tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5882645467378797266.post325437568870882323..comments2023-07-17T11:55:51.363+02:00Comments on ObservingGreece: Managing Activities Or Managing For Results?kleinguthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12491174042954678023noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5882645467378797266.post-12847831867189266602016-02-03T00:26:20.419+01:002016-02-03T00:26:20.419+01:00I think that the two situations are not comparable... I think that the two situations are not comparable. When it comes to account managers a lot depends<br />on the specific situation and industry as well as in the interpersonal dynamics. Often the situation becomes<br />tense because of status related competition between the various levels of the company hierarchy and the<br />result/activity dichotomy becomes an excuse, as it appears to have been in the example above. In large<br />structures though like an economy an abstract concept becomes paramount: path dependency. In other<br />worlds the actions to achieve a specific result influence the future, even if the result is achieved, whereas in<br /> the case of the account manager if the tergets are achieved the situation is more or less settled. This may <br />seem obvious but often it is not,<br />because many actions have obscure consequences and it is easy to pretend -or even to honestly believe-that<br />all or most actions are equivalent. For example the requirement may be for the government to cut the deficit<br />by 2 billion euros by Jan 1 2017. If the cuts are concentrated in the areas of the opposition support it might<br />lead to political instability. Or management cuts expenses in a way that compromises vital long term markets <br />but hides it in creative accounting in order to protect this year's bonus. Hence a serious overseer of such an<br />organization will keep close tabs on the details and may demand changes in activities that appear far removed <br />from the aims. <br /> However in the case at hand the situation is pure politics. The quartet is trying to force SYRIZA to do things<br />that it does not want to do and the quartet is putting pressure by asking for politically very unpalatable actions<br />in exchange for the money. I am not sure what the aims of the quartet are though. It is possible that the refugee<br />mess has become part of the reform negotiations in a major way. If that is the case it is impossible to find out<br />what is going on and why.theAthensdognoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5882645467378797266.post-70956615693276915572016-02-02T11:28:22.559+01:002016-02-02T11:28:22.559+01:00Should one perhaps----? Judging from past experien...Should one perhaps----? Judging from past experience with this, and other, governments, no.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com