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Financial Times runs an advice column for people seeking guidance on management issues. An item this week may be of interest to readers who don't normally check out FT. The question: "Should I plot the downfall of our dean?"
The question comes from a business school faculty member who was part of a delegation that traveled to Tokyo on a plane in which the dean flew business class while everyone else was in coach. Noting that the dean was new, "Disgruntled Professor" wrote: "I should be giving him my support but cannot get rid of the image of his well-slept eyes on arrival. I feel this is all the evidence I need to plot his downfall. Do you agree?"
FT noted that higher-ups generally get "a cushier deal," and that this incident alone was unlikely to topple the dean. In a suggestion that FT may not fully embrace academic culture, the answer went on to suggest that a longer effort might yet run the dean out of a job. "Do not let the length of the likely campaign deter you, but see it as an advantage," the column advises. "Most of the academics I’ve ever come across find long-running feuds and resentments are vital for their well-being, as they provide them with a sense of purpose and emotional charge that is often sadly lacking in the day job."
