Do Top Executives and Senior Managers Need Lectures on Work Ethics?

Do Top Executives and Senior Managers Need Lectures on Work Ethics?

Published on November 2, 2019

Status is online Ali Mansouri Writer, Researcher, Consultant “The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits.” – Albert Einstein Some time ago, A’Sharqiyah University in Oman organized a lecture on work ethics for its top executives and senior managers. Many of these executives and senior managers did not

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attend this lecture; maybe because they thought it was a waste of time and money. As the picture above shows, the lecture hall was almost empty. Hamed Al-Hajri (Assistant VC) on the front row was playing with his mobile phone. He always does that exactly like his boss, Abood Al-Sawafi (former VC). Never have I seen such top executives who do not show respect to anybody, anywhere!

Let us read what A’Sharqiyah University says about its lecture on work ethics: “ASU, in association with the Institute of Public Administration, has organized a lecture titled (Work Ethics), which was held at the main hall on ASU campus in the presence of Prof.

Fouad Chedid Acting Vice-Chancellor of the University. The lecture was presented by Dr. Sheikh / Sulaiman bin Hilal AL Alawi Advisor of Board of Directors Institute of Public Administration for Scientific Affairs, in which he spoke about the system of values and religious beliefs, social and moral values in work environment. The lecturer pointed out that the work ethic is characterized by an administrative role and an effective means to achieve the objectives for which the organizations established the success of the institutional formation, which depends on the nature of integration in the relations between different administrative levels. The lecture was attended by a number of university employees from the administrative and academic bodies.” (A’Sharqiyah Website) As you can see, the statement is written in weak, broken English as is the case with all the documents of A’Sharqiyah University because incompetent, unqualified and ignorant people control everything and dominate the scene.

The question which arises now is: Do we really need to organize a lecture on work ethics for top and senior managers or is it just a smokescreen to deceive the Ministry of Higher Education and the public?

These top and senior managers are supposed to have climbed the educational and career ladder step by step and on every step, they went through a rigorous process of vetting in. This includes, among other things, the mastery and demonstration of work ethics in practice more than in theory.

Abood Al-Sawafi and Hamed Al-Hajri have destroyed A’Sharqiyah University in Oman in an unbelievable way and have set up very bad examples of top managers. They have violated all the basic principles, conventions, regulations, laws, and bylaws of higher education in Oman and the world. They should be exposed and stand trial for their corruption, incompetence, ruthlessness, and recklessness. They do not need any lecture on work ethics. So what did they do?

Let us start with a working definition of Work Ethics.

Work Ethics: Simple Definition In general terms, work ethics refers to a system of guiding principles and moral values that guide employees in carrying out their jobs effectively, efficiently, and morally. These principles and moral values are to be consistent with the universal system of human values.

They involve the right moral choices and the characteristics of a good employee as a human being.

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Work ethics thus refer to how people feel about their jobs or careers, so these ethics cover their attitudes and behaviors. They also cover how they do their job and how they carry out the responsibilities attached to it, the level of respect you show your colleagues and the people you come into contact with at work, and how you communicate and interact with them. In other words, it is a set of sound professional guidelines and moral principles that an employee uses in the performance of his job.

We will now deal briefly with the main set of moral values and principles that make up the concept of work ethics.

1. Integrity Integrity is the practice of being honest, loyal to the organization, and showing sound judgment and consistent adherence to strong moral principles and values in the performance of your job. It is the hallmark of a person who demonstrates sound moral and ethical principles at work. Maintaining integrity at work is crucial for employees at all levels, but especially as they continue to move up the ladder. Having integrity helps foster an open and positive work environment and an ethical approach to decision-making. Integrity consists of a subset of values and principles the most important of which are: honesty, loyalty, reliability, and good judgment.

Integrity should permeate every aspect of the job, from how an employee deals with his clients to how he treats his co-workers and superiors. It means doing the right things, at all times, even if no one is watching. Its greatest impact is seen in the employee’s relationships with the people around him. This is why integrity is seen as one of the most important ingredients of Trust. ·

Honesty

This is the core value of work ethics; all the other values and elements are based upon it. In ethics, integrity is regarded as the honesty and truthfulness of the actions taken by the employer, executive, and employee.

