The Fifth Column—Prolegomena on Promoting Practice or Pecksniff, Götz von Berlichingen, Symptoms & Reality

I think that I have had about enough of the Pecksniffian Hypocrisy that masquerades for promotion and tenure policies in business schools today. My especial outrage is directed at those departments of OR/MS that claim to turn out useful people for industry, but promote teachers on the basis of publishing theoretical trash. I realize that there has been much hand-wringing by professors and deans on the general order of: “What can we do, it's the system?” Well, I will now tell you in no uncertain terms what I did in one recent case. I do not advocate that everyone try it, but some of my readers may find the approach to follow has some utility. The procedure uses the old familiar motivators of fear, greed and humorous intimidation employed by me previously.