Initech Versus the Coffee Bean

Consider Peter Gibbons, an employee of the fictional Initech Corporation from the movie Office Space. Peter has been asked to meet with efficiency experts (Bob and Bob) to discuss his work environment. One of the Bobs is curious about Peter’s tendency toward underperformance and confronts him about the lack of attention to office policies and procedures. It seems Peter has been turning in his TPS reports late without the company mandated cover sheet:

Peter: You see, bob, it’s not that I’m lazy, it’s that I just don’t care.

Bob: Don’t? Don’t care?

: It’s a problem of motivation, alright? Now if I work my butt off and Initech ships a few extra units. I don’t see another dime, so where’s the motivation? And here’s another thing, I have eight different bosses right now.

Bob: Eight?

Peter: Eight, Bob. So that means when I make a mistake, I have eight different people coming by telling me about it, That’s my only real motivation, not to be hassled, that and the fear of losing my job. But you know, Bob that will only make someone work just hard enough not to get fired.

The environment at initech is an all too familiar one to many office workers. It is an environment in which success is directly proportional to how busy you look, where questioning authority is taboo, and where meticulous attention to paperwork is the only way to get promoted. Contrast Initech to The Coffee Bean-a chain of gourmet coffee shops. In an effort to boost employee morale and increase productivity, the management team at The Coffee Bean decided to pursue the FISH philosophy. Fish is a management training program that stresses fun in the work place. It espouses four principles:

Play- “Work that is made