The adage: “Honesty is the best policy” is still valid nowadays in life, in business, and in higher education. Without honesty, a person is not trustworthy as he always tells lies, cheats, and deceives all those who come into contact with him. Honesty and trust are central to integrity. Acting with honor and truthfulness are also basic principles in a person with integrity. People who demonstrate integrity draw others to them because they are trustworthy and dependable. They are principled and you can count on them to behave in honorable ways even when no one is watching their performance. They form the core of the reliable workforce of the company or the organization. ·

Loyalty

Employee loyalty to the company or organization refers to dedicated employees who devote their work time and energy to the growth of their company and consider being an employee of the organization as in their best interest. Loyal employees take pride in their work and boost the productivity of the company. Such employees are faithful to the organization; possess strong feelings of diligence and responsibility. Loyal employees not only always show their best potential in the organization, but always plan to stay longer in the company.

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Employee loyalty is a two-way process. If an employer expects an employee to be loyal then the employer himself needs to serve the employee with equally trustworthy means.

Employees with integrity take it for granted that they do not work for individuals. They work for their college or university or organization in an honest and dedicated manner. Hence; their loyalty is for the organization with which they have signed the work contract. Their loyalty can never be for the direct or indirect boss who may be an incompetent, reckless, and corrupt executive or senior managers like Abood Al-Sawafi and Hamed Al-Hajri. ¡

Reliability

Employee Reliability is the quality of being trustworthy and performing the tasks of the job assigned to him/her consistently well.

Reliability is essential to an employee’s performance. Reliability consists of the extent to which an employee may be counted on to do what is assigned to him. For example, a reliable employee is one who shows up for work on time and is prepared to complete his work in a timely manner. He is trustworthy and reliable.

Employees with integrity follow through on their commitments. They always demonstrate trustworthiness and avoid over-promising. If they are unable to complete a task or meet a deadline, they will let others know as quickly as possible and explain their position. If they are trusted with personal or professional information, they respect it as long as it is within the law and the regulations.

Reliable employees demonstrate integrity and also draw others to them because they are trustworthy and dependable. They are principled and you can count on them to behave in honest ways even when no one is watching them.

Reliability; however, is not limited to the employees of the organization. The top management and line managers need also to be reliable in the performance evaluation and the management process. Employees must perceive that the performance evaluation is a reliable indicator of their actual performance and that incentives and other measures are directly tied to performance. When an employee perceives unfairness in the performance management process and believes that he is not rewarded for his work or is not treated fairly in spite of his excellent performance, he is less likely to stay committed to the organization and his reliability may be compromised. Conversely, if the employee perceives that the process is fair and reliable, he may be motivated to perform at a higher level in order to achieve rewards and recognition. ¡

Good Judgment

Good judgment includes considering the consequences of one's decisions, thinking before acting and speaking and having the tools to make good decisions in a variety of situations.

The top executives and senior managers appointed to lead the organization should exhibit good judgment across a whole range of important decisions affecting the employees and the strategic goals of the organization. Sound judgment is essential and is perhaps one of the most crucial assets required of a leader or top executive.

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One of the key drivers in making decisions and exercising good judgment is the individual’s own set of values, that being a set of deeply held beliefs about what is good, right and appropriate. These values are deep-seated and remain fairly constant over time, guiding the individual’s daily actions.

Values tend to lie underneath and ultimately steer the leaders’ and senior managers’ agendas; everyone has various subsets of values. When it comes to leadership and good judgment, we can look at two subsets of values: those that guide someone towards acting to pursue their own selfish interests and personal gains, and those that guide someone more towards pursuing a collective interest.

A leader's most important role in any organization is making good judgments—wellinformed, wise decisions that produce the desired outcomes. When a leader consistently shows good judgment, little else matters. Ultimately, it is the leader's judgment that will be decisive in the organization's success or failure.

2. Professionalism There are many different jobs people may take up in their working lives, each requiring a different set of skills and subskills. All of these jobs have one thing in common: in order for anyone to succeed and move ahead, he needs to demonstrate professionalism.

