经济学人71:企业文化 老板与员工的意见分歧

 　　Business

　　商业

　　Corporate¹ culture

　　企业文化

　　The view from the top, and bottom

　　老板与员工的意见分歧

　　Bosses think their firms are caring. Their minions² disagree.

　　老板们认为公司对员工关怀备至，但其下属却不以为然。

　　AS WALMART grew into the world's largest retailer³, its staff were subjected to a long list of dos and don'ts covering every aspect of their work.

　　随着沃尔玛发展成为全球最大零售商，其员工在工作的各方各面都受到了一大堆规则的限制。

　　Now the firm has decided⁴ that its rules-based culture is too inflexible⁵ to cope with the challenges of globalisation and technological⁶ change,

　　如今，沃尔玛已经认识到其以规则为基础的公司文化过于死板，无法应对全球化和科技变革所带来的挑战。

　　and is trying to instil⁷ a "values-based" culture, in which employees can be trusted to do the right thing because they know what the firm stands for.

　　所以，沃尔玛正尝试逐渐培养一种以价值观为基础的公司文化，在这种文化中，员工了解公司的主张，所以能够得到公司的信任，去做他们认为正确的事情。

　　"Values" is the latest hot topic in management thinking.

　　"价值观念"是管理学思维最新的热门话题。

　　PepsiCo has started preaching a creed⁸ of "performance with purpose".

　　百事可乐公司已开始宣扬一个信条："目的性绩效"。

　　Chevron⁹, an oil firm, brands itself as a purveyor¹⁰ of "human energy", though presumably it does not really want you to travel by rickshaw.

　　石油公司雪佛龙在自己的商标上印上"‘人类体能'的供应商"的字样，尽管它大概并非真的希望你用人力车代步。

　　Nearly every big firm claims to be building a more caring and ethical¹¹ culture.

　　几乎每一家大型企业都宣称自身正在发展更为关怀体贴、合乎道德的企业文化。

　　A new study suggests there is less to this than it says on the label.

　　一项新的研究显示，实际情况与商家们所标榜的有差距。

　　Commissioned by Dov Seidman, boss of LRN, a firm that advises on corporate culture, and author of "How",

　　LRN（一家企业文化顾问公司）的老板、同时也是《怎么做到的？》

　　a book arguing that the way firms do business matters as much as what they do, and conducted by the Boston Research Group, the "National Governance, Culture and Leadership Assessment¹²" is based on a survey of thousands of American employees, from every rung of the corporate ladder.

　　（本书主张企业的经营方式与其经营的业务同样重要）的作者多弗?塞德曼委托波士顿研究集团进行这项"国家治理、文化和领导能力评估"的研究，该研究是以对来自公司各个级别的数千位美国雇员的调查为基础的。

　　It found that 43% of those surveyed described their company's culture as based on command-and-control, top-down management or leadership by coercion—what Mr Seidman calls "blind obedience¹³".

　　研究发现，有43%的调查对象对其公司的文化有以下描述：以命令和指挥为基础、自上而下的管理模式或强制式的领导——塞德曼先生称之为"盲目服从型"。

　　The largest category, 54%, saw their employer's culture as top-down, but with skilled leadership, lots of rules and a mix of carrots and sticks, which Mr Seidman calls "informed acquiescence¹⁴".

　　所占百分比最多的调查对象，即有54%的人认为其公司文化自上而下型的，但公司的领导也有技巧可言，只是规则繁多并存在软硬兼施的手段，塞德曼先生称这种为"知情服从型"。

　　Only 3% fell into the category of "self-governance", in which everyone is guided by a "set of core principles and values that inspire everyone to align¹⁵ around a company's mission".

　　只有3%的调查对象属于"自我管理型"，即每个员工都被一套"核心原则和价值"所引导，这套原则和价值激励每个员工以公司的宗旨为中心进行工作。

　　The study found evidence that such differences matter.

　　研究也发现一些证据，证明这些公司文化之间的差异事关重大。

　　Nearly half of those in blind-obedience companies said they had observed unethical behaviour in the previous year, compared with around a quarter in the other sorts of firm.

　　在盲目服从型企业中，几乎有过半数员工都称在前一年目睹过有违职业道德的行为，而在其他类型的企业中只有四分之一的员工有此经历。

　　Yet only a quarter of those in the blind-obedience firms said they were likely to blow the whistle, compared with over 90% in self-governing firms.

　　但是，在盲目服从型企业中只有约四分之一的员工说他们可能会揭发这种行为，而在自我管理型企业中却有90%的员工会进行揭发。

　　Lack of trust may inhibit¹⁶ innovation, too.

　　同样，上下级之间缺乏信任会抑制员工创新。

　　More than 90% of employees in self-governing firms, and two-thirds in the informed-acquiescence category, agreed that "good ideas are readily adopted by my company".

　　自我管理型公司中超过90%的员工承认"绝妙的想法很容易会被公司采纳"，选择性顺从型公司中也有三分之二的员工这样认为。

　　At blind-obedience firms, fewer than one in five did.

　　而在盲目服从型公司中，持这种想法的人少于五分之一。

　　Tragicomically, the study found that bosses often believe their own guff, even if their underlings do not.

