[mnm1]

You're asking that businesses think about long-term goals, efficiency, and what is best for the business. After having worked at over a couple dozen companies, I've never seen such an attitude from any business. Industry and size are irrelevant. Occasionally things line up by accident and the business does well, but every single business I've ever worked at or seen has a culture of shooting itself in the foot:

* No training (Not just for engineers but for anyone, including for specialty positions that simply don't exist outside the business)

* No focus on employee retention

* No significant raises / bonuses (Lucky to get a cost of living raise these days)

* No consideration for employees' goals

* Stressing employees unnecessarily with shit vacation benefits and no sick time

* Stressing employees with shit equipment

* Stressing employees with shit hours

* Stressing employees with shit office conditions

* Reducing benefits to slightly cut costs

The list goes on and on. Businesses succeed despite their own best attempts at hurting themselves, not because of it. Owners, executives, and other stakeholders are deluding themselves into thinking this isn't the case and often driving the business into actual bankruptcy or just below mediocre performance.

It's no wonder most employees are disengaged from their work. When you treat employees like shit, they will treat your business like shit to the greatest extent possible. They will do the minimum and it's extremely hard to change that course once it's been set. Employees are humans. Most businesses treat them like slaves, or machines at best.

[Fronzie]

There does seem to be a slight difference between stock-owned and founder/family-owned business, in my experience.

[mnm1]

Not in my experience.