The quote below is a wonderful example of “preference falsification,“ which is defined as: “The act of misrepresenting one’s genuine wants [and beliefs or interests] under perceived social pressures” (Source: Private Truths, Public Lies: The Social Consequences of Preference Falsification by Timur Kuran, p. 3).
I admire K.D., whom I did not know prior to receiving the message, for their honesty. I have heard this from many people over the years, but never was it said so succinctly. The words reflect concerns over the threat of social retaliation by one’s group as well as by one’s employer for supporting someone (me) whose work is controversial within a community of interest — the Lean community.
Preference falsification has real consequences. The minor consequence is that my work would be much more popular if people were not afraid to speak up in support of it. The major consequence is the unseen damage done to Lean management in terms of its advancement, as well as to the people who promote and practice Lean management. Thus, preference falsification assures that Lean world remain stucks in the status quo.
Social pressure has the effect of censoring or limiting the reach of my work to the detriment of those who could benefit from my work in their efforts to improve their understanding and practice of Lean management. It also distorts information by emphasizing only that which conforms to community norms. In Lean world, this means emphasizing success stories and negating information that is either contrary or which explains unpleasant phenomena such as why most CEOs have no interest in Lean.
Human are social animals, and preference falsification is part of the human condition. So is politics. Nevertheless, it is instructive to reflect on how these slow down and compromise the shared goal of improving management thinking and practice. It is also easy to see how Lean world is tainted by the influence of classical management. Despite its disdain for classical management, it has been unable to escape it.
If you are interested, click here to read a blog post about preference falsification in relation to how most CEOs view Lean management. You will learn how it generates confusion and wastes all kinds of resources.