Arthur Dent wrote:Is there a more soulless and anti-human invention than the modern corporation? It's so strange that it has become the dominant institution of our times.
I don't agree. I'm not sure what anti-human means here, but as far as employment goes I've worked for small businesses and large corporations and the best experiences by far were large corporations. The small businesses I've worked for were run by people who were stressed out all the time and hardly had time for anything but the business. They typically wring as much as they can out of you for as little money as possible. Benefits are lousy if they exist at all. I typically had no idea how my performance was judged and would instead hear about any complaints through the grapevine. I thought I had found a good one, but I'm basically going through this all over again. My current boss changes procedures and company structure every few months. He issues mandates and won't follow through. Instead of talking to bad employees one on one, he complains at meetings to everyone.
The one thing I can say is that small businesses tend to be more flexible. But they then expect you to be more flexible as well.
The large companies I've worked for gave me feedback, trusted me to do my job and left me alone unless there was a problem. I got benefits and regular hours. Right now I'd love to have all that back.
I'm sure there's good small business owners out there, but I haven't found them.
Arthur Dent wrote:Is there a more soulless and anti-human invention than the modern corporation? It's so strange that it has become the dominant institution of our times.
I don't agree. I'm not sure what anti-human means here, but as far as employment goes I've worked for small businesses and large corporations and the best experiences by far were large corporations. The small businesses I've worked for were run by people who were stressed out all the time and hardly had time for anything but the business. They typically wring as much as they can out of you for as little money as possible. Benefits are lousy if they exist at all. I typically had no idea how my performance was judged and would instead hear about any complaints through the grapevine. I thought I had found a good one, but I'm basically going through this all over again. My current boss changes procedures and company structure every few months. He issues mandates and won't follow through. Instead of talking to bad employees one on one, he complains at meetings to everyone.
The one thing I can say is that small businesses tend to be more flexible. But they then expect you to be more flexible as well.
The large companies I've worked for gave me feedback, trusted me to do my job and left me alone unless there was a problem. I got benefits and regular hours. Right now I'd love to have all that back.
I'm sure there's good small business owners out there, but I haven't found them.
So based on the above you agree with AD? Cuz those small companies sound extremely human.
Arthur Dent wrote:Is there a more soulless and anti-human invention than the modern corporation? It's so strange that it has become the dominant institution of our times.
I don't agree. I'm not sure what anti-human means here, but as far as employment goes I've worked for small businesses and large corporations and the best experiences by far were large corporations. The small businesses I've worked for were run by people who were stressed out all the time and hardly had time for anything but the business. They typically wring as much as they can out of you for as little money as possible. Benefits are lousy if they exist at all. I typically had no idea how my performance was judged and would instead hear about any complaints through the grapevine. I thought I had found a good one, but I'm basically going through this all over again. My current boss changes procedures and company structure every few months. He issues mandates and won't follow through. Instead of talking to bad employees one on one, he complains at meetings to everyone.
The one thing I can say is that small businesses tend to be more flexible. But they then expect you to be more flexible as well.
The large companies I've worked for gave me feedback, trusted me to do my job and left me alone unless there was a problem. I got benefits and regular hours. Right now I'd love to have all that back.
I'm sure there's good small business owners out there, but I haven't found them.
So based on the above you agree with AD? Cuz those small companies sound extremely human.
That's why I questioned what he meant. For me, the end result of working for a small business has always been less money and more time away from other people and the things that make life worth living. And more stress. Obviously there's exceptions, but speaking as the average skilled worker I'd much rather work for a big company.
I'm not trying to say that small business is a better employer or really anything about corporations versus smaller enterprises. It's just that the corporation's particular combination of capitalism + bureaucracy seems to direct human labor into activities that they would never engage in otherwise and where people are often doing things that they feel are stupid and pointless but go on anyways. The people who move up to lead such organizations tend to be willing to believe in a lot of B.S. and moreover set aside normal human values in favor of an overwhelming career ambition.
Arthur Dent wrote:Is there a more soulless and anti-human invention than the modern corporation? It's so strange that it has become the dominant institution of our times.
They've been around for a long time now and probably have less control over their employees than they once did.
Our relationship to them is rather paradoxical but ultimately unremarkable, imo. Our lives would look nothing like they currently do without them, and by and large we like our lives, yet we think they represent such horrible ways of life.
Going back in history you can always find some institution that was soulless and anti-human that people, more willingly than not, let structure the world around them.
Arthur Dent wrote:Is there a more soulless and anti-human invention than the modern corporation? It's so strange that it has become the dominant institution of our times.
They've been around for a long time now and probably have less control over their employees than they once did.
Our relationship to them is rather paradoxical but ultimately unremarkable, imo. Our lives would look nothing like they currently do without them, and by and large we like our lives, yet we think they represent such horrible ways of life.
Going back in history you can always find some institution that was soulless and anti-human that people, more willingly than not, let structure the world around them.
Yeah. I guess ideally, you'd find a smaller group you can be a part of, and have your work be fun and rewarding. But I think it's so hard to find that most people prefer a structure that simply allows them to pursue their own hobbies and pursuits while away from work.
Arthur Dent wrote:Is there a more soulless and anti-human invention than the modern corporation? It's so strange that it has become the dominant institution of our times.
They've been around for a long time now and probably have less control over their employees than they once did.
Our relationship to them is rather paradoxical but ultimately unremarkable, imo. Our lives would look nothing like they currently do without them, and by and large we like our lives, yet we think they represent such horrible ways of life.
Going back in history you can always find some institution that was soulless and anti-human that people, more willingly than not, let structure the world around them.
I am aware of all that and am not trying to make that argument. I am not with the many people who (foolishly I think) reject the changes of industrialization. Soulless bureaucratic idiocy directing people through an ownership (perhaps more accurately rentier?) relationship in service of narrow goals may be less bad than what it replaced, but it's still deserving of condemnation.
Is there a more soulless and anti-human invention than the modern corporation? It's so strange that it has become the dominant institution of our times.
Is there a more soulless and anti-human invention than the modern corporation? It's so strange that it has become the dominant institution of our times.
LOL
I don't know if this is intended to be mocking or not, but it just seems strange to me that we can have a collective outcome that most people would never have chosen individually. I understand the reasons, but it's still funny to think about.
