The stupidity paradox
Subtitle: the power and pitfalls of functional stupidity at work
By: Mats Alvesson & André Spicer
Contributors: Spicer, André, author
Publisher: Profile Books
Published: 2016
Language: eng
Number of pages: 276
ISBN-13: 9781781255414; 9781782832027
Copyright date: 2016
Subjects: Organizational behavior; Critical thinking; Knowledge management; Organizational learning; Organizational effectiveness; Decision making; Success in business
Description: Why do smart people do stupid things at work? Welcome to the idea of functional stupidity. Functional stupidity can be catastrophic. It can cause organizational collapse, financial meltdown and technical disaster. And there are countless, more everyday examples of organizations accepting the dubious, the absurd and the downright idiotic, from unsustainable management fads to the cult of leadership or an over-reliance on brand and image. And yet a dose of stupidity can be useful and produce good, short-term results: it can nurture harmony, encourage people to get on with the job and drive success. This is the stupidity paradox. The Stupidity Paradox tackles head-on the pros and cons of functional stupidity. You'll discover what makes a workplace mindless, why being stupid might be a good thing in the short term but a disaster in the longer term, and how to make your workplace a little less stupid by challenging thoughtless conformity. It shows how harmony and action in the workplace can be balanced with a culture of questioning and challenge. The book is a wake-up call for smart organizations and smarter people. It encourages us to use our intelligence fully for the sake of personal satisfaction, organizational success and the flourishing of society as a whole. --Amazon.com.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (pages 241-263) and index.
Table of contents: title: Part 1: Stupidity today; title: The knowledge myth; title: Not so smart; title: Functional stupidity; title: Part 2: Five kinds of functional stupidity; title: Leadership-induced stupidity; title: Structure-induced stupidity; title: Imitation-induced stupidity; title: Branding-induced stupidity; title: Culture-induced stupidity; title: Part 3: Managing stupidity; title: Stupidity management and how to counter it.