Inaction speaks louder than words (or deceit) that is happening within ES. If the guy with authority sits back and does nothing while knowing everything that is transpiring within HIS division, then does he expect things to get better on its own magically, like "Shazam!", and suddenly no more attrition or disgruntled employees?
Of course, the rot goes deeper than just the management. The structure has bred too many layers of inefficiencies where engineers have to report to too many stakeholders (ie. DH, SLS, Complex, RL, BTL, PSS etc). The first step is always to acknowledge the problem, but if the management doesn't even show that they know what the real problem is, what hope does the common folks breaking their back, taking on additional work have to keep them motivated?
The Doctor is clear of his intention, a legacy in his name. He has given FEI a seat at the PMTE table. He has put FEI on the world map. All these are undeniably good, both for him and the company. But along the way, his approach is one of tyranny. He displaced supervisors who have a mind of their own, who disagreed with him, one has left and became Vice President at Sembcorp. During his meetings, every one of his underlings learnt to echo only his thoughts, lest they wish to be silenced. Consequently, this management style trickles down to the working level. The message is clear: if you speak out against management, you’re marked, 3 strikes and you’re out.
The quickest way to ki-l off your department’s passion is to impose your will on their learning, as represented by the attrition rate. Without a voice, the engineers simply clock in for the money, and as evident in the younger generation’s salary, it isn’t much compared to the world outside. In fact, most who left recently command a salary bump of 20-40%, and this excludes fixed/variable bonus.