Company: EY
Date: 2010-01-04
Overall rating: 1/5
Employment status: former

Ernst and Young Global - The American way is the only way.
Pros: Ernst et Young provides its people with an excellent insight into its clients' businesses. Each day is a new learning experience. It strives to work accross borders in more effective ways than its competitors. The partners recognise the need for work/life balance and empathise but they rely on getting the maximum hours out of their people to keep their incomes in the top echelons of society so they dont speak back.
Cons: The US firm now dominates the other practice areas and the American implants sent to run the overseas operations have very limited local knowledge and cultural awareness. This means that decisions are often made out of ignorance of how markets and legislation operate in local theaters. I hear frustration from EY people that the rules are:

The American way is the right way
The American way is the only way.
It works in The States so it must work here.

Guys - the prices in Europe are not in USDollars, we have our own laws and customs - and so do our clients!  Local customs prevail and the loss of clients in the local marketplace is down to the cultural schism between the unelected US leadership and the local staff and partners. The US leaders are just visiting and have no real interest in the values and long term performance of the European firms.