All characters appearing in the work are anonymous personae. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental

Transkrypt

1 This work is based on true stories All characters appearing in the work are anonymous personae Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental Kennedy Browne 1

2 HOW CAPITAL MOVES A script by Kennedy Browne How Capital Moves Kennedy Browne 3

3 CONTENT Foreword Character Descriptions & Scripts with Translation Afterword: Being Economical with the Truth Glossary 4 How Capital Moves Kennedy Browne 5

4 FOREWORD How Capital Moves is a body of work originally commissioned for presentation at the 2010 Łodz Biennale. This work was inspired by the relocation of a U.S. multinational computer factory based in Limerick, Ireland, to Łodz, Poland in Kennedy Browne, with respect to the critical and conceptual use of fiction within this work, has replaced all references to the actual name of this multinational with the pseudonym The Company. As such the narrative, places and characters evoked in the work are both general and very particular. The project is concerned with interrogating the vagaries and predilections of neoliberal investment, and its effects on the lives of its employees when it becomes more cost effective for the multinational to relocate operations. It is typical for such companies to have strict confidentiality clauses built into their employees work contracts and to ban all union representation: hence through proxy identities, the internet becomes a location for the dissent and discord of alienated employees that have little other outlet. Focusing on one particular online forum maintained by former and current employees of The Company, Kennedy Browne used this as a delimited resource for a case study. They have gathered and compiled experiences regarding the insecure nature of employment within early 21st century capitalism. This raw material includes myriad opinions, rumours, speculations and actual events, and begins to elaborate a geography of incorporated labour evident between the years Although much of this material can be considered to be from primary sources, its authorship by anonymous contributors and mediation through the internet challenges its veracity. Thus, Kennedy Browne wishes to reaffirm this work as a composite of both fictional and non-fictional elements. However, all significant events that are referenced in this work did in fact take place. From this material, Kennedy Browne has crafted a script with a loose narrative arc that is developed through six distinct monologues. These performances are delivered by six different avatars, played by a single actor. Each one addresses a particular experience and attitude towards working within The Company, and thoughts about how or if this might continue in the future. Each character is dressed in pyjamas appropriate to their personality, a reference to an anecdote of central importance to the work: the layoff of over 200 employees in an Oregon call centre by The Company on Pajama Day in August 2007 typically a day for teambuilding and general corporate fun. The work is an accumulation of translations and transcriptions: initially from internet-speak and American English into written UK English, and then a further translation into Polish for its performance. English subtitles are viewed on a separate monitor. The script in this publication functions as a hypertext. Key terms and events throughout are underlined and can be referenced in the glossary at the back of the book. 6 How Capital Moves Kennedy Browne 7

5 CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONS & SCRIPTS WITH TRANSLATION 8 How Capital Moves Kennedy Browne 9

6 InTheKnow InTheKnow is in her early 40 s and has been with The Company many years. She remembers the halcyon days of unabated growth in the 1990 s during the DotCom boom when The Company became the largest computer manufacturer in the world. Now a seasoned veteran, she has become cynical by the culture and the often opaque machinations of The Company. InTheKnow s tenure at The Company seems rather secure although she is a realist. She adopts a rational position, acknowledging that any and all employees are dispensable with respect to the pursuit of the bottom line. In recent years she has seen many close colleagues and friends leave The Company. She is disappointed by the turn The Company has taken in its treatment of loyal employees in successive rounds of layoffs and outsourcing. She feels the central tenets of what made The Company great in the 1990 s have been betrayed. InTheKnow seems to have access to select information suggesting she might be in upper management. She seems to receive rumours first hand or has primary knowledge of The Company s internal affairs. InTheKnow is known as an oracle of sorts having predicted successive rounds of layoffs, their precise dates and procedures. Her rational mind does however sometimes betray a slight smugness and the information she provides is canny and never overly specific. This is perhaps a defence mechanism so as to maintain her anonymity and position. Pyjamas InTheKnow wears conventional slippers and pyjamas, which are red and striped. She is well groomed as she has work in the morning. Manner / Behaviour InTheKnow has a calm controlled manner. She is self assured and confident, perhaps even a little bit over-confident. She uses the high steeple and the American leg cross and swings slightly on her swivel chair. Vignette Swings gently from side to side in her chair self assured, looking into camera, hands resting in a steeple on her stomach, tapping her fingers off one another to punctuate her rhythm. This movement is interrupted by a text message to her cellphone, which she calmly takes out of her pyjama pocket to read. 10 How Capital Moves Kennedy Browne 11

