Any current or former Aramcon can easily differentiate the fact from fiction amidst these posts. Regarding the facts, our host leaders (irrespective of prowess), respond to cyclical, institutionalized challenges which are anything but static in deliverable design(s), as well as whims of their leaders.
From SI-6 to ATP to tomorrow's new and improved target plan(s), again and again, the same lessons are learned.., the same general outcomes reached. There are good, decent, hard-working nationals and ExPats, and there is human"dead-weight" thriving under "pinball" leader strategies pursuing moving target business line objectives (often competing or redundant).
I'm told Managers have been advised to eliminate non-essential, unfilled jobs and make "optimum use" of the 90-day new employee dismissal policy. My take is that perhaps to some, both of those messages have the appearance of RIF or layoff action(s). In fact, number crunching ahead of any IPO involves costing in manpower terms so the optic may be perception generated by the house-cleaning...