Professionalism means doing the job with integrity, accountability, and excellence. It means communicating effectively and appropriately and always finding a way to be productive.

A professional is a member of a profession characterized by a specified professional activity.

The term also describes the standards of education and training that prepare members of the profession with the particular knowledge and skills necessary to perform their jobs within that profession. In addition, most professionals are subject to strict codes of conduct, enshrining rigorous ethical and moral obligations. Professional standards of practice and ethics for a particular field are typically agreed upon and maintained through widely recognized professional associations and syndicates.

Professionalism is not one thing; it is a combination of qualities. A professional employee arrives on time for work and manages time effectively. Professional workers take responsibility for their own actions and work effectively with others. High quality work standards, honesty, and integrity are also part of the package. Professionalism leads to workplace success, a strong professional reputation and a high level of work ethic and excellence.

When the employee or the senior manager arrives late for work or meetings, it gives the impression that he does not care about his job and, if it affects them, it is like saying he does not value their time. It is essential for all employees and senior managers to show up at least a few minutes before they are supposed to start work and return from their breaks on time.

Professionalism thus encompasses a number of different attributes, and, together, these attributes identify and define a professional. The main attributes are specialized knowledge and skills, competency, integrity and honesty, accountability, and self-regulation.

3. Discipline Page 5 of 14

Workplace policies are created to guide all employees on best practices for everything from conduct to dress code. Policies enable employees and senior managers to make informed decisions based on the organization’s values and objectives Work ethics are something that emanates from within. The organization can tell its employees to do this and that, be like this and like that, over and over, but if they do not have enough self- discipline to adhere to the rules and follow through with their performance, then there is no way that they can become the productive employees that the company wants. Discipline involves focus, dedication, and determination on the employee’s part to do what is required of him to do.

The purpose of a disciplinary policy in a company or an organization is not to justify involuntary terminations but to develop and implement disciplinary and corrective-action for a variety of reasons, ranging from instructing proper workplace processes to deciding who gets promoted from within. Disciplinary review and corrective-action policies provide workplace structure. They establish guidelines for employee’s performance and behavior and add an essential component to the overall management system. Disciplinary reviews and corrective actions enforce workplace guidelines contained in employee handbooks, standard operating procedures, and employment agreements. Merely outlining workplace policies is not enough; management must consistently discipline employees who fail to adhere to them.

Discipline helps employees improve their performance. In some cases, employees are unaware of behavior and actions that prevent them from achieving acceptable performance levels. The purpose of workplace discipline is to alert employees to their behavior and actions and help them understand how these inhibit performance and productivity. The disciplinary review is an appropriate method for supervisors to use when correcting employees' misdeeds and helping them attain performance levels that meet employers' expectations. In this scenario, workplace discipline is a teaching and improvement tool. It is not there just to terminate the work contracts of employees or to be used as an unfair tool to get rid of even excellent employees just because they have different opinions or suggest new ways of getting things done. This is exactly what Abood Al-Sawafi and Hamed Al-Hajri have always done at A’Sharqiyah University in Oman. They have always used the University’s policies and regulations to fabricate behaviors and actions against their employees, even the excellent ones, just to get rid of them because they stand on their way of forgery, thievery, fraud, and corruption.

4. Respect Building a culture of respect in the workplace can be a powerful source of benefits for the organization, for the employees, and for the senior and top managers. It is a two-way street of ensuring employees respect the organization, and allowing employees to feel their work is valued and recognized by their superiors.

The best way to build a positive workplace culture of respect and productivity is to break the mold. This means that the top management should not rely on the top-down approach to policy and procedural change. Every employee has the potential to give positive suggestions for change in the company or organization. Senior managers and top executives need to be receptive to feedback from their employees as this receptive attitude gives the organization flexibility needed to enact changes without resistance. This stimulates creativity and Page 6 of 14

innovation, brings out the best in the employees at all levels and specializations, and ultimately, boosts the bottom line.

