Discussion: View Thread

As a card carrying Academic, I appreciate, not bemoan, the differences
between card carrying Practitioners and Academics. These differences
arise, for among other reasons, because of how we come to know and answer
questions related to self, industry, organization, job, and others. The
fact that these differences lead us to value and focus on different aspects
related to understanding, predicting, and controlling the world as we
perceive it, the world as others experience it, and the world as it might
become, does not mean one side has a previleged position as to "truth."

I belong to this web site because I think I can learn much from the
discussions. Since many, if not most, of the contributors are
Practitoners/Consultants, it must imply that I think I have something to
learn from their experience. As Co-Editor-in-Chief, with Paul Hirsch of
Norwestern University, of the Journal of Management Inquiry (Sage
Publications), I often publish articles written by practitioners or
interviews of practitioners. In fact two, of the six sections (Meet the
Person & Reflections on Experience), of the journal are dominated by
contributions of practitoners. In 1997 & 1998, for example, we published
articles by Peter Delisi on Digital Equitpment, Jay Klagge on reinventing
the executive role, Robert Keidel on organizational process, structure, and
mindset, as well as an anonymous written article on a failed organizational
intervention. We also published interviews with important practitoners
such as Aung San Suu Kyi, Erdener Kaynak, Hugh Pace, Wally Olins, Earl
Eisnberg, as well as interviews with noted academics such as Derek Pugh,
Russ Ackoff, Ray Miles, and Edward Hall.

Knowledge is not self-sealing, nor is the search for it. If we can learn
to appreciate what we individually can bring to the table and what we can
not, as well as an appreciation of what others can and cannot bring to the
table, then maybe academics will be less pedantic and practitoners will be
more circumspect.

Let us all remember that the good life involves good jobs, good money,
good friends, good conversation, and in my case good wine.

Regards

Kim Boal


--------------------------------
Kim Boal
College of Business Administration
Texas Tech University
Lubbock, TX 79409
(806) 742-2150
KimBoal@ttu.edu

well said Kim ! By the way, what type of wine ?

> -----Message d'origine-----
> De: Kim Boal [SMTP:odkbb@TTACS.TTU.EDU]
> Date: mercredi 20 janvier 1999 16:06
> À: MG-ED-DV@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU
> Objet: [MG-ED-DV] Academic/Practitioner Divide
>
> As a card carrying Academic, I appreciate, not bemoan, the differences
> between card carrying Practitioners and Academics. These differences
> arise, for among other reasons, because of how we come to know and answer
> questions related to self, industry, organization, job, and others. The
> fact that these differences lead us to value and focus on different
> aspects
> related to understanding, predicting, and controlling the world as we
> perceive it, the world as others experience it, and the world as it might
> become, does not mean one side has a previleged position as to "truth."
>
> I belong to this web site because I think I can learn much from the
> discussions. Since many, if not most, of the contributors are
> Practitoners/Consultants, it must imply that I think I have something to
> learn from their experience. As Co-Editor-in-Chief, with Paul Hirsch of
> Norwestern University, of the Journal of Management Inquiry (Sage
> Publications), I often publish articles written by practitioners or
> interviews of practitioners. In fact two, of the six sections (Meet the
> Person & Reflections on Experience), of the journal are dominated by
> contributions of practitoners. In 1997 & 1998, for example, we published
> articles by Peter Delisi on Digital Equitpment, Jay Klagge on reinventing
> the executive role, Robert Keidel on organizational process, structure,
> and
> mindset, as well as an anonymous written article on a failed
> organizational
> intervention. We also published interviews with important practitoners
> such as Aung San Suu Kyi, Erdener Kaynak, Hugh Pace, Wally Olins, Earl
> Eisnberg, as well as interviews with noted academics such as Derek Pugh,
> Russ Ackoff, Ray Miles, and Edward Hall.
>
> Knowledge is not self-sealing, nor is the search for it. If we can learn
> to appreciate what we individually can bring to the table and what we can
> not, as well as an appreciation of what others can and cannot bring to the
> table, then maybe academics will be less pedantic and practitoners will be
> more circumspect.
>
> Let us all remember that the good life involves good jobs, good money,
> good friends, good conversation, and in my case good wine.
>
> Regards
>
> Kim Boal
>
>
> --------------------------------
> Kim Boal
> College of Business Administration
> Texas Tech University
> Lubbock, TX 79409
> (806) 742-2150
> KimBoal@ttu.edu

Well said!