7 InTheKnow InTheKnow Highly placed and knowledgeable sources have told me to expect the corporate tree to get a pruning. I m not sure of other geographies. But here has a target on it. The Company has been disappointing Wall Street quarter after quarter. They ll have shipped more computers than last year, but, they ll still miss their revenue targets. I predicted 6 weeks ago they wouldn t hit them. The numbers are entirely imaginary anyway. When they don t, then watch Wall Street spank them hard. I wonder what Michael and his MBA boys will do then? It seems the old business model of selling a machine for a nickel less than everybody else isn t working any more. We sure have come along way since Michael built and sold units direct from his bedroom. Now business is business after all and it is painfully obvious that the cost here is starting to get out of control. There s a possibility of their tax break going away and labour costs going up. To them, it s all about the bottom line, so depending on some type of new tax law being passed they could pull out altogether. So it seems like everyone should be worried now! The layoffs could happen to any group. What I heard is that If you got a desk, your job is in danger. The Company is certainly looking to get rid of their longterm employees. Those kinds of cuts generally mean people with experience and knowledge. Company workers: I wouldn t go taking out any new car loans for the next month or so. Hatchet man is coming soon. Mark my words. I will keep you posted on the latest developments... Wysoko postawione i dobrze poinformowane źródła powiedziały mi, że można spodziewać się przycięcia korporacyjnego drzewa. Nie jestem pewna innych lokalizacji, ale tutaj jesteśmy na celowniku. Firma zawodzi Wall Street kwartał za kwartałem. Przyślą więcej komputerów niż w zeszłym roku, ale i tak nie osiągną swoich celów finansowych. Przwidziałam to już 6 tygodni temu. I tak liczby są kompletnie zmyślone. Jeśli tego nie osiągną, tylko patrzeć jak Wall Street ich zleje. Ciekawe co wtedy zrobi Michael i jego chłopcy z MBA? Zdaje się, że stary model sprzedaży maszyny za grosz mniej niż inni, nie zdaje już egzaminu. Zdecydowanie posunęliśmy się dalej od czasu, kiedy Michael sprzedawał urządzenia bezpośrednio ze swojej sypialni. Tak czy inaczej biznes to biznes i staje się boleśnie oczywiste, że tutaj koszty utrzymania wymykają się spod kontroli. Prawdopodobnie ich ulga podatkowa przestanie obowiązywać, a koszty pracy wzrosną. Im chodzi tylko o wynik finansowy, więc zależnie od tego czy wprowadzą jakieś nowe prawo podatkowe, mogą się całkowicie wycofać. Więc... wygląda na to, że wszyscy powinni się martwić! Zwolnienia mogą dotknąć każdą grupę. Z tego co słyszałam jeśli masz biurko, twoja praca jest w niebezpieczeństwie. Firma zdecydowanie ma zamiar pozbyć się długoterminowych pracowników. Tego typu cięcia z reguły oznaczają odejście ludzi z doświadczeniem i wiedzą. Pracownicy firmy! Nie brałabym nowych pożyczek na samochód przez najbliższy miesiąc. Człowiek Topór się zbliża. Zapamiętajcie moje słowa. Będę was informowała o dalszym rozwoju zdarzeń How Capital Moves Kennedy Browne 13

8 FamilyGuy FamilyGuy is a man in his late thirties, with a few years progress on the property ladder and with a partner and young children to support. He trained in computer engineering and for a long time had a degree of passion and enthusiasm for his work, which has been dampened by moving into tech support which entails an increased emphasis on sales over problem solving. This does not satisfy his talents, and in fact he is a miserable salesman and he knows it. Neither does it sit well with his sense of integrity. Although he no longer enjoys his work he absolutely cannot afford to lose his job. He operates with a constant low level of anxiety and insecurity. This is exasperated by constant rumours and hearsay, which he receives second- and third-hand and is compelled to pursue desperately. Pyjamas Blue plaid pyjama bottoms and old yellow college T-shirt. On his feet he wears an unremarkable pair of slippers. Manner / Behaviour FamilyGuy has a nervous but controlled disposition. He is attempting to put a brave face on things. His body language includes defensive arm crosses shoulder shrugs, and running his hand nervously through his hair. Vignette Bites his finger nails with his other arm across his chest. 14 How Capital Moves Kennedy Browne 15

9 FamilyGuy FamilyGuy I am a technical person not a salesperson and I was hired by The Company for my technical skills. Whether it s tech or sales, they re not skills that you can pick up overnight. I was good enough for them then, but now - I am the bane of The Company because I hate pestering people for money... I lost the feeling of enjoying my work about 8 months ago - before that, I always told people that working for The Company was the most fun I had ever been paid for. That s not even close to the truth anymore, especially with the stress of not knowing what the fuck is going on from day to day. Sure, get the salary, food on the table. But what s the total cost? I came to The Company because of the work, the people and the feeling that I was doing something good. Now morale here is hitting even new lows if you can believe it. There are a lot of people walking around like zombies, just waiting for the inevitable. Fear has been The Company s main weapon for years now. The fear of the unknown; waiting to see if your badge would still work in the morning. Has anyone heard the story that 30 Muslims were fired this week? And does anyone know why after all these years a fence suddenly goes up around The Company campus? The word is Michael sent an to all employees telling them everything is fine, but I think everything just got bumped up a notch today. This morning there were lots of security dudes waiting outside and a steady stream of folks all day flowing in and out of various team rooms with the windows covered over with butcher paper. After lunch the parking lots were half empty and the cubes were like a ghost town. I remember Michael s no layoffs speech, which was bullshit then and bullshit now. Anybody know what actually happened? I m still standing but I really have no clue what went down. Just rumours. No official announcements at all. I can t make any sense of who is gone and who is left. I m not attacking, not accusing, just wondering. What exactly happened? Anybody know? Jestem pracownikiem technicznym, nie sprzedawcą i zostałem zatrudniony przez Firmę ze względu na moje umiejętności techniczne. Czy to technika czy sprzedaż, to nie są umiejętności, które można załapać w ciągu jednego dnia. Kiedyś byłem dla nich wystarczająco dobry, a teraz jestem zmorą Firmy, bo nie cierpię użerać się z ludzmi o kasę... Straciłem poczucie zadowolenia z pracy jakieś 8 miesięcy temu przedtem, zawsze mówiłem ludziom, że praca dla Firmy to największa przyjemność za jaką kiedykolwiek mi płacono. To już jest bardzo dalekie od prawdy. Zwłaszcza, biorąc pod uwagę stres niewiedzy co do kurwy nędzy się dzieje z dnia na dzień. Jasne, jest wypłata - żarcie na stole, ale jakim kosztem? Przyszedłem do Firmy ze względu na pracę, ludzi i poczucie, że robię coś dobrego. Teraz morale tutaj osiągnęło dno. Wiele osób chodzi jak zombie, czekając na nieuniknione. Strach od lat był główną bronią Firmy. Strach przed nieznanym. Oczekiwanie czy twój identyfikator nadal będzie ważny następnego dnia. Czy ktoś słyszał historię, że 30 muzułmanów zostało w tym tygodniu zwolnionych? A czy ktoś wie dlaczego po tylu latach stawiają ogrodzenie dookoła terenu Firmy? Podobno Michael wysłał maila do wszystkich pracowników mówiąc, że wszystko jest w porządku, ale ja myślę, że dzisiaj wszystko się zdecydowanie zaostrzyło. Dziś rano na zewnątrz stało sporo kolesi z ochrony a grupka ludzi poruszała się spokojnym krokiem od jednego do drugiego biura, których okna wysłonięto papierem pakowym. Po lanczu połowa parkingu była pusta a boksy wyglądały jak miasto duchów. Pamiętam przemowę Michalea żadnych zwolnień, która była garścią bzdur wtedy i jest do tej pory. Ktoś wie co się właściwie stało? Ja jeszcze pracuję, ale nie mam zielonego pojęcia co sie dzieje. Tylko plotki. Żadnych oficjalnych komunikatów. Nie mogę sie znaleźć żadnego sensu w tym kogo zwolnili, a kto został. Nie atakuję, nie oskarżam, tylko sie zastanawiam. Co się właściwie stało? Ktoś wie? 16 How Capital Moves Kennedy Browne 17

