textfiles/magazines/OCEANIAORACLE/oracle.05

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                  OCEANIA ORACLE - ISSUE #5 - 11/12/94
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INTERMIND IS WORKING (SORTA)

I am able to read mail from my Intermind account although the account
still isn't working perfectly yet.  Assuming that there are no
additional problems with my account, my next issue posted will be the
last to Libernet.  If you are a Libernet subscriber and wish to
continue to receive this newsletter, send the command subscribe
oceania-l <your e-mail address> to listproc@butler226a.dorm.tulane.edu.


CONSTITUTIONAL ENTERPRISE

I received the following from Rick Forschler:

I've been getting your Oceania e-mail for some time now, and I
thought you might be interested in the following message.  Below is a
copy of an e-mail note I'm sending to many of the people who are
currently getting my newsletter--Constitutional Enterprise.

To give you a brief introduction: I am working to develop a new
business organizational structure, patterned after constitutionalism
and free-enterprise.  I feel it will be much more efficient than the
traditional model of big bureaucratic businesses, where long range
planning and top-down decision making governs production--much like a
socialistic system.

People often learn their organizational skills in businesses and then
strive to apply those skills to solve social and political problems.
Is it any wonder that our country continually struggles between free
markets and socialism when many of our public leaders have learned
collectivism in the workplace?  There is nothing ethically wrong with
structuring a business on a top-down decision making model.  If a
person wants to contract with employees to work in that arrangement
he or she should be free to do so.  However, there are usually
undesirable consequences.  Ask yourself, how efficient is a
socialistic system?  And what happens when business leaders try to
extend the methods they are familiar with into the larger society?

If you want Oceania to remain free from creeping collectivist
ideologies you may want to recommend to the businesses that
eventually locate there that they investigate CE.  If you have any
thoughts on this I'd be glad to hear from you.

Best of luck in your venture!    Rick


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As many of you know I have been writing and distributing the
newsletter "Constitutional Enterprise" for the past year.  The
purpose in doing so has been to help mature the constitutional
enterprise (CE) theories to the point they are ready to test in an
actual business.

CE uses what we have learned about constitutional and free-market
systems and applies these lessons inside businesses.  Besides
increasing the efficiency of businesses, and yielding higher profits
for employees and stock holders, CE has the added benefit of
educating employees in the principles of constitutionalism and
free-enterprise.

While there are still some loose ends, I believe I've reached the
point that further progress in the theories will only occur through
testing in actual businesses.  Consequently, I'm looking for people
who may be interested in implementing CE in their businesses.

Because a CE structure would eliminate top-down management it is
improbable the system will appeal to managers.  The target businesses
will probably be those in which the owners or major shareholders are
dissatisfied with the existing structure and are willing to try an
alternative.  Another possibility would be a business in which the
employees already own the company or are considering buying it.
(Employee ownership, however, is not essential, and is possibly to be
avoided.)

I believe any business could benefit from CE; however, small
businesses would probably benefit the least.  Inefficient practices
are naturally easier to spot and eliminate in a small business, and
the checks and balances of CE could themselves appear onerous.  The
most significant improvements are likely to be found in large
businesses with perhaps several thousand employees each.
Unfortunately, large businesses are also the least likely to risk
themselves on new and untested theories.  Hence, to begin with, a
candidate business will probably contain only a couple hundred
employees at most.

The ideal type of business is one that has many departments that rely
upon the activities of other departments.  Most manufacturing
businesses would fit in this category.  The efficiency of CE comes
from an internal market system and making each department behave like
a small business.  The greater the need for exchange between
departments the greater the potential for improvement.

If any of you know of businesses that are likely candidates for
testing CE I'd be grateful hearing about them.  Feel free to forward
this message to other people you think may be interested.

Currently, my main goal is to test the CE theories.  I am not trying
to make a profit with the first implementations and I will not
initially charge any consulting fees.  However, I am not wealthy, and
I may need to charge for expenses if travel or a great deal of time
is required.

I am also looking for people who can help package the ideas into a
marketable set of products.  This would include creating seminars,
books, newsletters, audio and video tapes, etc.  I'm still open to
the possibility of a partnership.

Thank you for your help!


Rick Forschler
Constitutional Business Consulting Inc.
13529 Military Road South
SeaTac, WA 98168
freedom300@aol.com


JOB WANTED

I received the following from Jim Davidson:

The company I am working for, Mission Critical Software, is being
bought by a larger company, Legent.

I've just been told that Legent will not be renewing my contract.
They will provide me with 4 weeks severance, pay me for the vacation
days I've accrued, and otherwise be nice about it.

[...]

Anyway, I'll be looking for work. Any word on job opportunities for
a) software documentation specialists, b) business plan writers, c)
market researchers, or d) instructors would be most welcome.

Jim


THE MILLENNIAL PROJECT

Would any of our readers who own this book be interested in writing a
review for publication in this e-mail newsletter or the snail mail new
country newsletter?  Excerpts typed in from the book would also be
useful.


LISTSERVER UPGRADE

Tramm has given me additional tools so that I can modify the ftp,
listserver, and world web sites.  I will upgrade the files available
on these sites over the next few days.  Thanks Tramm!

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