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Article Dans Une Revue Administration and Society Année : 2022

A Good Servant But a Poor Master: The Side Effects of Numbers and Metrics

Résumé

A common practice in managerial and public service contexts is to quantity, calculate, and use numbers and metrics which provide a presumption of scientificity, a sense of measurability, objectivity, reliability, and precision upon which smarter decisions can be made. Besides providing a theoretical background, we analyze counter-productive effects of over-relying on numbers and metrics, notably in public administration. We discuss the following traps: preferring what is measurable over what is important, replacing the strategy by a measure and dehumanizing the decision making. We suggest some practical ways to facilitate a more parsimonious, smarter, and adequate use of numbers.
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Dates et versions

hal-03351237 , version 1 (13-09-2023)

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Alexandre Asselineau, Gilles Grolleau, Naoufel Mzoughi. A Good Servant But a Poor Master: The Side Effects of Numbers and Metrics. Administration and Society, 2022, 54 (5), pp.009539972110438. ⟨10.1177/00953997211043830⟩. ⟨hal-03351237⟩
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