Best wishes for continued success.

Ed
Drive On!

>>> Kim Boal <odkbb@TTACS.TTU.EDU> 01/20 10:06 AM >>>
As a card carrying Academic, I appreciate, not bemoan, the differences
between card carrying Practitioners and Academics. These differences
arise, for among other reasons, because of how we come to know and
answer
questions related to self, industry, organization, job, and others.
The
fact that these differences lead us to value and focus on different
aspects
related to understanding, predicting, and controlling the world as we
perceive it, the world as others experience it, and the world as it
might
become, does not mean one side has a previleged position as to
"truth."

I belong to this web site because I think I can learn much from the
discussions. Since many, if not most, of the contributors are
Practitoners/Consultants, it must imply that I think I have something
to
learn from their experience. As Co-Editor-in-Chief, with Paul Hirsch
of
Norwestern University, of the Journal of Management Inquiry (Sage
Publications), I often publish articles written by practitioners or
interviews of practitioners. In fact two, of the six sections (Meet
the
Person & Reflections on Experience), of the journal are dominated by
contributions of practitoners. In 1997 & 1998, for example, we
published
articles by Peter Delisi on Digital Equitpment, Jay Klagge on
reinventing
the executive role, Robert Keidel on organizational process, structure,
and
mindset, as well as an anonymous written article on a failed
organizational
intervention. We also published interviews with important
practitoners
such as Aung San Suu Kyi, Erdener Kaynak, Hugh Pace, Wally Olins, Earl
Eisnberg, as well as interviews with noted academics such as Derek
Pugh,
Russ Ackoff, Ray Miles, and Edward Hall.

Knowledge is not self-sealing, nor is the search for it. If we can
learn
to appreciate what we individually can bring to the table and what we
can
not, as well as an appreciation of what others can and cannot bring to
the
table, then maybe academics will be less pedantic and practitoners will
be
more circumspect.

Let us all remember that the good life involves good jobs, good money,
good friends, good conversation, and in my case good wine.

Regards

Kim Boal


--------------------------------
Kim Boal
College of Business Administration
Texas Tech University
Lubbock, TX 79409
(806) 742-2150
KimBoal@ttu.edu

I am a practitioner who teaches entrepreneurship and project management
to engineers. I am a fifth generation entrepreneur who focused my
education on mastering the skills of running a business (Michigan and
Harvard MBA). I was startled at how many basic concepts I had not
mastered when I did start my own firm. I gradually realized that I had
never once had an instructor who had ever run their own business.

Our students need to master a wide range of skills, some very technical
and some very practical. A range of faculty with different experiences
and skills can best do this. I am not qualified to teach the technical
material and focus my research on assisting the implementation of the
projects. I believe that there needs to be people playing these roles.

--
Andrew Crawford, 2785 IOE Dept., University of Michigan,
Ann Arbor, MI 48109 734 764-9410, Ascott Corp 734 663-2023
http://ascott.com/

On 25 Jan 99 at 21:21, Kenneth F.T. Cust wrote:

>
> To accomplish this latter end I recently launched an independent
> consulting firm called Philosophical Services (P/S). We provide MA
> and Ph.D. qualified consultants to governments, corporations,
> organizations, and individuals around the world. All of our
> philosophical consultants have either (and/or both) an MA or a Ph.D.
> in philosophy; in addition, only such philosophers can apply to
> register with P/S. Furthermore, most of our philosophical
> consultants have academic and non-academic credentials in a wide
> range of areas. We are committed to returning philosophy and
> philosophers to the agora and competing in the market place of the
> new millennium.