10 BitterEnema BitterEnema is a man somewhere between thirty and forty who is full of irritation, annoyance and bile with regard to The Company. He is most likely single and with questionable personal hygiene habits. He is intelligent but not a particularly skilled worker and his position is interchangeable with many others who work at The Company. By nature he is insubordinate and has little respect or tolerance for authority. He can t abide politically correct language or the organised fun of corporate work culture. He exerts himself in his leisure time by playing video games and exercising his keyboard bravado on numerous blogs. Pyjamas BitterEnema wears grey tracksuit bottoms and an old weathered t-shirt. As a token effort with regard to Pajama Day he wears his mother s bathrobe. On his feet he wears white sports socks with his tracksuit bottoms tucked into them. Manner / Behaviour BitterEnema is annoyed, agitated and angry. He paces laterally left and right letting a cigarette burn freely between his fingers. He uses this cigarette as an implement to drive home his points. His shoulders are quite high and stiff. Vignette BitterEnema stands and defiantly smokes a cigarette, exuding and air of defiance and contempt. 18 How Capital Moves Kennedy Browne 19

11 BitterEnema BitterEnema I am pissed since I got put on an action plan last week. Everyone is talking about The Company doing huge layoffs in the upcoming months and everything is starting to be relocated into other countries. Guys, when have they ever done anything but come into town and burn through all the talent there? Once the payscale gets too high, fire the high dollar folks and bring in cheaper people. This goes on til the entire city or town or state has been churned through, there will always be someone willing to work for them, just for the so-called status. They always ask that we remain as equals with one another, but watch out if you actively deliver any critical feedback, you ll see people dropping off left and right... They ll have you in a huddle room so quick your eyes will melt. Teamwork is about making each other better for the day, not using your neighbour as a stepping stone in your backstabbing campaign. What goes around comes around. Mikey and his high-falutin board seem to think they are immune to that. It s all fucking corporate inbreeding. My disgruntledness with the whole corporate environment and its militantly-tolerant internal culture really pisses me off sometimes: All employees will not only accept diversity, they will celebrate it, or be fired, and later dismembered. I have no problems with people doing what they do in their own homes. But don t bring it to work with you. Most especially, don t threaten my job if I don t participate. And just to get this straight - Nobody walked out on strike you idiots. Seriously - a 90% mass walkout? In this economy? Get real. They gave us the day off. As for the new fence I d say it s because lots more layoffs are on the way - guaranteed - and they know some folks might just go off the deep end and get violent. The Company loves to make people sign confidentiality agreements. They are so paranoid of what can get out to the public! I signed mine. And here I am, disclosing. Come get me I dare you! At least fucking threaten me, so I can publicize it. COME ON! Jestem wkurzony odkąd zostałem umieszczony w planie działań w zeszłym tygodniu. Wszyscy mówią o tym, że w Firmie zapowiadają się duże zwolnienia pracowników w ciągu najbliższych miesięcy i zaczynają wszystko przenosić do innych krajów. Ludzie, czy oni kiedykolwiek zrobili coś innego niż wejście do miasta i wypalenie z niego całego talentu? Kiedy płace stają się zbyt wysokie, wywalić tych dobrze zarabiających i zatrudnić tanią siłę roboczą. I tak ciągle, aż przerobi się całe miasto czy województwo. Zawsze znajdzie się ktoś, kto zechce dla nich pracować, tylko dla tak zwanego statusu. Zawsze mówili nam, że powinniśmy być sobie równi, ale uważaj tylko kiedy zaczniesz ich krytykować, zobaczysz jak ludzie odpadają na lewo i prawo... Znajdziesz się tak szybko w huddle roomie, że nawet nie zauważysz. Praca w grupie polega na pomaganiu sobie nawzajem w codziennej pracy, a nie na posługiwaniu się kolegami jako szczeblami do kariery we własnej, idącej po trupach kampanii. Kto pod kim dołki kopie, sam w nie wpada. Mikey i jego zadzierająca nosa rada nadzorcza myslą, że mają na to immunitet. Wszystko to pierdolony korporacyjny debilizm. Moja wściekłość na to całe korporacyjne środowisko i jego wewnętrzną kulturę agresji czasami naprawdę mnie wkurwia: wszyscy pracownicy nie tylko będą akceptować różnorodność, będą ją celebrować, albo zostaną zwolnieni a następnie rozerwani na strzępy!. Nie mam żadnych problemów z tym co ludzie robią w swoich prywatnych domach. Ale niech nie przynoszą tego ze sobą do pracy. A zwłaszcza niech nikt mi grozi utratą stanowiska jeśli nie będę uczestniczył w zabawie. I żeby nie było nieporozumień nikt nie rozpoczął strajku, idioci! Serio? 90% pracowników strajkuje? Przy takiej ekonomii? Bądźmy poważni. Dali nam dzień wolny. A jeśli chodzi o ogrodzenie to dlatego, że zapowiada się więcej zwolnień gwarantuję! a oni wiedzą, że niektórzy się wściekną i może dojść do przemocy. Firma uwielbia zmuszać ludzi do podpisywania umów poufności. Mają totalną paranoję na punkcie tego co zostanie ujawnione do wiadomości publicznej! Ja swoją podpisałem. I oto jestemm - ujawniam. Spróbujcie mnie tknąć. Przynajmniej zacznijcie mi jakoś kurwa grozić, będę mógł to opublikować. No, proszę! 20 How Capital Moves Kennedy Browne 21

