Lex wrote:
Another case of "keep 'em scared, keep 'em compliant"
Quite. There are times when these tactics are necessary, but this wasn't one of them. The problem now is that if there really does become a reason over the next 20 years quite a lot will remember this farce and not comply. Using such tools in a casual manner destroys their effectiveness.
I was taught a lot of psychological tricks in the early days of my management career. They can be very effective but must be used sparingly whether you are building people up, or destroying them. The 'ethics' part of the course I attended was quite interesting.