Why Do Staff and Faculty Pretend to Be Incompetent Under the NPM Organizational Reforms?

• In Event: Virtual Poster Session
  In Virtual iPresentation Only: Division J - Section 3: Organization, Management, and Leadership Virtual Poster Session

Abstract

This study aims to examine the phenomenon of functional stupidity, which refers to the failure or unwillingness to utilize cognitive and reflective abilities within higher education institutions. The study will focus on a Japanese national university as a case institution to identify factors that impede faculty and staff's critical thinking and expertise in organizational work. The qualitative survey employed semi-structured interviews to elicit themes related to time pressure, managerial behavior, and organizational routines and culture. The results reveal the factors and relationships that accelerate behaviors inhibiting expertise and critical thinking among faculty and staff. Particularly, we propose an East Asian model that can be juxtaposed with the organizational culture model developed in Europe and the US.

Author

• Hidehiro Nakajima, Ritsumeikan University