The Tyranny of Transparency

Abstract

What might an academic and a social anthropologist have to say about 'making the invisible visible'? Taking its title from a paper by Tsoukas ('The Tyranny of Light'), the result is a short excursus into the social world of accountability. Techniques for assessing, auditing and evaluating institutions are often defended on the grounds of transparency. What is interesting about this case is that in a social world where people are conscious of diverse interests, such an appeal to a benevolent or moral visibility is all too easily shown to have a tyrannous side-there is nothing innocent about making the invisible visible. How are we to understand such deliberate striving for transparency when it is applied, for instance, to research and teaching in higher education? This experimental account tries to avoid simply adding more visibility and more information.

Reactivity and reactions to regulatory transparency in medicine, psychotherapy and counselling

“…It has become barely questionable (Gabriel, 2008) attaining a 'quasi religious significance' as a regulatory ideal (Hood & Heald, 2006: 3). It has long been believed that watching people induces better behaviour (Foucault, 1977) but transparency may also have unintended or even perverse consequences (Hood & Heald, 2006;Strathern, 2000;Tsoukas, 1997).…”

“…Transparency could produce overwhelming data volume and complexity (Brin, 1998;Vattimo, 1992), but functions by highlighting certain things while obscuring others (Strathern, 2000). Regulators use transparency to structure professionals' limited attention on the 'right' things (Heimer, 2008), 'affecting norms of how professional practices are organized and controlled' (Blomgren & Sunden, 2008: 1512.…”

“…Values associated with transparency -openness, independent scrutiny and accountability -are widely assumed to be beneficial. However, studies of transparency suggest it may have unintended or even perverse consequences too (Bevan & Hood, 2006;Blomgren & Sunden, 2008;Hood & Heald, 2006;Levay & Waks, 2007;McGivern & Ferlie, 2007;Power, 1997;Strathern, 2000;Tsoukas, 1997).…”

Teamwork Within Mental Health Services in Ireland: Resource Paper

“…56 If professional work is perceived as too diverse or unpredictable, managerial pressure may urge professionals to conform to excessive specification (as manifest in a top-down operational policy) that is experienced as oppressive. 57 An organisational climate that is characterised by bureaucratic pressures (e.g. to contain costs) can further increase preoccupation with control and efficiency, and eclipse mental health team clinical priorities.…”

Under the Shadow of Time: Where Indicators and Academic Values Meet

“…Analysts, researchers, and even policy makers have highlighted the potentially detrimental effects of the multiple quantifications and standardizations that have been woven into research processes (e.g., the DORA declaration highlights the problematic nature of the impact factor 2 ) and have pointed at the "tyranny of transparency" (Strathern 2000) supported by indicators. They have expressed concerns that this might limit our future capacity to innovate in ways that fit broader societal values.…”