Discussion: View Thread

A source I stumbled upon:

While taking a grad. course in HRD -> Performance Systems
last spring -> mixed M.S. and Ph.D. level, our first of
three books was:

_Productive Workplaces: Organizing and managing for
dignity, meaning, and community_ by Marvin R. Weisbord.
Somewhat dated but great ideas, except, of course
the layoff->dumbsizing->re-engineering thread.

I stupidily choose the last chapter that was one
giant case study that summarized the book.
We were to summarize a chapter to the class and
present it along with the 5 major ideas of the
chapter -> "quiz."
Hmmmm.

It did make one heck of a nice Powerpoint presentation
however. Very, very long and needs to be put up on
someone's server. Don't ask for an attachment to
email. Way, far too big ;-(

--
Best Regards,

Pat Gantt pagantt@worldnet.att.net Pat@HomeMail.com
The University of Tennessee M.S. Human Resource Development
Electronic Performance Instructor Information Source Locator (ISL)

Dear Fran, et. al.,

> I have successfully used the Weisbord book coupled with a book on
> organizational classicists for about the last six years. It is a
> dynamic book and puts the org world in place operationally up to
> about 15 years ago ... of course, we the faculty may have to lecure
> lecture on what has been cutting edge since then!

OK. Sounds to me like Weisbord needs updating. Anyone want to
publish? I don't have to (yet?)!!!

Still pondering if I want to
go onto to the final Ph.D. pain of politics. :-/

Must be a personal choice of just how much pain
inflicted is worth "it" eh? Just how masochistic
are you???? Hmmmmmm.

BTW. The head of our HRD Dept. had Weisbord on tape.
He invited Weisbord to lecture ala (like) our class -> UT
"up" -> Yankee -> at the Wharton School of Business.

Weisbord is *very* entertaining and engaging.

I dug up Taylor stuff for UT Prof. Dep't. Head
from my father-in-law's industrial engineering
days in the Auburn days after WWII. Really
unique. Shows "us" just how much things er -> paradigms
have changed, yet stayed the same.

Make sure y'all check out the information scavenger
site I mentioned earlier. Got Teee rific summaries
of "hot" new HRD->Performance Systems->Management
goodies! Might be a place to start to update
lagging academia eh?

Speaking of lagging academia...

Got funny story about the illegal use of "engineer"
-ing
re-
term...

If anyone wants to meet me offline. Also from same
course I took!

GO VOLS! Don't you dare ask Payton who????

--
Best Regards,

Pat Gantt pagantt@worldnet.att.net Pat@HomeMail.com
The University of Tennessee M.S. Human Resource Development
Electronic Performance Instructor Information Source Locator (ISL)

I have successfully used the Weisbord book coupled with a book on
organizational classicists for about the last six years. It is a
dynamic book and puts the org world in place operationally up to
about 15 years ago ... of course, we the faculty may have to lecure
lecture on what has been cutting edge since then! Frances
****************************************************************************
Frances Burke, PhD - Professor Internet: fburke@acad.suffolk.edu
Suffolk University Phone: 617 573-8315
Sawyer School of Management Fax: 617 573-8704
8 Ashburton Place, Beacon Hill URL: http://www.suffolk.edu
Boston, MA. 02108-2770, USA
****************************************************************************

If I was an outsider and read this note; I would run like hell away from
the study of management! Maybe I ought to anyway; no one mentions
applications and if we can/do not apply this and that to our workplace,
we ought to run a fraternity instead of a place to gain new knowledge!

My time is valuable; i think your's is too?! If we cannot determine HOW
to apply WHATEVER we are talking about and compare this to that, what the
hell good is any of this--or maybe I ought to but out totally?
K. Kemper, Entrepreneurs' University (we only philosophize about things
we are ready to TEST)
>
>I have successfully used the Weisbord book coupled with a book on
>organizational classicists for about the last six years. It is a
>dynamic book and puts the org world in place operationally up to
>about 15 years ago ... of course, we the faculty may have to lecure
>lecture on what has been cutting edge since then! Frances
>****************************************************************************
>Frances Burke, PhD - Professor Internet: fburke@acad.suffolk.edu
>Suffolk University Phone: 617 573-8315
>Sawyer School of Management Fax: 617 573-8704
>8 Ashburton Place, Beacon Hill URL: http://www.suffolk.edu
>Boston, MA. 02108-2770, USA
>****************************************************************************
>
>

--
Talk entrepreneurshp with me
entre@aztec.asu.edu
602-279-0561 office fax 602-955-5459

Kemper's response is interesting in light of a semianr I just set in on
with Professor Jerry Harvey. He was recounting the founding of NTL and
consequently the founding of the Organization and Behavior Field.

