Greatbatch is the manifestation everything that's bad about corporate culture: a disengaged executive team, closing US-based manufacturing to open plants in Mexico, meaningless restructuring, and an overemphasis on stock value growth. To be specific:
1) The CEO recently went on a "roadshow," visiting all the Greatbatch locations. Basically, the management team shows up and tells people to work harder. When Mr. Hook goes home to Dallas, an internal team shoots out an email telling the whole company how awesome his visit was, while he drives around Dallas in his exotic cars.
2) The Executive team "retreats" consist of putzing around a ranch, engaging in manly activities, and "strategizing." Once it's over, nothing significant changes. Why is the company wasting money on pointless expenses like this?
3) If you value your job, watch out: GB might close your facility and send your job to Mexico.
4) Shareholders are the be-all and end-all. Long-term, future-oriented planning doesn't matter in Greatbatch: only quarterly returns to shareholders. This ultimately subverts any intelligent long-range planning. I actually feel bad for the executive team because of this. They actually seem like competent people - Mr. Hook especially - but they are so beholden to stock value growth that it completely suffocates their decision-making. It doesn't help that Mr. Hook's salary is over 50% stock.
