By any standard, the 1980s have been a difficult decade for the American worker. When inflation is taken into account, average weekly earnings have dropped more than 30% since 1969. Dislocations caused by takeovers, shutdowns, and downsizings have pushed mistrust of corporations to new heights. Disgruntled employees are filing record numbers of wrongful discharge suits and job-discrimination and unfair-labor-practice complaints. And in the workplace, employees are demanding more challenging work, a voice in decision making, and greater job security.
A version of this article appeared in the May–June 1991 issue of Harvard Business Review.
