Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Fat and Mean: The Corporate Squeeze of Working Americans and the
    Fat and Mean: The Corporate Squeeze of Working Americans and the
    Fat and Mean: The Corporate Squeeze of Working Americans and the
    Ebook641 pages8 hours

    Fat and Mean: The Corporate Squeeze of Working Americans and the

    By David M. Gordon

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    Since the early 1980s, economic experts have recommended "downsizing" as the best way for U.S. corporations to remain competitive. Reducing unnecessary staff would lower costs, increase profits, and transform these companies into lean, mean production machines. As many American businesses pursued this strategyoften in the wake of mergers and acquisitions that left them with an unwieldy layer of middle managementand raised their bottom line, it seemed the experts were right. Yet as David M. Gordon shows in this iconoclastic book, most of them have really only gone halfway. They are "mean," but far from lean.

    Tracing the overall employment patterns of the past decade, Gordon shows that most American companies actually employ more managers and supervisors than ever before. These ever-increasing functionaries control company payrolls and pay themselves generous salariesat the expense of average workers. For despite a steadily growing economy the real wages of the American worker have been falling for the past 20 years. To explain this decline and the much-debated "wage gap" that resulted, pundits and professors invoke various causes ranging from the flow of production jobs overseas to the average worker's lack of the technological skills needed in today's "knowledge economy." But Gordon exposes the single greatest factor in this decline, a corporate strategy that penalizes line workers and hinders businesses from competing effectively in world markets: the simultaneous overstaffing of management hierarchies and the inadequate compensation of workers.

    Instead of sharing profits with their employees, thus encouraging them to work harder, management has more often opted to prod workers by instilling fear of layoffs. Gordon unerringly plots the shortsighted and disastrous course of U.S. corporations, and documents the tremendous social and personal costs to their employees. Yet in addition to telling the harsh truth about downsizing, he suggests policies to ensure fairer business practices. Wages can increase
    indeed, they mustas the economy begins to perform more efficiency.

    U.S. corporations have become fat and mean. They need to become lean and decentnot just for the sake of their workers, but for the sake of their competitive advantage. This provocative and original book shows how they can.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherFree Press
    Release dateMay 15, 1996
    ISBN9781439136706
    Fat and Mean: The Corporate Squeeze of Working Americans and the
    Author

    David M. Gordon

    David M. Gordon is an associate professor of history at Bowdoin College. He is author of Nachituti’s Gift: Economy, Society, and Environment in Central Africa and numerous articles on African social, cultural, and environmental history.

    Related to Fat and Mean

    Related ebooks

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Why Capitalism In America Now Needs Its Defenders

      Apr 3, 2019

      Capitalism or socialism? At a Monitor Breakfast Wednesday, Larry Kudlow defended capitalism as the best path to prosperity for all.

      4 min read

    • Article

      Meet Your Body’s Death Eaters: From brain to blood to bone, macrophages take out our cellular trash.

      Nov 21, 2013

      The word “macrophage” means “a big eater” in Greek, and it’s a fitting description. Macrophages are our body’s garbage-devouring cells. They consume the pathogens in our bloodstream, the necrotic cells from our flesh and bones, and the dust in our lu

      5 min read

    • Article

      Martial Arts-Style Bushcraft

      Aug 13, 2019

      Martial Arts-Style Bushcraft
      2 min read

    • Article

      Malthus Was Not a Malthusian

      Jan 1, 2020

      Malthus Was Not a Malthusian
      13 min read

    • Article

      Chaos Under Heaven: Trump As Raging Bull In A China Policy Shop

      Mar 14, 2021

      Covid-19 has left more than 530,000 Americans dead and China’s standing with the US at a historic low. Only Iran and North Korea fare worse. US opinion is no outlier. China’s reputation has taken a beating in Australia, the UK, Sweden, the Netherland

      3 min read

    • Article

      The Party of No Content

      Aug 24, 2020

      The Party of No Content
      14 min read

    • Article

      Time for a Modern-Day New Deal

      Jul 21, 2020

      Time for a Modern-Day New Deal
      11 min read

    • Article

      Beyond Jacinda

      Jan 10, 2021

      Beyond Jacinda
      17 min read

    • Article

      The Forever Culture War

      Jan 8, 2022

      The Forever Culture War
      6 min read

    • Article

      The Persona Project and the Future of Democratic Capitalism

      May 1, 2017

      GREG IS A 28-YEAR OLD HR MANAGER living in Phoenix, Arizona. He’s got a Master’s degree in Labour Relations, a salary in excess of $100,000 a year and a lot of ambition. In fact, he’s got a list of 22 goals — personal and professional — that he regul