　　令人哭笑不得的是，研究还发现老板们时常对自己瞎掰的那一套信以为真，即便员工们不以为然。

　　Bosses are eight times more likely than the average to believe that their organisation¹⁷ is self-governing. (The cheery folk in human resources are also much more optimistic than other employees.)

　　老板们相信其公司是自我管理型公司的程度比普通员工高八倍。（人力资源部那些心情愉快的职员也比公司其他员工要乐观得多。）

　　Some 27% of bosses believe their employees are inspired by their firm.

　　大约27%的老板认为自己公司的员工能够被公司所激励。

　　Alas¹⁸, only 4% of employees agree.

　　奈何，只有4%的员工同意此说。

　　Likewise, 41% of bosses say their firm rewards performance based on values rather than merely on financial results.

　　同样，41%的老板称其公司对绩效的奖励是建基于价值观之上的，而不仅是业绩。

　　Only 14% of employees swallow this.

　　然而只有14%的员工接受此说。

1 corporate   

adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的

参考例句：

• This is our corporate responsibility.这是我们共同的责任。
• His corporate's life will be as short as a rabbit's tail.他的公司的寿命是兔子尾巴长不了。

2 minions   

n.奴颜婢膝的仆从( minion的名词复数 )；走狗；宠儿；受人崇拜者

参考例句：

• She delegated the job to one of her minions. 她把这份工作委派给她的一个手下。 来自辞典例句
• I have been a slave to the vicious-those whom I served were his minions. 我当过那帮坏人的奴隶，我伺候的都是他的爪牙。 来自辞典例句

3 retailer   

n.零售商(人)

参考例句：

• What are the retailer requirements?零售商会有哪些要求呢？
• The retailer has assembled a team in Shanghai to examine the question.这家零售商在上海组建了一支团队研究这个问题。

4 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

5 inflexible   

adj.不可改变的，不受影响的，不屈服的

参考例句：

• Charles was a man of settled habits and inflexible routine.查尔斯是一个恪守习惯、生活规律不容打乱的人。
• The new plastic is completely inflexible.这种新塑料是完全不可弯曲的。

6 technological   

adj.技术的；工艺的

参考例句：

• A successful company must keep up with the pace of technological change.一家成功的公司必须得跟上技术变革的步伐。
• Today,the pace of life is increasing with technological advancements.当今， 随着科技进步，生活节奏不断增快。

7 instil   

v.逐渐灌输

参考例句：

• It's necessary to instil the minds of the youth with lofty ideals.把崇高理想灌输到年青人的思想中去是很必要的。
• The motive of the executions would be to instil fear.执行死刑的动机是要灌输恐惧。

8 creed   

n.信条；信念，纲领

参考例句：

• They offended against every article of his creed.他们触犯了他的每一条戒律。
• Our creed has always been that business is business.我们的信条一直是公私分明。

9 chevron   

n.V形臂章；V形图案

参考例句：

• He wore shoulderstrap rank slides with sergeant's chevrons.他佩戴标示级别的肩章，上面有中士的V形标志。
• The chevron or arrow road sign indicates a sharp bend to the left or right.V形或箭头路标表示有向左或向右的急转弯。

10 purveyor   

n.承办商，伙食承办商

参考例句：

• Silence, purveyor of gossip, do not spread that report. 快别那样说，新闻记者阁下，别散布那个消息。 来自互联网
• Teaching purpose: To comprehensively understand the role function and consciousness composition of a news purveyor. 教学目的：全面深入的理解新闻传播者的角色功能和意识构成。 来自互联网

11 ethical   

adj.伦理的，道德的，合乎道德的

参考例句：

• It is necessary to get the youth to have a high ethical concept.必须使青年具有高度的道德观念。
• It was a debate which aroused fervent ethical arguments.那是一场引发强烈的伦理道德争论的辩论。

12 assessment   

n.评价；评估；对财产的估价，被估定的金额

参考例句：

• This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
• What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何？

13 obedience   

n.服从，顺从

参考例句：

• Society has a right to expect obedience of the law.社会有权要求人人遵守法律。
• Soldiers act in obedience to the orders of their superior officers.士兵们遵照上级军官的命令行动。

14 acquiescence   

n.默许；顺从

参考例句：

• The chief inclined his head in sign of acquiescence.首领点点头表示允许。
• This is due to his acquiescence.这是因为他的默许。

15 align   

vt.使成一线，结盟，调节；vi.成一线，结盟

参考例句：

• Align the ruler and the middle of the paper.使尺子与纸张的中部成一条直线。
• There are signs that the prime minister is aligning himself with the liberals.有迹象表明首相正在与自由党人结盟。

16 inhibit   

vt.阻止，妨碍，抑制

参考例句：

• Don't let ego and greed inhibit clear thinking and hard work.不要让自我和贪婪妨碍清晰的思维和刻苦的工作。
• They passed a law to inhibit people from parking in the street.他们通过一项法令以阻止人们在街上停车。

17 organisation   

n.组织，安排，团体，有机休

参考例句：

• The method of his organisation work is worth commending.他的组织工作的方法值得称道。
• His application for membership of the organisation was rejected.他想要加入该组织的申请遭到了拒绝。

18 alas   

int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等)

参考例句：

• Alas!The window is broken!哎呀！窗子破了！
• Alas,the truth is less romantic.然而，真理很少带有浪漫色彩。