Educating for Excellence: Improving Quality and Productivity in the 90's

The United States is in a time of business turmoil, experiencing intense competition from other countries, an increasing national debt, a lack of ethical standards, and the loss of traditionally strong markets to foreign companies. In this book, J.H.U. Brown and Jacqueline Comola point out the failures, survey the challenges, and indicate possible solutions for these economic and social problems by focusing on the weaknesses in education that have added so greatly to them. The loss of excellence in American education, Brown and Comola point out, crosses all boundaries, from the college student, to the manager and worker, to the general public. All must be re-educated in their approaches toward business for the United States to again be a world leader.

The book focuses on a number of the intertwined issues of business and education, providing general examples of problems followed by suggestions for effective yet inexpensive solutions. Deficiencies in management are addressed through such topics as the failure of managers to be aware of technology and its impact, the inability to recognize the need for quality, and the failure to stimulate the work force to greater productivity. School systems are faulted for their incapacity to train students properly in the lower grades, control costs in such areas as medical care, and fully exploit innovation. Following the discussion of these and similar subjects, a set of four chapters offer some effective proposals for change in the areas of productivity, executive/worker interaction, management, and promoting quality. With its applications in education, business, and technology, this book will be an important resource for both academic and business audiences. It will also be a valuable addition to public, college, and university libraries.

J.H.U. BROWN is Professor of Biology at the University of Houston. He is the author or co-author of thirty books, primarily on biology, health care, and related subjects.

JACQUELINE COMOLA is Senior Vice President of the American Productivity and Quality Center in Houston, Texas. She is the author of Improving Health Care Productivity. She has also published numerous articles and presented many papers on employee training to various conferences.