugandan youth shall be occupied most of the time. They will have not time to engage in violent demonstrations. Uganda will be peaceful, productivity will increase and there will be an accelerated national development.
Everest Turyahikayo
Human Resource Management Specialist
Kampala
Identifying the right Job Candidate for Top positions in Uganda is a nightmare
Despite the increasing numbers of graduates in Uganda today, it is very difficult to identify and hire the best qualified job candidate. Move around Kampala’s corporate organizations, you will find most of the Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) coming from outside the country. What is perturbing is that Uganda has the best education system in East Africa. There are more east Africans studying and working in Uganda than Ugandans in their countries. Yet, one would expect the reverse due to the attractive training Ugandan Universities offer. What then has gone wrong? Why should foreigners be head hunted to manage Ugandan corporate organizations? What are the possible remedies to this problem?
Much as many graduates in Uganda complain of scarcity of jobs, and accuse employers for divulging in recruitment malpractices, it can be said that some jobseekers have made it difficult for the employers to select the right job candidate. Dishonesty is one of the many challenges employers face in selecting the right employees who can handle the task. It can be costly on the part of the employer for example to offer a job opportunity to an applicant on the basis of the presented good grade, only to reap losses due to incompetence arising from forgery of working experience and the degree certificate.
Sometimes the police have arrested people who forge organization’s seals, stamps and documents. It is not surprising to find some job seekers who forge appointment letters, work identity cards and recommendations. These events signify dishonesty among the labour market in Uganda, yet it is not much reported in other east African countries. This is not to say that every job seeker in Uganda is dishonest. However, it is unwise for a Christian to marry from the family of a witch doctor on the basis that a daughter of that family is not necessarily a witch, when there are other marriable girls from families that do not practice witch craft. Likewise, a job seeker from a dishonesty environment may not be infected with dishonesty but affected by it. The saying goes that a devil you know is better than an Angel you do not know. It is this thinking that correctly guides Ugandan employers in recruitment.
The level of dishonesty seems to be on increase and spreading like cancer in recruitment.
Job seekers tell lies on their CVs which include magnifying designations in their previous employment. Others claim they left the previous jobs because the contract ended, when actually they were fired due to theft, dishonesty and incompetence. Hiring dishonest employees brings devastating consequences on to the organization. Such employees will inflate accountability, they will personalize the company’s property, are likely to continuously tell lies to their bosses, can infect other honest and trustworthy employees, and every evening you will find a company’s property in their vehicle as they leave work. All these issues negatively affect the organization’s image and cause unnecessary expenditure. What then are the possible remedies to this problem?
• Employers should ensure that short-listed job applicants undergo vigorous recruitment processes including conducting background checks about candidates in their previous employment and academic institutions where they studied.
• Institutions should be encouraged to teach ethics in every profession. This should be a continuous training right from child up bringing through primary education.
• Organizations should have comprehensive performance appraisal systems and implement the appraisal findings expeditiously.
• There is need for constant managerial and financial auditing in Ugandan public organizations.
Everest Turyahikayo
Kampala
Human resource Specialist
Much as many graduates in Uganda complain of scarcity of jobs, and accuse employers for divulging in recruitment malpractices, it can be said that some jobseekers have made it difficult for the employers to select the right job candidate. Dishonesty is one of the many challenges employers face in selecting the right employees who can handle the task. It can be costly on the part of the employer for example to offer a job opportunity to an applicant on the basis of the presented good grade, only to reap losses due to incompetence arising from forgery of working experience and the degree certificate.
Sometimes the police have arrested people who forge organization’s seals, stamps and documents. It is not surprising to find some job seekers who forge appointment letters, work identity cards and recommendations. These events signify dishonesty among the labour market in Uganda, yet it is not much reported in other east African countries. This is not to say that every job seeker in Uganda is dishonest. However, it is unwise for a Christian to marry from the family of a witch doctor on the basis that a daughter of that family is not necessarily a witch, when there are other marriable girls from families that do not practice witch craft. Likewise, a job seeker from a dishonesty environment may not be infected with dishonesty but affected by it. The saying goes that a devil you know is better than an Angel you do not know. It is this thinking that correctly guides Ugandan employers in recruitment.
The level of dishonesty seems to be on increase and spreading like cancer in recruitment.
Job seekers tell lies on their CVs which include magnifying designations in their previous employment. Others claim they left the previous jobs because the contract ended, when actually they were fired due to theft, dishonesty and incompetence. Hiring dishonest employees brings devastating consequences on to the organization. Such employees will inflate accountability, they will personalize the company’s property, are likely to continuously tell lies to their bosses, can infect other honest and trustworthy employees, and every evening you will find a company’s property in their vehicle as they leave work. All these issues negatively affect the organization’s image and cause unnecessary expenditure. What then are the possible remedies to this problem?
• Employers should ensure that short-listed job applicants undergo vigorous recruitment processes including conducting background checks about candidates in their previous employment and academic institutions where they studied.
• Institutions should be encouraged to teach ethics in every profession. This should be a continuous training right from child up bringing through primary education.
