“Yes Sir, Yes Sir”: It is time to embrace ‘Employee Social Responsibility’

‘Baa Baa Black Sheep,’ a rhyme written in ancient England, has been instilled in us at a very young age and is therefore known by nearly everyone across the world. Yet lesser known are its interesting and unconfirmed origins; as all forms of poetry, what hidden message was conveyed in this nursery rhyme.

Masked by simple words and rhyme, is the author’s protest against the English taxes on wool and the slave trade and strikes discourse on the political debate on taxation. Written during the time of King Edward, the rhyme alludes to one bag being used to maintain the master’s expenses, the second being sent to the “dame” or the church and the third being sent to the “boy who cries down the lane”. Obviously the “black sheep” gets none. 

Clearly as you go down the line the work gets tougher but the reward is menial. This rhyme can be dissected to try make sense of the many corporate issues we face, but at this point in time, I choose to focus on the first half of the third line “Yes Sir, Yes Sir…”

We work in a global corporate jungle where malpractice and masked inefficiency have become the way of business with no one character to stand up against it. Of course, there is much discourse on transparency, openness, empowerment of staff, however the flowing tide is so strong that those who stand up against it would inadvertently be washed away with it. This modus operandi has therefore created survivors who will cling on to their jobs and seats through thick and thin. 

Employee social responsibility 

It is time, in addition to the culture of corporate social responsibility for us to familiarise ourselves with ‘Employee Social Responsibility’ – meaning employees are responsible for a company’s and ultimately society’s demise. 

But why, you may wonder? Why is it so important?  The answer is simple. The fall of a single company may cause a ripple effect that would eventually affect an entire economy and in some cases even the global economy. 

To put things into perspective, let us ponder on the fact that there are companies, which have balance sheets that are bigger than that of a country. For example, Yahoo is bigger than Mongolia, Nike is bigger than Paraguay, Amazon.com is bigger than Kenya and Pepsi and P&G are bigger than oil exporters Oman and Libya. 

A country’s collapse could result in national bankruptcy, unemployment and eventually chaos, therefore would not the collapse of any of the above companies result in similar dire national circumstances? Such an incident would create unemployment and panic, families of stakeholders and employees would be at risk, economies would be upset and associated countries would jeopardise their brand name. 

Is it then not evident that the collapse of a company would affect a society? Is it then not our responsibility to ensure our company avoids such a fate by reporting data doctoring or calling on poor strategy?

Before the famous Enron scandal, the Baring Bank fall shocked the business world. Obviously, it was one company and did not have as much an effect as the recent mortgage crisis, however, it did cause quite the stir. Here we had a bank that withstood 300 years of change and uncertainty, only to be broken by one man’s selfish act. An act that damaged the existence of many, and that is why it is called a crime. 

The ‘upsetting apple cart’ phobia

If you just sing ‘Yes Sir, Yes Sir,’ and go with the flow, you will undoubtedly flow with the river and meet your demise at the bottom of a 180 feet fall (Niagara). You need to stand up and scream before you fall off the edge. 

Of course it is easier to just go with the flow. You will be incentivised, bribed with career progression, trips and tips or even be threatened into turning a blind eye. You will merely climb the ladder with your eyes blindfolded, only to eventually comprehend that you are reaching the pinnacle of a dying company.  

Humans are inherently programmed to mutter “Yes Sir, Yes Sir” and nod our heads for the pure purpose of survival, progression or just because it is an order from above; something the Milgram Experiment has proved. We are indeed aware of this culture, which is why we instantaneously relate to a popular television “Yes Minister”. 

Instead of being magnificent vertebra equipped-beings, our corporates have turned us into spineless prawns with a head full of muck.  In a developing country such as Sri Lanka, this phenomenon is especially dangerous due to our political and corporate platforms being excessively vulnerable to corruption and nepotism. 

So, what is it going to be, are we going to stand up? We are to be altered that allowing fear to lead us by not standing up, we are choosing to sell ourselves short. By earning through malpractice or negligence, the food that you place on the table to provide sustenance to your family is in fact corrupt. Does that sound very appetising to you?

Too high to smell the dirt

I am however, in no way exonerating firms and companies from blame. Employees are hesitant to stand up against wrongdoing because they would get shot, but who is holding the trigger? 

Corporations have evolved into exerting a lot of importance on whistle blowing hotlines, open door policies and in some cases hiring a resource to purely handle sensitive complaints. 

Recent Harvard Articles too, have drawn attention to how companies may not actually have the comprehensive transparency and open door policy they think they have put in place. In fact, most employees fear any information or constructive criticism passed on will result in vengeful repercussions or a manhunt. Some fear their feedback just falls on deaf ears and they may be right in their conclusions, as most of this information never reaches the stakeholders. 

For their own longevity, firms must create accurate protocols that ensure vital feedback reaches the right stakeholders and they must take measures to protect the staff that have stood up and screamed. 

Chief Executive Officers are also a part of the problem, although they need to be a part of the solution. As organisations become increasingly structured, CEOs have been progressively distancing themselves from all of the action. It is ultimately the CEO that is left to answer to the stakeholders and society. So if CEOs distance themselves from the ground level, where all the malpractices and inefficiencies occur, then they are not going to be able to smell the dirt. 

In some cases, well-informed CEOs lack the courage to shoot their lieutenants. Live by the rules of Lee Kuan Yew, the Great Founder, who after breaking away and founding Singapore fired his closest ally, the Minister of Finance, due to corruption. 

No Sir, No Sir 

The problem clearly lies in the age-old top-down culture where those on the top eventually deceive themselves into believing they are a form of invincible visionaries. Some take invincibility to another level by attempting to hoodwink the world and fill their coffers. Unfortunately, for them the truth eventually comes out. 

To succeed, we need to stop the suppression and transform to a bottom-up culture, because ultimately the company is not the handful of people at the top, it is the 99% at the other levels below.

Another feature that has allowed this corrupt epidemic to spread is the lack of unity between people creating a ‘each to his own’ culture. It is detrimental for the longevity of the good, as in all cases there is power in collectivity. This is why unionism was formed. However, instead, these unions have been politicised and are hung up on petty issues. We must stand together against the wrong. 

So if we have any gratitude for the positions we hold or can find some sensitivity from within, to reflect on the innocent dependents, then stand up and rally the crowds against what is wrong. Stand up and chant “No Sir, No Sir”.