The authors' exhaustive research, spanning diverse fields and levels on the corporate ladder, documents the painful reality that American corporations are wringing blood from stones. But Corporate Abuse isn't just a litany of business sins: Wright and Smye show how this epidemic manifests itself in a variety of corporate cultures and personality types, how it is a natural outcome of organizations in transition.
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26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A must-read for those dealing with abusive workplaces.,
By A Customer
This review is from: Corporate Abuse: How "Lean and Mean" Robs People and Profits (Hardcover)
Perhaps the greatest benefit of this book for those who find themselves in abusive work situations is coming to the realization that there really is a problem and that they are not to blame for it. Abusers are well-skilled at making those they abuse shoulder the blame for the abuse. Wright and Smye make it clear that the abusive work situation is both dysfunctional and wrong. The sub-title "How Lean and Mean Robs People and Profits" makes it clear that no one wins. The writers identify three patterns of workplace abuse (there are likely others). These patterns of abuse are systemic rather than situational. To that end they identify them as cultures. The first pattern is the "culture of sacrifice." The essence of this culture is its insatiable demands on the employee. The employee can never give enough to satisfy the demand and personal boundaries are treated as non-existant. The second pattern which they identify is the "win-lose culture". The essence of this pattern is healthy competition turned demonic. Co-workers are pitted against one another in a Darwinian expectation that the strongest will prevail, thus making the corporation stronger. The third abusive pattern is the "culture of blame." In this pattern someone is always to blame for any problem. Problems are never the result of processes or systems and the culprit, once identified, is destroyed. This book is not about some soft-hearted sentimentality that cannot deal with competition, hard work and difficult decisions. It is about recognizing and understanding what it means to be human and treat others in the workplace with respect. It is about building a culture with an eye to the long term in which both the bottom line and the potential of the worker are maximized. The book is an easy read and provides a good balance of analysis and examples of dysfunctional workplaces. If you've ever found yourself in an abusive workplace (or if you are currently in such a place) this book is a must-read for understanding your situation and extricating yourself from it.
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A must-read for anyone in the corporate world - abused or no,
By Jessica Nealon (North Carolina) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Corporate Abuse: How "Lean and Mean" Robs People and Profits (Hardcover)
I read this book when I was working at a very abusive organization. It brought clarity to my confusion, removed the personal burden I had been carrying and alleviated a great deal of stress from my life. We stress when we don't understand. This book will bring you understanding. If this was all "Corporate Abuse" did it would be more than worth the price. However, the clarity of the author's ideas combined with the personal anecdotes made otherwise esoteric and ivory tower theories shockingly real and applicable to daily life. This is not a 'whoa-is-me', 'corporate = bad, employee = good' diatribe. It offers incredible insight into how corporations work and why these situations are inevitable when certain foundations have been laid. It is just as valuable to the corporate mind as it is to the employee. In addition, the authors offer guidelines for both parties to either improve the situation or avoid it all together. That's why it gets a fifth star!
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Timeless truths that people need to hear,
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Corporate Abuse: How "Lean and Mean" Robs People and Profits (Hardcover)
I first bought this book more than ten years ago! I found myself in the pages of this revealing work...unfortunately. The practice of abuse is far more common than any of us would want to admit.I have recently re-read the book and bought several copies to give to friends and colleagues. I believe the truths in this work apply more today than they did when they were first penned. Corporate abuse is the dirty little secret that nobody wants to talk about. The abusers don't want to talk about it because they think it's rubbish. The abused don't want to talk about it, because they fear being subject to even further abuse. Those courageous few who do speak out often pay the price. I would recommend this book to anyone in any organization. Chances are good that someone in your organization is guilty of abusing someone. If not, either you are extremely fortunate, or you don't really understand the concept. This should be required reading in all business programs. It only takes one abuser to make life miserable for so many. If you think you're in an abusive organization, I encourage you to read this book. You are not alone...and you certainly are not the first...and unfortunately, are not likely to be the last. There are things you can do. If you do what you can and do not succeed, you don't have to stay in an abusive organization. The good news is that there are more and more companies out there that are realizing that abusive behavior not only hurts people, but also hurts the bottom line as well. Ideas are the new currency...abused workers do not innovate...they survive. Buy more than one copy. You'll want to give it to several other people...I promise.
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