Slipping into functional stupidity – the bifocality of organizational compliance
(2017) In Human Relations 70(2). p.185-210- Abstract
- Drawing on ethnographical work at the Swedish Public Employment Service, this article contextualizes functional stupidity in relation to other types of organizational compliance. Rather than seeing stupidity as a personality trait, I argue that it should be regarded as a transient unreflective mode of compliance one may yield to for a number of reasons but also reflect on in hindsight. Based on the empirical material, I distinguish 10 ‘stupidity rationales’ emanating from reflective types of compliance with which employees can motivate the practice of functional stupidity. Functional stupidity can be seen as the modus operandi of ego-dystonic compliance we enter in order to endure long hours of imposed work assignments we would rather not... (More)
- Drawing on ethnographical work at the Swedish Public Employment Service, this article contextualizes functional stupidity in relation to other types of organizational compliance. Rather than seeing stupidity as a personality trait, I argue that it should be regarded as a transient unreflective mode of compliance one may yield to for a number of reasons but also reflect on in hindsight. Based on the empirical material, I distinguish 10 ‘stupidity rationales’ emanating from reflective types of compliance with which employees can motivate the practice of functional stupidity. Functional stupidity can be seen as the modus operandi of ego-dystonic compliance we enter in order to endure long hours of imposed work assignments we would rather not perform. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/8a634e62-ea3b-4057-a14f-9af5bca9b9d3
- author
- Paulsen, Roland LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2017
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- conflict, motivation, organizational theory, psychology, stress
- in
- Human Relations
- volume
- 70
- issue
- 2
- pages
- 26 pages
- publisher
- SAGE Publications
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85007107582
- wos:000391447700003
- ISSN
- 0018-7267
- DOI
- 10.1177/0018726716649246
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 8a634e62-ea3b-4057-a14f-9af5bca9b9d3
- date added to LUP
- 2016-10-01 21:41:12
- date last changed
- 2022-04-24 17:59:32
@article{8a634e62-ea3b-4057-a14f-9af5bca9b9d3,
abstract = {{Drawing on ethnographical work at the Swedish Public Employment Service, this article contextualizes functional stupidity in relation to other types of organizational compliance. Rather than seeing stupidity as a personality trait, I argue that it should be regarded as a transient unreflective mode of compliance one may yield to for a number of reasons but also reflect on in hindsight. Based on the empirical material, I distinguish 10 ‘stupidity rationales’ emanating from reflective types of compliance with which employees can motivate the practice of functional stupidity. Functional stupidity can be seen as the modus operandi of ego-dystonic compliance we enter in order to endure long hours of imposed work assignments we would rather not perform.}},
author = {{Paulsen, Roland}},
issn = {{0018-7267}},
keywords = {{conflict; motivation; organizational theory; psychology; stress}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{2}},
pages = {{185--210}},
publisher = {{SAGE Publications}},
series = {{Human Relations}},
title = {{Slipping into functional stupidity – the bifocality of organizational compliance}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0018726716649246}},
doi = {{10.1177/0018726716649246}},
volume = {{70}},
year = {{2017}},
}