Read all about it right here! The crazy goings-on at Abu Dhabi Wankers' Camp ... er, sorry - Abu Dhabi Women's College!

Friday, May 28, 2010

The Claw!

The odious specimen of management excreta pictured alongside is (un)popularly known as 'The Claw'. Her full name - and it is a mouthful - is actually Christine Luscombe-Whyte, and she has proved herself to be a rather talentless and trigger-happy upper-class anachronism at HCT.

Her academic achievement are few, having left school back in 1964 with unimpressive qualifications, and not gaining her first (and only) degree until 2000. The reason why the loathsome Luscombe-Shyte has attained such a high position in the HCT heirarchy owes more to her contacts - wasta - than her abilities and her qualifications. Hence the name of 'The Claw', due to her ability to claw her way up.

Another theory suggests that it relates to the harsh, clawing sound of the wind passing through her teeth as she lies through them, which is one of her habitual modes of engagement. Or probably it's something to do with that RP voice, the upper class knife-grinding machine, which probably leaves a lot of local people impressed, but leaves others feeling like they have clawed by a rake. Ouch!!

After starting her career many years ago at Dubai Women's college she moved on to RAK, where she claimed to have been Director, and a PhD holder to boot! There she proved to be as popular as dogshit, and she was later sent to ADWC, to spread her particular brand of fear and loathing in her twilight years.

Her management approach appears to be inspired by either Taylor or McGregor. Taylor atempted to reduce or remove the factor of human variability in employment, ensuring that workers were treated as machines rather than human beings with active minds. Sound familiar?

As for McGregor, wikipedia reports thus:

Theory X
In this theory, which has been proven counter-effective in most modern practice, management assumes employees are inherently lazy and will avoid work if they can and that they inherently dislike work. As a result of this, management believes that workers need to be closely supervised and comprehensive systems of controls developed. A hierarchical structure is needed with narrow
span of control at each and every level. According to this theory, employees will show little ambition without an enticing incentive program and will avoid responsibility whenever they can. According to Michael J. Papa, if the organizational goals are to be met, theory X managers rely heavily on threat and coercion to gain their employee's compliance. Beliefs of this theory lead to mistrust, highly restrictive supervision, and a punitive atmosphere. The Theory X manager tends to believe that everything must end in blaming someone. He or she thinks all prospective employees are only out for themselves. Usually these managers feel the sole purpose of the employee's interest in the job is money. They will blame the person first in most situations, without questioning whether it may be the system, policy, or lack of training that deserves the blame. A Theory X manager believes that his or her employees do not really want to work, that they would rather avoid responsibility and that it is the manager's job to structure the work and energize the employee.

Well, if that ain't The Claw, I'm Poodle Pelham's lapdog!

Mercifully, given the old dragon's advancing years, she will not be around these parts to inflict her particular style of mismanagement practice for much longer. But for some of us, her departure can't come soon enough!

Toodle-pip, old girl!

Coming next: a double-header - the gruesome twosome, Dimbo AND Miss Piggy!