Work Ethic ...
... or the lack of one.
It would be nice to say that all of the worlds ills could be traced to the lack of a work ethic.
We had a discussion about peoples' work ethics after our Thanksgiving Dinner*. All three of my children** expressed chagrin at the fact that the Better Half and I had instilled in them a solid, old fashioned work ethic. They were all smiling and grinning while they said that, all of them being secure in their jobs and doing well***. What's surprising, as I was thinking about it afterwards, is that I don't remember lecturing them about "Your Work Ethic and Why it is a Good Thing". I just now realized that we taught by example: regular attendance at work, not taking off time just because we felt like doing something else, etc.
Eldest Daughter also touched on the subject in one of her Live Journal entries.
I don't have quite the dedication to my current (or even previous) employer as I did with my first and second employers. The times have changed. Companies no longer regard workers as anything but a resource. This is probably (hopefully) not true of your immediate manager, but the closer the manager is to the 'home office' the less individual workers matter****. Which may account for some of the erosion of the work ethic.
guntis.
* I hope your Thanksgiving was as good as ours. Everyone helped prepare part of the meal, and had fun doing it (though the Better half did do most of the work and co-ordinated everything).
** I used to call them my kids, but someone once pointed out that kids are baby goats (or other farm animal offspring). Children seems inadequate since they are all now of legal age. Young Adults doesn't seem right. Oh well.
*** People that know us ask about the children and my usual reply is: "They're not living at home, they're not calling asking for money, and as far as I know they're not in jail. So they must be doing good." We don't avoid each other, but all of them have their own lives and friends. When we do get together, we have a good time. There's a John Denver song about that concept.
**** It was in the past easier to have a good work ethic, since the worker felt as if he/she was a vital part of the company, no matter what the job was. Now the attitude I see from corporate management is best summed up by what the President and CEO of my previous employer said when someone questioned a regressive policy of his: "That's the way it is, if you don't like it, get another job, we can easily find a replacement for you." Which is VERY short-sighted on his part. But that's another story.