tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486641877026778105.post7884500651898201070..comments2024-03-19T09:00:56.265+00:00Comments on All That Is Solid ...: Touching Base with ManagerialismPhilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06298147857234479278noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486641877026778105.post-66089048371377952432008-02-29T12:18:00.000+00:002008-02-29T12:18:00.000+00:00You're quite right Rob. What I think is different ...You're quite right Rob. What I think is different now is the extent to which management expects its take on the world to be taken seriously.<BR/><BR/>And yes, I've got One Dimensional Man on my book shelf. It was was of the first radical books I ever purchased, and I've read it twice. I could really do with reading it again. It's been a long time ...Philhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06298147857234479278noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486641877026778105.post-1671317979048981332008-02-28T14:47:00.000+00:002008-02-28T14:47:00.000+00:00A good response to "there's no 'i' in team" is "bu...A good response to "there's no 'i' in team" is "but there's plenty of 'u' in fatuous".Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486641877026778105.post-43784729188206936962008-02-26T19:56:00.000+00:002008-02-26T19:56:00.000+00:00I don't think this is a new phenomenon, and I thin...I don't think this is a new phenomenon, and I think your analysis of power is spot on. Have you ever read Herbert Marcuse's <I><A HREF="http://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/marcuse/works/one-dimensional-man/ch04.htm" REL="nofollow">One Dimensional Man</A></I>? He has an awesome example of this:<BR/><BR/><I>In investigating the walkers' complaints about walking conditions and wages, the researchers hit upon the fact that most of these complaints were formulated in statements which contained “vague, indefinite terms,” lacked the “objective reference” to “standards which are generally accepted,” and bad characteristics “essentially different horn the properties generally associated with common facts. In other words, the complaints were formulated in such general statements as “the washrooms are unsanitary,” "the job is dangerous,” “rates are too low.”<BR/><BR/>Guided by the principle of operational thinking, the researchers set out to translate or reformulate these statements in such a manner that their vague generality could be reduced to particular referents, terms designating the particular situation in which the complaint originated and thus picturing “accurately the conditions in the company.” The general form was dissolved into statements identifying the particular operations and conditions horn which the complaint was derived, and the complaint was taken care of by changing these particular operations and conditions.</I><BR/><BR/>The whole chapter is very interesting.Robhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08570084990430000647noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486641877026778105.post-30085402225287241072008-02-26T18:32:00.000+00:002008-02-26T18:32:00.000+00:00I, along with a load of other science PhD students...I, along with a load of other science PhD students who would have much rather been in labs or in front of computers, once had to attend training to teach science undergrads. Upon being encouraged to write on post-it notes what we wanted to 'get out of the session' the wag sat next to me interjected 'I just want to get out of this session'.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486641877026778105.post-23950750284373094272008-02-26T17:24:00.000+00:002008-02-26T17:24:00.000+00:00From what I've seen over the years, a lot of it is...From what I've seen over the years, a lot of it is emperor's new clothes stuff. So what of his nine roles did you fit into? Were you a shaper? A resource investigator? A completer finisher?Philhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06298147857234479278noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4486641877026778105.post-61122484181004124012008-02-26T17:00:00.000+00:002008-02-26T17:00:00.000+00:00I was once reduced to a state of almost hysterical...I was once reduced to a state of almost hysterical laughter by a presentation on leadership by the renowned Dr.Meredith Belbin. My disrespectful behaviour was met with icy glares from some 'trouser suits'. The sad thing was that these people that could not recognise total quackery were human resources 'professionals'.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com