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Steve Kerr’s seminal “Folly” article astutely noted that all too many organizations—and the individuals who populate them—invariably violate a fundamental law of social nature by rewarding the very behaviors that they are supposedly trying to discourage, while failing to reward the behaviors they desire to reinforce. But as Kerr notes in his interview, it is simply more than a faulty reward system that has allowed these malfunctions to continue. Building upon Kerr’s insights, we offer two proposed “Folly” updates regarding how we can create better functioning organizations. First, we discuss the provocative option that there are only two, not four, causes to the “Folly.” Second, we offer the context of character as one explanation (and possible solution) for the fact that even after more than 40 years too many organizations remain frequent repeat “Folly” offenders.

The Americans With Disabilities Act poses unique challenges for public and private sector organizations. The Act requires reasonable accommodation for a variety of physical and emotional disabilities, but it does not specify what constitutes “reasonable.” If organizations rely on ad hoc decisions regarding protected individuals, they risk unsystematic decisions and exposure to liability under the law. This paper describes a way to systematize decisions about A.D.A. An accommodation cost assessment system, based on a job analysis, can help guarantee that employment and promotion decisions are fair and defensible under the Act.

It has been more than 40 years since Steve Kerr first noted that organizations invariably violate a fundamental law of social nature by rewarding the very behaviors which they are supposedly trying to discourage, while failing to reward the behaviors they desire to reinforce. But it is simply more than a faulty reward system that has allowed these malfunctions to continue. In an engaging and thought-provoking interview reflection (and extension) on his classic management masterpiece and more, Steve Kerr provides his insights on both why the “Folly” remains as prevalent today and, equally relevant and important, provides valuable suggestions for what we can do to create better functioning organizations.