• Organizations should have comprehensive performance appraisal systems and implement the appraisal findings expeditiously.
• There is need for constant managerial and financial auditing in Ugandan public organizations.
Everest Turyahikayo
Kampala
Human resource Specialist
ADVICE ON LEGALIZING ABORTION SHOULD COME WITH BALANCED TRUTH
I respond to the Articles published in the Monitor of 13 Monday, September, 2010 titled ‘Legalize abortion to save babies and mothers, says health expert’. In the article it was claimed that over 6,000 deaths every year result from unsafe abortions which mainly result from stigma. And that forty six per cent of mothers in Uganda have unplanned pregnancies and as a result many of these opt for abortion to get rid of the unwanted babies. Unfortunately, the article is silent on the lives of aborted children! Whenever an abortion occurs, life is lost! This life lost should also be a matter of concern to Ugandans.
Another article published in the New vision of Thursday 22, July 2010 titled 'Uganda yet to ratify women's automatic right to abortion' reported that if Ugandan ratified the Maputo protocol, it would be possible in Uganda to have an automatic right to abortion. The supporters of abortion front two main arguments. First that some women are raped and conceive against their will. Second, that some women die while in labour due to a complicated pregnancy. Therefore such women should abort according to pro-abortion women groups. This second argument I think should not be debatable, neither should any state labour to legislate on it. Doctors should have discretion to take an ethical decision depending on the condition of the expectant mother.
Research has proved that the effects of abortion create a grave harm on any society and everything possible should be done to avoid this vice. These include genital track infection, haemorrhage, uterine and urinary perforation, bleeding in the first three months of future pregnancy, the likelihood of the next baby dying in the first few months, the next baby being born prematurely, more miscarriages, hatred of medical personnel who help the mother to abort, harm from future children who demand from their mother to produce their sister or brother she aborted, frequent visitation of the aborted baby in the former mother's dreams, psychological torture on every anniversary day of the aborted baby, ten times more likely to commit suicide after failure to fit in the society, child abuse by the mother of future children because she fills they are getting love which she denied the aborted child, memory impairment, depression, too much love for children which could result into stealing children from hospitals, likelihood of sterility and higher failure to get a partner than if she were a single mother. Most of these effects destroy a mother whom abortion is meant to save.
Supporters of abortion must put themselves in the shoes of those to be affected. Giving the other side of abortion is important. If the number of drug addicts increases in Uganda, does the government legalize drug trafficking? If the number of rapists shoots high, does the government decriminalise rape? It defeats logic to presuppose that abortion should be legalized because many expectant mothers are aborting?
From the Christian, Islam and African point of view, human life begins when the woman's egg is fertilized by a male sperm. For example, Genesis 25:21-22 mentions children and sons in the womb. Luke, 1:41, 44 talks of the baby who leapt for joy in the mother's womb. Luke 12:42-46 reminds us that we are stewards of our children. Islam (Almaidah, 5:32) teaches that whoever saves a life has saved all mankind. And according to Surah 17:31, we are warned not to kill our children. Man is a procreator not a destroyer. Africans by nature have a strong respect and love for children. Fathers and Mothers have always waited in happiness, joy and excitement upon knowing that the wife is pregnant. Basing on all these factors, I think Uganda should go slow on legalizing abortion. Wide sensitization workshops are necessary
Everest Turyahikayo
Another article published in the New vision of Thursday 22, July 2010 titled 'Uganda yet to ratify women's automatic right to abortion' reported that if Ugandan ratified the Maputo protocol, it would be possible in Uganda to have an automatic right to abortion. The supporters of abortion front two main arguments. First that some women are raped and conceive against their will. Second, that some women die while in labour due to a complicated pregnancy. Therefore such women should abort according to pro-abortion women groups. This second argument I think should not be debatable, neither should any state labour to legislate on it. Doctors should have discretion to take an ethical decision depending on the condition of the expectant mother.
Research has proved that the effects of abortion create a grave harm on any society and everything possible should be done to avoid this vice. These include genital track infection, haemorrhage, uterine and urinary perforation, bleeding in the first three months of future pregnancy, the likelihood of the next baby dying in the first few months, the next baby being born prematurely, more miscarriages, hatred of medical personnel who help the mother to abort, harm from future children who demand from their mother to produce their sister or brother she aborted, frequent visitation of the aborted baby in the former mother's dreams, psychological torture on every anniversary day of the aborted baby, ten times more likely to commit suicide after failure to fit in the society, child abuse by the mother of future children because she fills they are getting love which she denied the aborted child, memory impairment, depression, too much love for children which could result into stealing children from hospitals, likelihood of sterility and higher failure to get a partner than if she were a single mother. Most of these effects destroy a mother whom abortion is meant to save.
Supporters of abortion must put themselves in the shoes of those to be affected. Giving the other side of abortion is important. If the number of drug addicts increases in Uganda, does the government legalize drug trafficking? If the number of rapists shoots high, does the government decriminalise rape? It defeats logic to presuppose that abortion should be legalized because many expectant mothers are aborting?
