APES AND COMPANY POLICY-(told to me as real)

Take 5 apes and put them together in a large cage, with a set of steps in the center of the cage, and above the steps, a banana- hung so an ape must climb the steps to get the banana. Soon, one of the apes will attempt to climb the steps to get the banana. When this happens, immediately hose ALL of the apes with cold water. Its fine if more than one ape goes after the banana; the important thing is that, no matter how many or who, all of the apes get sprayed with the cold water. Having repeated this a couple or 3 times or so, the wet apes will no longer want the banana.
NOW, remove one of the apes (and maybe dry it), and replace it with a dry newcomer- one who has not seen the action at all. The newcomer will try to climb the steps to get the banana. And when he/she does try, he/she will be mobbed and prevented from doing so, as the other apes know what the newcomer does not know- about the cold water hosing. Another attempt at the banana by the newcomer, and again, the other apes will not allow it!
Now replace another wet, experienced ape with another dry newcomer who has not seen what's been going on. The 2nd, newest ape will try to get the banana, only to be attacked by the others, INCLUDING THE 1st NEW APE who has never been sprayed, who was himself prevented from getting the banana. He or she has no idea WHY he's stopping the new ape, but it seems to be the done thing.
Continue replacing the original, wet apes with dry apes one at a time, til all 5 apes in the cage are "new", dry apes, of which none were ever wet by the cold water, nor have they seen any of the others get hosed. But all of them have been prevented from getting the banana. Though none of them have any idea WHY, none of them will ever approach the steps and banana. If you asked them why, they'd say "Because that's the way it's always been around here."
That is how company policy begins.