In Service of the Russian-American Company: Employees' Perception of Corporation

The article analyzes employees' perception of RAC.There was one of the largest trade Russian Company in the 19th century.Based on rare ego-documents from the first half of the 19th century, the article raises the issue of employee identification for the first time and reconstructs its components.By signing a contract with the company, RAC local office managers and their clerks received high salaries and additional funding, which they used for their own needs.They formed closes circles of people who were more concerned with their own well-being than with the interests of the corporation.These closes circles of people were resilient throughout the RAC's tenure and even eliminated persons who were favored by the director.Employees from local offices sought to earn as much money as possible, and with his support, they were able to secure more advantageous employment opportunities after their dismissal from the company.The informal relationship between RAC employees and directors served as a means of "survival" for the local office managers and a way of controlling local offices from St. Petersburg.It was due to the lack of legal protection, unfavorable contract terms for employees, and the importance of maintaining family and personal connections.