This book offers an in-depth, thoughtful exploration of the many challenges facing institutions and companies in countries around the world. It highlights persistent obstacles to the recognition and valorization of merit, while denouncing practices that, consciously or unconsciously, promote mediocrity. Through a rigorous and nuanced analysis, the book examines the economic, social and cultural implications of these dynamics, revealing how the promotion of mediocrity can seriously compromise the development, innovation and competitiveness of organizations.In particular, the author looks at the consequences of mediocrity on productivity, employee motivation and structural efficiency, while highlighting the deleterious effects on the entrepreneurial spirit and sustainable growth. He shows how the lack of recognition of merit, combined with ineffective management practices, creates a vicious circle of stagnation, which hinders the evolution of institutions and curbs innovation.