This is rather fascinating - I've never heard of this, so excuse me
if this seems a dumb question. In what ways do they apply their
philisophical backgrounds in practical environments?

What business problems do they solve that relies on philosophy?

Robert Bacal, author of PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT,(McGraw-Hill). Details at
http://members.xoom.com/perform and http://members.xoom.com/cooperate.
"Performance management - about people and creating success"=
Join the Performance Management/Appraisal discussion group by sending an email to perfmgt-subscribe@egroups.com
Visit the Perf. Management/Appraisal Resource Center at http://members.xoom.com/perform/index.htm

I have been reading the discussion on the Academic/Practioner debate with
interest. As both an academic philosopher and and a proponent of the
private practice of philosophy I think one can be both a theretician as
well as a practitioner; the reasons for this are several. Philosophers have
had to deal with the issue of "pure academic philosophy" and what has been
called "applied philosophy." Applied philosophy is pretty well established
but 20 - 25 years ago there was a big debate on whether philosophers should
attempt to answer philosophical questions in a variety of areas in
bioethics. Times have changed and now philosophers are applying their
academic and applied philosophical knowledge, skills, and other expertise
in politics -- William Bennet, the former Secretary of Education, is a
philosopher -- in business -- Tom Morris, auther of _If Aristotle Ran
General Motors_, is a philosopher. Philosophers are also in hospitals,
corporations, in technical R&D facilities, and some -- myself included --
are taking their philsoophical expertise to the market place.

To accomplish this latter end I recently launched an independent consulting
firm called Philosophical Services (P/S). We provide MA and Ph.D. qualified
consultants to governments, corporations, organizations, and individuals
around the world. All of our philosophical consultants have either (and/or
both) an MA or a Ph.D. in philosophy; in addition, only such philosophers
can apply to register with P/S. Furthermore, most of our philosophical
consultants have academic and non-academic credentials in a wide range of
areas. We are committed to returning philosophy and philosophers to the
agora and competing in the market place of the new millennium.

For further information, see the Philosophical Services web site.

Regards, Kenn Cust
Philosophical Services
http://philosophical-services.com

Robert Bennett a philosopher? How low are philosophers willing to stoop?

"Kenneth F.T. Cust" wrote:

> I have been reading the discussion on the Academic/Practioner debate with
> interest. As both an academic philosopher and and a proponent of the
> private practice of philosophy I think one can be both a theretician as
> well as a practitioner; the reasons for this are several. Philosophers have
> had to deal with the issue of "pure academic philosophy" and what has been
> called "applied philosophy." Applied philosophy is pretty well established
> but 20 - 25 years ago there was a big debate on whether philosophers should
> attempt to answer philosophical questions in a variety of areas in
> bioethics. Times have changed and now philosophers are applying their
> academic and applied philosophical knowledge, skills, and other expertise
> in politics -- William Bennet, the former Secretary of Education, is a
> philosopher -- in business -- Tom Morris, auther of _If Aristotle Ran
> General Motors_, is a philosopher. Philosophers are also in hospitals,
> corporations, in technical R&D facilities, and some -- myself included --
> are taking their philsoophical expertise to the market place.
>
> To accomplish this latter end I recently launched an independent consulting
> firm called Philosophical Services (P/S). We provide MA and Ph.D. qualified
> consultants to governments, corporations, organizations, and individuals
> around the world. All of our philosophical consultants have either (and/or
> both) an MA or a Ph.D. in philosophy; in addition, only such philosophers
> can apply to register with P/S. Furthermore, most of our philosophical
> consultants have academic and non-academic credentials in a wide range of
> areas. We are committed to returning philosophy and philosophers to the
> agora and competing in the market place of the new millennium.
>
> For further information, see the Philosophical Services web site.
>
> Regards, Kenn Cust
> Philosophical Services
> http://philosophical-services.com