Academics From The United States

"The modern economist has become even more insistent in his belief that the ultimate forces underlying economic development lie, strictly speaking, outside the economic sphere. As Meir and Baldwin put it, half humorously, “economic development is much too serious to be left to economists.” (1957, p. 119)"

"This book will not take as its province all kinds of cultural growth — artistic, philosophical, military — but will try to shed some light on a narrower problem, namely, the reasons for economic growth and decline. The way wealth is distributed is a matter of special interest, partly because it may well be basic to growth in other cultural areas and partly because it has become so uneven in the past century that curiosity has been aroused."

"From the top of the campanile, or Giotto's bell tower, in Florence, one can look out over the city in all directions, past the stone banking houses where the rich Medici lived, past the art galleries they patronized, past the magnificent cathedral and churches their money helped to build, and on to the Tuscan vineyards where the contadino works the soil as hard and efficiently as he probably ever did. The city below is busy with life. The university halls, the shops, the restaurants are crowded. The sound of Vespas, the "wasps" of the machine age, fills the air, but Florence is not today what it once was, the center in the 15th century of a great civilization, one of the most extraordinary the world has ever known. Why? ­­What produced the Renaissance in Italy, of which Florence was the center? How did it happen that such a small population base could produce, in the short span of a few generations, great historical figures first in commerce and literature, then in architecture, sculpture and painting, and finally in science and music? Why subsequently did Northern Italy decline in importance both commercially and artistically until at the present time it is not particularly distinguished as compared with many other regions of the world? Certainly the people appear to be working as hard and energetically as ever. Was it just luck or a peculiar combination of circumstances? Historians have been fascinated by such questions ever since they began writing history, because the rise and fall of Florence or the whole of Northern Italy is by no means an isolated phenomenon."

"It is important, therefore, to understand at the outset the simplicity of this book - what it can accomplish and what it cannot. What it does try to do is to isolate certain psychological factors and to demonstrate rigorously by quantitative scientific methods that these factors are generally important in economic development."

"Explaining economic growth - The achievement motive : how it is measured and its economics effects - Achieving societies in the modern world - Achieving societies in the past - Other psychological factors in economic development - Entrepreneurial behavior - Characteristics of entrepreneurs - The spirit of Hermes - Sources of n achievement - Accelerating economic growth."

"The outstanding people realised that the job involved more than just writing a good strategic plan. It was also important that top management should understand the plan and be prepared to adopt it. Consequently, the best strategists made sure that executives were involved in decisions at an early stage. The less outstanding people didn’t see this, and it had been overlooked by the experts. But, as soon as we showed them our findings, they could see that it made sense."

"Outstanding American men seem to see power as something you use in order to correct someone who's wrong, to change them, to show them you see more in this situation than the boss does. Outstanding American women, on the other hand, see power as a resource, something you can use to get people together, to gain commitment."

"Whatever the source of the leader's ideas, he cannot inspire his people unless he expresses vivid goals which in some sense they want. Of course, the more closely he meets their needs, the less "persuasive" he has to be, but in no case does it make sense to speak as if his role is force submission. Rather it is to strengthen and uplift, to make people feel that they are the origins, not the pawns, of the socio-political system."

"Understanding human motivation ought to be a good thing. It should help us to find out what we really want so that we can avoid chasing rainbows that are not for us. It should open up opportunities for self-development if we apply motivational principles to pursuing our goals in life."

"Neoclassical economic theory forms the central discourse and behavioral model of contemporary management education. Drawing on research and insights from game theory and behavioral economics we have argued that many of the core assumptions underlying this model are flawed. While we cannot say that the widespread reliance on the Homo economicus model has caused the highly level of observed managerial malfeasance, it may well have, and it surely does not act as a healthy influence on managerial morality. Students have learned this flawed model and in their capacity as corporate managers, doubtless act daily in conformance with it. This, in turn, may have contributed to the weakening of socially functional values and norms like honesty, integrity, self-restraint, reciprocity and fairness, to the detriment of the health of the enterprise. Simultaneously, this perspective has legitimized, or at least not delegitimized, such behaviors as material greed and optimizing with guile. We noted that this model has become highly institutionalized in business education. Fortunately, we believe that the potential for moving away from this flawed model is significant and thus can end this chapter on a more optimistic note for the future of business education."

