MathWorks – “Good for short-term, not so good in long-term for high performers”

Pros

If you choose to, it is easier to maintain work-life balance at MathWorks. You get to work with some very smart people at this company. Mathworks is a private company and as a result, the owner's philosophy has a lot of impact on the future of the company. Jack Little has vision.

Cons

Vision alone is not enough, implementation is equally important. This is where things break down in MathWorks as management is ineffective. Most of the managers have rosen from within the company and as a result, cliques are very common which makes the atmosphere too political and resistant to change. Also, poor time management skills are not uncommon among senior level managers.
MathWorks doesn't seem to believe in firing inept people, as a result, you will come across many mid-level employees who are under-performers and would try to ensure that the new employees in the company underperform as well. This hampers the career advancement of employees who report to the mid-level managers and prevents the company, as a whole from responding quickly to the changing nature of the industry.

Advice to Senior Management

The senior management needs a shake-up. The mix of senior level managers needs to be 50-50 (50% hired as managers from outside the firm, 50% promoted from within the company). This would ensure that some tough decisions are taken and adhered to, and at the same time the transition is smooth.