Phone books are stacked under computer terminals. The stained, gray carpet and dirty walls haven't been cleaned since the previous tenant moved out, and office improvements have amounted to little more than a dizzying maze of cubicle walls. Salaried associates should clearly understand that they will frequently work extended hours to help the company succeed. . . . The emphasis on productivity is so heavy, a computer function that allowed workers to see how many books were being sold that day was discontinued because it was too much of a distraction, according to a former manager. The company says the function was erased because it could provide sensitive information to competitors.
Security seems to be a companywide obsession.
Sources familiar with the company say that employees do in fact closely monitor the stock price. But unlike, say, Microsoft, where workers have been known to have stock prices flash across their computers, the company's narrow focus is generally shared. A Texas native, Jeff Bezos became intrigued by the possibilities of Internet commerce while devising computer systems at a Wall Street investment firm. After whittling down a list of products that he believed could be efficiently sold online, Bezos came up with two possibilities, books and music. Bezos settled on books because no single retailer owned a significant chunk of the market.