Office theft. Leaked confidences. Disgruntled employees. Built-up anger and frustration. All of these point to an underlying pressure growing in the business world and seeping into society on every level to form a man-made tsunami.
The symptoms are easy to spot in commerce settings:
* Defamation of personal character and corporate brands
* Growing discontent among workers over wages and working conditions
* Lay-offs and corporate downsizing
* Lack of control in the work setting
What's behind this rising tide of strife? What pressures contribute to the highly destructive man-made tsunami phenomenon? Some causes include:
* Built-up anger and frustration toward a hierarchical society
* Feelings of oppression or insignificance
* Social turmoil, protests, and riots
* Looting and property destruction
* Growing anger and rising hatred
Some examples of tsunamis we've seen recently in the business and political world include the credit crisis, fiscal collapse in Greece, near bankruptcies of European countries, Enron, Merrill Lynch, and many more in the realm of finance, real estate, insurance, and elsewhere in the corporate world. Something seems fundamentally wrong with our corporate models and social structure.
This flood of strife affects not only the individuals directly caught up but also hordes of others as the consequences emit out from the middle. We distinguish the effects in our neighboring communities and, thanks to the explosion of technology in media, around the world too.
Though this is a complex issue, one issue that contributes to the tidal wave of stress is the perception that some people are naturally better than others, and all that this includes. This is known as a hierarchical, elitist value system. Although this may sound like a daring statement, it is a value system in which our mainstream is deeply entrenched. It is a classification of beliefs where there are winners and losers, a split that generates revolt due to anger and hatred. It is a system of belief that generates an endless and self-defeating sequence. It shows up in organizations, nations, and in the wide disparity stuck between First and Third World countries.
This elitist, hierarchical belief system will cause frustration and anger in individuals at the lower ranges of the hierarchy. This anger and hatred only proves to those at the summit the need for hierarchy, resulting in still additional anger and hatred from the bottom-up - a hazardous and self-reinforcing rotation.
Hierarchical elitism is a mark of cultural irresponsibility, with many looking out only for their own desires, making use of the infrastructure to take advantage of others. It is wasteful in its 'everyone for himself' mentality. Maturity lends itself to interdependence, cooperation and a group spirit: resulting in elevated productiveness and ethics.
In short, this is one of the fundamental flaws in corporate, social and economic systems. It's a fault so deep that tidal-wave triggering societal earthquakes are nearly guaranteed unless leaders in business, education, and other communities take notice and commit themselves to fostering an environment of maturity and cooperation.
The symptoms are easy to spot in commerce settings:
* Defamation of personal character and corporate brands
* Growing discontent among workers over wages and working conditions
* Lay-offs and corporate downsizing
* Lack of control in the work setting
What's behind this rising tide of strife? What pressures contribute to the highly destructive man-made tsunami phenomenon? Some causes include:
* Built-up anger and frustration toward a hierarchical society
* Feelings of oppression or insignificance
* Social turmoil, protests, and riots
* Looting and property destruction
* Growing anger and rising hatred
Some examples of tsunamis we've seen recently in the business and political world include the credit crisis, fiscal collapse in Greece, near bankruptcies of European countries, Enron, Merrill Lynch, and many more in the realm of finance, real estate, insurance, and elsewhere in the corporate world. Something seems fundamentally wrong with our corporate models and social structure.
This flood of strife affects not only the individuals directly caught up but also hordes of others as the consequences emit out from the middle. We distinguish the effects in our neighboring communities and, thanks to the explosion of technology in media, around the world too.
Though this is a complex issue, one issue that contributes to the tidal wave of stress is the perception that some people are naturally better than others, and all that this includes. This is known as a hierarchical, elitist value system. Although this may sound like a daring statement, it is a value system in which our mainstream is deeply entrenched. It is a classification of beliefs where there are winners and losers, a split that generates revolt due to anger and hatred. It is a system of belief that generates an endless and self-defeating sequence. It shows up in organizations, nations, and in the wide disparity stuck between First and Third World countries.
This elitist, hierarchical belief system will cause frustration and anger in individuals at the lower ranges of the hierarchy. This anger and hatred only proves to those at the summit the need for hierarchy, resulting in still additional anger and hatred from the bottom-up - a hazardous and self-reinforcing rotation.
Hierarchical elitism is a mark of cultural irresponsibility, with many looking out only for their own desires, making use of the infrastructure to take advantage of others. It is wasteful in its 'everyone for himself' mentality. Maturity lends itself to interdependence, cooperation and a group spirit: resulting in elevated productiveness and ethics.
In short, this is one of the fundamental flaws in corporate, social and economic systems. It's a fault so deep that tidal-wave triggering societal earthquakes are nearly guaranteed unless leaders in business, education, and other communities take notice and commit themselves to fostering an environment of maturity and cooperation.
About the Author:
Victor Pinedo, Jr. is President of Corporate Transitions International. A consultant in organizational change since 1969, he invented Organizational Architecture, an organizational transformation program that is unique in its long-term effectiveness. Organizational Architecture is in use today by corporations around the world. For more information, visit: http://www.corporatetransitionsintl.com
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