He says that if companies want to compensate their employees for the hassles of travelling, they should give them a raise instead of letting them accumulate air miles. In the end, Mintzberg writes, the worst thing about flying is when the realization finally sinks in that the process transforms you from a person to a category. Bureaucracy is not about tape that is red or people that sit on their butt. Bureaucracy is about categories. Airlines are the most categorizing organizations off the face of the earth.
Bureaucracies are also about controls.
A lot of travellers will find themselves nodding in agreement as they read this small gem of a book. Laszlo Buhasz is a Globe and Mail travel writer. Republished with permission. All Rights Reserved. No part of this article may be reproduced or republished or redistributed without the prior written consent of the copyright holder.