Workers who love ‘synergizing paradigms’ might be bad at their jobs | Cornell Chronicle
news.cornell.edu
Employees who are impressed by vague corporate-speak like “synergistic leadership,” or “growth-hacking paradigms” may struggle with practical decision-making, a new Cornell study into “corporate BS” reveals.

YA THINK?

“Corporate bullshit is a specific style of communication that uses confusing, abstract buzzwords in a functionally misleading way,” said Littrell, a postdoctoral researcher in the College of Arts and Sciences. “Unlike technical jargon, which can sometimes make office communication a little easier, corporate bullshit confuses rather than clarifies. It may sound impressive, but it is semantically empty.”

  • EtterraEnglish
    9·
    18 days ago

    It’s almost like the ability to confidently blather insane buzz words has no connection to the ability to do any work whatsoever.

    • RQG@lemmy.worldEnglish
      7·
      18 days ago

      In my experience people who use a lot of corporate buzzwords do it to obfuscate their own incompetence.

      Try asking those people to explain their buzzwords in more detail or give an example. It’ll become clear if they even know what they are saying.

      • ChickenLadyLovesLife@lemmy.worldEnglish
        61·
        18 days ago

        My most-hated blather expression is “going forward”, as in “we’re going to do a better job going forward”. Just completely unnecessary when used with verbs in future tense – which is the only time it’s ever used. I hate it almost as much as “folks”.

        • EtterraEnglish
          2·
          17 days ago

          I agree with you on the “going forward” part. It sounds inane. “Folks” on the other hand I disagree with for two reasons. One, where I live, it’s a pretty standard term, as in “hey there folks” as well as a synonym for “parents” depending on context.

          The other, I’ve started using it as a gender neutral in place of things like “ladies and gentlemen.” People who get mad about using peoples’ correct pronouns, aka conservative assholes, are completely blind to it being for that purpose. While it’s not something that matters very often for me, it’s useful and therefore just an easy habit to adopt that’s harmless in all contexts.