Why managers cheat

Evolutionary theory predicts that if there is an advantage in cheating a system then, cheating will happen. This experiment shows how that might have implications for real world managers.

...when we measure everything by rate of return on investment and profit, we're going to be measuring the capability of managers to cheat the system.

In other words they don't cheat, they are simply gaming the system.

The answer is in having carefully thought out tests. For example an anatomy course aims to teach students the name of every bone in the body. How to test? Ask each each student to name 4 bones pointed out at random by the examiner. The only way to pass this exam is to know the names of every bone in the body. Knowing the exam format will not help and there is no need for obscurity to ensure the exam process is fair.

Some might argue that such behaviour makes corporate executives no different to criminals.

Rubbish Olympic coverage from Ch7

Really have to wonder what the people who run Channel 7 are thinking. After spending all that money on extra digital channels it seemed a no brainer to use them to show different events. Obviously too hard to do. Or more cynically no competition meaning no need to innovate. SBS anyone?

http://www.zdnet.com.au/blogs/fullduplex/soa/How-Seven-blew-the-internet-Olympics/0,139033349,339291224,00.htm

Pursit of the snail

Tom Coates debunks the idea of rapid change taking over the world in this blog.

My sense of these media organisations that use this argument of incredibly rapid technology change is that they're screaming that they're being pursued by a snail and yet they cannot get away! 'The snail! The snail!', they cry. 'How can we possibly escape!?. The problem being that the snail's been moving closer for the last twenty years one way or another and they just weren't paying attention......

The only way that snails catch you up is if you're too self-absorbed to see them coming.