Moral mazes

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1. glpgeFwacApr 2026
   The book Moral Mazes by Robert Jackall is a supporting reference to your take, worth a read.
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2. tafdaAug 2025
   Moral Mazes ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moral_Mazes ) is a sociology classic along these lines.

   Here's a relevant interview with the author, Robert Jackall: https://anso.williams.edu/files/2015/07/Jackall_interview_Ch...

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3. jglamineFeb 2025
   The book Moral Mazes: The World of Corporate Managers explores this question. It was written in the 80s as an anthropological study of the ethics of middle managers at large companies. It still holds up today!

   The book is descriptive - describing the ethical norms in large corporations, but it doesn't make a value judgement on whether those norms are good or bad.

   A fascinating read of you're curious about the structural reasons for this sort of behavior. Really interesting to see how people act by different ethical codes inside vs outside of work.

   It's not ideal, but also not likely to change. Understanding the structural reasons why it is the way it is has helped me to be less surprised / angry by things like this which I can't change.

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4. kloopSep 2024
   The best book I've found on this subject is Moral Mazes.

   It's from about halfway through the process you describe. If you don't have time to read the whole thing, look for the section on "milking the plant"

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5. runamuckFeb 2024
   Old Cliché, but appreciate the difference between Leaders and Managers. Managers get promoted along with leaders, sometimes further up the chain. For a nauseating exploration of the tyranny of Management, and perverse rewards, read Robert Jackall's "Moral Mazes."
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6. brw12Oct 2023
   A book I think is crucial is Creativity, Inc. (the Pixar book). The most important piece of its perspective, I think, is the idea that managers can screw things up in a bajillion ways, and that it takes consistent work and focus to create an environment where people WANT to bring up problems, WANT to bring in ideas, and WANT to do their best work.

   Another valuable book is Moral Mazes -- it's a tough read, but the takeaway is that managers are almost universally insecure, like INSANELY insecure, because they don't really produce something tangible, they produce the feeling of stability and predictably and (most important) loyalty in THEIR managers, and how the heck do you measure that? They're always one misunderstanding or failure to anticipate a problem or to quell some fussing away from being fired, or shut out of promotion. They exist in a terrifying state of status uncertainty. If they're not careful -- like REALLY, REALLY, affirmatively, pro-actively careful -- they'll create an environment where the people under them, who have front-line knowledge to bring, will suppress problems and avoid difficult conversations because they'll know how upset their manager will get. This can be incredibly costly. A good manager has to be brave, not just for themselves, but for those under them who need bravery to speak up. And that manager needs to go to bat every single time someone under them is right -- even if it costs the manager their job.

   Of course, few managers understand this advice or have the slightest spine to stand up for what they (internally think they) believe in. It's much more common to find managers who deal with "the wrong person" under them having a good point (and feeling embarassed, or worried that a superior will feel embarassed) by covering for it by getting angry.

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