He was talking about the interactions with Bennis, Argyis, Blake, etc
(all NTL members). The key thing for him was that they did not come
together to "solve problems" or have "practical solutions" to business
issues. The purpose in their coming together was to explore the world
of ideas. It was this free and unrestrained exploration (and sharing)
that has led us to see these men as giants now.

So my question to Kemper and those like him is: Does the sharing of
knowledge, information and ideas have to be directed at problems? Can
they not just be for the excitiement and stimulation of the intellect?

"More is accomplished by visionaries with a vision, than by pragmatist
being practical."


>----------
>From: K. KEMPER[SMTP:entre@aztec.asu.edu]
>Sent: Monday, February 03, 1997 11:50 AM
>To: Multiple recipients of list MG-ED-DV
>Subject: Re: One Snazzy Source
>
>If I was an outsider and read this note; I would run like hell away from
>the study of management! Maybe I ought to anyway; no one mentions
>applications and if we can/do not apply this and that to our workplace,
>we ought to run a fraternity instead of a place to gain new knowledge!
>
>My time is valuable; i think your's is too?! If we cannot determine HOW
>to apply WHATEVER we are talking about and compare this to that, what the
>hell good is any of this--or maybe I ought to but out totally?
>K. Kemper, Entrepreneurs' University (we only philosophize about things
>we are ready to TEST)
>>
>>I have successfully used the Weisbord book coupled with a book on
>>organizational classicists for about the last six years. It is a
>>dynamic book and puts the org world in place operationally up to
>>about 15 years ago ... of course, we the faculty may have to lecure
>>lecture on what has been cutting edge since then! Frances
>>****************************************************************************
>>Frances Burke, PhD - Professor Internet: fburke@acad.suffolk.edu
>>Suffolk University Phone: 617 573-8315
>>Sawyer School of Management Fax: 617 573-8704
>>8 Ashburton Place, Beacon Hill URL: http://www.suffolk.edu
>>Boston, MA. 02108-2770, USA
>>****************************************************************************
>>
>>
>
>--
>Talk entrepreneurshp with me
>entre@aztec.asu.edu
>602-279-0561 office fax 602-955-5459
>

,we visionaries use think tanks, not just fun and talk and see what evolves!
More inventors and discovereres will share with you that without an idea
for FOCUS, one can talk till doomsday and get nowhere except have MENSA
ideologies shared!
>
>>I am the most assertive vissionary you'll ever meet; but a group of people
>>with wonderful ideas is NOT what management training is about!>

>Who says? Tell me what management is about if it is not ideas?

FOCUS and objectives is what managmenet is all about! I have ideas
about lunch and about sex and about beautiful colors but that won't
get my company or the world closer to what it/they need!

>Businesses rise and fall based on the ability and quality of ideas.

I disagree; they fall and rise because no one is focused on the objectives
of the firm!

One of the shames of our educational process is that we usually don't
>provide a mechanism for the development and expression of orginal
>thinking.--original thinking focusing on the objectives is what makes
a business profitable. Just fun ideas takes a business down the
bankruptcy route ALWAYS!
>
>>I have a huge virtual company; perhaps the world's largest. I love to
>>share ideologoy and visions with people world-wide. Just a few minutes
>>ago, a joint venture partner called using HIS nickel. I told him where
>>Entrepreneurs' University and ECI was going and how we hoped to get
>>there and he though (I was unfocused!) I was interested in doing
>>several things and I almost pissed him off! WE are seriously considering
>>doing a joint venture --a multi-million dollar asset company with
>>another multi-million dollar asset company--but he wanted to know
>>WHERE did we start; with real estate acquisitions in what country,
>>in bank acquistions of what size, where, etc.
>
>Your point is what?
>
>>THis list is for the sharing of all sorts of ideas yet they have to be
>>directed with a focus and appliccation has to be used or we are
>>in the WRONG discussion field--liberal arts is for the general
>>growth of the mind--we are developing managment decision skills--
>>or so I thought! K. Kemper
>
>Who is determining the "focus and application?" And I do not think I am
>in the wrong field and BTW some of the most creative and innovative
>managers have come from a liberal arts background. Once you are locked
>into a a methodology the tendency is block out other ways of thinking.
>One of the things lacking in the solving of business problems is a
>cross-disciplinary approach--which would include liberal arts as part of
>>management education. Maybe you are on the wrong discussion group?
>>
>
>
>
>>----------
>>
>
>

--
Talk entrepreneurshp with me
entre@aztec.asu.edu
602-279-0561 office fax 602-955-5459