General Discussion

Lydia Leftcoast

(48,223 posts)

14. The current generation of middle managers was trained to focus exclusively on the numbers

Mon Apr 22, 2013, 05:27 PM

Apr 2013

The people who were my students in the early 1980s are now in their late 40s, early 50s, prime middle manager material. They majored in business and were taught to think strictly in terms of numbers and to regard the prosperity of the shareholders as their ONLY priority.

Furthermore, most of the students I had came from pretty affluent homes, so they had no experience of being poorly paid or unemployed and no experience of mingling with blue collar workers or their families.

I don't remember "white trash" jokes when I was growing up. That's because so many people were either working class or had grown up working class.

I hate the "seen at WalMart" pages or the gibes at "trailer trash."

You know what? If you had grown up in the same environment, that would be YOU pushing a WalMart cart while wearing ill-fitting sweats.

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KRUGMAN: The Fake Skills Shortage [View all] markiv Apr 2013 OP

It's not just the wages Mopar151 Apr 2013 #1

if only Chaco Dundee Apr 2013 #12

if only Chaco Dundee Apr 2013 #21

That's absolutely true Mopar151 Apr 2013 #24

we are going of subject Chaco Dundee Apr 2013 #66

A "ROB or a SNOB Mopar151 Apr 2013 #67

Up,s Chaco Dundee Apr 2013 #68

That's horrible - these H1-B's should have some recourse. reformist2 Apr 2013 #29

Sadly, in the case I know of Mopar151 Apr 2013 #32

Agreed. whathehell Apr 2013 #2

kr. HiPointDem Apr 2013 #3

WOOHOO! YES! Now we have Krugman writing about it! nt antigop Apr 2013 #4

Actually, that's from last Thanksgiving... JHB Apr 2013 #5

we need awareness. People don't understand the problem--especially engineers who haven't been hit. antigop Apr 2013 #26

K&R flamingdem Apr 2013 #6

oh, the offshore "TALENT" garbage Skittles Apr 2013 #7

Can we talk? Can we talk? Mopar151 Apr 2013 #33

omg the stories I could tell Skittles Apr 2013 #34

it's a fine thing for world peace Mopar151 Apr 2013 #36

No shortage of Fake Skills in Congress. formercia Apr 2013 #8

Years ago when I started working we were trained on the job. How come they don't do that now? Harriety Apr 2013 #9

The current generation of middle managers was trained to focus exclusively on the numbers Lydia Leftcoast Apr 2013 #14

Yuppie maggots Populist_Prole Apr 2013 #22

+ 1000 n/t Mopar151 Apr 2013 #25

Especially galling is that "Fiduciary Duty to the shareholders" is a MYTH. HughBeaumont Apr 2013 #46

Thanks for that post dreamnightwind Apr 2013 #65

"taught to...regard the prosperity of the shareholders as their ONLY priority." woo me with science Apr 2013 #57

they still DO that now Skittles Apr 2013 #35

This is the real scoop here. TheKentuckian Apr 2013 #10

Education has not lead to stagnation of wages. FogerRox Apr 2013 #31

When you glut the market, you drive down wages. When you over focus on degrees TheKentuckian Apr 2013 #59

Yes theres a shortage of Cisco network engineers willing to work in the $15-$18/hr range undeterred Apr 2013 #11

Ten years ago Cisco Network Engineers worked between $30 - $45 an hour. haele Apr 2013 #16

I asked another recruiter if they actually find people who work for that undeterred Apr 2013 #19

LOL Aerows Apr 2013 #20

+100 nt antigop Apr 2013 #27

I keep getting calls from recruiters asking for senior mechanical engineers, with MSME, to Flatulo Apr 2013 #13

On a slightly related note, my son is getting his masters in paralegal studies this spring. He's Flatulo Apr 2013 #15

The legal profession is a tough market right now mn9driver Apr 2013 #58

That's a damned shame. I hope she can find more rewarding work down the road. Flatulo Apr 2013 #64

K & R AzDar Apr 2013 #17

The Democrats like this because they can push for more education funding... Spitfire of ATJ Apr 2013 #18

+1,000 zazen Apr 2013 #51

What gets me is how Republicans put people in agencies to destroy them from within,.. Spitfire of ATJ Apr 2013 #62

K&R n/t OhioChick Apr 2013 #23

With a very few exceptions, there are simply not enough jobs to go around. reformist2 Apr 2013 #28

Thank you Mr. Krugman for speaking the plain truth! usGovOwesUs3Trillion Apr 2013 #30

The "structural" issue we encounter is geographic Sen. Walter Sobchak Apr 2013 #37

There's plenty of DUers who would never ever relocate to the South Fumesucker Apr 2013 #38

If you seriously equate the two you have probably never been here. Sen. Walter Sobchak Apr 2013 #39

The South is more diverse than you might imagine and yes I've been to OC Fumesucker Apr 2013 #40

Different regions have different industries and attract different people. Sen. Walter Sobchak Apr 2013 #41

You want someone to move across the country Fumesucker Apr 2013 #42

I can barely follow a word you have said, Sen. Walter Sobchak Apr 2013 #44

This one dickhead whttevrr Apr 2013 #61

'they seem to inevitably have a hipster dickhead companion' markiv Apr 2013 #43

Huh? Sen. Walter Sobchak Apr 2013 #45

Are you paying moving expenses? whttevrr Apr 2013 #47

Relocation assistance is standard, Sen. Walter Sobchak Apr 2013 #48

Even with mortgage rates as low as they are... whttevrr Apr 2013 #49

Did you read the first post you replied to? Sen. Walter Sobchak Apr 2013 #54

Yes and the one before that asked you what you were offering the hipster dickheads to move across whttevrr Apr 2013 #60

You are clearly having a conversation with someone else. Don't let me interrupt. Sen. Walter Sobchak Apr 2013 #63

you keep referring to others as 'dickhead' markiv Apr 2013 #53

Oh, I am the problem with lots of things. Sen. Walter Sobchak Apr 2013 #56

I just don't think they want to hire enough people period. Lady Freedom Returns Apr 2013 #50

Yet, somehow, business owners get such underpaid workers offshore. closeupready Apr 2013 #52

Everything that Krugman says is so blatantly, mind-bendingly obvious. lumberjack_jeff Apr 2013 #55