Why Are People Drawn to Large Corporations? My Dismal Experience in a Fortune 500 Company

Have you ever wondered why so many individuals aspire to work for large organizations or corporate giants? As someone who recently transitioned from a small company to a Fortune 500 firm, I found myself grappling with this question after having what can only be described as a challenging experience.

For the first eight years of my professional life, I thrived in a small organization of around 200 employees. The structure was notably flat, with a direct line of communication from the CEO to management and junior staff—just three layers, making it easy to collaborate and share ideas. This environment allowed me to foster strong relationships and contribute meaningfully to my team without the bureaucratic red tape often found in larger organizations.

However, my foray into the corporate world revealed a starkly different reality. I quickly encountered an environment rife with challenges: miscommunication, toxicity, and what felt like an endless game of corporate sabotage. It was disheartening to witness managers engaging in behavior that seemed counterproductive—spreading gossip, withholding crucial information, and playing a version of the “telephone game,” where messages became distorted rather than clarified. This culture clashed vehemently with my values, ultimately leading me to resign and pursue my own entrepreneurial path.

Having operated under the belief that work should be a place of collaboration, performance, and support for one another, I was unprepared for the level of negativity that pervaded the corporate sphere. Rather than focusing on driving the company forward, it seemed that many were more interested in political maneuvering and enabling toxic behaviors. My time was often squandered on navigating this toxic landscape rather than contributing to the company’s success or helping my colleagues thrive.

As I spent time reflecting on my experience, I turned to online discussions—Reddit, in particular—where I saw an affirmation of my impressions: many others felt similarly disillusioned with corporate culture. This led me to ponder a deeper question: why do people still seek out these kinds of environments?

Is there a genuine appeal to enduring a corporate life that seems, on the surface, to prioritize sabotage over collaboration? Do individuals truly dedicate their careers to an atmosphere that feels so alien and untenable to me?

It struck me that I might be missing something fundamental about the corporate mindset. Is there a calculated reasoning behind why some find this environment fitting for decades of their professional lives? This question lingers in my mind as