Rosabeth Moss Kanter - Men and Women of the Corporation (1977)

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Corporate men and women, once divided by striking differences in opportunity for career growth, have come to share career chaos.

Rosabeth Moss Kanter
The more closed the circle, the more difficult it is for 'outsiders' to break in. Their very difficulty in entering may be taken as a sign of incompetence, a sign that the insiders were right to close their ranks.

Rosabeth Moss Kanter
The importance of discretion increases with closeness to the top of a hierarchical organization.

Rosabeth Moss Kanter
Powerlessness corrupts: absolute powerlessness corrupts absolutely.

Rosabeth Moss Kanter
Power stems from 'rainmaking,' as law firms put it: the ability to bring resources into the company.

Rosabeth Moss Kanter
People are capable of more than their organizational positions ever give them the tools or the time or the opportunity to demonstrate.

Rosabeth Moss Kanter
The very lack of opportunity the group faces creates a self-defeating cycle and puts pressure on members to limit their aspirations.

Rosabeth Moss Kanter
The most distinguished advocate and the most distinguished critic of modern captialism were in agreement on one essential point: the job makes the person. Adam Smith and Karl Marx both recognized the extent to which people's attitudes and behaviors take shape out of the experiences they have in their work.

Rosabeth Moss Kanter
What being among the 'right people' entails is the possession of human capital, rather than organizational capital: an individual reputation, portable skills, and network connections. Career responsibility is squarely in the hands of individuals, a function of their knowledge and networks. Transferable knowledge is more important to a career than firm-specific knowledge.

Rosabeth Moss Kanter