LO110:
> Subject: Re: Posting - Management books
>
>
> >Oh yes! Finally some comments on the worthlessnes of so many of the "fad"
> >books of the last few decades, especially the last ten years. Isn't it funny
> >that the more things change, the more they stay the same.
>
> >The few theories of any merit will remain. Unfortunately, the damage of the
>
> What makes Senge's The Fifth Discipline any different? Are you
> prepared to do a study on the real, rather than imagined, effects
> these books have had?
>
> Is it not possible that the proliferation of management books has
> helped American Management remain the leading source of ideas,
> techniques and performance in the World? Hmmmm. Peter's book as
> well as Hammer & Champy were written by a former academics making it
> big in consulting. If you get paid for your advice time and time
> again for years, you can't be totally full of it. The market for
> ideas is not that different than the market for products so that
> differentiation doesn't apply.
>
> Without evidence that the books are damaging then the original
> assertion that many management books are damaging is a fleeting one.
>
> Likely there is a continuum of usefulness with factors such as who
> reads it, are they in a position to change behavior because of it,
> and how much discontent with existing systems caused by reading the
> book, affect the usefulness of a certain book.
>
>
>
--- John P Wilson jpwilso@iastate.edu