>Sometimes I wonder, though, if we invented institutional Work to justify mediocrity, and make it OK. It's often portrayed as an oppression brought in by deceptive, aggressive Boss Men; but I also think people willingly participate because it's a way to substitute mediocre/subordinate social acceptance for the much more intermittent reward/thrill of genuine work.
Very interesting hypothesis. If true, it would answer a lot of questions about poor performance of large organizations and also explain to me why so many people I have worked with are comfortable with said mediocrity.
actually a thing I've noticed in Japan (lifetime employment AND labor shortage) is there's a lot of silly 'institutional work' that is created for less capable members of certain groups. For example, guys whose only job is to just say "be careful please" around construction sites all day long. It's weird, but in a way it ensures these guys can still get some income.
Very interesting hypothesis. If true, it would answer a lot of questions about poor performance of large organizations and also explain to me why so many people I have worked with are comfortable with said mediocrity.