Zappos的無階級企業實驗
摘錄自：世界公民電子報 2015/6/29
閱讀暖身
台裔人士在矽谷的數位產業舞台上，向來不缺戲份，從Yahoo創辦人楊致遠，到Nvidia的黃仁勳，近年又多了一個Zappos的謝家華。 網路賣鞋起家的Zappos，2009年被亞馬遜收購，創辦人謝家華身價立刻水漲船高，晉身財星雜誌年輕富豪榜。
但Zappos最為人津津樂道的，卻是獨特的管理哲學－堅持合則留，不合則去的自律規範，徹底打破傳統管理架構，贏來兩極化評價。
進入文章之前，先想想這幾個字該怎麼說。
a) 優渥的
b) 敏捷
c) 遣散費
Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh has done it again. As
if the service-first-profit-later business model that defined the company's
early success were not radical enough, Hsieh for the past couple of years has
been pushing for a flat structure within the 16-year-old online retailer.
Unconventional? You bet, but even more unconventional than the organizational
reform itself is the way he did it: by offering a) a handsome sum,
3 months' pay to be exact, to workers who wouldn't stay and accept such a
drastic managerial change.
Zappos執行長謝家華又出招了。
在早期不計成本、客服至上的險招致勝之後，謝家華過去一兩年又積極在這家有16年歷史的企業內部推行無階級組織架構。離經叛道？確實，但比組織改革本身還要標新立異的，是他加速改革的方式，竟然是提供3個月薪資的優渥離職金，給不願留下接受管理變革的員工。
The incentive was apparently too great to
miss out, since a total of 210 employees have reportedly chosen to 1) part ways
with Zappos when the 2) dust settled. According to The Washington
Post, 14% of Zappos' 1500 workforce handed in their resignations before the
offer expired. Although an improving job market and the monetary gain could
both be factors in the quitters' calculations, the idea of a fully autonomous
office without clear job descriptions is perhaps understandably not to the
taste of everyone.
這個方案顯然讓許多人難以抗拒，據傳最後共有210名員工選擇與Zappos分道揚鑣。根據華盛頓郵報報導，Zappos的1500名員工當中，約有14%在此一方案截止日前，遞出了辭呈。雖然美國就業市場好轉，以及金錢的誘惑可能都是這些人決定離職的因素，但一個完全自治、沒有明確工作定義的職場，恐怕也是不是每個人都能接受，從而打退堂鼓的原因。
The self-managed organization that Hsieh 3) subscribed
to is a relatively novel trend in cooperate governance called
"Holacracy." It aims to differentiate from most top-down systems by
eliminating the management level and the titles associated with it, creating
instead “circles,” or project teams, within the company to boost b) agility and worker creativity.
Zappos 所信奉的自我管理概念，是一個近年才興起的的公司治理潮流，叫做「全體共治」，其目的是與傳統由上而下的管理制度做出區別，完全打破管理階層和職稱的束縛，改採所謂的「工作圈」，也就是專案團隊，以提升公司決策的靈活度和員工的創造力。
This isn't the first time Zappos has
challenged common practices in the business world. For some time now, new recruits
were given the choice to leave with a $2,000 c) severance pay
if they felt the jobs was not for them. In the words of a Zappos top executive,
the offer “expedites the decision” and it’s good for both parties whatever
their choice may be.
這並不是Zappos首次挑戰傳統企業界的慣常做法。事實上，Zappos很早就給予新進員工試用期間發現工作不速配，可以領取2,000美金離職的優惠選項。一名Zappos高階主管表示，這可「加速人員決定」是否要留任，而無論選擇去留，對雙方都是好事一樁。
口語詞彙:
1) part ways with 與…分道揚鑣
part通常作名詞，「部分」的意思。這裡是當動詞，「分開」的意思。Here I part with you. 我在這裡與你別離」。若是中間再加上一個ways，則又多了一股「道不同不相為謀」的弦外之音。
The team's top player parted ways with the
club after numerous rumors of clashes with the management. 球隊的頂尖球星在多次傳出與高層意見不合之後，決定與球團分報揚鑣。
2) dust settle 塵埃落定，事情平緩下來
Dust settle 字面意思是指塵埃落定。When the dust settles, we will begin sweeping it up. 當灰塵囤積，我們要開始打掃。
Dust settle 另外延伸為事情緩和，平和之意。
When the dust has settled, we can start on
new projects. 當這件事告一段落後，我們可以進行下一個計劃了。
3) subscribe to 認同
subscribe to 大部份用作訂閱、訂購的意思。 She subscribed to the membership for receiving daily newsletters of
learning English tips from the company. 她訂閱這間公司的會員為了收到每日學習英文技巧。
Subscribe
to 在本文當認同的意思。 The boss doesn’t subscribe to her proposal. 那老闆不認同她的提議。
Debug
許多國家的語言強調「一致關係」，也就是句子中的某些成分，其形式需要在某一語法範疇裡保持一致。英語尤其如此，譬如動詞、代名詞、名詞…等，都必須以單或複數形，藉以和主詞相呼應。以下例句都犯了「不一致」的謬誤，請debug出來。
1. Neither
of them are responsible. 不是他倆任何一人的錯。
2. Five
minus two leave three. 五減二剩三。
3. All
are well that end well. 結果好，一切就好。
4. Many
a student want to practice English with native speakers for free. 許多學生想要和母語人士免費練習英文。
5. Each
of you will need permits to enter the laboratory. 你們每人都需要許可證進入實驗室。
Debug Answer
1.
Neither of them is
responsible. neither指「既不是這個，也不是那個」，是單數，故be動詞也應該用單數形式。
2.
Five minus two leaves three.
minus（減）在此為介系詞，主詞是five這個數字，因此動詞用單數形才是正確的。
3.
All is well that ends well. 當all指事情或抽象概念時，應該視作單數，所以be動詞用is，指涉all的動詞也應加s。
4.
Many a student wants
to practice English with native speakers for free. many a是「許多」的意思，但後面須接單數名詞，動詞也必須是單數形。
5. Each
of you will need a permit to enter the laboratory. 代名詞each是單數，故相對應的名詞permit也應該用單數形，並加上冠詞。
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