      11 min read

    • Article

      Jonah Goldberg: ‘Buy American’ Might Sound Good, But It’s Bipartisan Folly

      Feb 14, 2023

      You hear it all the time, including from me: Our politics is too partisan, too polarized, too divided. Why can’t both parties work together for the common good? But it’s worth pointing out that sometimes bipartisan consensus is awful. The worst form

      3 min read

    • Article

      An Exit From Trumpocracy

      Jan 18, 2018

      An Exit From Trumpocracy
      9 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for Fat and Mean

    0 ratings

    0 ratings0 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

      Book preview

      Fat and Mean - David M. Gordon

      '/abook_preview_excerpt.html}ɒW A(J&Z RTѲj\p|ZeCmrۋ2][MݵO/{νopdfFbovo#vokww) Ƿ ȣo./ڏ|nvnϣ]jVw5}ay~X7q+ŷ?5}]xyq7W/7ūw/77/gpex-_O1~W^Vnmph}}q#p?.]W2,?m7+yx;ߌ lmN o_ܿwvz(Q1/]Urck E{rVT͢K^C,:r\ XEu[:{w;X;]u]HN6p\7yj {zn1<"*~lAϸo_<*QǗ_<̉u5\ ȮJvjޏZfm~!LKo>nƻx%/"v䵍fk~sHHq|ɋDW&y%jWۮBw~;,ΡjJKͳŽG8{gI -BvO!Ox&EGQ4ɶ"I Wۭ\S_eyͅU<_\q˾ս|`)G_>>B-&nD/b}pw F_!.23/f ߿۹LE󙏃2/.?T;)AȕJHpMCTE:N'`՗r/&Ag>)J싇__b͉7>qwN?HEG.Q߽pDʏ_b/uoI\^{Wo_/^]NX#'qj?J8󵜦| q޶çYO=s뫛Ż˫W?^_fL"^Wа3s0m O|[u#/*c#O?OdF4@fB6':<_?q4CYXV% kV;!2_<(.u]MNȏ$-]o]{QbMR˸wIG7K1ކr6::G=Ϫ(왓LjD 2>y;Nli}Sc]+Ro6׏woڌ`~ξ"ElXhp_ Y.cysQ\5ܪw=yptQ6Y|Vko"yUWv4{bܪI)!-d8ݷCq+a7] bӯLvMV! Gu?Q\#j z|v۱03JBPw~ ^ݹ_8k_oq=sNuؗľ]2@F~W!,bW@(H/`~$mqY2Hc-,ě("/f!Ģ)΁ø/v1y? |{5د=; R1m,є(q3_ʮl}+{Vo Y{YQۺp]/⍙q]l4v.,1QP2m1b_nSQdlrU{'Jy]j UuCa.u/ZEWD-ȌqDPT:+N6lO2ϱcBI\F9+~6ʹע"⒨xf1hEۊXוo]wn^~#8(9!'r u ԃi39ŝPLn3B3݀luM `kV~Ek;=5[ Jm0l+ieU#sijF_Prlr|z[ I<cn+Zv™jB s+"F ӈC>;h}R*J/ndG "pȠPx|f1t2.`VD!9}TH߶eI;aO8!|oXVr(^Fa|E?)bSBkhH؏ދΑ켲gSNm[^Сe{/C˼7e"ZD"3 ZhX('@~g F*ʪ?{a.Qf\{;J7m|nZDCBn[״?}v3s_׍XbN6-aʢZ$eCxSv U0 /||IX( 'D_ JPWln(~pï#eoEoِ`{%e8j/-3*+E0 `-NO,iU ?Z7nnjMVl̎ʎ?jъ 1+cWP=U3Oa`&QDNvQ 'ZC k8ҹ_@Nyi2rbV<7v^߷fט7f؏eI+QGtb^īsac;_XeZ*X ap d;*Bz(!