Thursday, April 30, 2009
Office Tigers.
The documentary "Office Tigers" is an intriguing look into the world of outsourcing American companies to countries that offer better work for less money. The work ethic of Office Tigers is mesmerizing. Due to the time difference between India and their New York based companies, the operation is literally 24/7 job. The interesting part of this is that the employees do not mind in the least. In fact, one worker said he was honored that he worked a twenty hour day. In the States, if an employee worked a twenty hour day, he or she would want overtime and two or three days off. But in India, they don't seem to mind and come back into work the next day on time ready to put in another twenty hour day. The doors never lock at Office Tigers because someone is always there working and meeting a deadline. I cannot think of a company here that has such a phenomenal work ethic. The employees work for money and money only it seems. When Seth asked if they were working to move up in the world, doing it for pride, or doing it for money, they all chose money. With a video workplace ethnography, the researcher can choose what clips are put into the documentary. This allows the researcher to be able to portray the participants in anyway he or she wants. Joe, for example, comes off as a know-it-all, slave-driving boss only concerned with results rather than the morale of his workers. He has been in India for 6 years and still lives in the same hotel room that he rented during his first weeks in the country. Seth comes across as someone who is not necessarily happy with his current position and takes it out on the employees at times. When Seth asked the employee to name someone with great leadership skills. The employee named Hitler. If you take away the genocide and pure evil, Hitler did rally a country out of a depression and united millions of Germans. Seth demeans the employee the employee and explains that his family suffered because of the Nazis. I believe this was unfair. The employee does not know the significance of what he said because he probably did not experience the problem first hand. Granted, what the employee said probably hurt Seth, but he did not have the right to go off on him like that. Joe and Seth are two examples of how the documentary maker can portray the participants in any light.
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ReplyDeleteAbout the employee who mentioned Hitler: Sure, I can see how someone is absolutely entitled to his opinion. But Office Tigers appears like it has a lot of overseas dealings: it is an international company. Therefore, one who works at an international company, and has dealings with people from around the world, may do well to be better informed about how some events and individuals have affected others. What if a client from say, Israel, or a Hassidic Jewish community learned that there were Hitler "admirers" at Office Tigers--it is possible that that could disrupt their business relations. It's possible. I mean, you saw how Lonnie had to try and placate a client over language difficulties! If one's native language or accent can put off clients, what could a comment about Hitler possibly do...?
ReplyDeleteBut equally, it is just as important that people who are NOT [Hitler admirers] likewise respect those that have a different opinions. You cannot tell someone how to think, Seth.
And I feel it would have been much more appropriate if Seth had said, "okay" and moved on. If that employee's comment really made him uncomfortable as his reaction showed, it would have been more appropriate, especially as one of the bosses, to pull the employee aside after the meeting was dismissed to have any further words and comments, and resolve any lingering loose ends.