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You could say that the modern fashion-forward corporate culture is just the German-Protestant ethic with the family shaved off and some hedonism stapled on to r

You could say that the modern fashion-forward corporate culture is just the German-Protestant ethic with the family shaved off and some hedonism stapled on to replace it. Instead of the gospel, people read HBR or HBR-aping tech publications. The CEO becomes father, king/presidente/generalissimo, and priest, because it's likely that none of those things will exist in the lives of the employees to the same extent as they did in previous generations. In California tech, something like half of the employees will not even have much stateside family, being immigrants, while another large portion come from broken families, are un-churched (but perhaps yoga-classed), and are often unmarried also. There is no 'society' there for such employees beyond the company, no rival sources of meaning. Perhaps after 'success' there is room for 'philanthropy.' It is actually the whole culture because the alternate cultural institutions have become so weak that the corporation just fills the gaps, as the only remaining institution in the life of the individual with any confidence or capacity for initiative. Otherwise, a good article. It's funny that a guy who has contributed to HBR, which has done so much to obliterate or subvert all competing institutions to the corporation, seems to have a little trepidation about going all the way.

shanacarp 12y ago
I actually find the decline of religio highly interesting in comparison to the growth of stuff about company culture an interesting correlation that I never thought about. Though I would take philanthropy out of quotes. And I'd be careful about the concept of unchurched (as someone who is unchurched and has no plans on becoming churched) I do wonder what people will use as anchor institutions now that church going has declined - not everyone can do the corporate only thing
- hagbardgroup 12y ago
  >I do wonder what people will use as anchor institutions now that church going has declined - not everyone can do the corporate only thing Entertainment. Religious behavior is so ingrained and universal that, when people lose it, they immediately start organizing around the nearest banner and making mock wars against the unbelievers. Nintendo believers (with their computerized altars, mythos, and rituals) may not actually kill the bros of the X-box, but they do get worked up about the differences and frequently engage in mock battles with those of other tribes. It's too reductive to call all of this behavior either religious or spiritual, but if you look at it from the perspective of an anthropologist from the future or another planet, it makes a lot more sense than to say 'the enlightenment happened and each and every person separated the spiritual and the secular in their brains and we all lived rationally ever after.' So, generally, if you're in the business of making consumer products, you're in the business of running an effective cult, or at least encouraging an existing strong cult to adopt one of your mythic ways into their own, or making use of one of your totems.

shanacarp 12y ago

I actually find the decline of religio highly interesting in comparison to the growth of stuff about company culture an interesting correlation that I never thought about. Though I would take philanthropy out of quotes. And I'd be careful about the concept of unchurched (as someone who is unchurched and has no plans on becoming churched) I do wonder what people will use as anchor institutions now that church going has declined - not everyone can do the corporate only thing

hagbardgroup 12y ago
>I do wonder what people will use as anchor institutions now that church going has declined - not everyone can do the corporate only thing Entertainment. Religious behavior is so ingrained and universal that, when people lose it, they immediately start organizing around the nearest banner and making mock wars against the unbelievers. Nintendo believers (with their computerized altars, mythos, and rituals) may not actually kill the bros of the X-box, but they do get worked up about the differences and frequently engage in mock battles with those of other tribes. It's too reductive to call all of this behavior either religious or spiritual, but if you look at it from the perspective of an anthropologist from the future or another planet, it makes a lot more sense than to say 'the enlightenment happened and each and every person separated the spiritual and the secular in their brains and we all lived rationally ever after.' So, generally, if you're in the business of making consumer products, you're in the business of running an effective cult, or at least encouraging an existing strong cult to adopt one of your mythic ways into their own, or making use of one of your totems.