It seems to be the same in every company. Layer upon layer of managers and supervisors that don't actually DO anything.

Companies would be so much more efficiently run without them, so what causes this?

EDIT: I think I might have something of an answer here thanks for @ABigguhPizzahPieh 's comment/video they posted. So, the notion of "robots are going to take our jobs" has actually already happened, and it's been happening for decades. There's just not enough work to go around for everyone. But reducing the work week from 40 hours is obviously unconscionable in capitalism, because working people aren't allowed to have nice things or better lives, so instead there has grown a massive layer of managerial and clerical type "workers" who are paid to do nothing for 40 hours a week and are miserable for it.

  • Owl [he/him]
    ·
    4 years ago

    I don't really think middle management is a feature of capitalism. I saw the same thing working both for private businesses and the government. And the capital class would certainly rather not have layers of expensive middle managers who don't do anything.

    Rather, middle management is rewarded based on their ability to manage large orgs, so everyone in the chain benefits from inserting layers below themselves. But everyone knows this is the game, including the investors, so new layers can only be added when someone demonstrates sufficient ability to bullshit up a reason for their layer existing.

    Honestly, I think it makes sense to view middle management as a third class, more aligned with capital than with workers, but hostile to both.