Monday, March 28, 2011

And then there is this...

article in the Wall Street Journal: "Book retailer Borders Group Inc., which is shuttering hundreds of stores in a bid to stay alive, is seeking bankruptcy court approval to hand out as much as $8.3 million in executive bonuses, including nearly $1.7 million to President Mike Edwards."

<idle musing>
Let me get this straight. Upper management drives the company into bankruptcy—and gets paid a bonus for doing so. OK, I understand; I think they call it trickle down economics: the workers get peed on...I wonder if they are familiar with this text:

Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. You have lived on earth in luxury and self–indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter.—James 5:4-5 TNIV

<idle musing>

3 comments:

That's my 2 cents! said...

Here is my problem: Whether the leaders of Borders have read James 5:4-5 or not it isn't going to have any bearing whatsoever. Borders isn't run according to Christ's model for leadership. Jesus isn't a member of the Board. If He were a member of the Board of Directors, Jesus would have been asked to leave a long time ago.

I work for one of the nations largest retailers. In our particular retail niche my company is the biggest. Big or small I keep seeing the same practices and tactics used in every corner of retail. What I see are companies which build rot into their manigarial ideologies. They demand personal responsibility, but continue to micro manage. They want accountability, but do not allow or truly engender empowerment of their front line managers or employees. Bad managers aren't rooted out, they are promoted.

My dilemma is what does God expect of me? I'm a Christian in retail management. I work for companies which continually build "rot" into their infrastructures. I would prefer God take me out of retail, but He always takes me deeper. There is no end game in sight, but there is never anything I can do. It seems I'm always just invited to go down with the ship, so to speak. I've ridden one company into the ground, and it seems that God is calling into that same kind of business. I'm never in any kind of position to affect good change, so I simply come along for the ride.

I suppose it's possible God continues to keep me in declining retail to teach me something. After nearly 20 years in retail I am still completely clueless. I hope the third time, in a retail situation, is the charm, or third strike and I'm out.

jps said...

Lonnie,

Same thing he expects from us all: faithfulness. :)

James

That's my 2 cents! said...

Good point! And thank you!

Lonnie