> Date: Sun, 12 Nov 1995 18:40:09 -0500 (EST)
> From: Bill Starbuck <wstarbuc@stern.nyu.edu>
>
> The theme for next year's Academy of Management meeting is "Learning from
> unusual events." I'm exploring the possibility of some sessions that
> describe and analyze various kinds of unusual events. You could help by
> telling me about unusual events that Academy members ought to heard about.
It is about time for the Academy of Management to start learning
things that are happening beyond their small plot! I am a business
professor who kind of stopped attending the national meetings. They
became too predictable. The papers presented were not unusual, but
useless for the most part, more or less the same names are "in charge"
through the years, etc. I think that there is a lot of room for the
unusual. The other problem I have is that of the theme names chosen year
after year. I think that that they choose that to catch people's
attention, but not to really do anything with it! Some of the themes I
have seen are diversity, globalization, etc., but nothing ever happens
that can be seen as the Academy's true contribution to this areas.
> The unusual event might be --
> an organizational structure or information system,
> a management practice -- such as a reward system, leadership
> style, or employee-selection method,
> a challenge -- such as a threat or opportunity in the
> environment of a person, group, or organization,
> a strategy or tactic, or
> a time period -- such as a time of exceptionally high or low
> performance.
>
One very unusual event that can be presented is "Organizational
Transformation at the Academy: Making it as a True Learning Group!" When
I think of the Academy, I always remember Argyris' article "Teaching Smart
People How to Learn." I believe that tha we fall in that category of
learned people who can't learn anymore.
I would say that an unusual and wonderful event that can be used
at the Academy is something somewhat similar to what happened at the
Renaissance Business Associates 13th Annual Conference, whose theme was
"Rediscovering the Soul of Business: Managing for Pprofit and the Human
Spirit." Alex Pattakos, a member of this group, can help in this area.
We have spent too much time doing all kind of things in the study of
organizations and management, but all of them have been influenced by the
"command and control" philosophy. THey still are! We most start looking
for new frontiers in management and organizations.
> Of course, I am seeking events that could be presented in Cincinnati.
> There should be someone who could come to Cincinnati and describe the
> event.
>
> Another category of presentations might be methods for learning from
> unusual events -- either qualitative or quantitative methods of analysis,
> or methods of data gathering, or methods of generating alternative
> explanations.
>
> Please send your ideas to me via e-mail.
>
> Bill Starbuck wstarbuc@stern.nyu.edu
I would finally say that we must spend some time looking for ways
to reconnect the "worker's purpose and the purpose of work" which were
separated as a result of the industrial revolution and the re-enforced by
the classical schools of management!
Ivan,
--
***************************************************************
R. IVAN BLANCO, Ph.D. Voice 305 899-3515
Assoc. Prof. & Director Fax 305 892-6412
International Business Programs
Andreas School of Business _________E-Mail Addresses________
Barry University Bitnet: Blanco%bu4090@Barryu
Miami Shores, FL 33161-6695 Internet: Blanco@bu4090.barry.edu
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"Las naciones marchan hacia el termino de su grandeza, con
el mismo paso que camina su educacion." "The nations march
toward their greatness at the same pace as their educational
systems evolve." Simon Bolivar
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