From the Christian, Islam and African point of view, human life begins when the woman's egg is fertilized by a male sperm. For example, Genesis 25:21-22 mentions children and sons in the womb. Luke, 1:41, 44 talks of the baby who leapt for joy in the mother's womb. Luke 12:42-46 reminds us that we are stewards of our children. Islam (Almaidah, 5:32) teaches that whoever saves a life has saved all mankind. And according to Surah 17:31, we are warned not to kill our children. Man is a procreator not a destroyer. Africans by nature have a strong respect and love for children. Fathers and Mothers have always waited in happiness, joy and excitement upon knowing that the wife is pregnant. Basing on all these factors, I think Uganda should go slow on legalizing abortion. Wide sensitization workshops are necessary
Everest Turyahikayo
SKILLS DEVELOPMENT CAN REDUCE FAKE GOODS
I read an article titled “Lawyers join battle against counterfeit goods” published by the new vision on 17 February, 2011. It stated that over 60% of the goods in Uganda are counterfeit and 90% of these goods are substandard. Every Ugandan who has bought one item or another agrees that almost everything is fake in the country. The most common fake items are drugs especially Coartem, electric appliances, mobile phones, cosmetics, computer accessories, plastic products like pens, toothbrushes, sanitary products, detergents, soap, shoe polish, carbonated drinks and electrical appliances. There are other fake items regulatory authorities have not paid attention to especially computer software. Recently I downloaded window 7 software only to find it was fake.
Much as attention is put on fake products, it is also a fact that many professionals deliver fake services. It is likely that a fake professional will produce a fake service or fake product. Some Ugandans have lost their lives to the collapsing buildings due to fake engineers. Fake engineers have no ability to determine whether the soil on a plot of land can support a six storied building. They cannot evaluate the impact of constructing a building in the middle of other structures. In the end, fake engineers manufacture fake construction materials which are later used by fake construction engineers. These fake construction engineers lose their lives at the construction site as their employers and clients lose billions of money. There are also fake ICT technicians who claim to possess required skills. But when you ask them to repair your compute or install for you a software, they create many faults on the computer out of ignorance.
One major challenge in fighting the problem of fake products and services on the market is the presence of fake laws. Many law makers in developing countries assume political positions through fake means especially voter bribery, intimidation and rigging. Since they use fake means to enter parliament, they become fake law makers. Because they are fake law makers, they make fake laws. These fake laws are supposed to provide a yardstick, measure or guideline to the fake manufacturers or providers of services. In the end, one finds that the laws are too fake to provide a regulatory legal frame work and an enabling environment where fake business people can operate. The vicious cycle of producing fake products and services continues.
There is also a problem of fake second hand items on the market. These are counterfeit products which were reused in other countries and resold in developing countries like Uganda. All markets selling clothes, footwear and electrical appliances have such fake goods. You buy a trouser or skirt from St. Balikudembe market, by the time you reach home it is torn and you have to visit a sewing machine on a daily basis. If research was conducted about the impact of these fake items in the country, perhaps we would get shocked at how much Ugandans are losing money and time due to these fake items.
Although the proliferation of fake products on the market can be attributed to many factors including unethical practices, inadequate skills play a big role. Countries which do not have strict policies on skills development are likely to have fake industries, fake manufacturers and fake products. Most of these countries are in Africa and Asia where education systems are theoretical. I have never seen fake products made in Germany, France or UK. These countries are superior in industrialization because skills training is highly professionalized.
Research also shows that countries which have strict examination laws do not have many cases of fake products. Countries where examination malpractices have been reported have had many incidences of fake products. This is because, students obtain good grades through cheating and employers hire them basing on glittering academic papers. In the end, organizations are filled with workers who cannot invent anything. Factories are dominated by employees who lack innovative and creative skills. These workers resort to coping genuine manufacturers. Any professional who has got a combination of good theory and practical training may find it easier to invent a new product and avoid counterfeiting.
Any attempt to fight fake products on the market should move along with skills development. Uganda should prioritize skills development. University academic programmes should be made more practice. Students should be assessed on the basis of the skills gained while at university. They should not be assessed on the basis of how best they reproduce theories in exams.
Everest Turyahikayo
International Human Resource Consultant
Kampala-Uganda
Much as attention is put on fake products, it is also a fact that many professionals deliver fake services. It is likely that a fake professional will produce a fake service or fake product. Some Ugandans have lost their lives to the collapsing buildings due to fake engineers. Fake engineers have no ability to determine whether the soil on a plot of land can support a six storied building. They cannot evaluate the impact of constructing a building in the middle of other structures. In the end, fake engineers manufacture fake construction materials which are later used by fake construction engineers. These fake construction engineers lose their lives at the construction site as their employers and clients lose billions of money. There are also fake ICT technicians who claim to possess required skills. But when you ask them to repair your compute or install for you a software, they create many faults on the computer out of ignorance.
