In Reply to: Let's start behaving like grown-ups posted by Lets get real on 07 December 2001 at 22:07:07:
Debate about who works or worked harder, 'old' or 'new' IBMers is pointless and divisive. IBM has always managed to recruit talented hard working people; no doubt today's retirees would, if still at work, be working in the same way those of us still here do. It has, rightly, been observed that working life has changed, as it has always done! (Don't forget that IBM was a pioneer in employees stock options long long before the dot com bomb was even imagined!)
The issue this site is debating is whether the company has lived up to commitments, stated and implied, and whether it is behaving appropriately and properly.
There are certainly those who do not feel the latter part of that statement is relevant. Many of us disagree with them. We feel that as part of the web of parties with an interest in the company and its success we have a right to not only express our views about that, but also to press for action in line with them.
It is appropriate to expect companies, as part of the fabric of society to behave properly and morally as well as in precise alignment with the law. In this case many of us believe that IBM has flagrantly NOT done so, worse still, it has provided massive and disproportionate reward to some of those whose positions have enabled them to authorise these actions.
Those current employees who feel detached from this issue should consider for a few moments how some parallel but different actions may, in time, be perpetrated against them.
There are those who feel that a 'red in tooth and claw' form or corporate governance is appropriate, something often seen as "the American model". They are welcome to the view, but there are some points I suggest they consider......
... some considerable proportion of IBMers and IBM resource and profit are NOT within the USA, rather they are generated by different cultures with different values. The people from those cultures have an absolutely equal right to press for corporate behaviours they consider appropriate by their standards.
... even with the US there are clearly many current and ex-employees who share this view, thus the 'it is a US company' defence does not hold water!
... the long term success of all companies depends critically on the workforce and their willingness to be a constructive part of the system. To suggest a parallel US citizens may care to ponder.. the soviet empire degraded and finally came undone because, in the end it's citizens simply became disaffected. Whilst this was going on the government mechanisms still portrayed a successful thriving entity. IBM, also a centralist command economy looks very similar! It has managed to convince the stock market of its success whilst those within know full well that much is actually lack lustre and mediocre and that employee commitment is (albeit slowly) fading (chat to people who work for other companies as a comparison!).
In the end, unless there is change, it will implode. Just make very very sure it cannot dip sticky dieing fingers into the pension resources at that point!