Eastman Kodak – “It's like tending a dying relative”

Pros

People are generally personable with modest egos. Most have spent a career there and have few ambitions beyond EK. Because so many experienced people have left the company, there is lots of opportunity for those with little experience to have surprising influence in a company with a worldwide brand presence and global market.

Cons

There is no hope for the future. Most employees are either (i) long-timers hoping to survive a few more years until they are eligible for retirement or (ii) recent arrivals looking to make a name and a few bucks before moving on to something better. Many new hires are there only because their spouse moved to the area for a real good opportunity, and the Kodak opportunity was available for the trailing spouse. There are no new hires who have any realistic hopes of building a company that will still be standing in a decade. So the general attitude is depressed. Even the halls are dark, as the company has removed half of the light bulbs to save energy - a constant, visible sign of the gradual decline of this once proud institution.

Advice to Senior Management

Try to better disguise the pillage of company resources for personal gain. The more obvious it is, the worse the morale.