One major challenge in fighting the problem of fake products and services on the market is the presence of fake laws. Many law makers in developing countries assume political positions through fake means especially voter bribery, intimidation and rigging. Since they use fake means to enter parliament, they become fake law makers. Because they are fake law makers, they make fake laws. These fake laws are supposed to provide a yardstick, measure or guideline to the fake manufacturers or providers of services. In the end, one finds that the laws are too fake to provide a regulatory legal frame work and an enabling environment where fake business people can operate. The vicious cycle of producing fake products and services continues.
There is also a problem of fake second hand items on the market. These are counterfeit products which were reused in other countries and resold in developing countries like Uganda. All markets selling clothes, footwear and electrical appliances have such fake goods. You buy a trouser or skirt from St. Balikudembe market, by the time you reach home it is torn and you have to visit a sewing machine on a daily basis. If research was conducted about the impact of these fake items in the country, perhaps we would get shocked at how much Ugandans are losing money and time due to these fake items.
Although the proliferation of fake products on the market can be attributed to many factors including unethical practices, inadequate skills play a big role. Countries which do not have strict policies on skills development are likely to have fake industries, fake manufacturers and fake products. Most of these countries are in Africa and Asia where education systems are theoretical. I have never seen fake products made in Germany, France or UK. These countries are superior in industrialization because skills training is highly professionalized.
Research also shows that countries which have strict examination laws do not have many cases of fake products. Countries where examination malpractices have been reported have had many incidences of fake products. This is because, students obtain good grades through cheating and employers hire them basing on glittering academic papers. In the end, organizations are filled with workers who cannot invent anything. Factories are dominated by employees who lack innovative and creative skills. These workers resort to coping genuine manufacturers. Any professional who has got a combination of good theory and practical training may find it easier to invent a new product and avoid counterfeiting.
Any attempt to fight fake products on the market should move along with skills development. Uganda should prioritize skills development. University academic programmes should be made more practice. Students should be assessed on the basis of the skills gained while at university. They should not be assessed on the basis of how best they reproduce theories in exams.
Everest Turyahikayo
International Human Resource Consultant
Kampala-Uganda
Sunday, January 2, 2011
AMIDST UNEMPLOYMENT, SKILLS SHORTAGE EXISTS
By Everest Turyahikayo
Kampala, Uganda
International Human resource consultant
everestdidas@yahoo.co.uk
Tel.+256-772924158
Although there is an outcry over the increasing rate of unemployment in Uganda and beyond, evidence shows high level skills shortage globally. This is perhaps an indicator that many job seekers possess either irrelevant skills or they do not actually go where jobs exist. A thorough scrutiny of recent surveys about the skills shortage reveals that many employers continue to fail to identify job seekers with the desired skills, knowledge, abilities and motivation. The recent Landelahni Mining Survey for example, indicated continued lack of qualified mining engineers in Africa.
Another survey conducted by Springboard Research among 400 Information Technology (IT) end-users, 400 software developers and programmers and 82 IT training and education providers in Australia, China, India, Malaysia and the Philippines reveals that Asia Pacific enterprises are experiencing the greatest shortage in areas such as enterprise architecture, application development and system integration.
The survey also found regional companies to be lacking talented IT staff who also possess business-domain knowledge and managerial skills. The shortage of IT professionals with adequate business knowledge most affected high-tech manufacturing companies, such as those in the semiconductor and flat panel display business.
A joint research conducted in August 2010 by recruitment specialist Robert Half and the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), which involved interviewing 1,600 professionals in finance and accounting across Australia, Hong Kong, New Zealand and Singapore uncovered an alarming rate of skills shortage. A significant 81% of Singapore respondents with recruitment responsibilities believed there was an existing skills shortage in finance and accounting in the country. The problem is more acute in Singapore and Hong Kong with more respondents reporting the shortage to be “chronic” than in Australia and New Zealand. Skills shortage is limiting factor on the expansion of production.
In Austria, construction workers, architects and engineers are in heavy demand. In Bulgaria there is a shortage in particular of IT specialists, waiters and chefs; Poland needs doctors, welders and mechanics; Romania has an urgent need of textile workers. In Slovakia and Hungary the shortage mainly concerns electrical, mechanical and automotive engineers. Throughout Eastern Europe the building industry is most heavily hit.
A recent study by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in 817 companies in eight provinces of Laos across industries such as energy, clothing, tourism, agriculture, wholesale and retail and machinery has discovered that Laos is facing a major shortage of skilled labour, highlighting the possibilities for foreign workers to find work in the nation. Researchers found that the furniture sector was hit hardest and needed 3,000 workers to make up for the deficit.
In Africa there is high demand for obstetricians and gynaecologists. For example, Namibia's medical directory lists 13 gynaecologists. Uganda and Tanzania each have around 200 such specialists for populations of 33 and 45 million respectively. The shortage of healthcare workers is a global phenomenon. The continent needs more IT specialists, professionals in industrial design, chemists, textile engineers, and mineral explorers, to mention but a few.
With the following measures in place, skills shortage can become history.
• There is need for countries with potential labour force to export man power to countries in need.
• It is high time universities designed curriculum to include competitive courses on the labour market.
