The reality most (all) companies exist for the benefit of well the company. And all the power plays, motivations, passive aggressiveness, politics, misaligned

The reality most (all) companies exist for the benefit of well the company. And all the power plays, motivations, passive aggressiveness, politics, misaligned manager motivations, bureaucracy are to be expected (sadly). Yes you could go much smaller to reduce process but you are taking that risk or loosing out on reward (and as I get older I am realizing how much I've been under appreciating peace of mind). I used to scoff at a friend when he suggested this - but his strategy of choosing a company based on who he knew and who he could work with has been looking amazing lately!