False Prophets

The Corporate Monarchy

Americans have always been notoriously democratic, anti-authoritarian and egalitarian, yet management gurus managed to sell the country on corporate organization. How? In part, by cunningly concealing just how much raw, authoritarian power corporate organization supports, and in part by arguing that such power is, in fact, legitimate and perhaps even liberating. Paradoxically, in a society as protective of civil rights as America’s, corporations can abridge free speech, underpay, overwork, deny just raises or promotions, slant evaluations, fire at will despite good performance and otherwise lord it over employees. If the employees don’t like it, they can lump it or leave. The chief executive of even the smallest corporation has more power in his sphere than the Chief Executive of the United States in the Oval Office. No independent court, no legislative branch checks and balances the power of the corporate chief. Why do people put up with it?

For money, of course. And for status. And because there isn’t much alternative anymore. Being a corporate functionary has its advantages: inside work, no heavy lifting. But it also has its price. Even senior...