🚀 go-pugleaf

----------------------------Original message----------------------------
In my earlier post I admittedly sacrificed logic in the presentation
of facts, but I had seen few results from scientific studies reported in the
earlier discussion.

My logic that fear works is purely economic (sorry, but I am an economist :-)
That is, I think it is profitable under recent conditions for a corporation
to pit one workplace against others in terms of profitability.  Winners
stay open and losers shut down.  This collective job insecurity (or what
I call the "disposable workplace") gives everyone, from the janitor to
the top workplace manager, an incentive to cooperate, improve quality, etc.

For those who believe this type of fear doesn't work, ask yourself
whether your family would pull together if you were collectively threatened,
as many Jewish families were under Hitler, and Bosnian families are
today.  Yes, you might yell and scream on occassion, but only in the
interests of the collective good.  And innovation?  Read _The Diary
of Ann Frank(sp?)_ to see examples of some serious innovations driven
by fear.

Yes, in the "traditional" workplace, managers often try to set themselves
up as gods ruling their underlings by fear of personal retribution.
In the new age, that strategy is out, and so are many managers in that
mold.  It is neither workplace managers nor supervisors who are
responsible for the fear that is driving many successful TQM programs
today, it is collective job insecurity.  It isn't pretty, it isn't
just, and the big corporations are making more money then ever off
the tactic.  Okay, one last fact: when Briggs & Stratton announced
their 'downsizing' of 2,000 workers (who I assume will become
dwarfs if not welfare queens) their stock shot up 2 points the next
day.  Fear's the ticket, just ask Wall Street.

Cheers,
Bob Drago