gaining control of a dysfunctional environment?

[H Arnold]

--this is based on work at a few, very different, corporate non-profits --

Your situation sounds interesting in part because the organizational 
apparatus and the work that needs to be done, and done right, are not on the 
same track.  This "broken" environment offers the opportunity to learn about 
the organizational framework, sort of like one might study an organism, and 
seeing what interests and future strategic plans underlie the apparatus as 
it is.  Then when you have that information, and people at some companies 
are only too happy to share their visions of the future for the company, as 
well as dropping some of the underlying roadmaps into the discussion, when 
you know these things and the various cross purposes people are organized 
into, then it might be possible to interface at the current job and achieve 
some meaningful change, and accomplish the work you were hired to do.  This 
is all based in nostalgia of having worked for good companies.  Based on 
your description, it sounds like it might be a possibility.  On the other 
hand, if you don't think you can effect change, sounds like there's no 
reason to stay, and there would be better jobs out there.

HTH,

heidi