12 CallCenterGuy CallCenterGuy is a young guy in his mid to late twenties. He started working at The Company a few years ago as casual work during college. Nothing better came along after he finished his BSc, so he stayed where he was and got comfortable with the steady income to support his geeky, studenty lifestyle and love of gadgets. The job isn t very meaningful to him, but he finds the machinations of The Company amusing and absurd in a distant kind of way. He grew up with social networking and has lived through the successive ages of Bebo, MySpace, Facebook and Twitter accounts, all of which he has used at one time or another. He follows a number of blogs and references YouTube and Wikipedia when he is arguing his conspiracy theories with his friends about life in The Company over pizza or Chinese takeout. Pyjamas Green zip-up top, headset around neck, purple T-shirt, character-patterned pyjama bottoms and flip-flops. Manner / Behaviour CallCenterGuy is relaxed and fun loving. He is enthusiastic and talkative and eager to share his theories and speculations. He takes unexpected jumps in conversation and almost runs over his words sometimes. His body language is wide, expansive and expressive. He sits and swings energetically in his chair with his legs spread. Vignette Rocking back and forth on his chair, enjoying a bag of M&Ms throwing them in the air and catching them in his mouth. 22 How Capital Moves Kennedy Browne 23

13 CallCenterGuy CallCenterGuy There are tons of tricks to working here, like when you first talk to the IVR that s Instant Voice Recognition - just say FUCK. You will skip the bullshit and go straight to a human. Has been tested. Have you heard the recording of a sales rep ripping into a customer? They say an auditor passed it around. Apparently, The Company IT did a search of everyone s box looking for it. I guess they re afraid the press will get it. Customers are difficult though. When we put you on hold, only we know what we re doing. Some of us are playing Minesweeper. Some are walking around or taking a wizz. It s a hellish job and putting you on hold is our only respite. If we come up against something really unsolvable our default response is supposed to be We don t support that : because we re not here to help fix your computer, our job is to get you off the phone. I ve been searching for nasty links between The Company and cults, behavioural and brain-conditioning techniques since it seems it s not a rumour but there s something real going on. My source inside is tight lipped in fear of retribution... I tried multiple times to get something out of them, but they wouldn t budge... anyway their eyes told it all... It seems they are using some weird shit in their training program. I recently sat through yet another tedious word clearing class. Which is made all the more gruesome by the poor non-english speaking Polish employees who try to understand the words in the definition of the Words they are trying to Clear in the first place. To add insult to injury, we were then made to watch Riverdance so we could learn of the wisdom of teamwork. I don t know what s going on with the fence, maybe it is to keep people out. No I m serious. What if people were trying to go to The Company HQ for service? What if people were trying to drive up and talk to an actual human being and one that speaks English at that. It makes sense when you look at it from that angle! But I would like some inside info if anybody has any about the fence. I chatted with Asian pals on Asian New Year about the highway construction around The Company. Bad, bad feng shui they say... it used to be a wide-open vista from the campus (free flow of natural forces). But with the new highway, it cuts the natural forces. With the road curvature, it looks like a dragon wrapping itself around the campus, coiling and choking off the natural forces entering the corporation... interesting observation. Są setki trików na radzenie sobie w tej pracy, na przykład jak zaczynasz rozmowę z IVR to automatyczne rozpoznawanie mowy, rodzaj automatycznej sekretarki po prostu powiedz FUCK. Ominiesz wszystkie pierdoły i połączysz się z czlowiekiem. Przetestowane. Słyszeliście nagranie jak przedstawiciel handlowy wydziera się na klienta? Podobno rewident puścił to w obieg. Okazało się, że Firma IT przeczesała wszystkie boksy szukając tego. Pewnie boją się, że to dojdzie o prasy. Klienci są trudni. Kiedy zawieszamy połączenie, tylko my wiemy, co robimy. Część z nas gra w sapera. Część łazi w kółko albo idzie się odlać. Ta robota to piekło, a zawieszenie rozmowy to nasze jedyne wytchnienie. Jeśli spotykamy się z jakimś nierozwiązywalnym problemem nasza domyślna odpowiedź to: We don t support that - Niestety nie obsługujemy tego, bo nie jesteśmy tu po to, żeby pomóc ci w naprawie komputera, tylko żeby się ciebie pozbyć. Szukałem powiązań Firmy z sektami, technikami behawioralnymi i treningu umysłu, bo zdaje się, że to nie plotka, ale na serio coś się dzieje. Moje źródło wewnątrz Firmy milczy ze strachu przed karą... Próbowałem wiele razy coś z nich wyciągnąc, ale nic z tego... tak czy inaczej ich oczy mówiły wszystko... Myślę, że używają jakichś popierdolonych technik podczas szkoleń. Ostatnio siedziałem na kolejnym nudnym treningu Word Clearing Oczyszczanie słów, który jest o tyle bardziej okropny jeśli się spojrzy na tych biednych, nie mówiących po angielsku polskich pracowników, którzy starają się zrozumieć słowa w definicjach Słów, które mają Oczyszczać. Żeby jeszcze bardziej wszystkim ubliżyć, kazali nam później oglądać Riverdance, żebyśmy mogli uczyć się z mądrości płynącej z Pracy Zespołowej. Nie wiem o co chodzi z tym ogrodzeniem, może ma trzymać ludzi z daleka. Nie, serio. Co jeśli ludzie próbowaliby wejść do Firmy HQ po serwis? Co jeśli ludzie próbowaliby wjeżdżać na teren i rozmawiali z prawdziwą istotą ludzką i to w dodatku taką, która mówi po angielsku? Jeśli spojrzeć na to z tej strony, to ma sens! Ale chciałbym jakichś wiadomości z pierwszej ręki na temat ogrodzenia, jeśli ktoś takie ma. Zagadałem kumpli Azjatów podczas Azjatyckiego Nowego Roku na temat budowy autostrady wokół Firmy. Powiedzieli, że to bardzo złe feng shui... Kiedyś był otwarty widok z terenu Fabryki (wolny przepływ sił natury). Ale z nową autostradą odcina się siły natury. Krzywizna drogi wygląda jakby smok owijał się wokół terenu Fabryki zawijając i pozbywając się sił natury wchodzących do korporacji... interesująca obserwacja. 24 How Capital Moves Kennedy Browne 25

