Keith Bateson said
>I would not have sent this except that Len Holmes chose to describe
>Schmier's posts as 'vacuous', or empty. The misuse of power, which is what
>I think Louis Schmier was talking about, should concern people involved in
>management education, I would have thought. Especially an Acting Director.
>One does not have to agree with Louis to accept that his words are not
>empty.
Clearly he hasn't read correctly what I actually wrote (or chose to
misrepresent it). I did not *describe* Louis' postings as 'vacuous' - I said
"2. some people seem to find his messages interesting/ helpful/ inspiring/
- or confirmation of their own views;
3. others (including myself) find them simplistic/ naive/ repetitive/
overwheaning/ vacuous - and very very long;"
That seems to me to be an accurate summary of responses in the past and in
this current round.
In fact it is precisely because I am involved in management education and
management research (particlarly at an institutions like University of
North London) that I find Louis' writings to be so simplistic/ naive/
repetitive/ overweening (OK, OK!)/ vacuous, as well as very very long. The
misuse of power to which you refer arises from much more complex and
complicated factors than individuals being not-very-nice to each other,
being insufficiently self-reflective, lacking personal integrity and all
that humanistic critique. The problem with the kind of ideology which Louis
promotes is, in my view, that it diverts our attention from a more detailed
analysis of the inequities of our society, and so serves to reinforce them.
But this continues with what I hoped would not happen - so I'll spend/
waste (take your pick) no more time on it.
regards
Len
Dr Len Holmes
Director (Acting), Management Research Centre
The Business School
University of North London
Holloway Road, London N7 8DB
tel. +44 (0)20 7753 5349
e-mail: [log in to unmask]
websites: www.re-skill.org.uk
www.graduate-employability.org.uk
www.odysseygroup.org.uk
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