BOOK SALES AND E-EDUCATION IN SCANDINAVIA: AN ACID TEST FOR GENERAL SYSTEMS POWER/INFLUENCE MODELS

摘要

Why do major changes in leadership after organization disasters like the sale of Sweden’srntwo automobile companies, Telia Telephone’s disastrous fall in stock value and the restructuringrnof Sweden’s world-class cell phone manufacturer seem so depressingly similar?rnThe major elements are: 1) An initial ranking among the world leaders 2) increasedrncompetition where innovation and creativity are chief determining factors 3) miscalculationrnof future demands 4) a failed partnership attempt 5) accusing fingers pointed at therncultural infrastructure of both the nation and the organization 6) solutions usually involverna mutually destructive struggle for power.rnFar from unique to Sweden and industrial developed countries, the possible list of casesrnand localities suggests that the problems associated with crisis and power are probablyrnubiquitous. Nevertheless, the involvement of Information Technology (IT) seems to amplifyrnthe problems and complexity of solutions. Ominously, Sweden’s cultural infrastructurernis about to be put through the supreme test when its industries and governmentrnorganizations make huge investments in e-education. Because a General Systems Theoryrn(based on the Life/Death Game) suggests that successful implementation of on line educationrnwill require a radical change in mindscape of the leadership, a change that a significantrnand powerful segment have, for decades, vigorously resisted.rnRelying on functional units from learning and cultural anthropology permits not only arndetailed multilevel analysis by means of primary principles but permits comparisons betweenrnspecialist and generalist evaluations. Recent case studies are used to show howrnwhat seem like irreconcilable differences from the perspective of logic are, resolved (albeitrnpainfully) in real life situations.rnConclusions suggest that whether behavioral science will be relegated to treating pathologicalrncases or will it be possible to predict and prevent personal and organizational disastersrnwill, to a large degree, depend upon the mindscapes of behavioral science theories.