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Posts Tagged ‘organization

“In terms of organisational models and human relationship models, humankind has not evolved much over the last millennia”*…

 

The Office of Strategic Services (the CIA’s World War II–era precursor) created this document in 1944, for use by operatives in Europe who were trying to recruit civilians living in occupied countries to commit sabotage. The document is available in full via the CIA’s website.

The Simple Sabotage Field Manual, which contains instructions in physical as well as interpersonal disruption tactics, begins with a preface directed to OSS personnel, describing the problems and possibilities of working with “citizen-saboteurs.” Such people, living under the rule of enemy administrators in countries such as Norway or France, might already be sabotaging materials, machinery, or operations of their own initiative, but these acts “may be completely foreign to [a] habitually conservationist attitude toward materials and tools … Purposeful stupidity is contrary to human nature.” Reading instructions such as the ones in this manual might refine civilian efforts at destruction, and reassure them that they were taking risks that had rewards…

* Miguel Reynolds Brandao, The Sustainable Organisation

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As we consult the chart, we might send commercial birthday greetings to Johan van der Veeken; he was born on this date in 1549.  A shipowner, merchant, and banker, van der Veeken was a founding director of the VOC– Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie, or the Dutch East India Company as we know it– the first multi-national corporation, and the first company to issue stock. 

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