Discussion: View Thread

No, I didn't write this... found in email today
from a business person's list
________________________________________________________________________
> IMPORTANT NEWS - NEW ELEMENT DISCOVERED!
>
> Reprinted from the Virginia Instructors of Physics Newsletter
>
> The heaviest element known to science was recently discovered by
university
> physicists. The new element, tentatively named administratium, has no
> protons and no electrons, and thus has an atomic number of 0.
However, it
> does have one neutron, 15 assistant neutrons, 70 vice-neutrons, and
161
> assistant vice-neutrons. This gives it an atomic mass of 247. These
247
> particles are held together by a force that involves constantex
change of
a
> special class of particle called morons.
>
> Since it does not have electrons, administratium is inert. However,
it can
> be detected chemically as it impedes every reaction with which it
comes
> into contact. According to the discoverers, a minute amount of
> administratium added to one reaction caused it to take over four days
to
> complete. Without administratium, the reaction occurred in less than
one
> second.
>
> Administratium has a half-life of approximately three years, after
which
it
> does not normally decay but instead undergoes a complex nuclear
process
> called "reorganization". In this little-understood process, assistant
> neutrons, vice-neutrons, and assistant vice-neutrons appear to
exchange
> places. Early results indicate that atomic mass actually increases
after
> each "reorganization". >>


--
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)

At 02:11 AM 2/3/97 -0500, you wrote:
>No, I didn't write this... found in email today
>from a business person's list
>________________________________________________________________________
>> IMPORTANT NEWS - NEW ELEMENT DISCOVERED!
> >
> > Reprinted from the Virginia Instructors of Physics Newsletter
> >
> > The heaviest element known to science was recently discovered by
>university
> > physicists. The new element, tentatively named administratium, has no
> > protons and no electrons, and thus has an atomic number of 0.
>However, it
> > does have one neutron, 15 assistant neutrons, 70 vice-neutrons, and
>161
> > assistant vice-neutrons. This gives it an atomic mass of 247. These
>247
> > particles are held together by a force that involves constantex
>change of
>a
> > special class of particle called morons.
> >
> > Since it does not have electrons, administratium is inert. However,
>it can
> > be detected chemically as it impedes every reaction with which it
>comes
> > into contact. According to the discoverers, a minute amount of
> > administratium added to one reaction caused it to take over four days
>to
> > complete. Without administratium, the reaction occurred in less than
>one
> > second.
> >
> > Administratium has a half-life of approximately three years, after
>which
>it
> > does not normally decay but instead undergoes a complex nuclear
>process
> > called "reorganization". In this little-understood process, assistant
> > neutrons, vice-neutrons, and assistant vice-neutrons appear to
>exchange
> > places. Early results indicate that atomic mass actually increases
>after
> > each "reorganization". >>
>
>
>--
>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)
>
>Suggest you get familiar with the delete button...thought this was an
intellectual list serve
Angus R King
2506 Bridge Road
Oakville,ONT.
L6L2H2
Tel./Fax. (905)827-6865
e-mail:kinga@globalserve.on.ca

On Tue, 4 Feb 1997, Angus King wrote:

> At 02:11 AM 2/3/97 -0500, you wrote:

> > > Reprinted from the Virginia Instructors of Physics Newsletter
> > >
> > > The heaviest element known to science was recently discovered by
> > >university physicists. The new element, tentatively named administratium,

/clipped/

> >Suggest you get familiar with the delete button...thought this was an
> intellectual list serve

In defense of Pat's humor item, the cynicism, sarcasm, and satire evident
throughout the piece is indicative of an image problem faced by those who
are in management/administration with the public.

In move toward an intellectual discussion of this phenonmenon, what can
B-schools do in order to change the public's perception?

Scott Adams' _Dilbert_ is doing to managers/administrators what dumb
blonde jokes did to--well, the blonde stereotype, and lawyer jokes to the
lawyer stereotype.


