Gib Akin

Self-Directed Learning in Introductory Management

A self-directed learning format, grounded in Malcolm Knowless concept of andragogy, was used in an introductory management course for upper division undergraduates. The rationale for use, along with the detailed design of the course and its conduct are described. The outcomes are presented in terms of student reactions, typical learning outcomes, and new issues facing the instructor. Suggestions for improvements to the design and for the application of self-directed learning practices are offered.

The Prior Question: How do Supervisors Learn to Supervise?

The literature on supervision presents many models of supervisory practice, but ignores the prior issue of how supervision is learned. The assumptions about supervisory learning that are embedded in the literature are made explicit, and the need for development of new models of supervisory learning is discussed.

How long do things last

Just what is the “self”, the core identity of an organization whose longevity we might want to study? What is it that persists, that has the longevity we are trying to explain? This essay is a reflection on the answers to these questions.

Thoughts About Authority and the Experiential Teacher

When I first considered the Vaill excerpt the word that stuck out was &dquo;authoritarianism.&dquo; That is not surprising given the explicit commitment of most in this field to democratic values (we certainly wouldn’t want to be caught scoring high on the F-scale), non-coercive influence, freedom of choice, and the like. And now Peter has raised that ugly problem once again, this time about us . Authority issues have always been sticky, seen quite differently by those who have authority and those who don’t. T-groups have been a way to help build, or learn about, a collaborative notion of authority. OD practitioners continually struggle with how much authority to use or to help others use. And a lot of talk about power equalization and the leveling of authority sounds like an intellectual appeal to those with it to give it up for the greater good, even though most practical people say they need some in order to get anything useful accomplished. Or there are debates about basing authority

Burn-Out in Academia:

Professors who become involves in their teaching and research are likely to experience a phenomenon referred to as &dquo;burn-out&dquo; sometime in their career. If they are similar to their co-workers in other professions, they report such symptoms as feelings of exhaustion and a sensation of being physically run down, frequent headaches and digestive system problems, weight loss, sleeplessness, depression, and a shortness of breath. People &dquo;suffering&dquo; from burn-out may have changing moods, feelings of helplessness, increasing irritability, a diminished frustration tolerance, exhibit a suspiciousness which at times may border on paranoia, and display incrased levels of risk

Reflections on the AF Managerial Assessment Exercise

This article responds to Andres AF Managerial Assessment Excercise. The ethics of using deception in an experiential-learning context are explored, and peoples susceptibility to and the effects of deception are discussed in the context of situational ethics in the classroom.