• Students should be guided to pursue professions needed in the labour industry.
Kampala, Uganda
International Human resource consultant
everestdidas@yahoo.co.uk
Tel.+256-772924158
Although there is an outcry over the increasing rate of unemployment in Uganda and beyond, evidence shows high level skills shortage globally. This is perhaps an indicator that many job seekers possess either irrelevant skills or they do not actually go where jobs exist. A thorough scrutiny of recent surveys about the skills shortage reveals that many employers continue to fail to identify job seekers with the desired skills, knowledge, abilities and motivation. The recent Landelahni Mining Survey for example, indicated continued lack of qualified mining engineers in Africa.
Another survey conducted by Springboard Research among 400 Information Technology (IT) end-users, 400 software developers and programmers and 82 IT training and education providers in Australia, China, India, Malaysia and the Philippines reveals that Asia Pacific enterprises are experiencing the greatest shortage in areas such as enterprise architecture, application development and system integration.
The survey also found regional companies to be lacking talented IT staff who also possess business-domain knowledge and managerial skills. The shortage of IT professionals with adequate business knowledge most affected high-tech manufacturing companies, such as those in the semiconductor and flat panel display business.
A joint research conducted in August 2010 by recruitment specialist Robert Half and the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), which involved interviewing 1,600 professionals in finance and accounting across Australia, Hong Kong, New Zealand and Singapore uncovered an alarming rate of skills shortage. A significant 81% of Singapore respondents with recruitment responsibilities believed there was an existing skills shortage in finance and accounting in the country. The problem is more acute in Singapore and Hong Kong with more respondents reporting the shortage to be “chronic” than in Australia and New Zealand. Skills shortage is limiting factor on the expansion of production.
In Austria, construction workers, architects and engineers are in heavy demand. In Bulgaria there is a shortage in particular of IT specialists, waiters and chefs; Poland needs doctors, welders and mechanics; Romania has an urgent need of textile workers. In Slovakia and Hungary the shortage mainly concerns electrical, mechanical and automotive engineers. Throughout Eastern Europe the building industry is most heavily hit.
A recent study by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in 817 companies in eight provinces of Laos across industries such as energy, clothing, tourism, agriculture, wholesale and retail and machinery has discovered that Laos is facing a major shortage of skilled labour, highlighting the possibilities for foreign workers to find work in the nation. Researchers found that the furniture sector was hit hardest and needed 3,000 workers to make up for the deficit.
In Africa there is high demand for obstetricians and gynaecologists. For example, Namibia's medical directory lists 13 gynaecologists. Uganda and Tanzania each have around 200 such specialists for populations of 33 and 45 million respectively. The shortage of healthcare workers is a global phenomenon. The continent needs more IT specialists, professionals in industrial design, chemists, textile engineers, and mineral explorers, to mention but a few.
With the following measures in place, skills shortage can become history.
• There is need for countries with potential labour force to export man power to countries in need.
• It is high time universities designed curriculum to include competitive courses on the labour market.
• Students should be guided to pursue professions needed in the labour industry.
INTEGRITY, LIKE CHARITY BEGINS AT HOME
Everest Turyahikayo
International human resource consultant
everestdidas@yahoo.co.uk
The media today is awash with factual stories of murder, corruption, theft, and other forms of integrity. Integrity just like charity is planted in children during their non-formal training in families and homes. Psychologists tell us that human conduct is a consequence of two factors. First, the totality of the accumulated learned experiences over a period of time and secondly; the inherited biological characteristics within an individual. Most of the actions performed in ones adulthood were learnt in childhood.
Children who grow seeing their parents fight will likely become fighters themselves. Such children bully their young siblings and other young children on the village. The same behaviour is carried to school and later to society in adulthood. As a consequence, acts of murder increase and tension overshadows communities.
Children grow as they see the extravagant life of their parents amidst scarce family resources. As early as primary school level, some children have observed how their parents fail to pay school fees and other scholastic materials, but manage to drink alcohol daily. Stories of spouses conflicting due to one or both of them misusing family resources are common today. Unfortunately, this happens in the presence of children.
Poor accountability is therefore learnt at an early age. Children start by squandering school fees and forging accountability at the end of the term. Some children forge bank slips, class report books and marks obtained at the end of the term. Children engaged in such malpractices are always trained by their friends at school who had learnt the behaviour at home.
By the time a student completes university education, undesirable accumulated behaviour has reached appoint below redemption. After school, students secure jobs and are entrusted with public offices. The behaviour learnt in childhood manifests itself in the actions related to violent character, extravagancy, embezzlement and misuse of public property.
Any fight against current moral decadency in our society should begin from our homes. Parents need to inculcate religious values in their children. The importance of Sunday schools in child upbringing should be underscored. Parents should liase with responsible religious leaders in our communities in indentifying training programmes that will benefit children. These programmes should be outside the school calendar and conducted on weekends at churches.
There is need for a collaborate effort in disciplining children in our communities. If I find my neighbour’s children vandalizing people’s property, let me take an appropriate action immediately. Such action should not infringe on the fundamental rights of the child but should deter the child from engaging in bad behaviours in future.
