Filler – an accounting thriller

This poem, titled “Filler – An Accounting Thriller”, employs a rhythmic and allusive style inspired by Michael Jackson's classic song “Thriller” to examine the challenges and complexities of hierarchical leadership focused on financial management within a contemporary business school context. Universities are under pressure for financial performance which is all about international student numbers, research money, cost savings, and budget surplus. Things are going bad mostly at business schools in Australian Universities, but this poem applies to lots of university business schools internationally.With its unique blend of humour and critique, Filler reflects on the experience of working under a management characterized by an authoritarian and intimidating leadership style. Through rhythmic phrasing and descriptive language, the poem portrays the atmosphere of anxiety and tension that such a figure instils among academic colleagues, who often feel constrained by the inflexibility and lack of empathy within their school's culture. The character of the manager in Filler serves as a vehicle to explore broader questions about workplace dynamics, employee morale, and the implications of a hierarchical structure where power is wielded in a domineering manner.Beyond simply recounting the experiences of the school, the poem also indirectly comments on the psychological impact of such a leadership style on academics. The manager's strict control is depicted through imagery that evokes social entrapment, panoptic surveillance, and control, representing the ways in which an authoritarian leader can hinder collaboration and creativity. The poem's title, Filler, symbolically reflects the way such a leadership presence fills the academic space, suffocating open communication and replacing it with an environment of compliance and trepidation.Notably, the poem concludes with a sense of collective relief as the manager leaves, restoring balance and an atmosphere of liberation within the business school. This denouement highlights the positive impact of supportive, people-centered leadership while implicitly critiquing autocratic tendencies that can stifle engagement. Filler thus resonates with themes pertinent to management control and organizational management literature, shedding light on the human aspects of leadership through the accessible medium of poetry.By blending a familiar rhythm with a narrative that evokes both humour and reflection, Filler provides business academics with an unconventional yet insightful commentary on leadership and workplace morale within academic contexts. The poem may serve as a reflective piece for accounting educators, university administrators, and business scholars who wish to examine the effects of management control styles on academic dynamics and productivity.The author likes to extend sincere gratitude for the valuable feedback Professor Lee Parker provided on the earlier draft of the poem. Professor Parker's insightful comments have been instrumental in refining the poem, enhancing both its rhythm and thematic clarity.