The 'moonlight effect' is the inclination of people to overrate the wisdom, insight and utility of leaders and other senior figures. Like the moon, we tend to assume that executives, authorities and experts illuminate society. The moon, however, is not the actual source of light. Similarly, leaders are not the main source of most contributions. Because of this 'moonlight effect', organisations and governments implement many policies and practices that increase expenses but damage either progress or wellbeing.

The Moonlight Effect: Debunking Business Myths to Improve Wellbeing explains the proliferation of many ineffective policies and problems that pervade our society: exorbitant levels of executive pay, the unappreciated complications of retrenchments, inadequate social welfare, unfair appraisals of performance at school and at work, unsubstantiated fads in leadership development, destructive advertising practices, the treacherous pursuit of the perfect appearance, and many other issues. The moonlight effect does not only explain many futile practices, but also increases each of the expenses on a profit and loss statement. Each chapter focuses on one expense: bonuses, wages, health expenses, office supplies, energy expenses, borrowing expenses, consulting fees, legal fees, recruitment fees, marketing costs, and rental expenses. Furthermore, each chapter presents solutions that could be implemented to reduce these expenses and to improve performance simultaneously.