Why Are So Many Drawn to Corporate Jobs? An Inquiry into the Culture of Large Organizations

It’s a question that lingers in the minds of many professionals who have transitioned from small companies to corporate giants: why do people gravitate toward large organizations and corporate roles, especially when my own experience was far from positive?

For the first eight years of my career, I thrived in a small company with a flat organizational structure. The hierarchy was straightforward, consisting of only three layers: the CEO, a direct manager, and junior staff. Despite some senior team members, my boss was deeply involved in our day-to-day activities, fostering a sense of community and collaborative spirit.

Recently, I took a leap into a Fortune 500 company, and it has been one of the most disheartening experiences of my professional life. Through discussions and threads on Reddit, I’ve discovered that my struggles are not isolated; many others share similar sentiments. It seems common to encounter managers playing a frustrating game of “telephone,” where miscommunication is rampant, and competitiveness morphs into sabotage. The workplace culture I encountered was riddled with toxicity, dramatically contrasting with my values. Ultimately, I chose to leave and pursue my own entrepreneurial venture.

For nearly a decade, I believed that coming to work meant contributing productively, supporting my team, and, in turn, helping the company thrive. I envisioned a workplace where collective effort focused on growth, profitability, and mutual upliftment. However, my experience in the corporate realm revealed a different narrative—one dominated by negative dynamics such as gossip, information withholding, and a focus on undermining teammates rather than fostering improvement.

As I dive into discussions on platforms like Reddit, I learn that this disheartening culture appears to be the norm in many corporate environments. This leaves me wondering—what draws individuals to commit decades of their lives to such an atmosphere? Is it merely me witnessing an outlier experience, or do others genuinely thrive in what feels like a detrimental work culture?

Do people really wake up each day, excited at the prospect of engaging in workplace dynamics that prioritize self-interest over collaboration? I’m still grappling with how this approach is deemed acceptable, let alone optimal for fostering success within a company.

What am I missing? Surely there are reasons behind these prevalent practices that imply they contribute to a company’s triumph. Everything I’ve encountered suggests a backward way of thinking, leaving me perplexed about how such a counterproductive environment persists.

If you’ve walked a similar path or