Re:Every attempt to manage academia makes it worse
by TheAdamAndChe on Monday April 03, 2017 @12:31PM
(#14024231)
Do you have any source on your claim? Because it sounds like an attempt to see racism in something that isn't racist.
Re:Every attempt to manage academia makes it worse
by naravara on Monday April 03, 2017 @12:50PM
(#14024480)
American society isn't racist?
Re:Every attempt to manage academia makes it worse
by TheAdamAndChe on Monday April 03, 2017 @12:55PM
(#14024533)
I don't think using objective metrics is racist, which is what we were talking about. If you have any data that proves me otherwise, I would appreciate it very much. It would be unexpected to me.
Re:Every attempt to manage academia makes it worse
by naravara on Monday April 03, 2017 @02:11PM
(#14025448)
I think you might have misunderstood my point. I said our management culture leans on metrics so heavily as a way to mitigate the effects of racism (and sexism) in managerial decision making. Not that the metrics are racist.
It's harder for us to rely on systems that leave more room for personal judgement without oversight because we worry that decisions not attached to hard metrics are more likely to be subject to invidious biases. The charitable take is that the drive for metrics is motivated by a sincere attempt to mitigate these biases. The more cynical take I offered was saying that people use it as a way to cover their tracks against charges of discrimination.
Charitably, metrics are supposed to be a way to introduce objectivity and minimize implicit/unacknowledged biases in decision making, especially where performance is concerned. Even less charitably, it gives companies and managers cover for discriminatory practices by giving them objective standards to point at as justification for their decisions.
We'd all probably be much more comfortable with a less metric dependent world if we didn't also have the nagging feeling that it would lead to the same-old types of people scratching each others' backs.