Corporate Cults: The Insidious Lure of the All- Consuming Organization

by Dave Arnott

Book Overview

This eye-opening text aims to change the way people look at their companies and at themselves. It documents the manipulative, cult-like tactics that organizations use to get employees to relinquish... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0814404936
• ISBN13: 9780814404935
• Release Date: January 1999
• Publisher: Amacom
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 1.16 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.3" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

"What I can do for you...."

The image of the tattoo on the man's head was a little radical for me, and I have to say that it took a while to even pick this book up. I'm very glad I did, however. I noticed that a previous reviewer (or two) became very defensive in their explanation of what a wonderful situation it is to belong to a corporate cult. Like the frog, enjoying the warm water, but slowly boiled after gradual temperature increase, you poor people never even saw it coming. Of course the company provides everything you could possibly need. Of course they reward you for five, ten and fifteen years perfect attendance. Why ever leave the property, when you have a place to eat, take your children, exercise (and yes, even sleep). The joke on the "team" I worked was that we only went home to change clothes. That could be addressed as well, with lockers in the fitness center. Eventually, your entire life is with the company, and this is the danger. Work needs to stay at work, and home at home. When the lines are blurred, I guarantee your life will fall apart. Depend upon it. You may have met your spouse there, take your kids to daycare there, have breakfast and lunch with all your friends there, but at some point, you will realize the high price you've paid. They are taking care of business, not you. They really do not care about you at all. When you retire after 40 years of service while holding your pencil set engraved with the corporate emblem, the question I want you to ask yourself is this: Were the trinkets and certificates worth it? Are you a better person for sacrificing your whole life to show your loyalty and thankfulness? Did all your bowing and scraping pay off? Have you realized your full potential at the expense of your marriage, your children and your sanity (...Although they did come through on hospitalization costs after your nervous breakdown.)? Did you make the right decision?

Wow--a much-needed wakeup call to many of us.

Some eye-opening insights into corporate life in the late 20th Century, and fascinating reading whether you're in a corporate cult or not. I loved the Cult Test. Are you sure you're not working for a corporate cult? This test will tell you.

HOW/WHY THE SELF IS LOST IN AN ORGANIZATIONAL 'BLACK HOLE.'

While many organizations wrestle with the challenge of retention and loyalty, some organizations, according to Arnott, achieve a dysfunctional degree of control over employees. The author finds parallels between the traits that define a cult-devotion, charismatic leadership, and separation from community-and the characteristics of 'best places to work' namely, sense of purpose, inspiring leadership, and knockout facilities. Arnott finds an unhealthy, insidious physical, emotional and psychological relationship between individual and organization involving the use of manipulative and controlling tactics. The organization displays something like the gravitational power of a 'black hole' into which the light of individualism is drawn.Conversely, some people have a dysfunctional dependency upon their work and corporate community for their identity and psychological needs; they are willingly absorbed into the closed organizational 'black hole.' The author thoughtfully explores the dynamics of the "when work becomes life" cult phenomenon, its effects on family and community, and advice on how to avoid the cult trap. All organizations have some cultedness; using Arnott's cult test, people can find least cult-like places to work. This book is a timely, and extremely absorbing and provocative work. Highly recommended. Reviewed by Gerry Stern, founder, Stern & Associates, author of Stern's Sourcefinder: The Master Directory to HR and Business Management Information & Resources, Stern's CyberSpace SourceFinder, and the Compensation and Benefits SourceFinder.