Cynical Management Tactics

Описание: This research looks at a common but toxic management tactic called "eristic legitimation." In simple terms, this is when a boss uses "fake" or misleading arguments just to win a dispute, rather than actually trying to find a fair solution or convince their employees with the truth.

Here is a breakdown of how this works and why it matters:

1. The Tactic: "Winning" Over Being Right
Instead of having an honest conversation, some managers use vague rules or "spurious" (fake) logic to justify their decisions. They exploit the fact that jobs and performance aren't always easy to measure. By keeping things "gray," they can avoid being held accountable for unfair treatment.

2. The "Motivation Trap"
The study identifies a destructive cycle that hurts both the employee and the company:

The Unfair Decision: The manager makes an unfair call (like denying a promotion or giving a bad review) using a weak excuse.

The Reaction: The employee feels cheated and loses motivation. Their performance naturally begins to drop because they feel the "game is rigged."

The "Proof": The manager then points to that drop in performance and says, "See? I was right about them all along." This cycle makes the manager's initial unfair decision look "correct" after the fact, even though they caused the problem.

3. Why This Is Dangerous for Companies
When managers prioritize "winning" arguments over honest communication, the workplace changes:

Destructive Politics: Reasoned dialogue is replaced by power plays and "office politics."

Damaged Careers: Good employees are sidelined or pushed out by unfair logic.

Loss of Integrity: The institution’s culture becomes based on who can argue the loudest or hide behind the most jargon, rather than who does the best work.

Source: Kurdoglu, R.S. and Islam, G. (2024), Eristic Legitimation of Controversial Managerial Decisions. J. Manage. Stud., 61: 3260-3294. https://doi.org/10.1111/joms.13008