(Don’t) Make up your vitae

8/13/2019 (Dont) Make up your vitae

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The Chief Executive Officer of a major internet company had to give up his position just a few

months after he had taken it because a problem in his curriculum vitae became evident. It

stated he obtained a Bachelor in Computer Sciences which proved to be untrue. He is not

the first one to fall down over a fabricated resume in the USA as the Washington Post

demonstrated with their list of other offenders.

The problem is not confined to the US but is an international one; it has become especially

evident in Germany, a country obsessed with titles because they are displayed publicly. A

doctorate is officially noted in identity documents and becomes part of the family name.

Having obtained a doctorate, Mrs Miller becomes Dr. Miller. Last year the country had to

cope with several cases in which the degree was correctly obtained but not necessarily

earned. A group of internet activists examined dissertations of politicians for plagiarism and

made their results public. As a result some titles were revoked by the universities who

awarded the doctorates. The case of the very popular Secretary of Defense made headlines

in the media for months. He and some other politicians had to give up their government

offices as well as the title Doctor.

Two explanations compete in shedding light on this phenomenon.

Alfred Adler (1870-1937), a prominent Austrian psychoanalyst, argued that individuals have

a tendency to compensate for inferiority complexes though he referred primarily to physical

handicaps in size or strength. Napoleon would have posed less if he had grown 20

centimeters taller. However, the compensation mechanism can also reflect in other aspects

of life. Individuals give themselves what they believe is actually or seems to be denied to

them without justification. The step for an amateur who has the expertise of a professor to

claim the title is not very big, and given all the knowledge and efforts just assigning it to

oneself is very appealing.

The second explanation is more straightforward and can be labeled simply as greed. Fromthis perspective the individual does not give themselves something deserved but just takes

what is available and can easily be grabbed. Greed is a personality characteristic often

demonstrated in those small insignificant moments of life when individuals do not think

much about their behavior. From this perspective it is just nice to have the degree, another

small pearl in the beautiful chain. Who really cares if it is genuine, fabricated or plagiarized?

As different as these explanations may appear, they are not mutually exclusive and share a

common factor in the perception of invulnerability. Of course, the individual expects not to be

exposed or to get into a position which is strong enough to cope with the problem should it


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come up. Titles are especially attractive in this context since expertise seems to be attested

by a reputable institution or peers. They form a shield against allegations and questions.

Titles give authority and chances to get away with a false claim increase with time. A career

with real achievements puts this misdeed more and more into the background.

However, motivations may mix in individual cases and such pretension can be a serious

matter as by doing so the person transgresses accepted moral boundaries. On first sight it

also seems a little odd, especially on the background of an otherwise successful career. Why

should somebody who has successfully led a company with thousands of employees list a

fabricated bachelor degree? However, the odder it is on the one hand, the more serious it is

on the other especially when looking towards a longer career.

The behavior points to the ethical core of personality and the danger lies exactly in the fact

that this act was easy and unnecessary. The lack of a need points to the motivational

strength. What borders would such a person cross in a situation with really strong

incentives? No, such individuals may be real jungle fighters knowing neither limits nor

borders, but not necessarily. Consciously and carefully deliberating decisions their

conclusions might not differ from those made by others. Obviously they care a lot what

others may think about them and having a weak spot may make them even a little more

careful. However, there is the danger that they do not notice how the incentives tempt them

and they may consequently engage unintentionally in higher risks.

Of course such cases also reflect badly on the social environment in which these individuals

work. In most cases it needed real opponents to bring such cases up. These opponents may

be critical chairmen of boards or political contra hands. That opponents are needed

indicates how easy it is to get away, and that this misbehavior unfolds in an environment of

negligence and disinterest or even companionship. In the German cases of plagiarism the

question came up that doctorates should not be given too easily to aspiring politicians who

might later act as testimonials for the quality of the business schools. It remains a bit of a

mystery why commissions of 5-6 professors and the two doctor fathers in their extensive

opinions did not note the problems,

The cases discussed above also express a general problem of personnel marketing. Most

companies realize that realistic and truthful information about candidates is a must but at

the same time look in their advertisements for talent rarely found. Applications are in general

self advertisements in which some beautification is permissible. The talent pressure is

reinforcing this window dressing and so a well deserved holiday must transform into a

hopefully correctly certified foreign language course. In consequence nearly everywhere in

the world, screening companies have sprung up to provide an in depth look into candidates


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curricula vitae and references. At least some of these efforts could be spared if companies

would advertise not only their ideals but also their realities.

The Guttenberg Plagiarism Scandal: 'German Society Is Applying a Double Standard' (Der Spiegel)

www.managing-essentials.com/2ep

Yahoo CEO isnt the only leader who has fudged rsum

www.managing-essentials.com/2eq

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(Don’t) Make up your vitae