Publisher's Synopsis
Thrown into the surreal world of American business, Professor Ray Pendleton must try to make sense out of chaos -- if he is to survive. Nothing in his classroom experience at Harvard Business School prepares Ray for the quicksand politics, Alice-in-Wonderland logic, and Machiavellian treacheries that confront him as a newly minted executive in the automotive industry. In this absorbing story, based on the author's experience, writer Jerry Shaff follows is alter ego through situations that are at once comical and dangerous. Ray finds himself hurled from pillar to post and passed from one ill-fated boss to another. His best ideas are ignored, yet he's reward by rapid, capricious promotions that are unrelated to his actual accomplishments. As his salary goes up and the hours grow ever longer, the seductive perks increase. The company yacht, jet, and expense account begin to seem like necessities -- but Ray finds he's paying a steep price in his personal life. His lonely wife is considering leaving, he's out of touch with his children, and he finds that he may have to choose between self-respect and his job. Meanwhile, ominously, a corporate enemy is accumulating chips, one bye one. Set during the 1970s when corporate consolidation and no-holds-barred competition began to change the way we did business, "If My Boss Calls ... Get His Name" is both an indelible portrait of corporate culture gone haywire and the story of one man's rueful journey toward wisdom. Jerry Shaff's acute perceptions and long experience of corporate life give him a sharp-eyed insider's view of the American business world. An eye-opener for the uninitiated, this true-to-life story will be an enjoyable read for veterans of big business and an informative cautionary tale for anyone hoping to embark on a corporate career.
