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I came across an article on the net about a program in which Cranfield
University "has teamed up with Shakespeare�s Globe Theater and the late
Laurence Olivier�s son to offer courses that mine the playwright�s works for
advice on climbing the corporate ladder."

http://www.abcnews.go.com/sections/business/DailyNews/shakespeare990526.html

"To weather acts of betrayal, you might turn to Julius Caesar. To learn how
best to inspire your team to victory, read Henry V. And A Winter�s Tale
might be just the ticket for those tips on coping with mid-career changes.
'Business leaders are, more and more, having to manage companies like
kings and queens were managing nation-states 400 years ago,' explains
Richard Olivier, a veteran Shakespearean director who teaches the courses
for Cranfield�s School of Management.
'Shakespeare�s plays deal with people in positions of power and
responsibility,' he says. 'They explore how human nature copes with those
stresses.'"

Best regards,
Charlie Wankel
listmaster mg-ed-dv
wankelc@stjohns.edu

At 04:36 AM 26-05-99 -0400, Charles Wankel wrote:
>I came across an article ....... that mine the playwright???s works for
>advice on climbing the corporate ladder."
>
>http://www.abcnews.go.com/sections/business/DailyNews/shakespeare990526.html

This is indeed a great idea.
Thanks for bringing to the attention of all of us.

Ram
Bangalore, India

Hello all

I have used or had students use Henry V, Richard III, and even Coriolanus (for
organizational politics) this year, mostly in an MBA course entitled "A
Humanistic Approach to Leadership and Management." I have also used Antigone,
Oedipus Rex, and the writings of Thucydides with great success for years in
both grad and undergrad courses. The students have to read 30% management theory
and 70% fiction/drama/biography and write papers and make presentations using
what they have learned and making applications. Students who choose this
elective love it!

Charles Wankel wrote:

> I came across an article on the net about a program in which Cranfield
> University "has teamed up with Shakespeare�s Globe Theater and the late
> Laurence Olivier�s son to offer courses that mine the playwright�s works for
> advice on climbing the corporate ladder."
>
> http://www.abcnews.go.com/sections/business/DailyNews/shakespeare990526.html
>
> "To weather acts of betrayal, you might turn to Julius Caesar. To learn how
> best to inspire your team to victory, read Henry V. And A Winter�s Tale
> might be just the ticket for those tips on coping with mid-career changes.
> 'Business leaders are, more and more, having to manage companies like
> kings and queens were managing nation-states 400 years ago,' explains
> Richard Olivier, a veteran Shakespearean director who teaches the courses
> for Cranfield�s School of Management.
> 'Shakespeare�s plays deal with people in positions of power and
> responsibility,' he says. 'They explore how human nature copes with those
> stresses.'"
>
> Best regards,
> Charlie Wankel
> listmaster mg-ed-dv
> wankelc@stjohns.edu



Charles Wankel wrote:

> I came across an article on the net about a program in which Cranfield
> University "has teamed up with Shakespeare�s Globe Theater and the late
> Laurence Olivier�s son to offer courses that mine the playwright�s works for
> advice on climbing the corporate ladder."
>
> http://www.abcnews.go.com/sections/business/DailyNews/shakespeare990526.html
>
> "To weather acts of betrayal, you might turn to Julius Caesar. To learn how
> best to inspire your team to victory, read Henry V. And A Winter�s Tale
> might be just the ticket for those tips on coping with mid-career changes.
> 'Business leaders are, more and more, having to manage companies like
> kings and queens were managing nation-states 400 years ago,' explains
> Richard Olivier, a veteran Shakespearean director who teaches the courses
> for Cranfield�s School of Management.
> 'Shakespeare�s plays deal with people in positions of power and
> responsibility,' he says. 'They explore how human nature copes with those
> stresses.'"
>
> Best regards,
> Charlie Wankel
> listmaster mg-ed-dv
> wankelc@stjohns.edu



--
Bill Ferris
Professor of Management
Western New England College
Springfield, MA 01119

Phone: (413) 782-1629
Fax: (413) 796-2068
E-Mail: bferris@wnec.edu

Yes, it must have been on the AP wire, for it was in my local paper,
too. Some years ago I was told that a (sizable) corporation runs like a
kingdom - we have CEO's for kings, middle managers for dukes and lords,
and of course there are always peasants. I'm not sure how far to push
this analogy, since medieval towns developed as 'free', meaning the land
was not owned by the lord, and craftsmen (women didn't count, sorry)
were somewhat independent. Maybe they have been replaced by
consultants. Generally, one had authority and income so far as the
largest local lord awarded.

But if there is any truth in all this, then Shakespeare, who was closer
to the time, would know how to survive in it.

