August 6, 2024
Measuring and rewarding what people do at work? It’s a rat trap, baby, and you’ve been caught
Life imitates art. Scientists have discovered that lab mice may be conducting their own experiments on us. A paper published in the journal Current Biology speculates that mice seem to be testing their testers. They do this by deviating from simple behaviours such as responding to rewards to work out what might happen. “These mice have a richer internal life than we probably give them credit for,” explained Kishore Kuchibhotla, senior study author and an assistant professor of neuroscience at Johns Hopkins University. “They are not just stimulus response machines. They may have things like strategies.” More →
August 3, 2024
People can be so obedient in the workplace, they become Stepford Employees
by Lisa Stone • Comment, Workplace
The ‘Stepford Employee’ is a growing phenomenon in the workplace, where staff become overly agreeable, seldom ask questions, and rarely push boundaries, hindering both their personal growth and their organisation’s success. The term ‘Stepford Employee’ originates from the popular feminist horror novel, “The Stepford Wives”, which highlighted the dangers of subservience and docility for women. This growing trend in the world of work sees employees getting stuck in the status quo – not challenging leaders or pursuing professional growth. More →