Cable, J. (2012). For innovation to flourish, “Bureaucracy must die”. Industry Week/IW, 261(6), 54.

Hint:  Just copy and paste the title of the article into the Library Access search box on the Trident University Portal page.  Do not include the author’s name or publication; the article title is all you need.

After reading the above article, background material, and reviewing your notes on the video, consider the following questions:

• Are there examples of “bureaupathology” (excessively bureaucratic behavior) in this scene?
• What examples can you give?
• Are there conflicts between Yosarian’s personal goals and those of the hierarchy?
• Has the “means” displaced the desired ends (means-ends inversion)?
• What do you predict would be the effect of this situation on the ability of all parties involved to be flexible and respond to challenges in an innovative manner?

Now, write a 3- to 4-page paper, not including the cover and reference list, discussing the film clip and the above questions.  A good way to organize your paper would be to divide it into the following sections:

1. Introduction that briefly describes the situation depicted in the clip.  (one paragraph)
2. A description of the rules and policies regarding the required number of missions and rotations, and why this is an example of bureaupathology.
3. How hierarchical decision-making can lead to means-ends inversion.
4. Commentary on a situation where you experienced means-ends inversion or excessive bureaucracy and how it affected your work, and your ability to be flexible and innovative in your approach to making decisions and solving problems.
5. A conclusion summarizing your main argument and suggesting one way that organizations can avoid the negative effects of hierarchy, and foster innovation.

Support your arguments with references to the background readings and use specific examples from the clip to illustrate your main points.