As one of the Fringe Organizers I have to agree with Hans -- it was never
meant to last.
I also think that organizational aesthetics is alive and well as a field. I
received a review a year or two ago (from "Human Relations") in which the
reviewer said that I shouldn't spend so much time talking about what
aesthetics was, surely the readers knew the basics by now. It pops up in the
Academy of Management in various places and that is as it should be -
aesthetics can engage all aspects of organizations. I am one of those who
don't want an aesthetics SIG ("Special Interest Ghetto" in my mind) at AoM.
SIGs are meant to be places where a young community can form and nourish
itself - organizational aesthetics has done that (at SCOS, at CMS, at AMO,
at Antonio and Pierre's workshops, via AACORN, etc) elsewhere and I think
better than it could have within the AoM. I say, let us go to the Academy
of Management (when we choose to go) not as supplicants looking for a crust
and corner, but as proud visitors from a foreign land with its own rich
traditions. Let us enter as we choose, steal the show, and exit stage right
- that's what the Fringe was about for me.
- Steve
On 7/10/08 10:03 AM, "Hans Hansen" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> My fellow organizers can share some takes on the Fringe Cafe and aesthetics.
> I will be at the AOM, and seeing aesthetics folks get together is nice.
>
> One recommendation for the Fringe was to become a division, so that is not an
> idea without legs. 95% of us voted that we get the other 5% to do all the
> paperwork.
>
> The Fringe got.... discontinued... not renewed... lost our lease... There was
> no ax, it's just that no one told us where the next Academy was... a polite
> un-invited.
>
> Actually, I had a long talk with Ken Smith about it all... he was nice...
>
> One account is that we grew TOO FAST. In New Orleans, we stole the show. Tom
> Cummings was so kind, and gave us sooo much space and time (the scarce
> resources of a conference). Then some "real" divisions asked, "Who in the
> heck are they and why do they get a ballroom for a week?" Not fair. And it
> wasn't fair... we had it too good. Our list of presenters was stellar (some
> real fancy pants folks) and the rooms were often packed.
>
> So, we had to become legit (if we had the interest) or go away. We died
> out... some of us literally... at it seemed a good time to go. We tried to
> remind ourselves that Michael Dawids (one of the founders) always said, "If we
> are still doing this in 3 years... it will be sad." (we will have stayed too
> long and not moved on to the next thing...). After Michael died, we were
> still there... and it might have been too long.
>
> Can't some things go away and still leave us richer?
>
> Hans
>
>
Steven S. Taylor, PhD
Associate Professor
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Department of Management
100 Institute Rd
Worcester, MA 01609
USA
+1 508-831-5557
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