The members of ProfitNet South Africa in 2009 have some comments and questions for some of those directors, who are:
Professor Robert Taylor,
Leadership Centre, University of KwaZulu-Natal
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Mr. Shaun Gannon
CENTRIM, University of Brighton, UK
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Dr George Tsekouras
CENTRIM, University of Brighton, UK
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WHO PROFITED FROM THE BRITISH COUNCIL'S FUNDING FOR PROFITNET IN SOUTH AFRICA IN 2009?
BECAUSE IT SURE AS HELL WASN'T THE MEMBERS OR THE NEVER-PAID STAFF!
The website is now the property of the much-lied-to 2009 members of ProfitNet South Africa - now the 2010 members of the Business Learning Forum.
We, the 2009 members of ProfitNet South Africa and current members of the BLF hereby express our great concern about the conduct of the directors of ProfitNet South Africa, named above and have the following questions for them:
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TO THE THIEVING CREEP, PROFESSOR ROBERT TAYLOR, ProfitNet, University of KwaZulu-Natal:
Where is the money that was allocated to the continuation of the Pietermaritzburg programme in 2009?
We have copies of written communication from you indicating that one third of the grant given to ProfitNet by the British Council was allocated for the continuation of the 2008 Pietermaritzburg programme in 2009, a sum estimated by yourself to be R180 000.
Not one cent of this money has been directed towards the continuance of the Pietermaritzburg programme.
A 2008 article written by you and still available on the Leadership Centre's website states in reference to the continuation of the ProfitNet programme in South Africa in 2009:
"Profitnet(SA) is to be extended to other centres in South Africa while the operation in Pietermaritzburg is to be expanded next year (i.e. 2009) , when additional funding comes through" ( http://www.leadershipcentre.co.za/content/view/88/)
This commitment was echoed in a UKZN web publication:
(http://www.ukzn.ac.za/ukznonline/V2/22/read%20more/leadership.asp)
So, what did you do with the funding came through Professor Taylor?
Because WE WERE ProfitNet, not just in Pietermaritzburg but in South Africa in 2009 and, as already mentioned (and will continue to mention as far and wide as we can), we didn't get anything at all. Not one cent of that grant from the British Council. So where did all the money go, Professor Taylor?
We are also extremely concerned to note that the project manager, appointed by you and the other directors written confirmation in a document entitled "ProfitNet Agreement", has not received ANY payment since November 2008 and neither did the facilitators of the groups receive any payment from the British Council’s grant.
The project manager has also not received any refund for the expenses she incurred on your behalf in ensuring the successful operation of ProfitNet in Pietermaritzburg, including the costs of the catering, the speakers, equipment and learning materials for over 40 members.
WHERE ARE THOSE CLAIMS AND RECEIPTS THAT WERE SENT TO YOU IN JANUARY 2010 PROFESSOR TAYLOR?
We CAN ONLY ASSUME THAT YOU HAVE STOLEN THOSE RECEIPTS SINCE THEY HAVE NEITHER BEEN RETURNED TO THE PROJECT MANAGER NOR HAVE THE EXPENSES BEEN REFUNDED.
We are sure that you know very well that expense claims may only be lodged by the person who has incurred the expenses. To take those receipts and claim the expenses for yourself is fraudulent.
SO WHERE ARE THE RECEIPTS AND WHY DID YOU DEMAND THEM IF YOU HAD NO INTENTION OF REIMBURSING THE PERSON WHO INCURRED THE EXPENSES?
We understand that you have failed to respond to our project manager’s attempts to communicate with you, and we ourselves have had absolutely no contact from you in over a year.
We therefore have no option but to put these questions to you in the public domain.
Given your total lack of direct response and your continued failure to account for your shameful behaviour we assume that your actions were calculatedly fraudulent, you did set out to deceive us from the beginning and you did delibertately steal the money that was given for the running of ProfitNet in 2009 and the staff's salaries.
We intend to ensure that justice is done and you are brought to book for your fraudulent behaviour.
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TO THE LYING, FRAUDULENT SHAUN GANNON, Profitnet, Brighton University:
You attended a meeting of the Creative Industries group in July 2008. At this meeting you and George Tsekouras were questioned by members as to the future of ProfitNet in Pietermaritzburg.
