A touch of civil disobedience is necessary to alert the organization that all is not right. We don't believe in cluttering the payroll with ungratifying, dead-end jobs. Everyone at Semco, even top managers, fetches guests, stands over photocopiers, sends faxes, types letters, and dials the phone. And we encourage everyone to mix with everyone else, regardless of job. The idea is that we all can learn from one another.
Profit sharing is democratic.
It's up to them. We believe it is essential that all company communications, especially those intended for the workers or the public, be absolutely honest. All financial information at Semco is openly discussed. To show we are serious about this, Semco, with the labor unions that represent our workers, developed a course to teach everyone to read balance sheets and cash flow statements. In restructuring Semco, we've picked the best from many systems.