As Janz’s analysis points out, a major source of service overload in academia is the asymmetry inherent in asking for someone’s help. If you run an administrative unit within a university, or are tasked with forming a committee, then from your perspective, asking me or Bruce Janz to attend some meetings or participate in a survey or review some files seems completely reasonable. You’re not demanding a huge time commitment, and our minor assistance is crucial for you to succeed with your major objective. For us to say no would seem uncivil, if not downright antisocial. The problem, of course,
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