A respectful workplace is one where employees find themselves more engaged and productive even when there are times when the workplaces may see some conflicts, misunderstanding, lack of attendance and low productivity. All these negative aspects can be solved in peace and harmony if there is a high level of respect between the employees and their leaders in the company or organization. Things can be sorted out without much fuss and chaos. Respect is thus highly essential in the workplace as it improves the environment in which we are working. Mutual respect and understanding also mean that senior managers and top leaders do not discriminate against some employees on the basis of nationality, religion, race, ethnicity, or color. There is no sign of prejudice or racism.

Respect at work can also boost productivity as employees do not have time for problems or petty ideas and disputes. They will focus on finishing their assignments and the tasks of the job. This will definitely help the organization improve significantly over time and move smoothly towards its strategic goals.

One of the best ways to spread a culture of respect and cooperation within the organization is by being polite and considerate to one another. It is very impolite for senior managers and top executives like Abood Al-Sawafi and Hamed Al-Hajri to be arrogant and treat their employees with disdain, especially when they go to see them for official business. They keep even the professors waiting at the door of their offices before they see or meet them. This happens even when they themselves ask to see the professors to do or discuss something with them.

Executives and senior managers with work ethics always show respect for the people around them, no matter what their role or situation. They exhibit a high degree of emotional intelligence by considering the emotions and needs of others, they are honest and respect their employees and all the people they come into contact with.

Regardless of how great the working environment may be, there will certainly be times when an employee may not agree with someone else’s opinion or a useless idea suggested by the boss or top management. In these cases, it is still important to be respectful of this employee and listen to what he has to say. Respectful individuals are tolerant of people’s differences and understanding of conflicting points of view.

5. Time Management The concept of Time management in the workplace is quite simple and straightforward. We should use our time wisely, effectively, and efficiently to meet our daily obligations and achieve the strategic goals of the organization. In a higher education institution, there are urgent tasks or duties like teaching students as per the class schedules, proctoring exams, tests, and quizzes, and doing the marking of the exam papers. These activities are urgent matters that need not be postponed or left undone unless there are more urgent activities that may happen all of a sudden and affect their implementation. This requires creating a positive environment conducive to efficiency and effectiveness, setting priorities, and implementing the short-term, medium-term, and long-term goals of the organization. This also necessitates that the workers and the management need to be punctual, maintain a good attendance record, observe deadlines, and coordinate the timetables of activities and setting up priorities.

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Never have I seen disrespect to the concept of Time Management as I have seen at A’Sharqiyah University in Oman. Time is used unwisely in very foolish and unproductive ways and activities. While we are in the middle of the preparations for the mid-term and final exams, we receive an email from Abood Al-Sawafi (former VC) asking us for a meeting of the University Council or a trivial meeting to discuss how we can enhance the partnership with the industry in A’Sharqiyah region though he knows and we all know very well that there is not a single factory in the region; it is just a rural area made up of isolated villages and there is no industrial basis for such a partnership! Another case of the unwise use of time is when Hamed Al-Hajri (Assistant VC) organizes a trivial activity for which he has built (tents!) on the campus and brings “poets”, camels and dancing groups from outside the University. He instructs all the teachers and students to attend the activity in spite of the fact that there are classes and mid-term exams to attend to. The HR department at A'Sharqiyah University is the worst department in the world in the use of the concept of time management. For them, time management means wasting the time of the teachers and employees in filling out forms after forms requiring academic information which they already have in their archives or asking for personal information which has nothing to do with the job or employment at the University. Every day we used to receive an email from Husain Al-Azri (former Deputy of HR) requiring us to fill out forms about the academic qualifications, annual tickets, residence address, the number of hours we teach, and so on and so forth. All the emails are always accompanied by disgusting threats: either you fill the form and send it back by the return email or else you will be severely punished as if they were talking to children, not to university professors. This is the most disgusting time management you can ever find in a higher education institution anywhere in the world.

Corruption: Zero Work Ethics Corrupt officials like Abood Al-Sawafi and Hamed Al-Hajri have zero work ethics. This is quite understandable. If they had work ethics, they would not have been corrupt.