%eNhr?W]">'|l@QS!Q\ǨMeb4SEu&brL(Εi;W;+OӮ 0B%!PIW0uD8Fni[u"H;KȜٖ;TeYE-@q\L'j?gbi`P ٹ/#~["j.&ᚕZ1s% Gg&v&m 12Xdh-3 @yZDrH4p1Z&.lF`[|UqkBDTPW/ S\YZ>?#wem" 4"T|ʺ',Y"t^|PZko<(a݊ފ=Xկ~|:0`J6B.v 0b{$ܴ*T|mTd-/_zC:N 2i$2Z8vywgMA]8d`B>Y)jIu@Fi(!gR pn3DronPZ͂mP]aʜhRYsaaQ^q Y}QLxp ]Ndq 2PIcX,llQ'n;C&>]]Ȭ4 AisJQ aha5,d P% ^8$D#JW،bVK]e 9Է49si28SY]DyO\KDƍl$@OΩMEI/\&Z WD*ت偈9w σ08~9齅Mk{I##Gb ă&dV9"ɮ靈ʤΫcSvoSu8G1ˇ_Lߧ]L36B.tgKpD{SJqT$._)&\UdTw"9TA4u[ ( vaٳ0dmjS=2Yh~`y Nw WBkĝt;ӯBjk׭u 7_UDnj[JXdM+a!*ls/z |Cwl|ިai p!w (]Fx/  3Խt|4dF !fC/  |f^Ԅ2^+"/r`M~ tyoRc.ĩRՆ)~Ѷ,VDU^O(msXJ+ 2dUV-ib'hdd1Q^VUsK,qo*(ʙT"juY ЗgEoEgV-d5Į,[4aq'˧Lc'"PT^ /xRR1('v:#gUjq+7A~kНD989|Rp"`"}3wq4H/ZFN\bO: y Ŏ[Jt!`گh;dT@Yh=r [ X>q Fgp!N_TTzqk\#jHF l R"00H0@=cVdj*xg+{NY ci)P;XcZ*[h!hP&)mL'dn:xC򁈲"ZKTh!｡ ez; !4fsxDU~(W\ dW!<sNէQe~"y .6%'5`?_Yq9v֫+ BR 3n\d&а)R*d 0ܪi(3 -&mZA~#=u%N)ӓɕnA/ˏP7b)!k'ԑhna;g.͒ (6XMh;(3̣k93x>e@j,chZai =J,s O!I^ ![L )t} d )?' m3-1}QDBBϬSY,1N⼖؂w۝^&|\eI% 3$TطqrJ8lh-t s *Fd-M2+RDM\>xsy}mqwo~,Pu]㬔dӰO[JOGf!q`PHЋeVMWSmMw1nڛpq;``~ >Sa_@DІͩv}x =l @jL#qˑ1Е&%5 {Ս"UC rpbQabUN hR؏ ht^qܥN#2D43ER-d,dԙD$u{BRCЭ$;f E{dh%ٳH8^I qq[W@þftՕk <>5 fi,qE%=}~j/4J(k9:lU >*ha`W&`D2b\o :2`^fAʫ'YTP4Ֆ5^D2^eyg5 K}Pq0ы?h+β| +ӥqK!)g?$?MGPD`8?+\52"eJX4*l j/`7(K4Rehg (apmۙiDU(>@h+U]:~\8*߈Hh^=͊qB͑U n8c3ٙ#\{8-F ֆHr%/=`B+'/+(|H_InRLb vߋV\,ow'k~HM! I(\vw~4v u8S9FfA0bԓ$o0Ts +RS[q}<hTg -x5)x氳[>3۹3 مv{yYjQL\ u'ea},GH!>¦ f,F{ay«iB2RE%y0sBwЩ",AĝC[-^W(,/052]eb m@19:!B`~6K覼i*4 UXУ(Wd*8T 1:aEu8i@_ FpӸ hO?OҕfT [̉ҿCi Z$``LsqG.F0wCŸÿ^kbZFH>4`1Ts-X(n'Q6Xİ ՛٬1P)l u<$䆙9v H\"g"k9HljR)Yx,5q[G,K[}ЕD{J7gCeN PEDX*SI 3pri XU2_>C l$N"DFKjD呖m4[x̰JNՆ RU5?CE1\)CN2&AT\E>->}=-.IJJNM N&˼~B*'E,$SFJ<;'65rL[k|4}Ye+INo{CWyzKDb-;+\p0q4f'ۤcf[LCdU>iBa?bS9Br,fЍo(<jxhXӻx pHF elcy.`31-`\ k:rAA{mb!ɑ3>jVf'gf|6F}pXPm 6t DM*C8KF+Z 'DfDvZ.E `IZX GJyAcsZYFLXќ9m4Î>dK5V}a}Tb l~K_X-X'EaGR) >j1!C h:T1TU7K1Jè 4k Eg5+ #\e:Zv!hjFxLc EiYCZ5;NC(hj [ۦwVrL~˝]3BY e(z٨sruIÂfց%eVŪMrRЏ[pw>bLD<ƚ2d` ǖZF m=nmzE+vdH-On,d,T-B"*%qWd#4CCiѺiB& ˭)!T}falo[dĹc,UfBWWI4l8iD\&@'@bF6Z%jFsj " wVS :2Eӊ-MO9?LIEt[ҭN7N3B@-I""IsE/[t H}f>8"KKkL(AeE͡m )(G2T&VSH#Skf5pC8nZTh$"] 7AVz6{jdH@6L3 ?