14 believed_in_company believed_in_company is in her mid-thirties. She has been with The Company all her professional working life, since graduating from college. She has diligently invested her career in the The Company s corporate ladder and has consistently upskilled and developed herself professionally within this business culture. She has believed The Company to be a meritocracy where hard work and excellence is recognised and valued. She has enjoyed her work and consistently thrived as a multi-tasker and key player in team dynamics and networking. believed_in_company has just been let go without any forewarning whatsoever. To add insult to injury this happened on Pajama Day. Pyjamas believed_in_company wears a custom made all-in-one rabbit sleep suit she ordered online specifically for Pajama Day. Manner / Behaviour believed_in_company is visibly dejected and depressed. She has low shoulders and a poor posture. Her gestures are dejected and she is also suffering from shock. She shuffles her feet and paces a little from side to side. Vignette Dejected slumped posture turned inward. Head down, scraping at ground with foot. 26 How Capital Moves Kennedy Browne 27

15 believed_in_company believed_in_company Well they did it! Over two hundred people lost their job today, with no notice at all. People showed up for work, in their pajamas mind you, and got ushered into the conference room where they were told they no longer worked for The Company. Their employee badges were taken on the spot and they were ushered by security straight out of the building. Yes, I said in their pajamas it was Pyjama Day at work. We were not allowed to pack our stuff. They called in a moving service to pack our personal belongings, and said that they were going to be mailing them to us... They offered a nice severance package, but you have to sign away any and all rights to sue... how pathetic. We worked 12 hours a day, 5 days a week for these fuckers, sacrificing family life of any kind... I m disgusted and just threw up in my mouth at this kind of disrespect. Complete lies. They always said Winning with Integrity is what set us apart and I watched them completely contradict themselves each and every time. We learned early on that black was white and up was down. I never thought this day would come with the amount of experience I have... I ve been through so many rounds of layoffs and survived every time but not this time. I thought it was a joke considering all my contributions to The Company... ha... reality-check in order. 9+ years at The Company down the drain. I guess I ll be fine for at least a few months... but getting a new job is not as easy as people here are led to believe. Now what will I do? I have lived and breathed The Company all my working life... All my stock options are under water too... only 89 days left to exercise them...hopefully the price will go up. I want The Company to be successful due to all my stock options but getting laid off sure make me bitter. I don t hate The Company - I loved working there... sad huh? I m still in the shock and denial phase. No i zrobili to! Ponad dwieście osób straciło dzisiaj pracę bez żadnego zawiadomienia. Ludzie stawili się do pracy w piżamach i zostali zaprowadzeni do sali konferencyjnej, gdzie powiedziano im, że już nie pracują dla Firmy. Ich identyfikatory zostały skonfiskowane na miejscu i wszystkich wyprowadzono z budynku. Tak, powiedziałam w piżamach to był PIŻAMOWY DZIEŃ W PRACY. Nie pozwolili nam się spakować. Zamówili firmę przeprowadzkową, żeby spakować nasze rzeczy osobiste i powiedzieli, że będą nam je wysyłać... Zaproponowali niezłą odprawę, ale trzeba było zrzec się jakichkolwiek praw do podania ich do sądu... żałosne. Pracowaliśmy 12 godzin dziennie, 5 dni w tygodniu dla tych pierdolców po dwanaście godzin na dobę, pięć dni w tygodniu, poświęcając jakiekolwiek życie rodzinne... Jest to ohydne i rzygać mi się chce, jak widzę taki brak szacunku. Same kłamstwa. Zawsze mówili: Winning with Integrity Zwyciężać uczciwie to to, co nas wyróżniało, a ja obserwowałam jak za kazdym razem zaprzeczają sami sobie. Wcześnie zrozumieliśmy, że czarne to białe, a góra to dół. Nigdy nie myślałam, że ten dzień nastąpi, z takim doświadczeniem, jakie posiadam... Byłam świadkiem tylu fal zwolnień i przetrwałam za każdym razem, oprócz tego. Myślałam, że to żart biorąc pod uwagę mój wkład w rozwój Firmy... Ha... przepisujemy pani zejście na ziemię. Ponad 9 lat w Firmie na marne. Myślę, że przez przynajmniej kilka miesięcy dam sobie radę... ale znalezienie nowej pracy nie jest takie proste, jak sie tutaj ludziom wmawia. I gdzie teraz mam iść? Żyłam i oddychałam tą Firmą przez całe moje zawodowe życie... Moje opcje na kupno akcji też poszły na dno... zostało tylko 89 dni na wykonanie praw z opcji... Mam nadzieję, że pójdą w górę. Nie chcę, żeby Firmie sie powiodło ze względu na moje akcje, ale zwolnienie z pracy na pewno jest bolesne. Nie nienawidzę Firmy uwielbiałam tu pracować... smutne, co? Wciąż jestem w fazie szoku i zaprzeczenia. 28 How Capital Moves Kennedy Browne 29