Abood Al-Sawafi and Hamed Al-Hajri are two corrupt senior executives who are corrupt and wicked in every way imaginable. They lack integrity. They are dishonest in everything they say or do. They are cheats and big liars. They deceive everyone for their own personal gains and they tell lies all the time. They are disloyal to A’Sharqiyah university. They are loyal to the Devil and to their selfish interests. They steal money from the students, the University, the Ministry of Higher Education, and even from their own loyal employees. They are villains.

They indulge in a very unprofessional behavior of deception, cheating, and lying, especially to the University teachers, students and members of staff. They never give correct and accurate information to the Ministry of Higher Education, the Board of Directors or the Board of Trustees. They do not respect teachers and never honor the work contracts they themselves have signed on behalf of the University. For them, work ethics and the qualities of honesty, fairness, and justice do not exist in their lives or the workplace they manage. They are crooked and prepared to deal with the Devil for their own selfish gains. Abood Al-Sawafi (former VC) and Hamed Al-Hajri (Assistant VC) have created a toxic work environment unprecedented in any higher education institution in the world.

The following are some of the actions and behaviors that prove, beyond doubt, that Abood Al-Sawafi and Hamed Al-Hajri are two villains who know nothing about work ethics. All the documents and official letters are found at A’Sharqiyah University and in the Ibra Courts in Oman.

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· Abood Al-Sawafi signed a work contract with the former Director of the Language Center and Foundation Program for the academic year 2014-2015. There were six months left before the end of the contract when Abood Al-Sawafi issued a university directive No. 50 to move the former Director of the Language Center and Foundation Program and replace him by an unqualified teacher who does not know his head from his bottom! Abood Al-Sawafi asked the Director to form a team to do the course descriptions of the academic programs for a new college to be named “College of Arts and Humanities”. The Director worked very hard with his team for about two months and submitted his completed documents of course descriptions. Instead of keeping his word, Abood Al-Sawafi terminated the work contract of the Director. Abood Al-Sawafi has proved himself as a man without a word and without honor. · After almost a year since the end of the working relationship between the Former Director and A’Sharqiyah University, Abood Al-Sawafi and Hamed Al-Hajri posted an advertisement in a local Arabic newspaper claiming that the former director, who was a professor, “has run away from work and no one should employ him.”! How dare you? Even the prostitutes would not do what Abood Al-Sawafi and Hamed Al-Hajri have done!

They should be ashamed of themselves. · Imagine yourself a university professor and your work relationship with your university has officially ended and you have an official letter from the university itself to this effect.

Then after a year, they put an ad on a local newspaper with your picture on it saying “this worker has run away from the university and should not be given work by another employer” as if the university professor were a manual worker working on a farm! This is really insulting and very offensive to all university professors and educators and to the higher education system in Oman and the world. They should pay a heavy price for what they have done. · Abood Al-Sawafi and Hamed Al-Hajri have done that to the former director just because the man was doing his job honestly and diligently and he stood against their forgery, thievery, fraud, and corruption. When Abood Al-Sawafi has forged his son’s grades (Salem Al-Sawafi), the former Director caught him red-handed and reported him to the Board of Directors and Board of Trustees. · There is a great deal of forgery and deception that have been going on since Abood AlSawafi and Hamed Al-Hajri were appointed as top executives at A’Sharqiyah University.

There has been massive forgery of students’ grades, employees’ salaries, purchase receipts and documents, teachers’ qualifications, tuition fees, numbers of students at the colleges, HR documents, financial statements and bank accounts, salaries and bonuses of Abood Al-Sawafi and Hamed Al-Hajri and their relatives working at the University - almost everything! 

Abood Al-Sawafi used to go on expensive, luxurious, and useless trips around the world at the expense of A’Sharqiyah University wasting the shareholders’ money as well as the public money. He used to take some members of the Board of Directors and Board of Trustees on these trips as a way of “bribing” them to keep them silent and to be complacent about his corruption.

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Teachers are required by arbitrary instructions from Abood Al-Sawafi and Hamed AlHajri to work from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. or even 9 p.m. non-stop in violation of Oman Labor Law. Page 9 of 14

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Teachers and employees are not allowed to leave the campus for whatever reason even if they do not have any lessons or lectures or feel sick.

