An interesting post-dot-com bubble strand in recent management thinking: back to basics in organisational structure, strategy and behaviour. The 'new economy' was supposed to have resulted in new rules for all companies. We heard commands such as: remove formal barriers, embrace the swarm of the internet, let go at the top, live with no harmony all flux, use relationship technology to enhance customer bonds, put opportunities before efficiencies, invest in web-based markets. In hindsight, not only has this not resulted in greater corporate success nor a happier workforce but none of this ever took hold as widely or as successfully as its advocates said it should. The change has actually been in the opposite direction: Continual mergers, restructuring, redundancies have increased the culture of ruthlessness, fear and cynicism. Those remaining are often doing more work over longer hours for the same pay and perceive an even greater threat to their employment security. Far from liberating many employees , technology has made their working lives more routine, regimented and de-skilled. Rewards flow even more to top managers, directors and investors. The 'new economy' paradoxically has given us entire industries where there is more concentration, fewer players, less competition. ...