"The development, strengthening and multiplication of socially minded businessmen is the central problem of business. Moreover, it is one of the great problems of civilization. Our objective, therefore, should be the multiplication of men who will handle their current business problems in socially constructive ways."

"[There will be] a time when societies around the world are crying out for more and better leadership, when our current leaders (especially in business, but also in government and other spheres of public life) have lost legitimacy, questions are being asked, sometimes angrily, of the institutions that school these leaders: What kinds of leaders are these institutions developing that have caused so much hardship for so many?... What is the vision or model of leadership that animates the curriculum and developmental models [of current leadership approaches taught in institutions]? If there is such a model, does it need to be revisited, reexamined, and revised in light of the widespread failures of leadership? Do we really understand what it takes to develop better leaders?"

"In the face of the recent institutional breakdown of trust in business, managers are losing legitimacy. To regain public trust, management needs to become a true profession in much the way medicine and law have..."

"Effective leadership begins with having the right mindset; in particular, it begins with having an ownership mind-set. This means a willingness to put oneself in the shoes of a decision maker and think through all of the considerations that the decision maker must factor into his or her thinking and actions."

"There’s no single right way to accomplish your goals. Each of us has a number of avenues to reach our potential. The world constantly changes. Life often unfolds as a series of phases. Our potential is likely to evolve as the world evolves and as we continue to learn, grow, and develop our capabilities."

"What does it mean to be “successful”? How do you achieve your dreams?"

"Industrial age companies created sharp distinctions between two groups of employees. The intellectual elite—managers and engineers—used their analytical skills to design products and processes, select and manage customers, and supervise day-to-day operations. The second group was composed of the people who actually produced the products and delivered the services. This direct labor work force was a principal factor of production for industrial age companies, but used only their physical capabilities, not their minds. They performed tasks and processes under direct supervision of white-collar engineers and managers. At the end of the twentieth century, automation and productivity have reduced the percentage of people in the organization who perform traditional work functions, while competitive demands have increased the number of people performing analytic functions: engineering, marketing, management, and administration. Even individuals still involved in direct production and service delivery are valued for their suggestions on how to improve quality, reduce costs, and decrease cycle times..."

"Companies are in the midst of a revolutionary transformation. Industrial age competition is shifting to information age competition. During the industrial age, from 1850 to about 1975, companies succeeded by how well they could capture the benefits from economies of scale and scope. Technology mattered, but, ultimately, success accrued to companies that could embed the new technology into physical assets that offered efficient, mass production of standard products."

"Today, organizations are competing in complex environments so that an accurate understanding of their goals and the methods for attaining those goals is vital. The translates an organization’s mission and strategy into a comprehensive set of performance measures that provides the framework for a strategic measurement and management system."

"Industrial age companies created sharp distinctions between two groups of employees. The intellectual elite—managers and engineers—used their analytical skills to design products and processes, select and manage customers, and supervise day-to-day operations. The second group was composed of the people who actually produced the products and delivered the services. This direct labor work force was a principal factor of production for industrial age companies, but used only their physical capabilities, not their minds. They performed tasks and processes under direct supervision of white-collar engineers and managers. At the end of the twentieth century, automation and productivity have reduced the percentage of people in the organization who perform traditional work functions, while competitive demands have increased the number of people performing analytic functions: engineering, marketing, management, and administration. Even individuals still involved in direct production and service delivery are valued for their suggestions on how to improve quality, reduce costs, and decrease cycle times..."

"Companies are in the midst of a revolutionary transformation. Industrial age competition is shifting to information age competition. During the industrial age, from 1850 to about 1975, companies succeeded by how well they could capture the benefits from economies of scale and scope. Technology mattered, but, ultimately, success accrued to companies that could embed the new technology into physical assets that offered efficient, mass production of standard products."

"Today, organizations are competing in complex environments so that an accurate understanding of their goals and the methods for attaining those goals is vital. The translates an organization’s mission and strategy into a comprehensive set of performance measures that provides the framework for a strategic measurement and management system."

