Information is seen as power. Concern that if I teach others how to do my job, they might get ahead of me. We believe there is not enough to go around so our job is to get all we can for our team and ourselves. Debate is our primary communication tool. We listen selectively to discern who is on our side and how we can benefit.
Accountability is about blame and judgement.
We look for ways to protect ourselves. Negative humor is used to control others. Discounts and put-downs are the norm, which serve as a warning to conform or become a target. Power and performance reviews are one-way. The messenger gets shot, if not overtly then covertly through body language or other subtle but pow- erful messages.