"Why did all major software companies settle on parallel career tracks? To keep engineering managers from developing loyalty to engineers."

I think your tone here implies intent

You're right. When I talk about complex systems I generally mean "this behavior emerged because of pressure to optimize for property X", but it's awkward to keep repeating that so I anthropomorphize them for simplicity. Should clarify that at some point.

This is a great clarification. I'd even argue that systems and organizations can have an independent intent, though we don't often use the word in that context.

> I'd even argue that systems and organizations can have an independent intent

You're not the only one: http://slatestarcodex.com/2014/07/30/meditations-on-moloch/ (If section I seems a bit slow - it's busy establishing that there is a problem in the first place - skip to section II.)

I see a lot of people, myself included, who dreaded the way company works. I'm outside the field now, and having seen my own failures to create software / group / work. I tend to believe that I was very much partially blind. I also see a lot of younger people speaking like me, disgust of the system, laudable desires to make great work for less, but failing to make a dent (at best) or going like me, spinning in ideals.

All this to ask, can we adjust the emergent system just to improve it ? can we describe better what are the reasons behind the links between different groups so new generations don't have to question them ?