One of the things that gets in the way of the exchange of real information is a deep rooted hostility on the part of bosses to opposition from subordinates. This is the real cost of top down decision making: it confers the illusion of perfectibility upon the decision makers, and encourages everyone else simply to play along. What makes this especially damaging is that people in an organisation already have a natural inclination to avoid conflict and potential trouble. — Chris Agyris / James Surowiecki