Something strange is happening in our knowledge economy: organisations everywhere are encouraging smart people to do stupid things. At its extremes, this kind of systematic stupidity can be catastrophic, both within and beyond organisations: witness the institutional blindness in financial services that led to the crisis of 2008. But we can all relate to more everyday examples of losing touch with the need to question the dubious and criticise the absurd, from unsustainable management fads or the cult of leadership and strategy through to an over-reliance on brand and image. Stupid tackles head-on the pros and cons of a culture of questioning and challenge in the workplace. Harmony and action at all costs are attractive and can also bring short-term benefits to organisations. But, ultimately, the book is a call to all of us to be alert to the signs that discourage critical thinking at work - behaviour crucial to personal work satisfaction, organisational success and the performance of the wider economy and society as a whole. The first book to investigate the apparent paradox of stupidity in knowledge-intensive 21st century organisations. Smart, relevant and wide-ranging: a book about culture and behaviour that resonates beyond the workplace.
Publicity-friendly authors with strong international credentials and reach across Europe and beyond. André Spicer is Professor of Organisational Behaviour at Cass Business School, City University, London, known for his thought leadership in the areas of the human side of work, leadership and ethics. He is widely published in both academic literature and the general business media and is a frequent commentator on sustainable business, behaviours at work and business culture. Mats Alvesson is Professor of Business Administration at the University of Lund, Sweden. He has published extensively across a wide range of organisational behaviour topics and issues, is one of the most frequently cited European researchers in management and a sought-after speaker and commentator around the globe.