Freedom: the avenue to engagement

by Harvey Schachter

JANUARY 27, 2010

We celebrate freedom. We consider it a hallmark of our political and economic systems. Business leaders are quick with paeans to the freedom of the capitalist system, and the perils of shackling business.

But freedom often stops at the front door of their business. Employees are far from liberated, bound by the rules, hierarchy and culture of their firms. Easy gains for the company are squandered because employees can’t follow the Nike motto and “just do it.” They must seek permission, and so too often don’t even bother to pursue their ideas, or their requests get lost in the bureaucracy.

Freedom, Inc. shows us another way. Journalist Brian Carney and management professor Isaac Getz take us into companies that have made freedom their lifeblood – companies that trust their employees and liberate them, counting on those employees to act in the best interests of the company, and taking advantage of that passion to achieve enviable corporate financial results.

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