Group items tagged

This article by Charles Fishman echoes more of what Friedman calls 'Multiple Identity Disorder' in a flattening world. We as individuals are trying to sort out "the tensions among our identities as consumers, employees, citizens, taxpayers, and shareholders." This article pulls the covers off of Wal-Mart, revealing some of the business partnerships they have had with companies like Vlasic, Lovable, Levi Strauss, and MasterLock- and how those companies have lost huge profits, and in the case of Vlasic, gone bankrupt because of their partnership with Wal-Mart. But, says Fishman, for suppliers, "the only thing worse than doing business with Wal-Mart may be not doing business with Wal-Mart". In a flattened world where one company has so much power, suppliers have few options if they want to stay afloat. Wal-Mart is taking its business to foreign companies at an accelerated rate. And as consumers with lower incomes due to the off-shoring of jobs, we also feel that we have little choice: we have to buy the cheapest brand. Seems that the Flattened world has also flattened individual choice.

This article provides a few helpful questions for those who are having difficulty differentiating between their own personal self and their organization. Employees often come to embody their organizational values and goals, especially if they are congruent with their own personal views. However, employees who are unaware of their self-disposition are likely to find they are unable to identify themselves outside of their organizational/working self. This article provides a few questions that clients, or any employee, can ask themselves to see whether or not they have lost sight of their personal values and traits that are unique to their person. These questions also have guiding descriptions, and provide advice on how to become self-aware.