New Revised Wilson Assignments With Correct Section Headings and Student Groups Identified

 

The original syllabus schedule instructions upon which this set of assignments was based is as follows: All students will read Part 1 of Wilson prior to our Chat Class meeting of Sunday April 21, where it will be discussed.   Then for each of the last four weeks of the class, we will have discussion forums where Parts II, III, V and VI will be discussed.  Each Forum will have several threads, corresponding to the Chapters in each part.  Each student will be assigned one thread per part, for instance Chapter 6, Culture, in Part II.   Thus, while every student should read the whole book, your discussion thread responsibilities are limited to four chapters.  

 

Now, for every one of these individual chapter threads through Part IV, a basic set of questions applies:  What are the incentives and pressures that cause operators, managers and executives to behave as they do with respect to the phenomenon that gives the chapter its title.  How accurate is Wilson in identifying the factors that comprise the phenomenon, and in calculating the force the phenomenon exerts on bureaucratic behavior?   Can you relate to the ideas and examples that Wilson provides?  The Professor’s posts to these Forums will be more on the order of an equal participant, rather than as a responder to every single post.   The Wilson book, descriptive and with a point of view, is assigned to generate thought and free-flowing discussion rather than to elicit from each student some right or wrong answer warranting an individual assessment from the teacher.   

 

No Later Than Thursday, April 25, 2002

 

  1. Read Wilson, Part II
  2. Contribute to YOUR Forum Thread in the Wilson, Part II Forum

 

For Part II of Wilson “Operators,”

The threads are: Circumstances: Alexander, Anatsui, Chen and Conroy

                          Beliefs: Doyle, Garagiola, Guzzo, Harsch, Wilson

                          Interests: Kempton, Kuan, Mead and Olascoaga, Vitacco

                          Culture: Raftery, Ramdewar, Rucki and Salmon, Thomas

 

No Later Than Thursday, May 2, 2002

 

  1. Read Wilson, Part III
  2. Contribute to YOUR Forum Thread in the Wilson, Part III Forum

 

For Part III of Wilson “Managers,”

The threads are: Constraints: Alexander, Anatsui, Chen and Conroy, Raftery and Ramdewar

                          People: Doyle, Garagiola, Guzzo, Harsch, Wilson, Rucki and Salmon

                          Compliance: Kempton, Kuan, Mead and Olascoaga, Vitacco and Thomas

 

 

No Later Than Thursday, May 9, 2002

 

  1. Read Wilson, Part IV
  2. Contribute to YOUR Forum Thread in the Wilson, Part IV Forum

 

For Part IV of Wilson “Executives,”

The threads are: Turf: Alexander, Anatsui, Chen and Conroy, Raftery and Ramdewar

                          Strategies: Doyle, Garagiola, Guzzo, Harsch, Wilson, Rucki and Salmon

                          Innovation: Kempton, Kuan, Mead and Olascoaga, Vitacco and Thomas

 

Note: I am not creating threads for Part V “Context.” However, Part V is extremely relevant.  Everybody should read it to stay with the flow of Wilson’s arguments as he sets up his final section “Change.”  Only time constraints and the Washington-centric nature of Part V makes a Part V Forum ill-advised at this time.

 

No Later than Monday, May 13, 2002

 

E-Mail your term paper to Professor O’Hara

 

 

No Later Than Thursday, May 16, 2002

 

  1. Read Wilson, Part VI
  2. Contribute to YOUR Forum Thread in the Wilson, Part VI Forum

 

For Part VI of Wilson “Change”

The threads are:  Problems: Alexander, Anatsui, Chen and Conroy

                          Rules: Doyle, Garagiola, Guzzo, Harsch, Wilson

                          Markets: Kempton, Kuan, Mead, Olascoaga, Vitacco     

                          The Public Interest: Raftery, Ramdewar, Rucki, Salmon, Thomas