Re: Bill Gates doesn't want Americans working for him

[Paul Hovnanian P.E.]

Sandlin wrote:
> 
> Yibbels,
>      I read the article, and BG said he can't  find skilled workers in
> the USA.  What about all those unemployed IT peolple whose jobs went
> overseas?  Aren't they skilled?
>    Gates just made another huge error in decision-making in my opinion.

Maybe not. Beyond intelligence and education levels, there may be a good
reason Gates wants (certain) foreign workers. All other things being
equal, many Asian cultures hold rank and hierarchy in a corporation in
much higher regard than Americans (and other western cultures) do. *

Gates may be looking for people that are willing to work for him but not
question his decision making or systems architectures. A combination of
culture and being a contractor that, when out of a job must leave the
USA, makes for employees who will just shut up and code. Americans, on
the other hand, don't hesitate to tell supervisors (or anyone on the
usenet ;-)) that they are full of sh*t. When they have had enough,
they'll just quit and start up a competing company. 



* Back when I worked in the aviation industry, this phenomenon was
identified as a contributing factor in several aircraft accidents
involving Asian airline crews. Co-pilots or ground controllers do not
dare question the authority of the pilot of an aircraft, even if they
spot an error or have a difference of opinion. One incident in
particular was a voice recording of the co-pilot of a Korean 747 trying
to communicate (ineffectively in the end) a problem with glide slope
instrumentation without offending the pilot. All the way into the side
of a hill.  

-- 
Paul Hovnanian     mailto:Paul@Hovnanian.com
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