There is need to strengthen recruitment and selection methods and procedures. At the moment, many important personality traits are ignored at recruitment. Recruiters tend to focus on the academic qualifications and relevant working experience. They ignore the importance of a comprehensive background check prior to appointing new employees. Background checking in recruitment is as important as academic qualifications and working experience. Employers should check for the family background of the job applicant, the conduct of the applicant at the schools attended, credit history, and facts related to the academic papers and working experience presented. Any recruitment process is supposed to be fair and comprehensive. Employers should know that negligent hiring is very costly and can cause closure of any corporate organization.
Lastly, regular performance appraisal should be carried out to assess the performance of public officers. Effective performance evaluation helps employers to know whether they hired the right person. If there are undesirable behaviours that were not detected at recruitment, regular performance appraisal helps to notice such behaviours and take appropriate action.
Everest Turyahikayo
Human Resource Consultant
Kampala
International human resource consultant
everestdidas@yahoo.co.uk
The media today is awash with factual stories of murder, corruption, theft, and other forms of integrity. Integrity just like charity is planted in children during their non-formal training in families and homes. Psychologists tell us that human conduct is a consequence of two factors. First, the totality of the accumulated learned experiences over a period of time and secondly; the inherited biological characteristics within an individual. Most of the actions performed in ones adulthood were learnt in childhood.
Children who grow seeing their parents fight will likely become fighters themselves. Such children bully their young siblings and other young children on the village. The same behaviour is carried to school and later to society in adulthood. As a consequence, acts of murder increase and tension overshadows communities.
Children grow as they see the extravagant life of their parents amidst scarce family resources. As early as primary school level, some children have observed how their parents fail to pay school fees and other scholastic materials, but manage to drink alcohol daily. Stories of spouses conflicting due to one or both of them misusing family resources are common today. Unfortunately, this happens in the presence of children.
Poor accountability is therefore learnt at an early age. Children start by squandering school fees and forging accountability at the end of the term. Some children forge bank slips, class report books and marks obtained at the end of the term. Children engaged in such malpractices are always trained by their friends at school who had learnt the behaviour at home.
By the time a student completes university education, undesirable accumulated behaviour has reached appoint below redemption. After school, students secure jobs and are entrusted with public offices. The behaviour learnt in childhood manifests itself in the actions related to violent character, extravagancy, embezzlement and misuse of public property.
Any fight against current moral decadency in our society should begin from our homes. Parents need to inculcate religious values in their children. The importance of Sunday schools in child upbringing should be underscored. Parents should liase with responsible religious leaders in our communities in indentifying training programmes that will benefit children. These programmes should be outside the school calendar and conducted on weekends at churches.
There is need for a collaborate effort in disciplining children in our communities. If I find my neighbour’s children vandalizing people’s property, let me take an appropriate action immediately. Such action should not infringe on the fundamental rights of the child but should deter the child from engaging in bad behaviours in future.
There is need to strengthen recruitment and selection methods and procedures. At the moment, many important personality traits are ignored at recruitment. Recruiters tend to focus on the academic qualifications and relevant working experience. They ignore the importance of a comprehensive background check prior to appointing new employees. Background checking in recruitment is as important as academic qualifications and working experience. Employers should check for the family background of the job applicant, the conduct of the applicant at the schools attended, credit history, and facts related to the academic papers and working experience presented. Any recruitment process is supposed to be fair and comprehensive. Employers should know that negligent hiring is very costly and can cause closure of any corporate organization.
Lastly, regular performance appraisal should be carried out to assess the performance of public officers. Effective performance evaluation helps employers to know whether they hired the right person. If there are undesirable behaviours that were not detected at recruitment, regular performance appraisal helps to notice such behaviours and take appropriate action.
Everest Turyahikayo
Human Resource Consultant
Kampala
THE HARVEST IS RICH, LABOURERS ARE FEW
By Everest Turyahikayo-Kampala, Uganda
International Human resource Consultant
I recently watched a conference proceeding in which one consultant told youths that there are no jobs in Uganda. He concurred with many people who believe that the highest level of unemployment in Uganda is due to lack of jobs. I think this is a misconception about job scarcity, and offers no career direction to the millions of youths still in schools and colleges. There are many jobs in Uganda for people with relevant skills.
The Biblical saying that ‘the harvest is rich but labourers are few,’ Luke, 10:2 is very fundamental in examining unemployment problem in Uganda. There is no single moment in time when labour was sufficient in Uganda. This is even manifested by the outcry of government about lack of enough doctors in the county. Taking a deductive approach, one can observe that there is not enough number of gaenacologists in the country. Dentists, cancer and heart specialist are found in Kampala though very few. I do not think Uganda has enough text tile engineers. In every corner of this country, teachers of science subjects and languages are very few. It is common to find one teacher of mathematics teaching in over five schools in a municipality. The same situation applies to the teachers of English, French, Latin, German and Literature.
