Re: Bashing Management books LO215

Jim Michmerhuizen (jamzen@world.std.com)
Thu, 23 Feb 1995 14:38:09 +0001 (EST)

On Wed, 15 Feb 1995 jpwilso@iastate.edu wrote in LO115:

> Thanks for this reply. I think that generalizations like the ones made re
> the worthlessness of management books plays a large role in making their
> messages into fads. Your comments suggest that a truly needed and important
> part of all this stuff on managment theory is a careful examination of how
> it can be applied in practice. This requires a careful plan for research
> and study. If it doesn't pass the test, then we would know why not, and the
> truth will then be on the table. From there we could build better ideas.

Uh-huh. Having written what I did in response to L0118, I now find myself
in the position of having to think why my first reading of Senge's book
was, well, hair-raising excitement. I mean, if I gave a correct account
of the "fad" paradox, then a book like the Fifth Discipline _IS_
(necessarily) the first step towards creating a fad, since, by itself, it
is only the words and not the practice). That seems an awkward
conclusion; particularly in view of the fact that I'm now reading it for
the third time, with, if anything, more excitement than before.

What would a "careful examination" amount to if it didn't yield words? I
feel on dangerous territory.

Regards
jamzen@world.std.com
There are more different kinds of people in the world than there are people...