Charles Handy article on how Britons work longer hours than every other country in Europe, and how it may be a reflection of a market philosophy in a corporation, or corporate Darwinism, where a worker is only as good as their last successful assignment or project. Handy begins the article discussing the untimely death of a middle-aged father from a heart attack, using his passing to segue into a discussion of the effects of too much work on one’s physical health, citing quality of life studies from the Index of Social Health. Handy then ponders why people focus so much on work, hypothesizing that, perhaps, people prefer their work to other bits of their lives, and that market capitalism’s reliance on the principle of creative destruction has necessitated that, for the best to grow, everything else must be neglected. He predicts that such a development will lead people to become selfish, with short term concerns dominating their interests and thinking, while over the long term, employees will lose their objectivity over time and relinquish touch with the outside world. Handy concludes his analysis stating that employees need some protection to allow them to grow, experiment, and make mistakes without the threat of being punished or ejected from their positions.
Handy, Charles B Gore, William Institute of Directors Britain and its people Darwin, Charles, 1809-1882 Creative destruction Schumpeter, Joseph A., 1883-1950 Darwinism Index of Social Health
Source
Charles Handy article on how Britons work longer hours than every other country in Europe, and how it may be a reflection of a market philosophy in a corporation, or corporate Darwinism, where a worker is only as good as their last successful assignment or project, 1995; Charles Handy Papers; Box 20, Folder 9; 1 page
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