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Laments briefly the lack of significance given to participation in the workplace and the emphasis placed on success.

Claims that modern management always gives help and encouragement to the less able brethren, while ignoring the ones who keep productivity high. Advises managers to refrain from giving too much attention to less able employees.

Considers the future, when organizations will have to pay much closer attention to their policies on selection and rejection of employees and on training and retraining.

Boots have gone the way of all those objects which were once a sign of stability and success. Those who still have the ability to remember the past would have no doubts that the flash footwear of today is much inferior to that worn in days of old.

There have been signs of a new management philosophy taking root over the last few years. It is probably summed up best in a statement which declares that “History starts today”. This new idea has proved itself to be extremely successful and has gained much influence among many of those young people achieving a degree of progress in recent times.

No one would surely deny that the workplace should offer both management and workers a bright and attractive environment in which to work. Of course, we may differ on the way in which “bright and attractive” is interpreted – and there have certainly been noticeable differences in interpretation over the years, even where those involved have made a genuine effort to improve the aesthetics of the environment.

An old story tells that a farmer of mean repute once tried to train his donkey to live without eating. The early stages of the project were quite successful and the animal was able to continue all his daily tasks without reward. The unfortunate part of the story is that, just as the farmer was about to prove his point, the donkey went and ruined the experiment. With the usual lack of concern and interest most underlings give to the good ideas of their betters, the donkey lay down and died.

Briefly examines training courses. Identifies problems and suggest ways that courses can be run more effectively. Asks that lecturers and organisers take a closer look at their own activities from different perspectives.

The achievements of high flyers are given much exposure. The publicity surrounding their exploits is not only rewarding for the individual but may give a sense of pride to all engaged in the enterprise in which they work. However, there are dangers in recognizing and lauding the high flyers. It should go without saying that behind every success there is a team which has also contributed to the end result. As is the way with teams, it is often the unsung who provide most of the backbone. There are many workers who doubt if their existence is known (not in name terms, but simply in terms of their contribution to the work of the enterprise) to the upper levels of management. In truth, to these managers, they are often thought of as an expense rather than an asset. That they are on the payroll does not mean those above know who they are, nor necessarily what they do.

Describes the design and implementation of an incentive scheme for two different groups of computer operators in a large Middle Eastern electricity and distribution company. Compares computer outputs from each group and suggests that performance is dependent not only on the kind of work processed, but also on the effort of workers. Concludes that through proper application of work measurement and by enlisting the capabilities of the computer itself, successful incentives can be achieved.