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Top U.S. Scientific Misconduct Official Quits In Frustration With Bureaucracy

Posted by timothy on from the an-exit-interview-I'd-like-to-overhear dept.

sandbagger writes "The director of the U.S. government office that monitors scientific misconduct in biomedical research has resigned after 2 years out of frustration with the 'remarkably dysfunctional' federal bureaucracy. Officials at the Office of Scientific Integrity spent 'exorbitant amounts of time' in meetings and generating data and reports to make their divisions look productive, David Wright writes. He huge amount of time he spent trying to get things done made much of his time at ORI 'the very worst job I have ever had.'"

7 of 172 comments (clear)

  1. Just like where I work ... by Old97 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    and its a large corporation in the private sector. Its hard for very large organizations to be efficient.

    --
    Very often, people confuse simple with simplistic. The nuance is lost on most. - Clement Mok
  2. Been there. by Narcocide · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The sickness is endemic, and not just in government either; pretty much all big business suffers from this once it reaches critical mass. Basically, when you have a hierarchy of people who are so separated by degrees of management tier that the bulk of them no longer care about the actual stated goal or task of the organization and don't interact socially or even actually know anyone high enough up in the organization who does, and then you let them self-schedule their time in business meetings, every business meeting will become an elaborate excuse to not do any work. The meetings themselves look like work from a distance though, so this type of dysfunctional situation can persist for decades without anyone who cares actually noticing.

    1. Re:Been there. by 50000BTU_barbecue · · Score: 5, Insightful
      The reason is quite simple: we have all the technology and resources required so that people DON'T need to work, that was the whole concept behind the leisure society.

      But instead we choose to continue with this outdated mentality of "40 hours a week for everyone" otherwise you're not a worthy human being.

      So, what do you do with all these people? Well, you make them spend exorbitant amounts of time in meetings and generating data and reports to make them look productive.

      We are squandering the most glorious time in history in terms of energy resources, technology and machinery in order to maintain a social order that comes from the caves.

      Everyone is *so* productive in today's world! Oh my yes! That's why it takes two people working in a household today to barely maintain the lifestyle my single-income parents had 40 years ago!

      We're so productive, but *what* are we producing and for *who*?

      --
      Mostly random stuff.
    2. Re:Been there. by 50000BTU_barbecue · · Score: 5, Interesting
      My parents had a washing machine, television, radio, a car, a house, heating, food from a supermarket, paved roads, clean drinking water, municipal waste collection, etc... All this with one salary for a blue collar job with decent job security, benefits and a pension plan. That's what I'm talking about.

      I'd gladly trade your "instant communications" (of mostly trivial garbage) for that. I walked to the library then, I can still do it now. I just don't understand why we accept diminishing returns for all these technologies except for a few people on top. Because they deserve it. Sure.

      But I'm talking nonsense.

      --
      Mostly random stuff.
  3. Been there, quit that. by luckytroll · · Score: 5, Informative

    I spent a lost year of my life working for a similar agency. The systematic fear and redundant covering of asses made for endless meetings.

    The only thing worse than busywork is busywork with a profound sense of importance attached to it.

    1. Re:Been there, quit that. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      It's not just the media. It's also Congress. Any member of Congress could decide to turn your group into a political football at any time. This is especially likely if you have spent money on something that is easy to mock.

      The problem is that "something that is easy to mock" can be fruit fly research or volcano monitoring. So basically any time you do your job, it could have negative political consequences. The only solution is to not do your job....

  4. Feynman by scottnix · · Score: 5, Informative

    This reminds me of what Richard Feynman went through while investigating the Shuttle Discovery disaster.
    They made a movie about it: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt24...