ITCZ, Maslow was already way out when I did my MBA many years ago.
I agree about the metaphysics of the job, however, the "special pleading" I see here is no different than the stuff I've heard from other industries when I was part of the public service, and it is no different to the special pleading I myself made when the company I was running felt the blowtorch of international competition, in about 1990, either.
Believe me, you are far better off accepting the reality of cutthroat competition now, rather than remaining in denial, because the longer you hang on, the more abrupt and difficult the change will be. In my case I bit the bullet, downsized the company and went through the extraordinary expense and difficulty of getting a quality acreditation, and even then we only just scraped through.