4 ms·

What's the reason for that. I know administrative staff like that that are getting paid, but what would the current one decide to hire more staff? Unless there

by akkat 9y ago

What's the reason for that. I know administrative staff like that that are getting paid, but what would the current one decide to hire more staff? Unless there was some benefit the staff would prefer to keep the money for themselves rather than hire more people.

marcoperaza 9y ago
It is a law of bureaucracy that it always grows absent some constraining force. A few reasons come to mind: 1. Have a problem or a new political goal? Make a committee, open a new office, etc. This is how bureaucracies see the world. 2. Unproductive employees? You can't fire them because of HR policies and unionization, and more importantly, because there's no constraining force creating a culture of efficiency. So just hire more employees. 3. No one who rises to lead an organization then campaigns to diminish it in size. Everyone thinks they are important and that their work is important. Having more people working under you makes you more important. Having fewer makes you less important. These are problems in for-profit organizations, but the market provides a constraining force. An inefficient company won't be able to compete with a more efficient one and will eventually go out of business. Also, shareholders will demand that expenses are cut so profits, and dividends or share price, goes up.
vkou 9y ago
Americans colleges expect you to fully insert yourself into college life, and for you to fully insert them into your life. It's like having a parent, except you have to pay them. They expect everyone to live on campus - so they have to play landlord, mayor, community organizer and mediator, mom and dad, chef and waiter, stadium and opera house, convenience store and urgent care clinic... Now, which of these do you think are among a college's core competencies? Which of these services are provided in a cost-efficient manner?
- marcoperaza 9y ago
  They also have a monopoly on providing those services to students, so no incentive to keep costs down.

by akkat 9y ago

marcoperaza 9y ago

It is a law of bureaucracy that it always grows absent some constraining force. A few reasons come to mind: 1. Have a problem or a new political goal? Make a committee, open a new office, etc. This is how bureaucracies see the world. 2. Unproductive employees? You can't fire them because of HR policies and unionization, and more importantly, because there's no constraining force creating a culture of efficiency. So just hire more employees. 3. No one who rises to lead an organization then campaigns to diminish it in size. Everyone thinks they are important and that their work is important. Having more people working under you makes you more important. Having fewer makes you less important. These are problems in for-profit organizations, but the market provides a constraining force. An inefficient company won't be able to compete with a more efficient one and will eventually go out of business. Also, shareholders will demand that expenses are cut so profits, and dividends or share price, goes up.

vkou 9y ago

Americans colleges expect you to fully insert yourself into college life, and for you to fully insert them into your life. It's like having a parent, except you have to pay them. They expect everyone to live on campus - so they have to play landlord, mayor, community organizer and mediator, mom and dad, chef and waiter, stadium and opera house, convenience store and urgent care clinic... Now, which of these do you think are among a college's core competencies? Which of these services are provided in a cost-efficient manner?

marcoperaza 9y ago
They also have a monopoly on providing those services to students, so no incentive to keep costs down.