Human Systems Management

The joint stock, limited liability company has been one of the most pervasive and successful systems ever developed in the civilized world. But now there are signs that the basis of the company needs to be rethought; problems and limitations abound. Far from being an independent paradigm, the corporate concept is shown to be culturally derived. Consideration is given to systems adopted in Japanese and Overseas Chinese business practice, depicting alternatives to classical Western corporate systems.

This article reviews the question of open-door policies used by organizations as a way to improve communication with employees. As organizations tend today to adopt a more human way of management, this question becomes even more relevant, particularly for high-technology firms which employ extensive numbers of highly educated professionals.

A genuine open-door policy can be most beneficial for organizations, though many difficulties may exist. The organizational advantages of open-door policies are discussed, together with dysfunctional and cost aspects. Finally, the paper suggests avenues for additional research, which seems to be needed for a better understanding of the nature of open-door policies, and for helping derive more effective forms of such policies.

The hyperinflation in Argentina cannot be explained by economic consideration alone. Causal loops including economic, cultural, social, political, geographic and historical factors are discussed in this article.

A decade after robots have been introduced to the work place in substantial numbers, knowledge regarding their impact on the human resource system remains limited. This paper assesses the impact of industrial robots on organizations and their employees, and addresses some of the implications for managerial roles in the modern factory.

Meta-assumptions are epistemologically different assumptions. Epistemological structures may vary neurologically or culturally. Management which does not take the epistemological differences does injustice to individuals and fails to make maximum use of individual abilities. As concrete examples, dyslexia and nonverbal thinking are discussed, and concrete steps to remove the barriers caused by some incorrect assumptions are illustrated.