First of all that word is actually kind of hard to spell. Its tricky. So for that last year or so I have been working for a Telecommunications company called Ranger Communications. Its awesome! I really like it. Its not like your normal job. Its not even close to 9-5, the skill set required is really great to have. Its a really strange mix of construction-ess skills and technical skills, basically its a great mix of the physical and mental tasks. This post is not about my job however, its about what I have learned while on the job. We work at businesses. We go onsite and install and service BTS Phones for small or medium sized businesses. I have learned a lot about corporate America. What a terrible terrible place to be. Whoa. it makes me very sad. I have heard stories of the dreaded cubicle farms the burden of deadlines and not to mention wearing "business attire". I have to say however that the saddest thing I have seen is all the silliness that almost seems to fester in such setting. The bickering, the fighting, the cutthroat dog eat dog mentality of corporate America. I have been privy to MANY conversations that I did not want to hear. Its almost wild. I laugh a lot at the stories I hear and shake my head even more. I have even seen yelling and near crying.
So as I have spent a lot of time working amongst these "corpos" as they will be known from here on I have wondered, Why!? Why??? I don't understand why this exists. I have narrowed it down to a few possible reasons.
1. Human Nature of Movement and Exploration
2.Greed
3. Inner Frustration
I am going to explore each of these further in later posts. But what I would like to do now is to initiate an almost interactive blog. For those few of you who read this. I would Love to hear what you think about my 3 possible ideas and what you think could be other more viable reasons. Also if you have any experiences working for the man.
Thanks for reading and remember who you are.
hmmm very liberal ideas for such a conservative person. :)
I have been IN corporate America for over 4.5 years now. I will say it is a love/hate relationships.
AND in my opinion the answer is and always will be MONEY. We are controlled by the ever-powerful dollar. Some corporations use this tool for good, others not so much. But the fact of the matter is, that the world turns because of it. Unless you can change the way people think you cannot change the way things function. So this is why corporate America exists...but why do we work for some?
I will say this...for all the reasons they are bad, I can find reasons they are good.
I have been able to see lives changed, and touched. I was able to go to Chon Buri Thailand, and Guadalajara Mexico to see 2 missions that my corporation sponsored for Operation Smiles. 200 children were given new smiles. These were unscheduled missions, meaning not possible without funding of our company. We sponsor a best buddies program, and habitat for humanity. Actually behind the doors of a lot of corporations there are hearts.
The point is this. I need a job to pay my bills, and to give me a sense of accomplishment. Knowing my company gives back, and being able to have some sense of altruism (despite the crap I deal with on a day to day grind) makes being able to work in this environment bearable. Knowing that I work for the "Corpos" (and I work for THE HEAD of my company, I am his second hand person) is easier when you work for one with morals.
I think it is really hard to understand people with money. I have been privy to see a lot of them up close and into their personal lives, and a lot of them are really good people...a lot of them are bad too. I think despite these facts, a lot of good does happen out there with the bad because of corporations. Regardless it is a system. I know that my boss personally donates more money than I will ever make in my lifetime to charity and to good deeds. Just because not everyone sees it, doesn't mean it never happens. and I think because most people don't see it, it is true altruism.
Also, I respect the people in the cubicles, they are there for the grind. They are survivors, they are working for 'the man' (and trust me things aren't always peaches and cream) but because of that 'corpo' they are able to feed their families, and have a home, and health insurance, etc.
Anywho, big issue to tackle. I do not however see it as something easily identifiable in 3 answers. I hate big corporations who use exploitative means in the chains of production, I have seen that in the developing countries first hand. It is horrible, but then I have seen the graces established as well.
a. true. paradox.