It's a matter of perspective and context. In large, established organizations managers tend to be creatures of corporate politics--their intent is to climb the

It's a matter of perspective and context. In large, established organizations managers tend to be creatures of corporate politics--their intent is to climb the corporate ladder. They play political games with their employees, with other managers' employees, and with each other. Their job isn't to be on the team they lead; it's to represent upper management. It isn't naive to have an "us-versus-them" view in these cases, because it is quite literally the case.