Since the down-sizing of the 1970’s when the erosion of the middle class (laying off and then eliminating the middle management positions) became accepted practice. Industry called it ‘increasing efficiency’ or ‘flattening the hierarchy’ or most insidious of all, ‘empowering the front line workers’. Don’t misunderstand, I have seen the increased attention and empowerment of our ‘human’ resources as noble and even essential but it became exploitation when the remaining employees were not compensated accordingly. Instead we have seen the gap between the haves and have-nots become unsustainable in a fair-minded, free society of educated citizens.
The first idea worth considering on this beautiful, god-inspired day of 2012 is a classic whose time has come – Employee-Owned/Involved Business and the readings for the week are:
“Companies We Keep (Revised & Expanded): Employee Ownership and the Business of Community and Place” by John Abrams and “A Stake in the Outcome: Building a Culture of Ownership” by Bo Burlingham and Jack Stack. Please feel free to reply to this with other reading resources!
Happy New Year!
