In today’s globalised work environments — especially in multinational companies — a toxic pattern is becoming more visible. It’s called “divide and rule”: a set of tactics used by some management teams to keep workers disorganised, disunited, and disempowered.
These tactics are especially harmful to new or inexperienced workers who are unsure of their rights, workplace dynamics, or who to trust. Instead of fostering unity, growth, and fairness, divide-and-rule strategies create silence, fear, and resentment.
Let’s explore how this works.
1. FAVOURITISM BASED ON NATIONALITY
One of the most common divide-and-rule tactics is promoting people based on nationality or cultural ties, not on skill or experience.
You may notice:
Certain nationalities getting easier tasks, better shifts, or faster promotions.
Hardworking and more experienced workers being overlooked.
A quiet hierarchy based not on merit, but on who “belongs” to the same group as those in charge.
This kind of favouritism causes tension and quietly splits workers into groups—us versus them—making collective unity more difficult.
2. REWARDING SUBMISSION OVER COMPETENCE
In many workplaces, obedience is rewarded more than skill or independent thinking.
Employees who:
Obey without asking questions,
Avoid conflict at all costs,
Act as “yes-men” to supervisors, often get the best treatment.
Meanwhile, those who:
Raise concerns,
Speak out against unfairness,
Or push for better standards are punished, ignored, or excluded.
This sends a dangerous message: “Stay quiet and you’ll be rewarded. Speak up and you’ll be replaced.”
3. UNDERMINING WORKER UNITY
Some managers actively create conflict among employees in subtle and manipulative ways:
Spreading vague complaints like “some people are not happy with your work” without naming names.
Accusing vocal workers of causing trouble.
Sharing rumours or lies to isolate principled individuals.
These tactics are designed to break worker trust, silence potential leaders, and stop any possibility of workers coming together to demand fairness.
4. CREATING A CULTURE OF FEAR AND SILENCE
When employees fear losing their jobs, shifts, contracts, or schedules just for speaking up, a dangerous workplace culture forms — one built on fear.
No one dares to ask questions. No one speaks up for others. Everyone stays silent.
This benefits management because:
No one challenges decisions,
No one asks for better conditions,
And no one unites to demand change.
Over time, the hardest-working and most vocal workers are marginalised, while those who “stay in line” are protected.
5. DOUBLE STANDARDS IN WORK ASSIGNMENTS
Another classic tactic is giving:
The most difficult, stressful, or understaffed roles to less-favoured workers.
The easiest, safest, and most rewarding tasks to those in management’s good books.
In some cases, salaries are kept hidden to avoid exposing these inequalities.
The result? Good workers are overworked and undervalued, while others coast through with benefits and praise.
🔍 WHY DO MANAGEMENT USE THESE TACTICS?
Because a divided workforce is easier to control.
When workers are busy fighting among themselves or mistrusting one another, they:
Don’t organise,
Don’t speak up,
And don’t demand better treatment.
Divide and rule keeps power in the hands of the few, and silence among the many.
IN CONCLUSION: UNITY IS POWER
“Divide and rule” is not just a workplace issue — it’s a tool of oppression.
It:
Rewards silence over strength,
Promotes inequality over fairness,
And forces good workers to either submit or quit.
But knowledge is power. Once workers understand these tactics, they can begin to resist them — not through conflict with each other, but through unity, support, and collective action.
No workplace can function without its workers. When we support one another, share experiences, and refuse to be divided, we take back our power.
Speak up. Stand together. Challenge the divide.
Comments
Post a Comment