The IABC Handbook of Organizational Communication: A Guide to Internal Communication, Public Relations, Marketing, and Leadership

The Rock Throwers

Tolerance of autocratic management behavior, the tendency to layer organizations with unnecessary levels of approvals, and the inclination not to trust or value human assets have all given birth to this virtual rhinoceros that charges ahead, often oblivious to the rocks that are hurled at it by a multitude of persistent researchers, enlightened management thinkers, human resource professionals, and countless consultants. The rhino has managed for years to go about its nasty and costly business while the rest of us marvel at its capacity to ignore the forces aiming to tame it or end its mindless run.

Today, there is great hope. Current pressures and realities suggest that the days of the dominance of the corporate rhino are numbered. ...