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Teachers are required to teach between 20 to 25 classroom hours and sometimes up to 30 teaching hours without any overtime or compensation of any sort. This does not happen even in primary schools!

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Teachers’ offices are unreasonably crowded creating a very unhealthy environment for the teachers who pass their “infectious” diseases to one another.

These offices, especially for the Foundation Program Teachers, are too small like pigeonholes where teachers can hardly move. And because of the long hours of work, most teachers suffer from depression, heart diseases, hepatitis, hemorrhoids, and even mental disorder!

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Many teachers are allocated offices in Porta Cabins that are very dirty and full of insects, rats, scorpions, and snakes!

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Healthcare facilities are almost non-existent on campus. Teachers and students need to arrange to go outside of campus to very poor clinics with very unqualified staff and outdated medical equipment.

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Teachers are low-paid with salaries less than those of cleaners in a modest cleaning company in the capital city. They are “penniless” most of the days of the month whereas the senior managers, like Abood Al-Sawafi (VC) and Hamed Al-Hajri (Assistant VC), get very high salaries for doing almost nothing and come only once a week or even once a month to the University.

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Teachers are constantly abused through stupid, silly, vulgar, and awkward directives from Abood Al-Sawafi, Hamed Al-Hajri, and the Director of the HR department.

Most of these directives are disrespectful and threatening.

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Teachers and other members of staff are tied to the jobs by work contracts and obsolete practices remnants of the slavery practices of the Middle Ages!

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Hamed Al-Hajri (Assistant VC) has been refusing to buy new textbooks for the Foundation Program students in spite of the fact that the University receives the costs of the books from the Ministry of Higher Education and from the self-sponsored students. This has been going on for many years and because of the repeated re-use, the books have become very old, torn-out and unsuitable

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The maximum class size in the original Foundation Program must be no more than 20 students as per the instructions of the Ministry of Higher Education in Oman. But the size of the classes has been increased by Abood Al-Sawafi and Hamed Al-Hajri to more than 35 or even more making the program a real joke --a mere waste of time and money.

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All the international requirements and benchmarks have been canceled by Abood AlSawafi and Hamed Al-Hajri. The benchmarks are now “absolute zero”: no TOEFL, no

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IELTS, no Cambridge Certificate, no ICDL, no IC3 – nothing at all! What is the worth of a program or a degree without any international benchmarks? 

There are many teachers, especially in the Foundation Program, who do not follow the official timing of lessons or lectures. They come late to classes and leave after teaching for a short time; maybe 20 minutes or 30 minutes instead of the official timing of 100 minutes! Others skip lessons without being held accountable. In spite of that, their work contracts are renewed every year because they pay bribes to Hamed Al-Hajri and the HR Director.

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Instead of teaching the language skills using very relevant and attractively designed books from international publishers, Abood Al-Sawafi and Hamed Al-Hajri have decided to use only one book. They replaced the Foundation Program Syllabus approved by the Oman Ministry of Higher Education with a very weak syllabus lower than that of an intermediate school—just to make more money.

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The healthcare insurance offered by A’Sharqiyah University is very weak. It excludes from the medical coverage a large number of illnesses and diseases, and it excludes even the costs of the consultation and the medical tests for these diseases.

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There is no educational planning and no link or connections with the job market.

Because of the incompetence and corruption of Abood Al-Sawafi and Hamed AlHajri, A’Sharqiyah University now offers its students worthless pieces of paper called “degrees” and “certificates”. Instead of graduating qualified and skilled human resources badly needed for the development of the country, they add more unemployable young men and women.

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Because they are unqualified, incompetent and corrupt, you find Abood Al-Sawafi and Hamed Al-Hajri very impolite, vulgar and uncivilized. They cannot stand any disagreement or argument. Because Abood Al-Sawafi and Hamed Al-Hajri are sick and used to be slaves, they treat the teachers and other employees like slaves or puppets! They, mistakenly, think that they “own” you as long as they pay you a salary.

You feel humiliated and insulted when you talk to them or deal with them. And because they are academically and morally bankrupt, they spread a very disgusting culture of fear and hypocrisy.