You provided the group with a number of assurances about the continuation of the programme, our involvement and that of the project manager and directors.
Not one of these assurances has been honoured and we have had absolutely no contact from you since that meeting.
Clearly, we were mere guinea pigs in a very flawed project whose goals had nothing to do with us, the members or the improvement of our organisations. Our question is as follows:
Why did you lie to the members of ProfitNet in Pietermaritzburg at that meeting on 26 July 2008?
Why have we neither seen you nor heard a word from you since that date, even though we know you visited South Africa using ProfitNet funds in 2009?
WHERE IS THE MONEY THAT WAS ALLOCATED TO THE CONTINUATION OF PROFITNET IN PIETERMARITZBURG IN 2009?
What has happened to the creatively manipulated data you collected from the members of the pilot programme in 2008?
We the members, from whom that data was collected, hereby challenge your right to publish the results of that pilot programme and declare our intention of publishing, in turn, details of how that data was collected and the way in which members were deceived into participating in that process.
The process was characterised by numerous ethical and procedural deficiencies and we will make these known to funders, interested parties and the international academic community.
You have never followed up with members and, while now trumpeting the success of ProfitNet in South Africa, you do so on the basis on incomplete, flawed data that was badly collected by persons whose agenda had less to do with adding value or participants than with furthering the personal interests of the project's directors.
You have treated us, representatives of the Pietermaritzburg business community who participated in ProfitNet in good faith, with utter contempt and disrespect and it is our intention to let that be known to as many South African and international stakeholders as we can.
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TO THE HORNY CREEP GEORGE TSEKOURAS, Profitnet, Brighton University:
ProfitNet was supposed to be about helping us to strengthen and grow our organisations. It was not about enhancing your sex life. You initiated an affair with a married facilitator before the project had even been launched and, on your return for the programme evaluation, spent much time engaging with that facilitator rather than performing the duties appropriate for a project director.
You arrived late for, or missed, several interviews that were scheduled with members and a result of your interaction with the facilitator in question and we ask the following:
How can you possibly believe that the data you collected from us was valid?
Have you ever heard of the Hawthorne Effect in research?
We wanted to give you the positive feedback you were seeking little realising that it was the positive feedback you were interested in, not the actual impact of ProfitNet on our businesses.
We naively believed that you had our interests at heart and we were grateful for what we foolishly believed were good intentions towards us.
Why don't you do a follow up and see where the members are now?
What they think of ProfitNet?
What they think of you?
What they think of the programme, Centre and institution you represent?
How are the 2008 members doing?
How many of the participants in the pilot study are still in business?
Of those who are, how many would give any credit to you or the other directors for this?
We challenge you to do a follow-up study with the 2008 participants and see what feedback you receive from us. Or maybe you can just read the results of our follow-up study that will be submitted to every journal and forum in which you present the "results" of your pilot study. Starting with the British Council's Going Global conference at the end of March 2010.
Why do you think so few members completed the feedback questionnaire after the "graduation" ceremony?
Does this say something about the attitude of the members towards those collecting the data? the design of the questionnaire? or the way in which it was distributed?
Have you ever studied the basic principles of research design? Research ethics?
Do you really think it is acceptable to allow the research process to be contamined by a very distracting personal relationship with a woman who was a key stakeholder in the process?
One of the groups in the pilot project changed the format and process of their meetings completely. How can you evaluate the impact of the ProfitNet programme with this group is the ProfitNet model and process were not followed?
Do you really think it is acceptable to use the British Council's funding to pursue personal relationships while you were supposed to be conducting research interviews?
We express our contempt for your behaviour and, once again, affirm our belief that the data collected in the pilot study is highly contaminated and not fit to publish.
Furthermore, since you have never elicited our consent to publish the results of the evaluation and we hereby publicly announce our unwillingness for you to do so.
Should you attempt to distribute the flawed results of your evaluation we shall communicate our dissatisfaction and expose your procedural and ethical lapses to as many interested parties as possible, including senior management of the institutions involved, the project’s funders, the international academic community and the media.
