Management Training In N.Z. Criticised

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31763, 21 August 1968, Page 14

Management Training In N.Z. Criticised

New Zealand would fall far behind the rest of the world unless it more vigorously approached the training of management, an officer of the Department of Labour, Mr G. F. Thorn, said in an address to the Canterbury branch of the Institute of Management yesterday.

Mr Thorn said that his experience as a trainer of management overseas had served to show up the shortcomings of programmes in New Zealand. It was essential that old parochial jealousies which held up progress in New Zea-

land be eliminated. Heads of university departments would have to be prepared to share their fields with each other so that students would benefit. Mr Thorn said he saw no hope of this happening unless the Government intervened and took a direct approach to the problems of training persons to management positions. The lead might come from the recommendations of the National Development Council. Mr Thorn recently returned to New Zealand after six years service with the United Nations assisting with the development of management in Iraq and Uganda.

He said he had been disappointed on his return to find a far less enthusiastic approach to management development than he had found abroad.

In Iraq and Uganda, where the illiteracy rate was high, anyone who graduated in any science could be flung into the responsibilities of senior executive positions. To equip young people for such exacting work special management courses were provided at university level. Mr Thorn said that, realising their shortcomings, people of the so-called underdeveloped countries were enthusiastic about learning. At their rate of progress through Government and international aid they could outstrip New Zealand.