A、whether their employees are satisfied or not B、what kind of problems their employees have C、how much they are going to make D、

Thayer:    Well, I think that.., probably, the.., uh... speaking of it from an employer’s standpoint,
    the easiest thing for an employer to do would be to join a union. Now this might seem?
Interviewer: From an employer’s.., uh...
Thayer:    From an employer’s standpoint. The reason is that you have the security of never having
    to worry about having employees. Uh... you’d be meeting a?
Interviewer: Uh-huh?
Thayer:    ... a certain criteria because the unions set the criteria for the people that work-their
    salaries, their fringe benefits, and so on.
Interviewer: And you...you probably have one outfit to deal with, rather that...
Thayer:    That’s correct. So you -- from the employee standpoint, of course, you have the problem
    that the employee is...is captive to a set of criteria...
Interviewer: Uh-huh.
Thayer:    ... and his freedom is greatly reduced because of the fact that...that his bargaining agent
    is someone else-- it’s not himself.
Interviewer: He’s no longer in an individual-to-employer situation...
Thayer:    That is correct.
Interviewer: Is it a trade-off...uh...to a certain extent? I mean, uh...
Thayer:    Well, my feeling is...one of the nice things about working for a small business which
    is non-union, you have a higher degree of freedom. And that it’s much easier from the
    employee’s standpoint...uh...to be able to negotiate one-to-one, than to work through a
    shop steward, or...or a union agent that tells you what you’re going to do...
Interviewer: Uh-huh...
Thayer:    And so,...uh...that’s one of the great advantages of a small business--because most of
    them are non-union, and they have survived in the country...
Interviewer: ...and...and it’s those people that are really independent that have made this country too.
    But when you become a captive to any big organization--whether it’s a corporation, a
    union or a government--you just absolutely lose your freedom.
Interviewer: What are some of the factors that...uh...you feel, on this one-to-one kind of basis, lead to
    employee satisfaction? Uh...
Thayer:    Well, the main...the main thing, I think, is being identified in...in an organization
    that...that you are important. And...uh...uh...each individual...uh...uh...in a company of--
    like...like, I go through uh...every so ...often ... and.just jot what everybody’s doing, and
    make sure that I’ve got them placed properly. It’s a very informal method, but just
Interviewer: So, you know what everybody’s doing ...
Thayer:    That’s right.
Interviewer: In part, what you seem to be saying is that ... uh ... a lot of the job satisfaction has to do
    with ... uh ... recognition ... uh ...
Thayer:    Right. And ? and the leadership in the company.
Interviewer: Uh-hm ...
Thayer:    I mean, people have to be proud of that particular company, or they just won’t stick
    around.
Interviewer: Loyalty or identification with the purposed of...
Thayer:    You-- it goes both ways. And...and one of the biggest struggles is to make sure
    that...that you are aware of all the problems--individual problems--that people are
    having, and sit down with them. Like, I sat down with one lady this morning whose
    husband may have to have open-heart surgery. And i spent maybe ten minutes or
    fifteen minutes with her discussing the options and...uh....the problems. And...uh
    and...uh...this is her...this is her major problem right now. So...
Interviewer: Her main concern, and that, essentially, is a personal kind of problem...
Thayer:    That’s right...
Interviewer: ...and yet you...
Thayer:    But you can do that in a small company!
Interviewer: There is this traditional image around the world--the typical success story in America.
    Is that success...uh...that image...uh...still as true today as it was. Let’s say, twenty or
    thirty years ago?
Thayer:    I think, probably, more so--because it’s more selective in ... in ... in people’s imagination
    in order to succeed. You really have to--even in a small business, you have to have a
    broader base, a more liberal arts education, I think, to understand, and then roll with it.
    And I think that most cases in this materialistic-type-activity economy, that we’re always
    worrying about how much we are going to make--and basically, you are going to come
    out all right if you worry on what services you are providing.