Personally I feel this is a result of the Results-Oriented style of business that originated when MBA's started becoming ubiquitous in businesses (a fairly recent phenomenon, starting in the 1970's).
The problem is that even for a talented hard working passionate person who Gets Shit Done, it feels like you are Conan pushing the wheel (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVI9MULtv8g). When you falter, you get the whip, which means you always have to be on your game. When you go above expectations, you get a pat on the back and a thumbs up. After a while you realize that the rewards are simply not worth it. This leads to unhappiness.
I want to be a part of an organization that feels like its a family; like its us vs the world; like everyone has a role to play and that role is vital, meaningful and important. I think this is partially the reason why going to work for a startup is becoming more popular. (I left my old company to start my own business)
Traditional megacorp jobs want nothing less than to own your soul. I am not exaggerating. It isn't enough to require 50 hours a week with a measly 2 weeks of vacation. No, you need to constantly prove you are committed by working harder than all your coworkers. Otherwise, you're not a team player. You're expected to be loyal with your time, your energy, and give 110%. But they don't have to be quite as loyal, because, you know, those shareholders are so Very Important. (Never mind the employee is the one that is actively generating value.)
Every little metric is latched onto because business is still pissed that productivity is not this neat, quantified number that can be put into an excel spreadsheet. So they seek to optimize everything that can be quantified, even if it hampers productivity.
I value myself too much to be put into that position again. My freelancing gig's purpose is actually me interviewing companies to find one that will respect me.
The problem is that even for a talented hard working passionate person who Gets Shit Done, it feels like you are Conan pushing the wheel (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVI9MULtv8g). When you falter, you get the whip, which means you always have to be on your game. When you go above expectations, you get a pat on the back and a thumbs up. After a while you realize that the rewards are simply not worth it. This leads to unhappiness.
I want to be a part of an organization that feels like its a family; like its us vs the world; like everyone has a role to play and that role is vital, meaningful and important. I think this is partially the reason why going to work for a startup is becoming more popular. (I left my old company to start my own business)