Summary of The Narcissism and Moral Mazes of Corporate Life: A Commentary on the writings of H. Shwartz and R. Jackall
• The author, Thomas W. Norton, critiqued the basic concepts used in essay on narcissism and corporate decay at General Motors by Howard Schwartz and in the book Moral Mazes: The World of Corporate Managers written by Robert Jackall but with more emphasis on Schwartz’s essay. Although both Schwartz and Jackall’s writings expressed theories to comprehend the social and moral consequences of hierarchical relationship in business firm, each of them has different approach.
• Schwartz focused on organizational totalitarianism based on psychological analysis. His notion proposes that members of the organization are being dictated by higher authorities in the organization to what should be done and what is expected of them to become that leads to them to lose their own identity.
• With more reliance on sociological approach, Jackall modified Max Weber’s model of bureaucracy – he called it patrimonial bureaucracy. Employees become exceptionally loyal to their superior which then becomes personal rather than adherence due to level of hierarchy in the organization.
• Norton identified three main flaws such as: o Excessive presentation of organizational totalitarianism and alienation on Schwartz essay – employees are mostly being described as victims of hierarchical power. However, the author argues that members of the organization also have choices as defined in expectancy theory of motivation of Edward Lawler. Furthermore, the idea of organizational totalitarianism is used in a general manner which ignores its possible effects on different stages of career cycle of members involved and that the social organizational aspects are too broad for theories pointed out by Schwartz. o Organizational decay is an internal process – the issues arising in organization are brought by forces within the organization as a result of pleasing the higher management. However, the author reasons out that external factors and organization’s environment also affect the process of
• Schwartz focused on organizational totalitarianism based on psychological analysis. His notion proposes that members of the organization are being dictated by higher authorities in the organization to what should be done and what is expected of them to become that leads to them to lose their own identity.
• With more reliance on sociological approach, Jackall modified Max Weber’s model of bureaucracy – he called it patrimonial bureaucracy. Employees become exceptionally loyal to their superior which then becomes personal rather than adherence due to level of hierarchy in the organization.
• Norton identified three main flaws such as: o Excessive presentation of organizational totalitarianism and alienation on Schwartz essay – employees are mostly being described as victims of hierarchical power. However, the author argues that members of the organization also have choices as defined in expectancy theory of motivation of Edward Lawler. Furthermore, the idea of organizational totalitarianism is used in a general manner which ignores its possible effects on different stages of career cycle of members involved and that the social organizational aspects are too broad for theories pointed out by Schwartz. o Organizational decay is an internal process – the issues arising in organization are brought by forces within the organization as a result of pleasing the higher management. However, the author reasons out that external factors and organization’s environment also affect the process of