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

Abstract

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.

Management control practices and pragmatism

“…Under a model-based view, absolute precision is considered meaningless and any search for increased precision in measurements should be subjected to a cost benefit analysis. Asselineau et al. (2022) also see a need for a more parsimonious, smarter and adequate use of numbers given their limitations.…”

“…Under a model-based view, absolute precision is considered meaningless and any search for increased precision in measurements should be subjected to a cost benefit analysis. Asselineau et al (2022) also see a need for a more parsimonious, smarter and adequate use of numbers given their limitations. Lorino (2018) argues that to be meaningful and useful, a measure must provide indications and clues to help orientate the user's inquires and actions.…”

How research institutions can make the best of scandals – once they become unavoidable

“…Scandals can unveil some unsuspected cause-effect relationships. For instance, well-intentioned incentives and metrics aimed at increasing research outputs can inadvertently push researchers into deviant behaviour (Asselineau et al, 2021). Scandals can lead research institutions to implement constant monitoring of their incentive systems to detect early side effects and consider corrective actions.…”

Accounting for Pandemic: Better Numbers for Management and Policy

“…Monitoring the current statistics is supported by our urgent wishes to control the pandemic, and forecast its future. These numbers make headline news, ranking high in the critical medical and political decisions on pandemic management (Abbasi 2020;Asselineau et al 2021). 1 The problem is that the reported numbers are poor proxies for the underlying phenomenon (Section 1), and they do not deliver reliable information on it (Section 2).…”