My job, too, changed along those lines. More and more I saw greater portions of my work managed, so much so that I had to justify one-hour meetings with software vendors. What Assiniboine doesn't see is that employer-employee relationships are contracts, with goods and benefits accruing to both sides. The idea of a contract is that it is in each other's mutual interest to maintain the relationship. Employment especially in the information economy is no longer a relation of servitude, where the boss dictates and the employee jumps.
Employment relationships in today's environment are partnerships .
Employees today are often looking for more than just money. They know their job will disappear in a few years. They want professional advancement. They want to form networks. If I design courses according to stupid dictates, or create a dysfunctional online community, it reflects not only on my pointy-haired boss who made me do it, it reflects on me when I try to find employment in the future.