Search

Article Information


Sixty-Second Man in a Pico-Second World
Slater, Robert E.
9/3  (Spring 1967): 3-6

This article expresses the concern over the growing emphasis on computer speed, random access, retrieval and real time, that it may mar the individuals capability. The author states that manufacturers today speak casually about speeds of pico-seconds, which is to a second, what a second is to 31700 years. The electronically primitive human mechanism on the other hand operates on a sixty second schedule. Sixty-second man and his management will soon find themselves in a pico-second world. But the lack of basic Electronic Data Processing (EDP) understanding by a sizable segments of management at all levels may cause problems. If it is assumed that EDP will take over increasingly sophisticated tasks, can it also be supposed that the majority of management has sufficient rapport with their electronic surrogate to explore and exploit its latent capability. The author concludes that man is still the lowest-cost, nonlinear, all purpose, computing system, that is capable of being mass-produced by unskilled labor.

 

California Management Review

Berkeley-Haas's Premier Management Journal

Published at the University of California for more than sixty years, California Management Review seeks to share knowledge that challenges convention and shows a better way of doing business.

Learn more
Follow Us