Stupid Rules: Reducing Red Tape and Making Organizations More Effective and Accountable

Author:   Natasha Hamilton-Hart
Publisher:   Agenda Publishing
ISBN:  

9781788218771


Pages:   224
Publication Date:   29 January 2026
Format:   Paperback
Availability:   Not yet available   Availability explained
This item is yet to be released. You can pre-order this item and we will dispatch it to you upon its release.

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Stupid Rules: Reducing Red Tape and Making Organizations More Effective and Accountable


Overview

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.

Full Product Details

Author:   Natasha Hamilton-Hart
Publisher:   Agenda Publishing
Imprint:   Agenda Publishing
ISBN:  

9781788218771


ISBN 10:   1788218779
Pages:   224
Publication Date:   29 January 2026
Audience:   General/trade ,  Professional and scholarly ,  General ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Not yet available   Availability explained
This item is yet to be released. You can pre-order this item and we will dispatch it to you upon its release.

Table of Contents

1. Rule proliferation and the loss of authority 2. Stupid rules in real life 3. Stupid rules in disguise 4. Autonomy 5. Rules: regulatory solutions and rule proliferation 6. Authority: why and when hierarchy works 7. Accountability: making authority work 8. Authority for a better world

Reviews

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 citizen 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


Author Information

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

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Latest Reading Guide

NOV RG 20252

 

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