"A company's ability to innovate, improve, and learn ties directly to the company's value."

"The innovation leader’s job is to execute a disciplined experiment."

"Inside a big experiment, there are little experiments."

"A reverse innovation is any innovation that is adopted first in the developing world."

"Innovation plans, by contrast, are loaded with assumptions. Sure, some hard facts are available, but more is unknown than known. The past is no longer precedent. Thus, the innovator's job cannot be to deliver a proven result; it must be to discover what is possible, that is, to learn, by converting assumptions into knowledge as quickly and inexpensively as possible."

"Organizations are not designed for innovation. Quite the contrary, they are designed for ongoing operations."

"The more you hardwire a company on total quality management, [the more] it is going to hurt breakthrough innovation... The mindset that is needed, the capabilities that are needed, the metrics that are needed, the whole culture that is needed for discontinuous innovation, are fundamentally different."

"Of all possible resources that a firm might possess, its knowledge base has perhaps the greatest ability to serve as a source of sustainable differentiation and hence competitive advantage."

"On March 18, 1999, Colonel John Ripley resigned his position as president of Hargrave Military Academy effective immediately. He was replaced by Colonel Wheeler L. Baker, Hargrave's provost since January 1997. Colonel Wheeler Baker, eighth president of Hargrave Military Academy and veteran of nearly forty years in the United States Marine Corps, holds a Doctorate of Philosophy in education from the University of New Mexico, a Master's degree in International Affairs from Catholic University, a Master's Degree in Strategic Decision Making from the Naval War College, a Master's degree in management from Salve Regina in Newport, Rhode Island, and a Bachelor's of Science degree in economics from the University of Tampa. As a combat officer, he served two tours in Vietnam, a tour in Operation Desert Storm, and personally led the detailed planning for Operation Restore Hope in Somalia. Prior to coming to Hargrave, he served as the chairman of the Naval Science Department at the University of New Mexico."

"Over the summer of 1998, Colonel Wheeler Baker, provost, successfully defended his dissertation and was granted his doctorate of philosophy. His dissertation, titled "Training Transfer in Outdoor Experimental Learning: A Case Study of Two American Corporations," examined learning that occurred during outdoor experimental learning programs and if such learning transfers to the workplace and justifies such expenditures by corporations."

"Dr. Baker served Hargrave for close to 15 years. After stabilizing the Academy financially, he tackled several differed maintenance issues while simultaneously improving the academic curricula. New classroom space was built, technology was introduced into the classroom and improvements were made to the quality of Cadet life across the board. Most importantly, he has been a true leader and caretaker of Hargrave Military Academy in both good and turbulent times, leaving the school far stronger and in a far better position to take advantage of future opportunities. Dr. Baker leaves Hargrave in an excellent position for his successor."

"The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sympathy, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen."

"Over the years many of the faculty and staff of Hargrave Military Academy have played vital roles in the lives of cadets. Cadets tend to attach themselves to a certain staff member in whom they confide, seek advice from and go to for guidance. These people become role models for the cadets and often find themselves that cadet's "go to" person in times of need. None are more effective than the Bakers at giving advice, being role models, or being that "go to" person. Col. Baker is a retired Marine Corps Colonel who rose through the ranks to command a Marine Expeditionary Unit, a Battalion, and much more. Dr. Baker has worked as a nurse, worked with animals and traveled around the world. Both have brought a lot of experience to HMA. All cadets agree that the Bakers are what the Hargrave faculty and staff should strive to be. Most cadets have spent time in the Guidance Office talking to Dr. Baker about something that they are having trouble with in their lives, or just eating candy out of her jar. Walking around campus, cadets will often run into Col. Baker, the President of the school, and are always greeted with a smile and a pat on the back. Very few people are as legitimately concerned about how your day is going than Col. Baker. And if you are having trouble, he will do anything in his power to help you. No matter what your trouble may be, the Bakers are always there to help you, and they always care. They are the mother and father figures of Hargrave."

"My sincere thanks for your outstanding assistance with security, logistics, and communications during my visit to Colombia."