16 bluesky bluesky is in her early thirties. After several years with The Company she was finally laid off 18 months ago. In the end, this came as a relief to bluesky who had felt worn and drained by the successive rumours regarding imminent redundancy circulating on the web, in the media and within the workplace itself, as well as the comedy of errors she felt working life at The Company had become. Over the last few months bluesky has invested in her own sense of self and wellbeing, centring herself through Tai Chi practice and gradually developing some freelance entrepreneurial ideas of her own. Feeling rejuvenated, bluesky now feels compelled to offer her valuable hindsight and perspectives on her experience with The Company and to affirm that life after redundancy is a more vital, life-affirming, healthier place. Pyjamas bluesky wears off-white satin oriental style pyjamas. She is barefoot. Manner / Behaviour bluesky is very composed and looks knowingly outwards. She is very centred with relaxed shoulders and feet planted firmly on the ground. Hand gestures are calm and considered. bluesky alternates between the use of the high and low forms of the steeple. Vignette bluesky does a long overhead stretch, going up on her tippy toes and then simply stands and meets the gaze of the camera in a dignified calm manner. 30 How Capital Moves Kennedy Browne 31

17 There is a great relief the last day you work for The Company. Something about the impending freedom from stupidity just seems to refresh your personality and relax your mind. Enjoy life without The Company. bluesky Podczas ostatniego dnia pracy dla Firmy odczuwa sie wielką ulgę. Coś w nadchodzącej wolności od głupoty po prostu odświeża twoją osobowość i odpręża umysł. Ciesz się życiem bez Firmy. bluesky When I got let go it totally changed my perspective. It really did seem that there was very little rhyme or reason to it. There was no master plan as The Company management is not piloted by intelligence or any form of ethics. The rules change from hour to hour. They call this Dealing with Ambiguity. It was a great feeling though, turning in my badge, being walked out without even a handshake or a courteous good luck from my now ex-boss, standing outside and realizing that I will never ever have to see this place again. I left and have never even driven past since. If this is really happening to you let me offer some advice: Take their money while you can. Exercise whatever political skill you have to stay there until you find another job. Don t stop looking. Don t invest any emotional capital into The Company, your investment will be betrayed. Go to the dentist and optician and get your teeth and eyes done and use all of your flexi-time. Our insurance plans were cancelled at the day we were let go. Make sure you pass the word onto those who are in need of these meds so they can be covered as best as they can be. Whatever you do, do not bring any personal items to your cubicle, because when The Company decides to walk you out the door, you ll be forced to leave everything behind and you ll never see them again. Update your resume, and memorize your Social Security Number, you ll need both. Sell your house when The Company is still in town and it still has value. Finally, refuse to sign anything. Walk out upset, or offer to take it home and have your lawyer look over it before signing it. I say all this with respect and compassion: if they lay you off or fire you, you will be far better off without them. Staying at The Company is far more difficult and painful than dealing with the stresses of forced change. You may have some lean times and some financial setbacks for a while until you recover, but once you do you will be so much better off. The Company is not worth the stress you and your co-workers are going through. Put your peace of mind and family first and get out as soon as you can. Trust me, some time away from The Company will fix your perspective, and you will live a longer, happier, healthier life. Kiedy mnie zwolniono kompletnie zmieniła sie moja perspektywa. Naprawdę wydawało się, że nie ma w tym żadnego ładu i składu. Nie było żadnego planu generalnego ponieważ Firma nie jest kierowana przez żadną formę inteligencji czy etyki. Zasady zmieniały się z godziny na godzinę. Nazywają to Dealing with Ambiguity radzenie sobie z niejasnościami. To jednak było wspaniałe uczucie, zdanie identyfikatora, bycie wyprowadzoną bez nawet podania ręki czy kurtuazyjnego powodzenia od mojego teraz już ex-szefa, stanie na zewnątrz i zdanie sobie sprawy, że już nigdy nie będę musiała oglądać tego miejsca. Odeszłam i od tamtej pory nigdy nawet nie przejeżdżałam obok Fabryki. Jeśli to naprawdę dzieje się tobie, pozwól, że udzielę kilku rad: Bierz ich pieniądze dopóki możesz. Przetrenuj swoje umiejętności polityczne, żeby utrzymać się na stanowisku, aż znajdziesz nową pracę. Nie przestawaj szukać. Nie inwestuj żadnych emocji w Firmę, twoja inwestycja zostanie zdradzona. Idź do dentysty i optyka, wylecz swoje zęby i oczy, wykorzystaj cały swój ruchomy czas pracy. Nasze ubezpieczenie zostało odwołane o 23:59 w dniu kiedy nas wylali. Upewnij się, że przekazałeś te informacje tym, którzy potrzebują leków żeby ubezpieczenie pokryło ile się da. Cokolwiek robisz, nie przynoś żadnych rzeczy osobistych do swojego boksu, bo kiedy Firma zdecyduje się wyprowadzić cię za drzwi, będziesz zmuszony zostawić wszystko za sobą i już nigdy nie zobaczysz tych rzeczy. Uzupełnij swoje CV i zapamiętaj swój numer ubezpieczenia, będziesz tego potrzebować. Sprzedaj swój dom dopóki Firma istnieje jeszcze w mieście i dopóki ma on jeszcze jakąś wartość. Na koniec, odmów podpisywania czegokolwiek. Wyjdź zdenerwowany lub powiedz, że weźmiesz papiery do domu, żeby skonsultować je z prawnikiem przed podpisaniem. Mówię to wszystko z szacunkiem i współczuciem: jeśli cię wywalą z pracy, będzie ci lepiej bez nich. Pozostanie w Firmie jest o wiele trudniejsze i bardziej bolesne niż stres wymuszonej zmiany. Może będziesz narażony na chudy okres w życiu i pewne finansowe ograniczenia przez jakiś czas dopóki nie dojdziesz do siebie, ale kiedy to juz nastapi, będziesz czuł się o wiele lepiej. Firma nie jest warta stresu jaki ty i twoi wspołpracownicy przeżywają. Postaw na pierwszym miejscu spokój ducha swój i twojej rodziny, i wydostań się stamtąd jak najszybciej. Zaufaj mi, jakiś czas po pracy w firmie odzyskasz perspektywę i będziesz żył dłużej, szczęśliwiej i zdrowiej. 32 How Capital Moves Kennedy Browne 33

