Of course the real world is not so kind as to give us neatly bound packages of understanding. There are too many gray areas, too many twilight zones and just plain holes in our limited capabilities. Trying to put something like the human mind in a framework is not only futile but also agonizingly frustrating.
Employees are people and people are complex beings.
As we look across various types of behaviors and attitudes it is important we try to begin to make some sense. Dependence and Independence are admittedly labels. The independent employee feels he earns a paycheck by bringing value to the company. Dependent employees are happy with the status quo while independents are on the prowl for improvement and opportunity. Perhaps the contrasts are a bit exaggerated.