"In our class were Capts Wheeler Baker, Wayne Rollins, and Dan Smith, who were fellow DIs in 1962-1964. Sitting around the lunch table one day, Wayne commented, "Can you believe this? Ten years ago the four of us were dumb-ass Cpls and today we're all dumb-ass captains.""

"Wheeler Baker has spent many years studying management and decision making. He holds graduate degrees in International Affairs, Management, and National Security and Strategic Studies. His academic accomplishments are complemented by extensive experience in teaching and implementing crisis management techniques with military special operations organizations. These units are trained to respond to events that arise unexpectedly; events characterized by their complexity and demand for rapid solution. Of note, on short notice he planned and led the military side of the security for the presidential Drug Summit in Cartagena, Colombia, utilizing these same procedures. In the business world, he has assisted several senior corporate executives, federal agency supervisors and small business owners in developing solutions to complex problems. They have ranged from improving security at the nation's nuclear sites to critical examination of a business's ability to expand its market. Additionally, he has applied these management techniques in preparing for short notice ambassador level negotiations internationally. At the other end of the spectrum, he has assisted social workers in structuring their sensitive work with severe emotional family problems."

"Plan in the real world."

"Two a.m. in a dark alley or on a mountainside is not the time to discover your unit is missing a key piece of equipment, or that you are not sure of the radio frequencies of an adjacent unit. The procedural check lists created in training will prevent those critical and unacceptable mistakes. This is the time to benefit from those "lessons learned". But leaders must schedule the time to train, do it right, critique, and move on. It is an investment that will bring the most return."

"There is absolutely no reason the command group can not pick the five most probable contingencies or missions that your unit could be called on to execute today. Identify those missions and then schedule a crisis planning session for each mission. The training and preparation value of doing this is tremendous."

"Leaders and managers do not have to risk lives, profit, or mission failure because they failed to plan for a crisis. Do not allow yourself to be put on the defense by changing circumstances. No one enjoys wasting time, but don't be reluctant to call a meeting just to discuss something that might happen. Remember the oil filter theory. Rather than disobey your instincts and proceed with the status quo or embark on a risky course, invest some planning time in your business. Control your risks. Identify important decision points. Forecast potential crisis. Apply the six hour model. A little time spent discussing your business is never wasted."

"Whether you are big or small, or face a high or low potential for crisis, a day devoted to discussing company business is never wasted."

"Not too many years ago a television ad depicted a service station attended selling oil filters. His pitch was, "you can pay me now or you can pay me later." The difference was an eight dollar oil filter or a new engine."

"Everyone has attended meetings that resemble a free-for-all: No control, no leadership, no guidance, and yet energy abounds. This is a classic waste of precious time and energy. A high stress meeting characterized by disorder and disjointed introduction of ideas is the final signal that management is not in control and has succumbed to the emotions and pressures of the moment. The end is near."

"Pressure can also make managers act out of character. Degrees of panic will cause a normally good manager to lose self-confidence and focus. Under stress, even a good plan can be abandoned."

"We have all heard the saying "the man with a plan is king." I believe a man without a plan is just a pawn to circumstance and embarking on a losing strategy."

"When an individual's or group's basic survival is threatened, stress becomes tremendous, and productivity drops. Under these conditions a manager's ability to reason and maintain a proper focus on developing plans or solutions to a crisis is extremely difficult."

"Police, federal agency and military operations are fraught with the potential for catastrophic disaster. The nature of operations routinely conducted by counter narcotic agents, special weapons and tactics units, special response teams, and military special operations units leave no room for error. A drug bust in the wrong house or a botched hostage rescue situation will be on the evening news with some senior official hemming and hawing and wishing he'd planned better. Once that occurs there is no defense. The best that can happen is to convince everyone that it will not occur again because of all the "lessons learned, and hope that there is a crisis somewhere else that will take your place in the media's attention. THIS IS A LOSING STRATEGY."

"Never underestimate change. What seems simple at the top is magnified at lower echelons and is extremely disruptive. It is a festering crisis that needs attention from senior management or else loyalty, efficiency, and productivity will suffer."