Chapter 8: The TFW Virus: Why So Many Organizations Act in Ways That Hurt Their Interests

Have you ever wondered why some behaviors persist in the workplace even though common sense cries out that the behaviors are destructive, wasteful, cruel, or downright stupid? Perhaps you have seen the examples of the boss who does not listen to his subordinates, or the boss who flies into rages and humiliates people; the executive who makes hundreds of times the salary of the average employee; the disruptive employee who is never required to behave in a civilized manner; the manager who does not have the skills to do what the job requires; or the number of people who waste time and energy gossiping about problems that never seem to change. We could describe more situations like these, but this is not the point. The question we want to raise is why are these examples so common? What is it that prevents organizations from working in a manner that most people know would make more sense, and which would make them more effective?