What is an Operational Definition? LO27111

From: ACampnona@aol.com
Date: 08/06/01


Replying to LO27054 --

Dear Hanching and Winfried,

>So, perhaps if ( big' if') there are really some ideas does not 'demand'
>'repeatability' and every act of life is 'unique' (indeed), then I don't
>worry about 'everything'. Just enjoy life (and 'reply' the 'unique'
>mails). And read G. Bateson's message that "Love is contrary to conscious
>common sense because love involves the total systemic mind." Our friend
>Andrew is smiling.
>Thanks for the note and perhaps you are the best person to answer your '
>note'.
>Hanching Chung
>Dressler, Winfried wrote
>> how would you assign 'operational meaning' to concepts which do not demand
>> repeatablilty?
>>
>> In my mind, ordinary organizations - as a concept - could be 'cooked' with
>> a recipe like procedure and those organizations are (at least
>> theoretically) repeatable. Not so learning organizations as I do
>> understand the concept. They are unique, they are as unique as the people
>> and communities within.
>>
>> Cooking is 'authentic' when the cook is able to create a unique meal.

Oh yes, Andrew is smiling alright;-) I will want to think on this above
from you both and I wanted right now to share a story about Picasso. A
dealer bought a painting of his from another dealer...it all intent and
purpose it was original. He took it to sgow the master and Picasso said,
"I am sorry it is a fake." Some time later he bought another paiting, this
time one that he had actually seen being painted by Picasso. He too that
one to the master and said, "Here is a painting I bought, is it original?"
Picasso said, "I am sorry, but that is a fake." The collector was mad and
said, 'But I actually saw you working on this once." "Yes," said Picasso,
I have no doubt, " I have painted many fakes." I think many unique and
individuated people go into things called commercial organizations
(factories, shops and offices etc) and churn out all sorts of fakes just
as their managers do in the mian, just as the executives do in the main,
just as many CEO's do in the main. This is my experience.

I once had a friend mentor, he rose from the bottom to the top of a very
large multi national engineering group, he did things like build dams for
the South Koreans...I asked him once about what I saw as ludicrous claims
in national papers about the quality of life in his and other
companies..."Andrew, you have to understand that when we pay tens of
thousands of pounds to advertise what we are, and we have to say a whole
lot of things that are not true because our competitors are doing exactly
the same, in the same places and for much the same reasons..."

And so it goes on in high places.

Love,
Andrew

-- 

ACampnona@aol.com

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