From: cacst9+@pitt.edu (Cecelia A Clancy)
Newsgroups: sci.engr
Subject: Re: disgusted engineer
Date: 11 Nov 92 06:29:25 GMT
Organization: University of Pittsburgh

In article <BxA8ux.BG4@news.iastate.edu> tzb76@isuvax.iastate.edu writes:
>
>	A friend of mine (who graduated as an industrial engineer)
>is becoming extremely discouraged with certain aspects of his job
>Time after time, he has complained of the apathy of the managers
>who run the large factory where he works. Entirely too much time
>and effort seems to be wasted in the generation of reports, useless
>or bogus numbers, and foolish political projects that will accomplish
>little or nothing. (not to mention meetings) 
>	Moral at the plant is very low, among both the floor workers
>and the salaried staff; most have become very cynical, feeling that
>management does nothing but screw them, lie, and manuever for thier
>own aggrandizement. My friend feels constant frustration with the
>endless corporate games and the anti-effectiveness or the managerial
>'team'. He truely wants to solve real problems, help people work 
>more efficiantly, and recieve recognition for that. Solving
>problems is his real joy; hypocracy, make-work, and the elitism
>so characteristic of many engineers and managers he hates.
>
>	Does anyone else have these same problems or concerns?
>
>	Can anyone suggest a company where these problems are absent
>or minimal?
>
>Paul              

This sounds like the US Army while you are in a unit unfortunate
enough to have a bad Commander - politicking and make-work become rampant.

Look for a company that does not have a tight authourty structure,
and is not too "appearance oriented" (no excessive dress codes, etc).

While interviewing for a job, glance at the employees already there.
Do they seem still and act as if posing to one another.   Stay away
from that company.   It runs on politicking.

Do its people move about freely or do they remain within tight cliques.
Cliques are a sign of a company run on politicking.

Are there unwritten requirements.   Look for Masonic insignia of peoples
rings, tie-clips etc.    There are still companies where you have "better"
be a Mason if you are to get anywhere.    Look at the racial and ethnic
composition.    Does it make sense?     Are women and minorities put only
in higly visible, but dead end positions?    Stay away from that company,
even if you are a White male.    Tokening is another sign of politicking.

Does the company have an afirmative action plan?    Do you think it is
sincere or just a show to make it look on paper like everything is 
just fine.    Excessiveness of looking gook on paper but to heck with
reality is a sign of a politicking-driven organization.    In one of
my Army units, the 801st MI Company, 8th Infantry Division, Baumholder
Germany, there was a clique called the Beautiful People.    The first
Sergeant and the Second Platoon Leader were in it.   The Company
Commander was a bitter and insecure man, so the First Sergant ran the
Company.    When a new person arrived in the unit, if the First Sergant
amd the Second Platoon Leader liked you, you got assigned to Second
Platoon and were one of the Beautiful People before you even knew there
was a Beautiful People - and the regular people of First and Third and
"Elint" looked at you with disgust behind your back.    Strangely
enough, only White people got sent to Second Platoon.    

Once in the Beautiful Second platoon, you got all the goodies (TDY's,
schools, etc), guaranteed promotion at earliest possible date with
all possible waivers given to you, ARCOMS for doing nothing, PLUS
you did not have to follow any of the (often far unreasonable) rules
that the rest of the company had to follow.

The rest of the Company got nothing in the way of promotions, TDY's,
etc - unless - UNLESS - U N L E S S - you were Black!   Then there
was hope that you will be promoted to Sergent (E5) several months
after you deserved to be promoted to Sergent IFF they needed a 
your statistic to make the Army mandated EO reports look right.

So the EO report forced the First Sergeant to divert a portion - but
ONLY the bare minimum required to make the EO paperwork "look right" - 
of the available Sergeant slots away from the all-White Beautiful People.
So the EO Reports looked satifactory, but there was rampant discrimination
- to include blatant and overt racism and sexism - in the unit.

So be wary of excessive obsessions of "looking good on paper".   

Check to see if there are any EEO complaints filed.    Check the
company out with the better business bureau.

Are people proud of the product the company produces?   Would they
be willing to sign their name to the product is asked?

Good Luck in finding a good and wholesome work environment !!!

My system will be soon down.   E-mail will not reach me.

    Snail mail:   Cecelia Mu"ller       Phone:  (412) 682-2798
                  P.O. Box 71222
                  Pittsburgh, PA 15213
                  USA

Cecelia.   <muller+@pitt.edu> 
Newsgroups: sci.archaeology