This month I took a step back from an institution I grew up with. The last few years have been rough as they haven't been able to keep the "fine print" at the bottom of the contract hidden, so to speak. Its hard when that fine print is merely a bunch of vague references that don't even adhere to an academic reference system of any sort. What's even worse is that the contract and the references are contradictory in nature. While the contract is years and years long, it may reference something in one chapter, only to have in contradicted in another. Now before you jump at the chance of thinking you know what I am talking about, let me stop you.
Corporative and bureaucratic in nature, this institution waves a flag of righteous superiority at the top, while allowing any number of different colors to wave below on their chain, claiming no endorsement to any such differing culture and washing their hands as they refer you to their more "official" flag. Yet, what goes on behind the scenes is anyone's guess. The finances, decision-making, corporate restructuring, elections of officials, policy changes and elitism is determined behind closed doors. As with all of their flag waving, they preach that any "policy changes" given to the top tier is available to every person in the corporation who is willing to receive them.
What is equally appalling is that the members of this corporation rarely look at the fine print, even though the reference system is quickly deciphered. One reason for this is the nature of the contract. This corporations contract is like that trust account set up in your name at your birth by a relative only to have it handed over to you when you are off to college or about to get married.
"Surprise! Here is a wonderful gift of $63.00! I invested $50.00 twenty years ago in a savings account, and now you have $13.00 more, isn't it great?!"
All kidding aside, the gift is sweet, but you are nonetheless caught off guard that you had a bank account in your name set up years ago and you now have three years of accounting experience that make your knuckles white upon hearing this "good news." Yeah, this contract is similar to that. One way the contract differs from a bank account with three or so lost years is that it is life-long and unchangeable. If you want to break the contract you can, through a lot of red tape (it is a bureaucracy after all), heartache and ostracism, as it is elitist and therefore, breaking contract is turning your back on your once elite status and on the elitists that once embraced you.
So from this perspective alone, one can maybe see why it is such a big deal. Looking at my analogy now, I see that I misspoke. The contract has parts. As you show your loyalty and willingness on the corporate ladder, as with any institution, one is able to climb that ladder. Every rung, so to speak, brings an appendix to your existing contract and a smaller, more elite group of individuals. So each rungs' contract is unchangeable and life-long, implying that, as a whole, the contract is unchangeable. It is a little easier to renege on an appendix rather than the entire contract. Clear as mud? Also let's be clear about something: I am making all this stuff up on the fly.
