Management studies, Environmental United Fronts?

[tcpip]

I have now read through about half of my textbooks for Financial Management and Management Perspectives and I have to conclude with something that I always suspected; management (at least the theory side) is easy or, more to the point, as a academic discipline it is rather lightweight (to this day, Peter Drucker is the only figure I can think of being worthy of note). Of course, I do come to this with decades of prior experience in the social sciences including a fair serve of economics, so perhaps it's just relatively easy given that background. Within the mindset however, I've also been reading Stephan Covey's popular self-help book Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. I am usually extremely cynical of the entire genre of such texts, but to give Cobey his due, he did a great deal of research on the characteristics of 'great leaders' and came to the conclusion is that it was their constant orientation towards universal moral principles that was their defining quality. A critic of "personality ethics" over "principle ethics", Covey quotes from the Marxist psychoanalyst Erich Fromm, radicals like Thomas Paine and Henry David Thoreau and existentialists like Victor Frankl.

Attended a Labor Party branch meeting on Wednesday; speaker was from the Alternative Technology Association explaining the Federal governments subsidy and loans schemes for those who wish to put in solar hot water, insulation, energy efficient globes etc into their home (whether owned or rented). I consider such plans to good examples of interventionist, socialist economics; directed towards reducing the negative externalities and where the long-term savings far exceed the short-term costs. It strikes me that this has come through a reformist programme, despite the extra-parliamentary advocacy of environmentalist causes; and it makes me wonder how many of the far left have ever taken seriously Trotsky's theory of the united front - and what can be done about this. Of course, the key problem it is a united front of worker's organisations against the bourgeoisie; neglecting, yet again, the important possibility of the proletariat and bourgeoisie united against the landlord monarchs.

Comments

[strang-er.livejournal.com]

I've read one of Covey's other books, the Daily Reflections For Highly Effective People (which i think is comprised of excerpts from the Seven Habits). I was quite surprised at how much of it was based around philosophy of life, relationships, values etc, rather than the corporate motivational bollocks i was expecting.

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

It's almost like he's a genuine person or something :)

I am very tempted to give a copy to some manager-types I've met in my time... It would certainly improve them.

[serehfa.livejournal.com]

I had a lot of trouble getting through the story telling in that book to the gist of the matter. Maybe its just my style, but I do appreciate his value approach.

Other note, who was the ATA guy? The manager of the Environment Shop (where I have my now remaining 2 days work a week) moonlights for them. We are promoting the Green Loans scheme so if anyone wants to know more, do ask.

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

Yes, I don't particularly like the writing style either but it's probably appropriate for the audience he's pitching at.

The ATA speaker was Damien Moyse...

[castleclear.livejournal.com]

I am far from surprised you found your Financial Mgmt and Mgmt Perspective textbooks easy. As you note, it is a rather less rigorous academic discipline than many. I think practically all the administrators I ever worked with in higher education had read Covey; in fact, I believe I read "7 Habits" as well but don't recall any of it.

Re: the key problem, yes indeed. "Divide and Conquer, Baby!" is, I think, one of the maxims by which the power-elite/ruling class exploits, I mean, lives by. ;-) Best of luck uniting those with common cause who are blind to it. As a side note, I feel that that is the primary reason for racism to have survived for so long, so as to divide people otherwise in similar if not identical conditions.

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

I'm glad to hear that the admins had read Covey; I'd be happier to hear that they understood and applied it. It would be quite an eye-opener for some I imagine.

And too right about the divide-and-conquer strategy! The particular fear of migration from members of the working-class is born of their own precarious financial situation - making headway against that requires both realisation of where the problem really lies and how to ground their economic welfare. Of course, it is so incredibly tenuous as well - look how quickly racism reappeared in the former Yugoslavia.