Many job seekers want to search for the right jobs yet possess irrelevant skills. Those with relevant skills have indeed landed on the right jobs. Others have relevant skills in professions where there is little demand for labour. In such professions, competition for the available jobs is very high.
In some organizations, an employee must retire or die first so that a vacancy is created for a new entrant. It is in such professions where labour is cheap and employers exploit this situation to their advantage. Job seekers do not have bargaining power and are compelled by the circumstances to accept any salary offer. Job seekers do not ask for the right jobs instead they ask for any jobs available, thereby exposing their desperation and frustration to the employer.
Employers have also complained of the poor work ethics of most professionals. Having the right academic qualifications in a highly competitive field does not mean automatic employment. Core human values expected of an employee play an important role in increasing employment opportunities. These include honesty, sense of responsibility, temperance and prudence. There is an increasing demand for these values by employers. Unfortunately, very few job seekers possess them.
Today jobseekers plan for which type of car to buy and the size of the house they will construct before they start earning. When their first job cannot enable them meet these needs, they resort to stealing from the organization. I have not found any employer who can tolerate such intolerable behaviour. Many of these job seekers change jobs time and again because they are never contented and are regularly fired. It is common to find a CV showing regular change of jobs as if the job seeker is an organizational tourist.
It is important to acknowledge the fact that demand for certain skills and professions is ever increasing in Uganda. The youth should be taught this fact at an early age so that they prepare for them. Parents should also be sensitized about the available jobs so that they prepare their children for those jobs.
There is need to improve on the rural infrastructure especially roads, electricity, hospitals and schools to attract young graduates.
Ethics should be taught right from primary education to university. An accomplished professional graduate should differentiate between good and bad actions. Job seekers should therefore be able to appreciate utilitarianism and Kantian categorical imperativism as important approaches to responsible living.
International Human resource Consultant
I recently watched a conference proceeding in which one consultant told youths that there are no jobs in Uganda. He concurred with many people who believe that the highest level of unemployment in Uganda is due to lack of jobs. I think this is a misconception about job scarcity, and offers no career direction to the millions of youths still in schools and colleges. There are many jobs in Uganda for people with relevant skills.
The Biblical saying that ‘the harvest is rich but labourers are few,’ Luke, 10:2 is very fundamental in examining unemployment problem in Uganda. There is no single moment in time when labour was sufficient in Uganda. This is even manifested by the outcry of government about lack of enough doctors in the county. Taking a deductive approach, one can observe that there is not enough number of gaenacologists in the country. Dentists, cancer and heart specialist are found in Kampala though very few. I do not think Uganda has enough text tile engineers. In every corner of this country, teachers of science subjects and languages are very few. It is common to find one teacher of mathematics teaching in over five schools in a municipality. The same situation applies to the teachers of English, French, Latin, German and Literature.
Many job seekers want to search for the right jobs yet possess irrelevant skills. Those with relevant skills have indeed landed on the right jobs. Others have relevant skills in professions where there is little demand for labour. In such professions, competition for the available jobs is very high.
In some organizations, an employee must retire or die first so that a vacancy is created for a new entrant. It is in such professions where labour is cheap and employers exploit this situation to their advantage. Job seekers do not have bargaining power and are compelled by the circumstances to accept any salary offer. Job seekers do not ask for the right jobs instead they ask for any jobs available, thereby exposing their desperation and frustration to the employer.
Employers have also complained of the poor work ethics of most professionals. Having the right academic qualifications in a highly competitive field does not mean automatic employment. Core human values expected of an employee play an important role in increasing employment opportunities. These include honesty, sense of responsibility, temperance and prudence. There is an increasing demand for these values by employers. Unfortunately, very few job seekers possess them.
Today jobseekers plan for which type of car to buy and the size of the house they will construct before they start earning. When their first job cannot enable them meet these needs, they resort to stealing from the organization. I have not found any employer who can tolerate such intolerable behaviour. Many of these job seekers change jobs time and again because they are never contented and are regularly fired. It is common to find a CV showing regular change of jobs as if the job seeker is an organizational tourist.
It is important to acknowledge the fact that demand for certain skills and professions is ever increasing in Uganda. The youth should be taught this fact at an early age so that they prepare for them. Parents should also be sensitized about the available jobs so that they prepare their children for those jobs.
There is need to improve on the rural infrastructure especially roads, electricity, hospitals and schools to attract young graduates.
Ethics should be taught right from primary education to university. An accomplished professional graduate should differentiate between good and bad actions. Job seekers should therefore be able to appreciate utilitarianism and Kantian categorical imperativism as important approaches to responsible living.
ORGANIZATIONAL RECORDS CAN BE PROTECTED FROM HACKERS
By Everest Turyahikayo, Kampala
There have been reports in the media that USA has lost the most sensitive and classified information to hackers. Such an unfortunate incidence happened at a high profile level to a country popular for its modern technology and powerful security mechanisms. However, it is not an isolated incidence as such problems have been reported in organizations especially banks losing billions of money to hackers.
