It is commonly assumed that managers should be making well-informed decisions. That is just common sense and should apply at all levels. In fact, one of the reasons why it is believed a centrally managed economy like in the Soviet Union failed is that central managers could not have all the relevant informations. Interestingly two Russians claim there are situations where it is better that managers should be to some extend ignorant.
Sergei Guriev and Anton Suvorov bring the following idea. Suppose employees need to make some sort of investment in a project. If managers subsequently get little information, they will not change decisions, stick to the course and this gives good incentives for the employees to make that investment. On the other hand, if managers get a steady flow of information, they may change the course of the project, and employees facing this uncertainty will be more reluctant to invest effort in it. It is thus in the interest of managers to avoid getting information.
Ha ha. I have always been relieved that my manager does not care how we get our projects done. If he knew, we would not get anything done...
ReplyDeleteSame. As a private school teacher, it's very fortunate that there's no one hovering over my shoulder telling me what to do. I'm free to be effective in my own way when there's no leash around my neck. And the shittiest lessons invariably occur during periods when I'm being observed, as the whole dynamic of the classroom suddenly becomes rigid and less personal.
ReplyDelete