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Institute for Defense Analyses

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Horrible management, horrible corporate culture - Anonymous employee Institute for Defense Analyses Employee Review

2.0
Jul 15, 2024
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The pro is that you are not required to work here. You are free to apply somewhere else where you might be treated with the respect and dignity that all people deserve.

Cons

Horrible management structure. IDA is proud of its "flat" hierarchy but in practice this means that no one is in charge and everyone is in charge. The company tries to be collaborative but it is not effective because every action becomes bogged down in indecision. No one steps up to take responsibility for mistakes or set backs. The corporate culture is the worst I have ever seen in my more than 20 years of professional experience. Staff are extremely rude to each other. This is especially pronounced among research staff members who feel completely at ease speaking to adjunct staff, research associates, and administrative personnel as if they were talking to unruly animals.

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Institute for Defense Analyses Response
1y
We’re sorry that you’ve experienced such difficulties with the culture and leadership structure here at IDA. We’re especially saddened to hear that these negative experiences have discouraged you from raising your concerns and making use of the multiple avenues available to staff. We can reassure you that staff feedback is heard and always treated with the utmost seriousness by leadership at all levels. Going directly to your director or HR Business Partner is the most immediate way you can raise concerns. Should an issue warrant a Code of Conduct infraction, the Office of General Counsel is ready to support you as well. We want to better understand your experiences, as well as the feedback of all IDA staff. We use additional tools such as employee engagement surveys, town hall meetings with President Norty Schwartz, employee resource groups, division-level staff meetings, and much more to provide ample chances for staff to share their thoughts with leadership and with their peers. We encourage you to make your concerns known. Resources on any of the above can be found on the IIS or by reaching out to your HR Business Partner.

Explore other reviews about Institute for Defense Analyses

5.0
Jul 14, 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Loved it, learned a lot and helped me grow.

Cons

Pay and lack of advancement

4.0
Jul 7, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Very smart people across a range of STEM disciplines Freedom on what you get to work on Relative lack of office politics Interesting exciting projects available

Cons

Hard to think of a con. Every place has its own flavour and IDA CCS Bowie like anywhere else, isn't for anyone. I'm not positive either way about IDA's budget/hiring situation these days, with all the stuff going on in this general space. It also can be easy to find yourself getting lost when it comes to finding a good project if you are not careful. But even that is a bit of a reach.

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