Using official positions to boost ego and personal interests Wednesday, 28 April 2010 20:34

There are those who occupy decision-making positions, and assume that they are a means for reflecting self-interest, personal opinions, and conducting private dealings. This is especially the case if someone was appointed in a particular post for several years and has established dominance to a degree that the individual’s professional and personal identities merge together.

The institution becomes his/her own private entity, not subject to regulations, laws, or rules, but based on personal temperament, desires, and the extent of satisfaction or displeasure of the applicants, whether they are seeking visas, approvals, licenses, or other transactions.

Sometimes, the position is powerful, controlling thousands or hundreds of applicants.  Other times, the post is small, affecting just dozens but is still able to cause misery, oppression, humiliation, and spew hostility toward those who the post-holder wishes to punish or exact revenge for personal differences.

Those kinds of post-holders enjoying seeing people chase after them, bestowing loyalty, obedience, and reverence. They take pleasure in making fatigued applicant wait for long hours while the post-holder takes personal phone calls, or entertains private guests for non-work related matters. It gives such managers a feeling of importance to see people waiting for their signature or approval of applications, while it is their duty and responsibility to undertake such tasks.

Their conscience is certainly lost when not only delaying the interests of others, but also taking extreme measures to scheme plans of humiliating their personal rivals. Manipulation of such authority causes a deterioration of responsibility, transparency, and ethics.

These types of unethical post-holders misunderstand their position and erroneously believe it to be a personal right rather than a public duty. They fail to comprehend that they are appointed in such positions to facilitate duties, commit to serve applicants, and serve as a reference point to help resolve problems. What is forgotten is that the applicants in these cases are citizens and members of the community, and  the law protects their rights to be served in a responsible manner, regardless of personal prejudices. All applicants should be served equally and respectfully. Personal gain or benefit that may be derived from manipulating authority is against the law, such as prioritizing certain applications over others based on private relationships.

Some exploit the influence that comes with their appointed positions, abusing them as a means to endorse private interests. They direct their authority in such a way to reap greater financial gains, influence, and power, commanding subservience from others. In the absence of ethics, such post-holders assume that they were granted the authority to behave immorally by law. With weak control and lack of oversight, they roam about, directing their tyranny as they wish, without a hint of fear of regulation or persecution for their transgressions.
With time, the post itself transforms, taking on the personality and behaviour of its Director, Chairman, or official. The rules and procedures are changed according to the likes and dislikes of the individual appointed to the position, as if it were her/his own personal property, rather than a post with functions and responsibilities governed by the law.

People come and go but the post is permanent. Without fixed rules, regulations, and respect for the laws, the post is on shaky grounds, depending on the ethics of the post-holder. When rules aren’t in place, or if there is a irreverence towards the law, the personal wills and desires of individuals will take over the post. Quickly, as soon as one post-holder vacates, the institution crumbles down, falling apart, only to be restored by the newcomer, depending on his/her personal code of conduct and whether or not it is aligned with that of the predecessor.

The institution then freezes in time, lagging behind, spider webs entrapping its employees who are discouraged from active participation, closing the doors to negotiation, making it impossible to break free from monopolization.
These types of post-holders exist and are widespread  in institutional bodies, disrupting their development, preventing growth, and transforming them as if they are semi-owned by their officials; without supervision, accountability or auditing of  cases of abuses of influence and power.

Even if administrative hearings brought forth by oppressed employees are conducted, the scope of such attempts is still limited and threatened by elements of corruption, where clusters of decision-makers band together to preserve their interests. As for patrons, there is no means for issuing official complaints about delayed applications or procrastination and neglect. Patrons’ words are inferior and official’s remarks are superior, shaping regulations according to personal interests.

While national officials, civil servants, and ordinary citizens are aware and loyal to their duties, personal interests, influences, and prejudices are unleashed in unregulated transactions, governed only by each individual’s conscience and ethics.

In addition, these individuals do not contain their corruption within the confines of their posts. Instead, it is transferred and, unfortunately, creates a culture of corruption and conspiracy. The philosophy of corruption is spread, polluting institutions in their entirety, raising generations within the same environment, resulting in the perpetuation of unethical behavior. Layers of managers and heads departments emerge, parading their institutions with schemes and tricks, abusing others. Without accountability, they can behave with conviction.
These types of individuals are unaware that regardless of their current authority, power, and the helplessness of those surrounding them, their time is limited. After the curtain rises, modern times catch up with them, the only remnants of their deception will merely be an illusion.

| More...