Not at all, especially because the status signalling effects are very real. If I accept the fruit basket from a manager with a shit-eating grin and act like a cheerleader about it, it’s a big net loss for me. I’m agreeing to a status system that devalues my work ethic and rewards managers for cheap tricks instead of true skill building or cultivating motivation. It positions me like a child in need of a parent to give me a gold star for doing my basic responsibilities.
This way of management to cultivate “downward looking perspectives” that intentionally belittle or undermine subordinates is a very real and pervasive thing.
A large part of the sociology book Moral Mazes is dedicated to the taxonomy and descriptive analysis of exactly this kind of corporate behavior.
This way of management to cultivate “downward looking perspectives” that intentionally belittle or undermine subordinates is a very real and pervasive thing.
A large part of the sociology book Moral Mazes is dedicated to the taxonomy and descriptive analysis of exactly this kind of corporate behavior.