Well said. I have observed and worked with those who did exactly as you described. Most often, sooner or later, they were shocked when their pet theories failed when tested.

@josephr What's worse, is when these ideas get adopted. Performance-related pay was a theory that was widely adopted, where the idea that administrative and managerial work could be measured in the same way as production line work was.

Not only was it impossible to objectively assess performance in these fields, this theory set individuals against each other, destroying the ethos of teamwork. Of course nobody thought of this consequence, or sought to measure the economic cost of individuals competing against each other, rather than working as a team.

@Magister I remember. Those destructive theories resulted in work for me, though. LOL Much of my early work in the 70s was a consequence of work-measurement and performance pay initiatives which back-fired. From about 1990 until i retired, my practice had a steady stream of organizational clients from all sectors. I and my associates spent most of our time helping resolve conflicts and disputes, then helping teams rebuild and self actualize.

@josephr I just saw years of this mess, not only remaining, but being further refined to make additional savings. But Human Resources departments seemed to focus on cost-cutting at any expense, but their own department.
Doubtless, the idiot that proposed adopting PRP got a promotion out of it, and probably then moved to another business before the truth became known about it. I suppose that, in some ways, those companies got what they desrved, but it's a shame that their workforce had to suffer.

@Magister Sad but true; employees suffered for their failed leader's incompetence.

True; the tricky debates and disputes often centre around what children are taught, and how. Unfortunately for the children, money is often an overriding consideration.