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There is hardly any freedom of expression, academic or non-academic, of any sort at A’Sharqiyah University because of Abood Al-Sawafi and Hamed Al-Hajri. The moment you disagree with them or you give a different opinion, you should expect your work contract to be terminated or not renewed even if you are right and your opinions are in line with the official standards and guidelines set up by the educational authorities and the organization itself.

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Rules and regulations are essential tools to keep work moving smoothly and without problems. But they do not have to be short-sighted, awkward and stupid. They annoy good employees and drive them crazy. When good employees feel they are being watched for everything by “spies” planted everywhere by Abood Al-Sawafi and Hamed Al-Hajri, they will look for another job. This is one reason for the high rate of turnover among the University staff because of the mismanagement, ill-treatment, and disrespect.

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Abood Al-Sawafi and Hamed Al-Hajri have become “experts” in stifling transparency and fostering a disgusting culture of fear. Transparency has been replaced by what is mistakenly called the “respect" for confidentiality and the "secrets" of the organization, though these so-called “secrets” are merely information and guidelines needed by the teachers and staff to do their job properly. The values of honesty, justice, and fairness have become words difficult to understand, let alone to be practiced. Abood Al-Sawafi and Hamed Al-Hajri would tell you to your face: “We are the decision-makers and we will do what we like.” This is all done in the name of A’Sharqiyah University. Everything is secretive and confidential. They pay only lip-service to the concept of transparency. Most employees do their routine jobs blindly as they are told and many teachers think that their job is just to go to class and teach the textbook and submit the marks the students have got by hook or by crook.

Employees and teachers are too frightened to speak up their minds. Transparency is not something they are after or something they need to worry about, especially when you have impolite and ruthless senior executives like Abood Al-Sawafi and Hamed Al-Hajri who, unashamedly, tell you, “Keep your opinion to yourself. We do not want you to think. We will think for you”! This is a very gloomy picture indeed but it is real and regrettable. The unhealthy environment created by the absence or lack of transparency has given way to backbiting, hypocrisy, and conspiracies among teachers and staff.

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Abood Al-Sawafi and Hamed Al-Hajri have posted everywhere including the Internet many videos and fake pictures intended to deceive the students and their parents.

These videos and pictures do not represent A’Sharqiyah University campus nor do they represent places related to the University in any way. This is a very despicable form of dishonesty and cheating.

· In all documents and websites, A’Sharqiyah University says that “English is the medium of instruction at the University.” according to the University’s charter, laws, and bylaws. It is also the official requirement of the Ministry of Higher Education in Oman as per the Ministerial Decision (78/2009) issued by the Ministry of Higher Education to officially permit A’Sharqiyah University to operate as a higher education provider using English as the medium of instruction. But Hamed Al-Hajri, being in control of everything at the University, has disregarded this official obligation and turned it upside down. He has made Arabic the language of instruction. This is another example of deception and cheating. · University teaching is normally based on sound theories and principles of education.

Books, references and other sources of genuine and original knowledge are used in teaching and research and are made available for teachers and students. This is the case in respected higher education institutions all over the world. This was also the case at A’Sharqiyah University before Abood Al-Sawafi and Hamed Al-Hajri came to take up the highest management jobs in the administration of the University. They canceled the use of books and references for teaching in all college programs and gave awkward instructions to the teachers to use “handouts” instead of books and references. These are tiny handouts made up of a few pages that students are asked to have them photocopied from the original books and references. The students are compelled to pay for all the photocopied materials used in teaching and assignments. These tiny handouts represent an awkward and outdated style of teaching that does not fit modern academic requirements. They are also illegal as per the International Copyright Laws as they are photocopied without any legal permission from their original writers or publishers.

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One day, we were shocked to find out that our students were unable to take their regular lessons, lectures, and practicals in the IT labs for more than two weeks because of Hamed Al-Hajri’s reckless and irresponsible behavior. He leased these IT labs to groups from outside of the University for money that has gone directly into his pocket. This was an illegal act done without permission from the then ViceChancellor or from the Director of the Language Center and Foundation Program, who was in charge of the students’ schedules in the language labs.