______________________
Great Optimism,

Dutch Driver
Dept. of Communication
McMurry University
Abilene, TX
ddriver@cs1.mcm.edu

In a message dated 97-02-05 09:50:30 EST, you write:

> In defense of Pat's humor item, the cynicism, sarcasm, and satire evident
> throughout the piece is indicative of an image problem faced by those who
> are in management/administration with the public.
>
> In move toward an intellectual discussion of this phenonmenon, what can
> B-schools do in order to change the public's perception?
>
> Scott Adams' _Dilbert_ is doing to managers/administrators what dumb
> blonde jokes did to--well, the blonde stereotype, and lawyer jokes to the
> lawyer stereotype.

Let me offer for discussion the premise that all the above "corporate"
focused humor may reflect a growing anger with and distrust of corporations
in the US. With the constant barrage of reorganizing, down-sizing,
right-sizing, etc., that has gone on in the US for the last decade-plus,
there are a lot of people in the US who have been through it, been closely
effected by it, etc.. Especially today, the trend continues, and US
corporations are showing more (short-term) profit "at the expense of the
employees."

If that premise is acceptable, the I am not sure that B-schools can directly
change the public's perception. What B-schools can do is better equip their
managers of the future to manage for the long term. There are company
situations that call for the reduction of staff due to changes that impact
the company long term. However, so many companies have down-sized for
increased profitability only to fail to show an increase, that this approach
seems highly questionable. (OK, I'll get off my soapbox now<grin>).

Discussion?

Gregg Conroy

One of the things B-schools can do is to teach people that their
employment contract is not an umbilical cord. We do not detach from
our mothers and then reconnect with an organization. Loyalty, dedication,
etc., are well and good, but do not expect lifetime employment from them.
So when the ROI goes into the red on any job, people should think of
moving on to another job. If we look at our time as an investment then
we see that we have to move it around to capitalize on that investment.
So the B-Schools can teach people that the student is the only
one responsible for his/her career. That the student should move on
when the investment is not returning a fair market share and that
just like all investments the student can experience a crash once and
awhile.
I think that would be psychologically healthier than what is taught
now.

George Takacs
Takacs Techniques
Takacs@europa.umuc.edu

On Wed, 5 Feb 1997 GConroy246@AOL.COM wrote:


/clipped/

> in the US. With the constant barrage of reorganizing, down-sizing,
> right-sizing, etc., that has gone on in the US for the last decade-plus,
> there are a lot of people in the US who have been through it, been closely
> effected by it, etc.. Especially today, the trend continues, and US
> corporations are showing more (short-term) profit "at the expense of the
> employees."
>
> If that premise is acceptable, the I am not sure that B-schools can directly
> change the public's perception. What B-schools can do is better equip their
> managers of the future to manage for the long term. There are company
> situations that call for the reduction of staff due to changes that impact
> the company long term. However, so many companies have down-sized for
/clipped/

If they are reducing staff for the short-term profitablitiy of the
company, who is in the position to determing those situations "that impact
the company long term?"

The strategy seems paradoxical, to me. I am no financial wiz but it seems
as if the end product for corporations today is the stock price or
dividend and not a consumable value-added product. If this is essentially
correct, the the boards of directors and CEOs are caught in a vicious
cycle with the financial brokerage houses on Wall Street.

How do you prepare a student to look past the bottom line of a quarterly
earnings report? With technology, could it be that we can look forward to
monthly, weekly, daily, or hourly earnings reports?

______________________
Great Optimism,

Dutch Driver
Dept. of Communication
McMurry University
Abilene, TX
ddriver@cs1.mcm.edu

In a message dated 97-02-06 08:48:05 EST, you write:

> The strategy seems paradoxical, to me. I am no financial wiz but it seems
> as if the end product for corporations today is the stock price or
> dividend and not a consumable value-added product. If this is essentially
> correct, the the boards of directors and CEOs are caught in a vicious
> cycle with the financial brokerage houses on Wall Street.
>

I agree. The corporations and Directors are caught in a vicious cycle with
Wall Street, and their product is more stock price than tangible product or
service.

One company that I know of, Champion International Corporation, has stayed
away from that cycle, focusing on the long term. Their Chairman & CEO, who
just retired last year, caught a lot of grief from Wall Street analysts, and
the stock has been described as an "underperformer". However, I think that
company will be around for the long haul, especially if the new management
continues the philosophy of the recent past.

Gregg Conroy