Study Finds Corporate Buzzwords Mislead Employees

Research shows workers impressed by vague jargon struggle with practical decision-making.

Published on Mar. 7, 2026

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A new study from Cornell University reveals that employees who are receptive to vague corporate buzzwords and jargon tend to struggle with effective workplace decision-making. The research introduces the Corporate Bullshit Receptivity Scale (CBRS) to measure an individual's susceptibility to impressive-sounding but semantically empty organizational rhetoric.

Why it matters

The study suggests that workers most impressed by 'visionary' corporate language may be the least equipped to make practical business decisions, creating a concerning cycle where dysfunctional leaders who rely on jargon are elevated by employees who fall for it.

The details

The study, published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences, found that employees who scored higher on the CBRS scale rated their supervisors as more charismatic and 'visionary,' but performed worse on tests of analytic thinking, cognitive reflection, and workplace decision-making. The researchers created a 'corporate bullshit generator' to test how people responded to meaningless but impressive-sounding sentences compared to real quotes from Fortune 500 leaders.

  • The study was published on March 7, 2026.

The players

Shane Littrell

A cognitive psychologist and postdoctoral researcher at Cornell University's College of Arts and Sciences who led the study.

Microsoft Devices Group

The former executive vice president of this group sent an email to employees in 2014 that was later dubbed 'the worst email ever,' burying layoff news in a sea of corporate jargon.

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What they’re saying

“Corporate bullshit is a specific style of communication that uses confusing, abstract buzzwords in a functionally misleading way. Unlike technical jargon, which can sometimes make office communication a little easier, corporate bullshit confuses rather than clarifies. It may sound impressive, but it is semantically empty.”

— Shane Littrell, Postdoctoral researcher (Mirage News)

“This creates a concerning cycle. Employees who are more likely to fall for corporate bullshit may help elevate the types of dysfunctional leaders who are more likely to use it, creating a sort of negative feedback loop. Rather than a 'rising tide lifting all boats,' a higher level of corporate BS in an organization acts more like a clogged toilet of inefficiency.”

— Shane Littrell, Postdoctoral researcher (Mirage News)

What’s next

The researchers plan to further study the impact of corporate jargon on workplace decision-making and organizational dynamics.

The takeaway

This study highlights the dangers of corporate buzzwords, showing that employees most impressed by vague, impressive-sounding language may be the least equipped to make effective business decisions. It underscores the importance of clear, direct communication in the workplace.