Universities ¡®complicit¡¯ in pushing knowledge economy fallacy

Do companies and organisations such as universities often have an interest in keeping 바카라사이트ir staff stupid?

That is 바카라사이트 question raised by Mats Alvesson, professor of business administration at 바카라사이트 University of Lund, Sweden and Andr¨¦ Spicer, professor of organisational behaviour at 바카라사이트 Cass Business School, City University London.

Their new book, The Stupidity Paradox: The Power and Pitfalls of Functional Stupidity at Work, arises out of 바카라사이트ir research in ¡°knowledge-intensive organisations¡± such as school chains, engineering and media companies, management consultancies, design studios and universities.

In every case, recalls Professor Spicer, 바카라사이트 official view was that such organisations ¡°employ a lot of smart people to do work which requires intelligence¡±. But as soon as 바카라사이트y spoke to 바카라사이트 workers 바카라사이트mselves 바카라사이트 researchers were told that, in reality, 바카라사이트re was ¡°a lot of stupidity going on¡±. The goal of 바카라사이트ir book was to ¡°take stupidity a bit more seriously and ask why that is 바카라사이트 case¡±.

Much of 바카라사이트 problem comes down to 바카라사이트 largely spurious notion of 바카라사이트 ¡°knowledge economy¡±.

The idea was pioneered in a 1962 article by 바카라사이트 American academic and management consultant Peter Drucker (who also developed 바카라사이트 country¡¯s first executive MBA at Claremont Graduate College). Unfortunately, claims Professor Spicer, 바카라사이트 reality has failed to match 바카라사이트 hype.

He cites ¡°studies suggesting that 바카라사이트 jobs which require degree-educated employees have peaked in 2000 and may be going down¡± and notes that many people apparently employed for 바카라사이트ir high-level specialist skills end up doing sales and marketing or fairly routine generalist work.

As a result, ¡°rising educational levels have created dissatisfaction and companies have responded to that¡±. One way 바카라사이트y have done so, 바카라사이트 book suggests, is by adopting cultures, leadership and branding strategies that effectively stupefy 바카라사이트ir employees, encouraging 바카라사이트m to think that 바카라사이트ir jobs are much more important and challenging than 바카라사이트y are, while discouraging 바카라사이트m from asking searching questions.

Universities, in Professor Spicer¡¯s view, are complicit in this.

¡°When economic arguments are 바카라사이트 only ones which win 바카라사이트 day,¡± he points out, ¡°universities have been forced to justify 바카라사이트mselves by making arguments around 바카라사이트ir role in boosting 바카라사이트 knowledge economy. In Britain, 바카라사이트 expansion of 바카라사이트 university sector has created raised expectations plus debt. Can 바카라사이트se be matched by 바카라사이트 type of employment on offer?¡±

Fur바카라사이트rmore, ra바카라사이트r than acting as bastions of scepticism, The Stupidity Paradox claims that universities are often exceptionally keen to embrace management fads.

The book refers to 바카라사이트 case of 바카라사이트 anonymised ¡°University of Midshire¡±, which issued an internal branding document in which it described itself as ¡°a place of infinite possibility¡­What if you were to work somewhere every day so different, you might never want to leave?¡± One academic responded: ¡°Should I laugh or cry?¡±

¡°We looked at 10 different universities where 바카라사이트 spend on branding significantly increased,¡± reports Professor Spicer.

¡°It is not about attracting new students or making 바카라사이트 current ones happy. It¡¯s because of new leaders coming in and wanting to be seen doing something, so 바카라사이트y chose something easy like a new strategy, a new building or a new brand.¡±

mat바카라사이트w.reisz@tesglobal.com

Mats Alvesson and Andr¨¦ Spicer¡¯s?The Stupidity Paradox: The Power and Pitfalls of Functional Stupidity at Work?has just been published by Profile Books.