Keynote Lecture by Mats Alvesson - 22 September 2016, 2-4pm
15.08.2016
The Department of Accounting and Finance (TSE) would like to invite you to:
Keynote Lecture
Date: Thursday, 22 September 2016, 2-4pm
Date: Thursday, 22 September 2016, 2-4pm
Venue: Osuuskauppa-Sali, Turku School of Economics
The stupidity paradox in organizations
Speaker:
Mats Alvesson
Lund University, Sweden
About the lecture: Functional stupidity can be catastrophic. It can cause organisational collapse, financial meltdown and technical disaster. And there are countless, more everyday examples of organisations accepting the dubious, the absurd and the downright idiotic, from unsustainable management fads to the cult of leadership or an over-reliance on brand and image. And yet a dose of stupidity can be useful and produce good, short-term results: it can nurture harmony, encourage people to get on with the job and drive success. This is the stupidity paradox. This lecture is based on the recently published book The Stupidity Paradox (authored by Mats Alvesson and Andre Spicer) which tackles head-on the pros and cons of functional stupidity. You'll discover what makes a workplace mindless, why being stupid might be a good thing in the short term but a disaster in the longer term, and how to make your workplace a little less stupid by challenging thoughtless conformity. It shows how harmony and action in the workplace can be balanced with a culture of questioning and challenge. This is a wake-up call for smart organisations and smarter people. It encourages us to use our intelligence fully for the sake of personal satisfaction, organisational success and the flourishing of society as a whole.
About the speaker: Mats Alvesson is Professor of Business Administration at the University of Lund, Sweden. He has published extensively across a wide range of organisational behaviour topics and issues, is one of the most frequently cited European researchers in management and a sought-after speaker and commentator around the globe.
After the seminar coffee/tea and snacks are served at Mercatori.
Faculty and students are warmly welcome!
Kari Lukka
Professor, Head of Department