Clayton P. Alderfer
Undercover Boss, one of reality TV’s newest additions, is based on a truth that many thoughtful CEOs grasp: they do not have a thorough understanding of what goes on at the middle and bottom of their organizations. There are multiple reasons why. Immediate subordinates do not know either. Middle and lower ranking managers withhold their understanding from those above them. First level managers cut deals with hourly workers that permit the employees to do well enough financially while not working too hard – lest the employees act disruptively. CEOs hired from outside have even less of an idea about what goes on, as insiders feel resentful about being subject to outsider rule and choose not to tell what they know. The reasons why CEOs face this predicament are thus far reaching. The question for CEOs who grasp this tough reality is whether they can do anything about it.
Undercover Boss provides one solution to the top boss’s dilemma: Change clothing; create a new identity; become a temporary hourly employee; expose one’s shortcomings as a worker; [eventually] reveal one’s identity to those who helped; provide high profile rewards (and an occasional punishment) to employees who were encountered; hold a public meeting to reveal the charade; and, finally, go back to work as an apparently enlightened CEO armed with the knowledge acquired. Here the TV episode ends. But is this the whole story?
As someone who has spent several decades studying organizations, serving as a middle manager in universities, and working as an organizational consultant to numerous systems, I believe the findings that undercover bosses turn up are, for the most part, valid. The problems are with the procedures the CEOs use. Most critical is the rationale built on deception. The show operates from the premise (shared with social scientists who conduct experiments using deception) that one can establish laws of human behavior by employing methods that include lying to the people who provide data. In short, one lies to learn the truth.
In social psychology over the years, students to whom the experimenters lied later told other students, who then became what was termed “experiment-wise.” Beyond that, lead investigators carried out studies demonstrating that experimenters (perhaps inadvertently) communicated experimental hypotheses to the people providing data, thus possibly invalidating the findings produced. To compensate for these two problems, researchers introduced a second order of lying. Investigators began to lie not just to their “subjects,” as respondents in these studies were called, but also to the experimenters who executed experimental treatments. Among researchers who used deceptive practices, this later development ushered in a new order of experiments based on “double deception.” Viewed in organizational terms, these practices emanated from temporary organizations in which top managers (professors) lied to middle managers (graduate students), who in turn lied to subordinates (undergraduates or innocent citizens).
Undercover Boss appears not yet to have reached the second stage of employing deceptive practices. Shows currently close with an apparently happy gathering of employees smiling as their CEO reveals the deception after having returned to his actual role. The implied explanation for the observed employee satisfaction is that the people feel pleased, because the top boss has taken the trouble to find out what organizational life is really like at the middle and bottom of the system. One wonders, however, just how long the initial reactions will last. Might there be resentment toward the employees who assisted (some wittingly, some unwittingly) the boss in his deception a
Grandma Kernik: Davey, honey? Are you up? School will be starting soon.
Grandma Dolores: Well, David. Would you like some cold cereal?
Grandma Kernik: I don’t understand. How is that a school on your computer? You kids.
Me: It’s an online school, Grandma. You don’t even have to leave the house.
Grandma Kernik: Well, I wouldn’t go out in this old thing anyway.
School’s in for Summer
If you can’t tell from my typing, I’m waiting for video to compress and upload. Even as I enter the home stretch on the Sparky Firepants Digital Illustration School launch and still intensely fascinated by how awesome it’s turning out to be, I’ve got more fantastic ideas ready to hit the page. As soon as I wrap up the launch, I’ll be moving right into more very exciting and cool things.
Before I go into that, I need to let you know about a special offer on Digital Illustration School. It would be very wrong of me to not let you in on this, since you were nice enough to hang out here today.
The first course in the school will be ready for download on Tuesday, June 2. For the first week that it’s online, I’m having a Grand Opening Special. The rate for the Vector Course Value Pack will be reduced (ok, slashed) for a whole week.
Two things you need to know to take advantage of this:
- I’m going to send out a discount code via e-mail. If you want to get the code, you need to sign up on the site before June 2nd.
- The sale ends at midnight on June 9th. After that, the price almost doubles.
- This is just for the Vector Course Value Pack. The other stuff is priced so cheap I’m almost giving it away as it is.
To recap, that means that for the first week, the price on the Vector Course Value Pack is $175. After June 9th, it goes up to $295 and stays there. Forever.
I don’t know about you, but even as a “creative type” with my limited math skills, that sounds like quite a deal.
If the course isn’t your thing, it’s cool. Maybe you know someone it would be perfect for, in which case you would be an amazing friend if you told that someone about this killer deal. Also in which case you could potentially earn some cash, since I’ll pay a whopping 25% commission if your someone purchases anything on the site. I’m going to set up an affiliate program soon but for now I feel really happy about offering you $43.75 just for helping an artist learn some mad new digital skills.
So before you forget, go sign up now.
How to Get and Keep Illustration and Design Jobs
The next exciting thing being hatched by my madly manic brain is a series of blog posts that will tell you how to get work as an artist.
I was thinking about how I’ve been getting art-type gigs for a really long time now. I was also thinking about how I used to hire people for art gigs. So with all this golden knowledge collecting dust in my noggin, it’s borderline criminal to not share all the inside information.
So I’m kicking off a series of blog posts that tell you how to get work as an artist. I’ll tell you everything. What to say (and not to say) in an art job interview, how to deal with the monotony of production work, and even deep, dark secrets about portfolio reviews that will probably make you angry… but at least you’ll know how it all works.
What about working at a design McJob while you pine away for that glorious freelance illustration career? Yep, I’ll clue you in on that stuff, too. I’ve done it. You can do it. There are just a few things you need to know that your boss isn’t going to tell you.
What about freelance gigs? How to get them, where to get… and where NOT to get them.
Right here, on the blog, read it when you need it.
I thought it would be nice to highlight the best of our “advice” giving posts from the past year. Below is a sampling of posts that may help you reach your resolutions. Good luck!
Having a case of the Mondays? These tips from authors Gillian Butler, Ph. D., and Tony Hope, M.D., should help you get down to work. (more…)
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