Stupid Rules - by Natasha Hamilton-Hart (Paperback)

About the Book

Our lives are imbued with rules and regulations, some of which are vital and sensible, but others are simply stupid. Natasha Hamilton-Hart navigates the rules maze and challenges us to consider how effective some rules are, and whether we would be better off resorting to the exercise of authority.

Book Synopsis

Our lives are imbued with rules and regulations, some of which are vital and sensible, but others are simply stupid. Natasha Hamilton-Hart maintains that time-wasting processes of compliance don't improve anyone's lives or wellbeing and burden companies and organizations with productivity-sapping paperwork. In these instances, she argues, we would be better off resorting to the exercise of authority, a concept we have become afraid of, but one that is a more efficient and transparent option for getting things done.

Navigating the rules maze and compliance culture that has proliferated over recent years, this book challenges us to consider just how ineffective stupid rules are in holding power to account, to improving service delivery, and even in managing the office dress code. The book is a must-read for anyone frustrated by the bureaucratic overload regulations create and for those needing to rethink their approach to management.

Review Quotes

The replacement of individual judgement and discretion with administrative rules, which is pervasive across business, government and academia, fosters a culture of compliance that diminishes innovation, freedom and trust. Hamilton-Hart deftly uses intuitive concepts from economics, jurisprudence and organizational theory to make a provocative argument for authority, understood as the prudent use of judgement in an environment of accountability.

--Mark D. White, author of Rights Versus Antitrust

This remarkable book describes and analyses the plague of regulation affecting western liberal democracies - and includes essential recommendations for reform. It is a unique analysis of the political economy of lawmaking and is essential reading for both policymakers and the citizens who seek relief from the day-to-day impact of stupid rules.

--Robin Ellison, author of Red Tape: Managing Excess in Law, Regulation and the Courts

About the Author

Natasha Hamilton-Hart is a professor in the Department of Management and International Business at the University of Auckland, New Zealand.