What some see as entitlement, others see as enlightenment

[SINGAPORE] Once you grant a privilege, it can be hard to take it away. This truism is well understood by anyone in a position of authority, from bosses announcing cost-cutting measures to governments trying (or failing) to wean industries off subsidies.

The ubiquity of this view, in turn, rests upon a certain way of viewing the world. The framework of “privileges that can be granted or removed” is often applied to any conflict between authority and those subject to it, shaping discourse on everything from free speech to working hours.

In the corporate world, it is unsurprising that leaders may take this default lens. Some may simply believe that “might makes right”, not least in a labour market where employers hold greater bargaining power.