经济学人217:老板与员工的意见分歧

　　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 obedience”. 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 acquiescence”. 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 align¹ around a company’s mission”.

　　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”。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”。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. 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. 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. Lack of trust may inhibit² innovation, too. 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”. At blind-obedience firms, fewer than one in five did.

　　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。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。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。同样，上下级之间缺乏信任会抑制员工创新。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。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. Bosses are eight times more likely than the average to believe that their organisation³ is self-governing. (The cheery folk in human resources are also much more optimistic than other employees.) Some 27% of bosses believe their employees are inspired by their firm. Alas⁴, only 4% of employees agree. Likewise, 41% of bosses say their firm rewards performance based on values rather than merely on financial results. Only 14% of employees swallow this.

　　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。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。）大约27%的老板认为自己公司的员工能够被公司所激励。奈何，只有4%的员工同意此说。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。然而只有14%的员工接受此说。

　　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 obedience”. 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 acquiescence”. 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 align around a company’s mission”.

　　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”。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”。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. 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. 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. Lack of trust may inhibit innovation, too. 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”. At blind-obedience firms, fewer than one in five did.

　　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。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。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。同样，上下级之间缺乏信任会抑制员工创新。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。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. Bosses are eight times more likely than the average to believe that their organisation is self-governing. (The cheery folk in human resources are also much more optimistic than other employees.) Some 27% of bosses believe their employees are inspired by their firm. Alas, only 4% of employees agree. Likewise, 41% of bosses say their firm rewards performance based on values rather than merely on financial results. Only 14% of employees swallow this.

　　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。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。）大约27%的老板认为自己公司的员工能够被公司所激励。奈何，只有4%的员工同意此说。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。然而只有14%的员工接受此说。

1 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。

2 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。

3 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。

4 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。