Another Business School Trophy

[tw]

Its no accident that John Akers of IBM - who coined the expression 'computer literacy' - could not use a computer. Aker's was a classic MBA. He was most computer illiterate. In 1991, his own IBM corporate offices only had 1983 IBM XT computers with CGA monitors. That's an original 1981 IBM 8088 PC with a hard drive. We know how Akers nearly destroyed IBM. He used business school techniques.

A commentary from RichLevy's "Fumbling the Future" citation all but says where MBAs were in highest concentrations:

In 1984 we did an internal survey of middle and upper management regarding use of the applications for the Star/Distributed Net. It found that while 76-percent of first and second level management used these applications on a daily or multiple-weekly basis, less than 10-percent of upper and executive management did so (the figure was under 5-percent on returns from Rochester and Stamford). Is this evidence of knowledge or having the "best intentions"? Those of us who did have the knowledge of the potential benefits were in middle management and could see those benefits to our own organisations at that time. We reported on these benefits, talked about them, begged people to come and see for themselves...for years...nothing happened.

Fortunately Apple Computer rescued Star from Xerox to create MacIntosh. MBAs are taught to be so anti-innovative as to not even understand the advantages of a Mac. Classic symptoms of business school management. "Fumbling the Future" had long been 'must read' for anyone who learns business from reality.