On day one she's kept waiting in the reception area two hours, then blamed for not speaking up. She ends up bonding with the other temp workers, but their friendship begins to unravel under the increasingly awful working environment. Key and Deal wish they could say that this scenario was far-fetched. I used to watch monkeys for a living. Basic comparative psychology.
Animals scent their territories.
What workers do to decorate their workspaces is very much like scenting things. Taking over somebody's space, telling them what they can and cannot do to dress it up, is a symbolic way of proclaiming your ownership of people. We put a thick wrapper around ourselves, to protect our human core. The company in Clockwatchers doesn't appear too receptive to its workers' ideas. The first thing he would do, Deal says, is tell them about Continental Airlines.