The Feudal Organization

Throughout Chapter 6 of Whistleblowers, Alford goes through extreme detail about how the workings of an organization. He sees the organization as being interpreted in two ways: from the outside looking in, and vice versa. From the "outside-in" perspective, he thinks of an organization as a system that has an ultimate goal: autarky. In simpler terms, an organization works in order to be self-sufficient. From this point of view, "units" as Bauman puts it (99) are simple means to attain this ultimate goal. Alford also states that the only way to achieve this goal is through transgressions. Interestingly enough, the meaning of transgression to me became convoluted because to "transgress" means to break a law or principle, but laws themselves as Alford states is created through human perspective and interpretation. To an organization, to transgress means to let rules slide in order to achieve the goal. To a whistleblower, to transgress means to break silence in order to achieve moral sanity.

This idea of an organization is further defined from the "inside-out" perspective that Alford explains. He tells the story of a man who blew the whistle to the FBI about "fudging" data about the project he was working on, potentially endangering the lives of Air Force personnel. "To him," Alford states, "the organization only consisted of his boss, supervisor, and director" (101).

This topic transitioned to why Alford believes that organizations work as a feudal society. He relates this organization to that of a feudal society, where a lord owns all the land and if a vassal was to live in that society, than he was under the supervision of the lord. This is extensively true for every one (even now) has worked for or in a type of big company. Most of the time, the organization as a whole is consisted of two to three people that you work for and it is your duty to make sure that they are pleased.

Alford is right in expressing that no matter what organization one is in, the central dogma of it is surrounded on one thing alone: economics. One cannot relate an organization to politics because it simply does not match the definition. At least in politics, minds are swayed one way or another through logical explanations and "intelligent arguing" (though I am sure that MANY people would argue this point). But when money is involved, morality is often neglected; consciences unheard; and ethics and pushed aside. In addition, the matters turn more personal--more aimed towards self-gain.