18 AFTERWORD: BEING ECONOMICAL WITH THE TRUTH We do not mean to present work as theatre. It is not a metaphor but a model. Too many metaphors already litter the contemporary business landscape... we mean to focus attention on the quintessentially dramatic nature of an enterprise. Thus, we literally mean: work is theatre... Employees must learn the script, identify its subtext, and refine it for production, modifying as required to ensure the best possible performance. - Gilmore and Pine, from The Experience Economy, 1999 Kennedy Browne is an identity formed by two individuals, Gareth Kennedy and Sarah Browne in These two people also work separately as individual artists under their given names. These three respective practices are distinct from one another with Kennedy Browne operating as a sustained coalition. As such, Kennedy Browne s politics is under constant review as it is by definition an (im)personal politics of friendship, collaboration, dialogue and antagonism. Kennedy Browne seeks to address the supposedly irresistible narrative of neoliberal capitalism as a fiction, and to do so by generating Other, competing fictions in order to cultivate new economic and political imaginaries of difference. Kennedy Browne will continue scripting and testing new works towards this end. These fictions tend to be developed from existing, marginalised materials from within the plots and subplots of global capitalism. The use of readymade, found material in combination with a collaborative method of scripting ensures that Kennedy Browne s fictions are networked to a multitude of referents rather than tied to a singular author. They see this engagement with modes of fictional and business literature, combined with theatrical presentation, as a very functional method of collaboration. It is also a methodology that aptly reflects some of the issues the work is concerned with. Kennedy Browne has the appetite to operate as an eccentric search engine, creating mash-ups from a promiscuity of sources. In its machinations, Kennedy Browne is as political, or apolitical, as the workings of web 2.0. Kennedy Browne concerns itself with ways of appropriating these odd but easily accessible fragments of a globalised world culture, and extracts them from the placeless neo-liberal narrative of the World Wide Web to test them in particularised local contexts with particular audiences. 34 How Capital Moves Kennedy Browne 35

19 GLOSSARY Action Plan A systematic program to be followed in pursuit of a defined goal that a person or a system intends to achieve within a finite timeframe. Within The Company, action plans are meant to ensure that individual employee goals and objectives align with the vision and strategic goals of the entire organisation. American leg cross, The It is also possible for an employee to sign an NDA or NDAlike agreement with an employer. The Company requests all employees to sign an NDA with severance packages being compromised should the former employee break the agreement through any public disclosures made during or following the termination of employment. Cubes, The Shorthand for partially enclosed cubicle workspaces within an open-plan office, separated from neighbouring workspaces by partitions. Some sources attribute the introduction of the cubicle to Intel Inc. during the 1960s. A cubicle s purpose is to isolate office workers from the sights and noises of an open workspace, the theory being that this allows workers more privacy and helps them to concentrate without distractions. Horizontal work surfaces are usually suspended from the partitions of cubicles, as is shelving, overhead storage, and other amenities. Cubicles can also become worker nooks for personal expression. An office filled with cubicles is sometimes called a cube farm. Cube farms are often found in high-tech companies, but they also appear in the insurance industry and other service-related fields. Many cube farms were built during the dotcom boom. Also known as the American Figure Four, is a seated crotch display where one leg is swung over the other. It may indicate a self confident, competitive and even aggressive attitude. It is prevalent amongst American males and in youth cultures becoming Americanised. Also illustrated above is the European Leg Cross, which is more prevalent in European and Asian cultures. Asian New Year [sic] Possibly in reference to the Lunar New Year celebrations of the Chinese New Year ( 正 月 ; zhēng yuè), Thai New Year; Korean New Year (Seollal,설날; Sǒllal), Tibetan New Year (Losar), or Vietnamese New Year (Tết). Big Massacre, The In reference to The Company s first ever round of lay offs after the DotCom Boom and amid the tech slump in ,700 workers were let go, nearly all of them in Central Texas. Bottom Line, The Net income is informally called the bottom line as it is typically found on the last line of a company s income statement (a related term is top line, meaning revenue, which forms the first line of the account statement). Confidentiality Agreement (Non-Disclosure Agreement) A non-disclosure agreement (NDA), also known as a confidentiality agreement, is a legal contract between at least two parties that outlines confidential material, knowledge, or information that the parties wish to share with one another for certain purposes, but wish to restrict access to by third parties. Dealing with Ambiguity Company maxim derived from personal development and self-help literature whereby employees are encouraged to embrace the unknown and be flexible and adaptable to change. The Company s leadership profile consists of common traits and skills shared by some of its most successful leaders. For example: customer focus, priority setting, problem solving, dealing with ambiguity, drive for results, organizational agility, building effective teams, developing direct reports, and learning on the fly. 36 How Capital Moves Kennedy Browne 37

