Date: Tue, 09 Apr 2002 10:40:55 -0400
From: Charles Wankel <
wankelc@optonline.net>
Subject: RE: [MG-ED-DV] Axelrod's Essay
To: 'Kim Boal' <
KimBoal@TTU.EDU>
Reply-to:
wankelc@optonline.net
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KimBoal@TTU.EDU
Dear Friends,
As a "pointy headed academic" who also happens to Co-Edit (with Paul
Hirsch, Northwestern) a scholarly journal (Journal of Management Inquiry)
that often publishes pieces by "practitioners", I am curious about what
"impractical" theories you were taught? Were they theories about
strategy, leadership, motivation, job attitudes, conflict and power, or
what? I
find that most academics are usually prudent about making claims about the
internal validity (i.e., that X "causes" Y) and generalizability (i.e.,
that the relationship between X & Y holds in all versus only some
situations). In fact, much research is done to examine the boundary
conditions under which any observed relationship holds. Conversely, I
often find that "popular press" books on management make universal and
absolute claims about the relationship (often poorly specified) between
X & Y based upon anecdotal evidence. "Academics," tend to be cautious
about "truth" claims. This unwillingness to make absolute truth claims often
leaves our students uncomfortable.
Academics are also likely to shy away from "grand theories" that attempt to
explain everything or solve every problem. We aim to develop theories of
the "middle range" whose scope is much more limited. Perhaps some are
unhappy when we only have theories they can "partially" respond to any
particular problem. Many organizational problems are so complex that no
one theory is adequate to solving the situation. Developing the
discernment to pick and chose those theories, or parts of those theories,
that help frame relevant questions, or provide partial answers to problems
requires an appreciation of both the theory and its boundaries.
I find Paul Hersey admonition that Management Educators (I do not assume
that Business Educators are necessarily Academics) become business
executives before they become academic theorists/ researchers curious.
The
KSAs necessary to be a good business executive are different from the
KSAs
necessary to be a good researcher. Being good at one does not
necessarily
mean that you will be good at the other. Hersey and Blanchard are well
known for their theory of "situational leadership." Perhaps this was
one
of the "useless theories" some have commented on. I say useless,
because
despite the popularity of their theory among practitioners, there is
little
to no research support for their theory. Perhaps if Hersey had been a
better "academic" than "practitioner" he would not continually "push" his
theory in training programs, and "practitioners" would not have such a
jaundiced view of academics.
Regards,
Kim Boal
At 08:06 PM 4/8/2002 -0400, you wrote:
>From: Conna Condon [mailto:
gandolf@cyberverse.com]
>
>I have to speak as one who was educated in a program designed for and
>about
>being a practitioner; and who now teaches in the same environment.
>
>I earned my Masters back in 1979 - and only one of our courses had a
>pure
>academic for an instructor ... we laughed the guy out of the classroom.
>His
>academic theories had nothing to do with our corporate realities and I
>think
>he learned more from us than we did from him.
>
>My grad school has had private sessions for us with both Peter Drucker
>and
>Paul Hersey during AOM meetings. From both of them we heard the
>importance
>of management educators becoming experienced business executives before
>they
>became academic theorists, researchers, and/or teachers.
>
>For years in business hiring other executives and I had a consensus of
>what
>a college degree in business meant: 1) they had shown they could show
>up on
>a regular basis. 2) they could listen to instructions and act upon
them
>to
>at least a satisficing level. 3) they were teachable. We also
>counted on
>having to wash the academic baloney out of them and teaching them the
>real
>world.
>
>Education will become useful when it isn't full of impractical theory
or
>"sage from the stage" pontificators.
>
>Just my humble experience
>
>Conna Condon
>DBA candidate
>
--------------------------------
Kim Boal
College of Business Administration
Texas Tech University
Lubbock, TX 79409
(806) 742-2150
KimBoal@ttu.edu
--------------------------------
Kim Boal
College of Business Administration
Texas Tech University
Lubbock, TX 79409
(806) 742-2150
KimBoal@ttu.edu