The Corporate Conundrum: Why Do People Choose Large Organizations?

Making the transition to a large corporate environment can be a jarring experience, especially for those who have thrived in smaller, more intimate companies. Having spent the initial eight years of my career in a compact organization—one with a flat structure and only three layers of management—I believed I understood what it meant to work collaboratively and support one another. This model allowed employees, including juniors, to have direct access to leadership and feel valued. However, my recent pivot to a Fortune 500 company revealed a starkly different reality that left me questioning the innate allure of large corporations.

Upon entering this corporate giant, I was shocked by the pervasive negativity and toxic work culture. It seemed that instead of fostering teamwork, many individuals were preoccupied with political games—the classic “telephone game” where messages get distorted, and the focus shifted to undermining fellow colleagues. I had to grapple with gossip, sabotage, and an unsettling lack of transparency. The very principles that guided my career—performing well, supporting team members, and striving for collective success—seemed almost alien in this new environment.

It becomes easy to wonder: why do so many professionals gravitate towards these organizations where such behavior seems to be the norm? Are many individuals truly content waking up each day to engage in what feels like counterproductive tactics for the next 20 to 30 years?

I spent much of my corporate tenure puzzled by the disconnect between the values I held dear and the reality that surrounded me. The work environment I once celebrated for its collaboration and support was replaced with an atmosphere where improving company performance felt like an afterthought, pushed aside by personal agendas and self-serving tactics.

Was I simply naive, or was there a deeper reason why such behavior might be tolerated, or even embraced, in corporate culture? It’s disheartening to realize that many individuals appeared to accept this toxic environment as the status quo, functioning as if this was simply how business is conducted—confusion and dissatisfaction set in as I wondered, “Am I missing something important?”

The experience was disillusioning, leaving me contemplating the wisdom behind what drives people to remain in corporate settings when it feels so misaligned with personal values. Does this culture result in any meaningful success for the organization, or are we merely perpetuating a cycle of toxicity that others feel compelled to join?

As I bid farewell to my corporate career in favor of pursuing my own business, the questions