When institutions are particularly large, complex, and made up of dissimilar parts, that comprehension is simply impossible. Those at the top face to a greater degree than most of us a cognitive constraint that confronts all of us: making decisions despite having limited time and ability to deal with information overload. Metrics are a tempting means of dealing with this “bounded rationality,” and engaging with matters beyond one’s comprehension.
Or empowering those at lower levels and providing enough context. Or maybe that is naive