Organizations survive because of the records they possess. Such records can be kept in both electronic and the traditional way of keeping hard copy documents. Records are as important to the organizations as the engine to the motor vehicle. Without records, organizational survival cannot be guaranteed. Organizational secrets pertaining to unique technologies, indigenous and modern knowledge, information about the foreseen risks in the business enterprise, strategies of how to face uncertainties, information about details of employees, work plans of how to excel beyond competitors; and information about the comparative advantages are all kept in records. This makes organizational records the most important resource of organizations. Whenever new managers are hired they have to study past failures and success of the entire organization using records as the most reliable source of the information.
If any desired change is to be introduced for the good of the organization, Chief Executive Officers justify such a change basing on the information available in records. Hacking into such records undresses the entire organization of its important capital and leaves it vulnerable to crucifixion by the competitors. It is painful to inject lots of money in technology development and design of strategies for expansion at the international level, only to find that another organization robbed you of such resources through hackers.
Some hackers are employees of the victim organizations while others are hired as IT consultants on short term basis-ranging from few hours to weeks. Many organizations prefer hiring computer technicians and systems administrators on a temporary basis. Their nature of work requires installing software, computer repairs and maintenance, all of which can be done occasionally. These professionals access data freely whenever hired by organizations. Unfortunately, most organizations lack systems in place to monitor and supervise short term contractors.
Most of the organizations’ records are left to the hands of these outsiders who cannot be subjected to the disciplinary instruments of the client organizations; leave a lone the absence of contracts of engagement. In spite of the fact that some countries including Uganda have laws to safeguard records and access to information, implementing such a law is difficult. Hackers are aware of such a law and so try to hack data in a very sophisticated style making it impossible to surrender them to the law.
The following measures can be put in place to stop hackers from accessing organizations’ records.
• There is need for every organization to develop and implement records and information management policy. Such a policy should include among other aspects, ethical conduct in records management, records security systems, data backup and adherence to confidentiality. Such a policy should be updated from time to time. This will help organizations to keep pace with modern best practices in records and information management.
• Employers should recruit highly qualified records officers who should be well motivated and regularly trained. Constant supervision and monitoring of records officers will help organizations to detect any misdeed in its early stages.
• It is important that every organization recruits well qualified computer specialists. These professionals should be in position to supervise short term contractors. Quarterly reports should be submitted to the departmental heads in respect of the progress and status of the records management.
The author is and International Human resource Consultant
There have been reports in the media that USA has lost the most sensitive and classified information to hackers. Such an unfortunate incidence happened at a high profile level to a country popular for its modern technology and powerful security mechanisms. However, it is not an isolated incidence as such problems have been reported in organizations especially banks losing billions of money to hackers.
Organizations survive because of the records they possess. Such records can be kept in both electronic and the traditional way of keeping hard copy documents. Records are as important to the organizations as the engine to the motor vehicle. Without records, organizational survival cannot be guaranteed. Organizational secrets pertaining to unique technologies, indigenous and modern knowledge, information about the foreseen risks in the business enterprise, strategies of how to face uncertainties, information about details of employees, work plans of how to excel beyond competitors; and information about the comparative advantages are all kept in records. This makes organizational records the most important resource of organizations. Whenever new managers are hired they have to study past failures and success of the entire organization using records as the most reliable source of the information.
If any desired change is to be introduced for the good of the organization, Chief Executive Officers justify such a change basing on the information available in records. Hacking into such records undresses the entire organization of its important capital and leaves it vulnerable to crucifixion by the competitors. It is painful to inject lots of money in technology development and design of strategies for expansion at the international level, only to find that another organization robbed you of such resources through hackers.
Some hackers are employees of the victim organizations while others are hired as IT consultants on short term basis-ranging from few hours to weeks. Many organizations prefer hiring computer technicians and systems administrators on a temporary basis. Their nature of work requires installing software, computer repairs and maintenance, all of which can be done occasionally. These professionals access data freely whenever hired by organizations. Unfortunately, most organizations lack systems in place to monitor and supervise short term contractors.
Most of the organizations’ records are left to the hands of these outsiders who cannot be subjected to the disciplinary instruments of the client organizations; leave a lone the absence of contracts of engagement. In spite of the fact that some countries including Uganda have laws to safeguard records and access to information, implementing such a law is difficult. Hackers are aware of such a law and so try to hack data in a very sophisticated style making it impossible to surrender them to the law.
The following measures can be put in place to stop hackers from accessing organizations’ records.
• There is need for every organization to develop and implement records and information management policy. Such a policy should include among other aspects, ethical conduct in records management, records security systems, data backup and adherence to confidentiality. Such a policy should be updated from time to time. This will help organizations to keep pace with modern best practices in records and information management.
• Employers should recruit highly qualified records officers who should be well motivated and regularly trained. Constant supervision and monitoring of records officers will help organizations to detect any misdeed in its early stages.
• It is important that every organization recruits well qualified computer specialists. These professionals should be in position to supervise short term contractors. Quarterly reports should be submitted to the departmental heads in respect of the progress and status of the records management.
The author is and International Human resource Consultant
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)