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Denying the children and families of the Foundation Program teachers any appropriate medical insurance leaving them exposed to illnesses and diseases. There is no word for this but torture!

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Dealing with the teachers, staff, and students in a vulgar and uncivilized way. They use insulting and threatening styles all the time, turning the University into a labor camp.

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Practicing sexual harassment with female students.

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Abood Al-Sawafi and Hamed Al-Hajri are prepared to deal with the Devil to achieve their personal gains and mislead everyone. They abuse the renewals of work contracts for their corruption and thievery and still claim that it is just a natural process of “fire and hire”. They are academically and morally bankrupt.

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Abood Al-Sawafi and Hamed Al-Hajri use camels’ urine to wash their faces and drink it for divine blessings. They believe in bizarre superstitions that the camels’ urine will give them health and increase their wealth.

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Abood Al-Sawafi and Hamed Al-Hajri know nothing about punctuality. They hardly come on time to work or to meetings. They are almost always late and do not respect those who attend their meetings.

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Both Abood Al-Sawafi and Hamed Al-Hajri behave like children! In all meetings, they play with their mobile phones most of the time making the attendees feel insulted and disrespected. Look at the picture at the top of this article and you will see Hamed Al-Hajri playing with his mobile phone like a child!

The list is endless. There is nothing unethical which Abood Al-Sawafi and Hamed Al-Hajri have not done at A’Sharqiyah University in Oman. It will take thousands and thousands of pages to document everything. There are many other episodes mentioned in some previous article; in particular, the following two articles: 1. “Who Is This Man?”: Implications for the Management of Businesses and Higher Education Institutions” published on October 31, 2018.

2. “Fake Universities and Deception in Higher Education: When Will Hamed Al-Hajri Step Down?!” published on February 20, 2019.

Conclusions

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Abood Al-Sawafi and Hamed Al-Hajri are evil and wicked corrupt senior executives. They are notorious for their unprofessional behaviors of deception, cheating, and lying. They have no integrity or honesty. They are loyal only to themselves and are not trustworthy. They are infamous for their poor judgment and unreliability. They never give correct and accurate information to the Board of Directors and the Board of Trustees or the Ministry of Higher Education. They always fabricate reports about the teachers and employees to eliminate anyone who has the courage to stand on their way of deception, thievery, and corruption.

They renew the work contracts of bad and incompetent teachers in exchange for bribes, sex, and other favors. All documents and official letters about their corruption are found at the archives of A’Sharqiyah University and in the Ibra Courts in Oman.

Abood Al-Sawafi and Hamed Al-Hajri are two villains with no honor. They deceive, cheat, and tell lies all the time. Even the prostitutes have more honor than Abood Al-Sawafi and Hamed Al-Hajri – at least prostitutes are “professionals”!

It is a disgrace for A’Sharqiyah University to keep silent about all the violations and damages inflicted by Abood Al-Sawafi and Hamed Al-Hajri on all the infrastructure and academic aspects of the University. To organize a lecture on work ethics for corrupt top executives and senior managers is merely a smokescreen intended to deceive the public in believing that A’Sharqiyah University cares about work ethics and moral values. Top executives and senior managers like Abood Al-Sawafi and Hamed Al-Hajri do not need lectures on work ethics; they are corrupt down to their nails. They need to be held to account for their bribery, thievery, fraud, and corruption.

Abood Al-Sawafi and Hamed Al-Hajri have destroyed A’Sharqiyah University in Oman beyond repairs and have set up very nasty examples of top managers who are unqualified, incompetent, stupid, merciless, and reckless. They have violated all academic and moral values, basic principles, conventions, regulations, laws, and bylaws of higher education in Oman and the world. They should be exposed and stand trial for their corruption, incompetence, ruthlessness, and recklessness.

Abood Al-Sawafi and Hamed Al-Hajri use camels’ urine to wash their faces and drink it for divine blessings as per their bizarre superstitions. They mistakenly believe that the camels’ urine will give them health and increase their wealth. Do you think that such people with heads full of superstitions and garbage have work ethics and can run a modern, academic institution of higher education like a university?!

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