![]() As in many cases, Joe will be told to seek alternative employment if he is not happy with his lot. He cannot realistically state that he needs to see a significant increase that aligns with the value he adds to the company. When it comes to time for wage negotiations, Joe is at a disadvantage. Though this can be seen as plain capitalism and that the company is not doing anything that countless others are doing, it is this that keeps Joe in the Penrose Triangle that leads to dead ends. Joe earns R50 per hour while the company charge R150 plus extra for coded work) Joe adds value to the company's bottom line. The company charges its clients a special rate for the specialised service but due to the client understanding that only a certified welder is able to supply the service, the company also charges way above the standard mark-up on Joe's rate. Joe, now, carries out specialised welding on various projects for the company. With the need, the company has Joe undergo tests for specialised welding (at the company's cost) and holds the certificates for this reason. The company he works for provided the on-the-job training for Joe without certification and therefore pays him a sub-par wage as compensation. Over years Joe learns and hones his craft to a high level. Take hypothetical example of Joe the welder. Staff are made to feel significant for what they are providing but at the same time being kept at a skill (and remuneration) level which in turn keeps them in a cycle of financial dependency on their employer or ultimately unemployed. Their growth, however is kept in stasis due to the value of that skill at that cost to the company. Įmployees at small to medium companies are set in a loop of activity that sees them performing tasks critical to the company’s bottom-line and growth. Small to medium sized companies are touted as being the backbone of the South African economy and employ from the lower end of the market which is the largest. It, undoubtedly, happens in others as well. I use the term “Penrose Triangle effect”, in my title, to describe something that has become a point of frustration for myself mostly due to its prevalence in the industry that I find myself. ![]() ![]() Reportedly inspired by the Penrose Triangle, it shows a waterfall seemingly feeding itself in an endless loop.Īs mesmerising as this painting may be, it is achieved through an optical illusion that could never be realised. His is MC Escher's painting, 'Waterfall'.
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