Say that your department has just hired a smart, inspired, assistant professor. This person has a great education, is thoroughly knowledgeable about theory and methodology, and is genuinely enthusiastic about working for the department. What is the most effective way to destroy this person's inspiration and long-term (post-tenure) research productivity?

I argue that the most effective way is to:

1. Try to manage the person through transactional means. That is, emphasize the carrots and sticks related to their job. An example would be making it clear that if they don't perform to some (often arbitrary) standard, they will be fired. (The Stick.) In contrast, if they do perform at or above the standard, they will have lifetime job security, almost regardless of future performance. (The Carrot.) Also, be sure to conduct annual performance appraisals emphasizing their short-term productivity.

2. Make their evaluations contingent on publishing in journals on some list. This will direct their focus from topics that they love and maximizes their reading auidience to topics that are likely to get published in journals on the list and addresses a narrower audience. It also reinforces the transactional nature of the management system.

3. Introduce a large dose of politics into evaluations. One way is to have people who are negligibly qualified evaluate their work. For instance, have someone outside their field conduct annual evaluation. Staff T&P committees with people who cannot read and understand their work, and weight the opinion of these committees more strongly than those of, say, the external letters of experts in the field who have a deep knowledge of the person's publication. Give substantial weight to variables like citizenship and collegiality which can cover up personal biases and other factors irrelevant to productivity.

That's my list. What's yours?