30th May 2008, 12:15 AM
I am confused by the comments which seem to imply that one cannot be a manager and an archaeologist.....how is it that private doctors, architects, lawyers, builders......come to think about it, half of the entire country manage to keep going without an MBA then? They all seem to earn good wages, and their rates are not actually as high as you would think relative to their earnings.
Maybe a fundamental feature of many archaeologists is that they refuse to view what they do in a commercial setting due to their 'world-view' (for want of a better phrase), which is lovely if you don't mind poor pay and no respect....but if you want more money and a professional reputation then I'm afraid more serious engagement is needed.
That is why a course won't change much, not because it isn't useful (you can actually learn alot with a little instruction and reading relevant material), but because people won't, by and large, make use of it. If you think I am lying, then consider the fact that in much of the country it costs the same to have an archaeologist on a watching brief, staring at nothing much for an 8 hour day, as it does for the machine (with fuel, a driver paid more than the archaeologist, maintenance costs, the cost of the machine AND a profit for the company) for a 9 hour day.
I personally think that we aren't better managers because we can't be bothered; half of the CEOs of fortune 500 companies in the US have history majors......how are they better qualified than archaeologists for that type of post?
"don't panic!"
Maybe a fundamental feature of many archaeologists is that they refuse to view what they do in a commercial setting due to their 'world-view' (for want of a better phrase), which is lovely if you don't mind poor pay and no respect....but if you want more money and a professional reputation then I'm afraid more serious engagement is needed.
That is why a course won't change much, not because it isn't useful (you can actually learn alot with a little instruction and reading relevant material), but because people won't, by and large, make use of it. If you think I am lying, then consider the fact that in much of the country it costs the same to have an archaeologist on a watching brief, staring at nothing much for an 8 hour day, as it does for the machine (with fuel, a driver paid more than the archaeologist, maintenance costs, the cost of the machine AND a profit for the company) for a 9 hour day.
I personally think that we aren't better managers because we can't be bothered; half of the CEOs of fortune 500 companies in the US have history majors......how are they better qualified than archaeologists for that type of post?
"don't panic!"