Interesting Read

[James Deuce]

If you are inclined to read random stuff that is :)

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2001/0205.florida.html

It would be interesting to do a similar study in New Zealand.

[Hitcher]

An interesting post. I've read about this before but for the life of me can't remember where! It all demonstrates the value of diversity -- "hybrid vigour" if you will. I can imagine a few redneck xenophobes getting what's left of their knickers in a knot over this.

[El Dopa]

Interesting. Also quite logical: If you want your company to keep developing, you need creative people who 'think outside the box'. People who are best at thinking laterally tend not to be the ones who think (and dress and act) like everyone else. Provide an environment where 'oddballs' feel comfortable, and they'll come up with 'odd' ideas that solve the problems you've been struggling with for years.

I've always admired the Japanese approach, where they think in terms of years rather than the next quarters profits and no further, and put a lot of money into seemingly ridiculous R&D, like football-playing robots. The stupid-seeming projects quite often give rise to stuff that can be commercialised, because they've had to solve certain problems to get them to work, and these solutions can be migrated into useful technology.

[Posh Tourer :P]

The problem is it also normally takes a while for the oddballs to come up with good ideas... This is not good for a management system focussed on surviving year to year, and why the CRI structure for government scientific agencies (the old DSIR now HortResearch, Landcare Research, ESR and Crop and Food Research) is fundamentally flawed....

[Hitcher]

The problem is it also normally takes a while for the oddballs to come up with good ideas... This is not good for a management system focussed on surviving year to year, and why the CRI structure for government scientific agencies (the old DSIR now HortResearch, Landcare Research, ESR and Crop and Food Research) is fundamentally flawed....

You have my full and undivided attention if you would like to explain this thesis...