~?2ViH9۠1]2s Oe*B"zY`o0mE&PۉT7-mK1jm@=   Śhٜ'.ԬJ:Djcw$ * ƋwJd,));>P m,Xk̐f~,ԛ Tܯ)·v ز˫ZڪOI5b׹$_ i5X[?!Z=:9bS+Kd ve4nSpFAg*mRd?YĘNcy4Z8AWzFZ#AS#xgczbOaʧY&pdW\cK?kx3;e7(M&dB&C"ij`Z'd|E $"1#IO}c)p5C9[)T~('M @d{5?M#]Zd_Cu:aKF Y9xʣ| نdYf,c+),Wƙ抉׉ۆ2O:xC( d-}J9eUE&W[ufҶe HūV{BFڼlfe똮nXwp'tDYCYrqΏ -Fu7}dLinF@i2"zu T؏:nf+E2iDEifFcG݀Qs a6%U E23@*C-T5 +@[qݐ" "WEQa(rFC3t E4 }B}ɵZ+xӎhjaZV֋Pԩ ifHh; _ yڬNXX|*Ү@̿4u{&d+7v>M[nLT qh. *:FeT@UH,o~Z-Ań/-~:6بeǕT˚BhWnj)ԛhhI;C YpOeEJUNf##èrw=ӿ\829]B :/Sd]7WAkauXq([q:AîdAav\c}`L@P W.j;(D˝,S)>4 s{uҌ J EЈP$]>˖7a+$VAk/R 8 G[SZr:Zi(/V7*#) F .a]L,.qzSFvKdԉ+kºE+7a&\,4ԕh>VTOpĂRt)N|$c6o #)Q 3UM?~&z#T1睅&)wi *lN/f%I`6ɖ\Dc~;nB^7P*`v蘨bD/Y7yztYhGɞ#7XUX8-9d %Y!*B -d;_eFܳ7SдIHJ̛ jɺ^l4! Iʾ`3MRI\mYmq$@r ( i.a6QkL U{VlCAk@^nʼnj XÅ% Z Tc`dk.1f$2p K7#k1OKRW{': Ze$P}Yt.1ej&VwAt~C+TK`IdYVE!t=*b[k2~|v P  a1kdMΌ47T 1Q3#T*bMC15H*@\*ζ 񞧾&m:2(\fS() }:P@;3,08;g+*"h{a99*MhiTO~16Q)6g7 ?U To=hҾ~E`U%ۑ*'3t:ӣ6ձ^ZfM{^f%Ļ麷VT\F\=F*|n eh2TlSm1-> + E&jсESտy?6z#Y(OEv9z>ѣ>5A "Fgn)~cb3qG[K3:/n4e J`ɍ+ Y-IIMqan^ fANKl]%_uT F!±7;BV&!A'Q?𩥍肥PRN@"[Yj"I>4!ZLydۥUYxv3f}KUo;-/~eˋׯ޾*>^/8Ap5f ?(n~^w//,:,TM[ܝwv%i&{{,"ŭl]CҲe}ERch0;46mƛ dI'6N br˸N{SJYud;6}%@;rl0 oV 2Iݕ=ʆob7TVYۤN n&}\"B딵_$1Jx[-4c *MbZult6FjZ~>02@UJ]7+ɳYyE4 EG#$ ,EFɠIftB߉LR(`Bl.ߝ1#>aD 4"O[e3g#W_}'f{%tekҜ1S<`)Z>42Wxnb+akSߨZ5 \i;5ڼPRnah~##υ"CW1"orĺ0cJ2Iԟb2Xgz?̂]q-)Щ;4{<8ћJ~KEKI]j(%c&mt}XcI+E hY5BXâJDBf\W(@BGon(^6Rxwn YĽK{w-55JOAmzqkY9~vhlA WgY}/iyEv0RڋݩFvB>, ߮AIeegPyfN?9^S3:I^V3Ϝ>_|yƶgpFe {,9Y+VM"A}$Y΄>u(2?wnN NQkv*KW .Iǘ-[g*wTC\8ٜ@˶8Q͎8Nz^͜a<d1@FY?ip 2mw`zlK<ԢlA_3m6ku;QT/5G1i:Fc* )UjX nX,\0Ff#.߃9"etFmz)fbH4u═S,s8lcP$^CJO B/YN ~ ^SE4ÿϵAY{Yٍ|{XOUu+K1ba}\4 b?Wx+0)NkՆœ 1cHmZg0%=:5xBIG8gf:i]ݦ\#oĶrnY(zo9,p}MY"ơmBoQ,o(j_P2ӱvx:~z#i%5嗙]Bs~ӎL})ƚQ<"A0/5+nߪ8<Nެ&)&Q I1;";nZ'*d饬 .BtwZY~N_s5JjDm6#<ߨhpaZK42$yXvc=߶l ٳZ/8$2^ʑ!ae}g*E6,pf_zߋVamkP볋X v~eޓ/3ҵ
      Enjoying the preview?
      Page 1 of 1