Jay
--
Jay Warner
Principal Scientist
Warner Consulting, Inc.
4444 North Green Bay Road
Racine, WI 53404-1216
USA

Ph: (414) 634-9100
FAX: (414) 681-1133
email: quality@a2q.com
web: http://www.a2q.com

The A2Q Method (tm). What do you want to improve today?

Jay--

In response to your analogy about corporations, it was said by a
former Harvard dean that academic medical centers are feudiaries with very
powerful dukes (department chairs) and a very weak king (the V.P., dean,
or CEO of the medical center.) Some business schools are, too, although
much of the "real power" can, of course, be outside of the school
entirely.

Ruth
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Ruth H. Axelrod | Words are, of course,
Organizational Behavior & Development | the most powerful drug
The George Washington University | used by mankind.
2115 G Street, NW, Monroe 403 |
Washington, DC 20052 | Rudyard Kipling
(H/O) 301-593-4938 |
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Mailto: raxelrod@gwu.edu |

Your description describes well the academic medical center here. The
political intrigue would befuddle even the Bard himself.
Bob

"Ruth H. Axelrod" wrote:
>
> Jay--
>
> In response to your analogy about corporations, it was said by a
> former Harvard dean that academic medical centers are feudiaries with very
> powerful dukes (department chairs) and a very weak king (the V.P., dean,
> or CEO of the medical center.) Some business schools are, too, although
> much of the "real power" can, of course, be outside of the school
> entirely.
>
> Ruth
>

On Thu, 27 May 1999, Jay Warner wrote:
<snip>
> and of course there are always peasants. I'm not sure how far to push
> this analogy, since medieval towns developed as 'free', meaning the land
> was not owned by the lord, and craftsmen (women didn't count, sorry)
<smip>

I believe that you are wise to be cautious here. While I believe that
there is much to be gained from the human interactions that are protrayed
in these English plays, there is lots of danger in thinking that these are
the only paradigms that might be used since they are very limited in some
of their roles and stereotypes (gender and racial).

Case studies are always interesting as long as one doesn't get caught up
in thinking that they represent all situations. ;-)

best regards

alice

*****************************************************************
* Alice Macpherson, TQ, ID phone: (604) 599-2697 vm 9954 *
* Kwantlen University College email: alicemac@kwantlen.bc.ca *
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Why not join in! I have used Anthony and Cleopatra II,7 ("What manner of
thing is your crocodile ...") for many years to illustrate the value of
comparison and the concept that we only acquire knowledge by comparing. I
use this to begin classes in statistics, critical thinking skills, etc., as
well as the analytical sections of content courses.
______________

Randall W. Kindley The Performance Group
5215 45th Ave. S. "Building High Performance
Minneapolis MN 55417-2334 Organizations by Developing
V: 612-721-6752 People and Processes"
F: 847-589-5231
kindley@dialupnet.com www.topleaders.com

Jay Warner of Wisconsin wrote:

>craftsmen (women didn't count, sorry) were somewhat independent.

The belief that women were not active in the trade guilds of the Middle Ages
is being changed by new evidence. The guilds of the time were considered to
be half trade union and half trade association (Gies 178). Although the
guilds were strongly male, women actually had a substantial number of
strictly female guilds.

The two main criteria required of a woman to participate in a male guild
were that she had to be the wife of a guild member, or the widow of a former
member (Gies 178). A woman who married a master in a guild really had no
choice but to become active in the art of her husband and his guild.
According to Labarge, women were expected to learn the trade of her husband
so she could watch over the shop, apprentices and house while he was away or
not paying attention (145). In order to help support the family, she trained
with her husband and learned all there was to know about his trade. After
the death of her husband, the woman kept her masters status and was able to
take apprentices for herself.
...
Although most guilds discriminated against all women but the daughters and
wives of their own masters, women had some guilds that were strictly female.
In 1292, a Paris tax list of Etienne Boileau shows at least five all female
guilds(Gies 178). Female guilds often represented work in tapestry, weavers,
cloth finishers, candlemakers and wax merchants (Gies 179). The male
Tailor's guild often admitted women and daughters at a reduced fee. Many of
the guilds which absolutely forbade the entrance of women did so due to the
amount of physical strength required(Labarge 148).

Gies, Frances and Joseph. Women in the Middle Ages. New York: Thomas Y.
Crowell and Co., 1978.

Labarge, Margaret Wade. Small Sound of The Trumpet. Boston: Beacon Press.,
1986.

Excerpted from:
http://www.millersv.edu/~english/homepage/duncan/medfem/guilds2.html

Cybercollegially,
Charlie Wankel
listmaster mg-ed-dv
Chair-elect MED Division, Academy of Management
wankelc@stjohns.edu