Max Weber’s argument that organizations benefit when they operate consistently and Robert Merton’s counter-point that consistency arises from organizational dysfunction create a fundamental tension in organization theory. Substantial research has examined the spread of bureaucracy and organizational practices, while other research has examined how organizational change affects survival, but there has been surprisingly little research on the value or dysfunctional nature of ongoing consistency in following rules for decision making. This paper develops measures based on the definition of consistency as close adherence over time to a set of simple rules for conducting business. We explore the sources of consistency and test whether greater consistency is a beneficial high point in organizational development or, instead, whether consistency simply reflects Emerson’s notion of a “hobgoblin of little minds”.