Job Title: Associate
Location: San Francisco
Submitted on: 04-Jun-04
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As a long time employee of a company and industry that has undergone a
number of makeovers it is hard to provide just one overall assessment.
In the area of corporate culture I came into the company in the early
70's where the management structure was very rigid and military like in
personality. There were layers of organnization and operating mode was
more pedantic then anything else. Also the mood was employee for life
and cradle to grave employee care. Over the years the culture has swung
from very high value of the individual to the stockholders are the most
important company focus. Today it seems it is more important what wall
street thinks than what's good for the employees. Over the course of my
tenure I have gone from a fully vested garrunteed employee to having to
sign an at will employement agreement. Our corporate culture encourages
risk but overall tends to reward more of those who practice risk
adversity. Another cultural shift that has taken place the significant
amount of emphasis and commitment to investing in legal and regulatory
assets. Virually every operating department has commited legal and
regulatory advisory resources. Rarely are decisions made today where a
legal and regulatory review is not a part of the business assessment
process.
Diversity over my tenure has shown and overwhelming change. As a
minority employee entering the business along with women we represented
less than 3% of the overall management ranks in a company that at the
time was over 150K employees and represented only two major entities
(Pacific Bell and Nevada Bell). Now as a part of SBC with 13 major
companies we have approximately the same number of employees (down from
over 500K as a corrollary), the diversity of all people of color and
women in the company is easily in the 50% to 60% range. A statement of
progress due in no small way to the "Greening of America" (whats
important is peoples ability to make the company prosper), and the
impact of more minorities and women benefiting from higher education.
Duty hours like dress codes have varied over the years and continue to
go through cycles. We have alsways been encouraged to come early, stay
late, and look professional. Generally speaking, those that followed
that work ethic were rewarded with recognition, better compensation and
advancement. With today's technology and even with the drastic reduction
in resources the hours people work are not as easily recognized by their
appearence in the company hallways. Some of my best work has been done
on my laptop computer while commuting to and from the office. Or in my
pajamas at 4:30 in the morning at my desk at home which is set up for
telecommuting. Today's companies and enlightened management are much
more prone to respect the quality and volume of work one produces as a
manager verses where the work got done or what you were wearing when you
did the work. Another part of the cultural shift is the office make-up
which has undergone significant change. Even senior management is
provided with spartan like quarters to work in today. While this has
saved millions of operating dollars for the companies, it also drives a
behavior of devaluing the employee. When Suzy makes a $100K a year and
she is sitting next to Mark in the same size cubicle who makes $30K a
year it sends some unexpected signals. Businesses for years have run on
protocals and business / social classes. Without some substitutes for
these important social stratifications we must find new ways of keeping
employees committed to the job and loyal to the company.
In terms of opportunities for advance ment, my company has show a very
fair and positive track record for advancing its employee's. Much of
this is due to the size of the organization and to the industry we
serve. But clearly it has been magament's commitment toward developing
its people and then making good on it's commitment that is atribute to
our success at SBC.
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