The Corporate Conundrum: Why Do People Choose Large Organizations?

Having recently transitioned from a small, tight-knit company to a Fortune 500 firm, I find myself grappling with a fundamental question: What draws individuals to large organizations and corporate jobs? My own experience has left me bewildered and disillusioned.

For the first eight years of my career, I was part of a small company with around 200 employees where the organizational structure was refreshingly simple. The hierarchy was minimal: a direct line from the CEO to department heads and then down to junior staff—just three layers. In this environment, collaboration and support were the norms, and senior team members played a significant role in guiding the juniors under them.

However, upon my recent move to a renowned corporate giant, I was met with a starkly different reality that felt foreign and, frankly, disheartening. It was discouraging to observe behaviors such as managers playing a never-ending game of telephone, team members undermining one another, and a pervasive atmosphere of toxicity. This was in direct opposition to my values and ethical beliefs, leading me to make the difficult decision to leave and pursue my own business venture.

For nearly a decade, I operated under the principle that coming to work meant contributing positively—performing well, finding ways to support my colleagues, generating value for the company, and then going home. Yet in my corporate experience, it seemed that energy was instead focused on negative tactics. Gossip and backstabbing were rampant, information was often withheld, and the overall attitude felt bleak. Rarely did I find myself engaged in pursuits that truly aimed to enhance company performance or uplift my colleagues.

In discussions on platforms like Reddit, it appears that my experience isn’t isolated; many have echoed similar sentiments regarding the corporate culture. This revelation leads me to wonder: What exactly attracts people to this environment?

Is it merely me, or do others wake up with the aspiration of spending 20 to 30 years navigating this landscape of negativity? Are they content with accepting this as the norm?

Entering the corporate world felt like stepping into an alternate universe. While I understand that I might be inexperienced in corporate settings, I can’t help but think that this way of operating seems counterproductive. I question whether there is any legitimate rationale behind the practices that dominate corporate culture and whether they truly contribute to a company’s success.

I find myself yearning for closure on this matter. Throughout my corporate journey, I consistently thought that such behavior