Corporate America: A Wretched Hive of Scum and Villainy

Friday, January 7, 2011
In the last week, two people I care about have been royally screwed over by corporate America. The details aren't mine to share, but suffice it to say that both individuals were exposed to unethical behavior that clearly demonstrated the companies in question don't give a good goddamn about their employees, and in fact consider them a burden whose salaries do nothing but negatively impact the bottom line.

These latest incidents have done nothing to change my opinion that Corporate America is, in fact, a wretched hive of scum and villainy.

But for me, the key question is, why is corporate America such a shithole? It's not because each and every middle or upper manager is an unethical douchebag whose moral compass points directly to the fourth circle of Hell,* although there are plenty of those.

In addition to the douchebags, I've worked with some fine people over the years. Some of them were consistent in their ethical behavior, i.e., the rules that governed their behavior were consistent regardless of their situation. But others were wildly inconsistent - they'd crap all over their employees, but they would never dream of treating other human beings as commodities to be run over at their earliest convenience in their personal lives. What I want to know is, how do people who fall into the second category live with themselves? 

No, really - I want to know. I've worked hard over the years to integrate my personality in a way that makes me a consistent human being regardless of the conditions where I find myself. In some ways that's good - if you perceive me to be a hard-working, ethical employee, it's a safe bet you'd consider me a hard-working, ethical human, as well. Conversely, if you think I'm a pushy bitch at work...well, you get the idea.

How do people rationalize assbag behavior in their professional lives and still manage to see themselves as the heroes of their own stories? Clearly, they're bifurcating their professional lives from their personal ones in their own minds, in order to ensure they can live with themselves. But I don't understand how they can do so.

I just don't get it.

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*Although I have my doubts about this in regard to most "executives." Just sayin'.

6 comments:

Steve Buchheit said...

In the same way a famous serial killer was emotionless and unrepentant when recounting his crimes, but broke down crying when he was told his dog was put to sleep.

And, yes, I meant to equate those duplicitous managers with serial killers, just in case you're wondering. A sociopath is a sociopath, even if they sing hymns wonderfully.

neurondoc said...

Trial lawyers come to my mind as people who might have a very different (and evil) personality at work, but come home and pet the dog and play with the kids without turning a hair.

Anne C. said...

I consider myself very lucky to work for two business owners who I was shocked to find *have integrity.* I hadn't realized I had stopped looking for it or expecting to see it until I found it.
It is sadly so rare!

Jerry Critter said...

Because they are self-center, selfish, self-serving sons-of-bitches who care only about their own livelihood.

John the Scientist said...

I have a lot of answers for that after 11 years on the business side of corporate America. Not all coherent mind you.

Let's start with one - tribes. The people at work are not in theirs, so screw them.

I will say you're too harsh on Corporate America. I'd look back to Jim's post on Captain Honors. Is the Navy a hive of scum and villainy just because guys like him get to the top? Well, in some ways yes, but mostly no. And is the desertion of him by his former friends in what Jim aptly called "the politics of the paygrade" evidence of sociopathy? Not really.

But one of the huge problems with large orgs of any type is the ease with which sociopaths climb ladders.

I don't have a good answer for how to combat that, but I think about it a good deal.

Janiece said...

John, I may be too harsh on corporate America, but this week, I'm justified.

And I will concede that my own situation is pretty damn good. I've been lucky with my civilian bosses - the good ones have far outnumbered the bad.

And yet, there's a reason I'm at a self-imposed glass ceiling - the behavior that is demonstrably required to get ahead is simply not something I'm willing to engage in. So I'll continue to be an individual contributor until I retire. I'm okay with that.