20 DotCom Boom (DotCom Bubble, IT Bubble) A speculative bubble covering roughly which climaxed on March 10, 2000 when the Nasdaq hit the high water mark of 5, The DotCom boom refers to the steady commercial growth of the Internet with the advent of the World Wide Web around 1993 and continuing through the 1990s. The period was marked by the founding (and, in many cases, spectacular failure) of new Internet-based companies commonly referred to as dot-coms and the attendant wild stock speculation and freewheeling venture capital investment in these companies. Companies were seeing their stock prices shoot up if they simply added Internetrelated prefixes to their name and/or a.com to the end, which one author described as prefix investing. Employee Churn, aka Employee turnover The employee churn rate refers to employees who leave a company during a specified time period. For instance, most fast food restaurants typically have a high churn rate among employees. A high Churn rate can have detrimental effects on employee morale and can also become a contagion within organizations. Feng Shui ( 風 水 pronounced [fə ŋʂwèi]) Ancient Chinese system of aesthetics for governing the ordering of space. It is believed to use the laws of both Heaven (astronomy) and Earth (geography) to help one improve life by receiving positive chi or life force. The term feng shui literally translates as wind-water in English. Hatchet Man Phrase used within The Company with reference to those charged with conducting layoffs. Towards the end of the 19th century, the phrase was used to describe a Chinese assassin who carried a handless hatchet. The term hatchet man later re-emerged to refer to a trusted and particularly orthodox subordinate tasked by his employer with destroying a political opponent by any means necessary. In business, the term refers to a person tasked with implementing firings of personnel. High steeple, The Description of a common body language gesture where the fingertips are positioned pointing together. An indication of a confident, knowing and perhaps even a superior attitude. There are two variations with the raised steeple demonstrating greater superiority than the lowered steeple. Huddle Room (Team Room) A space in an office where employees who work in open workstations, or Cubes may go for private meetings. Huddle room environments can vary from company to company, and with various employee and management personalities. The conditions of the collaborative huddle environment change accordingly. The huddle itself, is where the collaboration takes place. In recent years within The Company, being summoned to the huddle room has acquired negative associations for many employees. IVR (Instant Voice Recognition) IVR s origins begin with Alexander Graham Bell s inventions in the 1870s where air pressure waves (sound) were converted into electrical impulses. In doing so, he began the process of uncovering the scientific and mathematical basis of understanding speech. Over the past two decades, voice recognition technology has developed to the point of real-time, continuous speech systems that augment command, security, and content creation tasks with exceptionally high accuracy. Companies deploy IVR to reduce operational costs within their technical and customer care call centres. Such methods tend to frustrate customers who feel that their right to speak to an agent (a human being) is being restricted. Michael (Mikey, Mike) Founder and Chief Executive Officer of The Company. Michael established The Company when he was nineteen years old in Minesweeper A single-player video game. The object of the game is to clear an abstract minefield without detonating a mine. The game has been developed for many system platforms in use today, including Minesweeper for the Windows platform, which has come bundled with versions of the operating system from 3.1 and on. 30 Muslims On February 4th 2005, 30 Muslim assembly-line workers walked away from their jobs building computers at a Company facility in Nashville Tennessee after they were told to make a choice between prayers mandated by Islam or their job. i On Thursday the 2nd of August, 2007, The Company laid off 220 employees from its Roseburg Call Centre in Oregon without prior warning. The layoff took place with the entire workforce wearing their pyjamas for Pajama Day. This infamous event and style of management later became known to Company employees as the Roseburg Shuffle and Shaft. ii Former Dell employees after being locked out of the Roseburg Call Center in Oregon. Photo by John Givot. Riverdance A theatrical show consisting of traditional Irish step dancing, notable for its rapid leg movements while the body and arms are kept largely stationary. Riverdance originated as a seven minute interval performance during the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest held in Dublin, a moment that is still considered a significant watershed in Irish culture. To date the live show has been seen by over 21 million people with its farewell tour taking place in venues in Europe and the Far East throughout Pajama Day (US)/ Pyjama Day (Rest of World) An annual non-hierarchal teambuilding event intended to promote an informal fun atmosphere within the workplace and to bring the comforts of home to the office and reduce the stress load for at least one day. All employees, from upper management to box packers, are strongly encouraged to wear their pyjamas to work. Fundraising typically also takes place on the day in support of a local charity. Roseburg Shuffle and Shaft See Pajama Day. 38 How Capital Moves Kennedy Browne 39