經驗的多義

經驗的多義


Experiences ( London : Oxford U.P., 1967) 這本書是 Toynbee, Arnold Joseph, 1889-1975 80大壽的回憶錄系列第二本

經驗曲效應

本文所謂的「經驗」，意指累積的生產量。譬如某公司生產某型引擎引擎各有其序號，則該公司在當時的經驗，即為正在製造的引擎序號。再 強調一次：

經驗＝累積生產量

由上述定義，我們將上節的經驗曲 線效應重述如後：

「每單位產品的平均總成本，若用定值的錢幣衡量，則當驗倍增時，即遞減一定的百分比。」

... the life story of Peter Drucker, an international management consultant and self-described “social ecologist.” In his story, one can discover his extraordinary experiences and repertoire. Drucker first worked as an apprentice at an established cotton trading company, then as a journalist. Coming to London from Germany, he worked for an insurance company, then as the chief economist at a private bank. He got married in 1934 and he, along with his wife, permanently relocated to the United States, where he became a university professor as well as a freelance writer and business consultant. So far it looks like there is no “wide” experience. Yet there is a consensus that Drucker was the authority of the authorities. How is this possible, then?

Contrary to popular belief that says universities are the places of teaching and training, great men become that through “wide” experience. Drucker, whose father was an aristocrat and bureaucrat, grew up in a Vienna house where intellectuals, high government officials and scientists would meet to discuss new ideas every Sunday. All these gatherings turned out to be a kind of medicine class, math class or music class. During his time in Germany, Drucker would attend all artistic activities and spend a considerable amount of time in libraries trying to read as much as possible. From the editor-in-chief of the newspaper he worked for, he learned how to study and conduct research. Being a professor at a university in the US, he worked with the country’s top intellectuals. His career as a business theorist took off in 1942, when his initial writings on politics and society won him access to the internal workings of General Motors (GM). In 1943, Donaldson Brown -- the mastermind behind the administrative controls at GM -- invited him to conduct what might be called a “political audit”: a two-year, social-scientific analysis of the corporation. Drucker attended every board meeting, interviewed employees and analyzed production and decision-making processes.

Inside Drucker’s story, the knowledge gained along with various experiences is obvious...