How much is the bottom line worth? (adrian's home)

It'll be a long time before the technology sector regains investor confidence and returns to profitability. Spoken from a mind that is far from knowledgeable in the area, maybe it will just be a long time before tech companies manage to restore their employee's confidence. It still amazes me that companies delude themselves into thinking that the bottom line -- profit, and more so, greed, are the most important assets in a corporate portfolio. Enron collapsed in a huge scandalous mess, only to be followed by an even more shocking exit by Worldcom. At the time, I'd thought companies must really be re-evaluating their strategies to hunker down for the long term. Then last week, the SEC begins investigations into whether executives (including the CEO) at ATI have been involved in insider trading schemes. The list of questionable practices goes on. Obviously, at least for some companies, the bottom line is still that important.

So while executives focus on manipulating their balance sheets, making some extra cash for themselves, taking home a wealth of non-taxable benefits and driving their stock prices back up again, hundreds of employees do what they do, day in, day out... They're happy to have jobs, and look around at the number of people who can't find work because the economy's in rough shape. They don't get raises, they don't get bonuses, they put in extra hours, often lack recognition and most of all, they don't complain, because there's a line up of qualified people who want their job. How wonderful for the large company who can now take their sacrifices and increase their bottom line.

Every tech company is suffering. Profits are down, share holders are angry, and no one's buying. But there is something that can be done. Take an interest in your employees. Their happiness, their education, their motivation. Realize the fact that your employees are the reason you exist, you're not just doing them a favour, they *are* the company you've built.

I'm a firm believer that a happy, motivated employee is the key to getting the tech sector back on its way. The old fashioned, honest way, through hard work, creativity, and good ideas.

Soon there will be American troops on our soil, North American missile defences staged across Canada, and soon, it seems we'll all be dreaming the American dream as well.

How much is the bottom line worth?

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