Corporate Structure, Compliance, and Compensation Plans Can Stifle Employee Engagement

By Michael Houlihan and Bonnie Harvey, EO Octane blog contributors and Barefoot Wine Founders

Corporations today say they want a more entrepreneurial culture. Some of the top search terms coming out of the C-Suite today are: entrepreneurial culture, employee engagement, and employee empowerment.

But all culture and all change starts from the top, and the top execs have to be willing to change in order for these tools to work their magic. Many C-Suiters are fearful of change. They feel that it might cause a “revolution,” result in legal challenges, or run-away costs. So they stifle methods that can empower and engage employees that, in their minds, step on the three sacred corporate cows: