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dpb

wrote:
On Wed, 27 Jun 2007 19:54:39 GMT, "Edwin Pawlowski"
wrote:

....
Making employees feel important by using special terms is another form of
political correctness. Same thing, fancy words.

No, it's not. It's an attempt to encourage employees.

We're not going to change your opinion, obviously, but I'm w/
Edwin--it's modern "politico-speak" sold by some enterprising MBA
consultant and relying on the present trends which encourage such
foolishness of presentation and appearances above and over performance
and reality.

"Political correctness" refers to not insulting people. Originally
Blacks, Jews, and Latinos, but now it's been applied to more people,
including some that even more people still want to insult.

I don't know anyone who thinks that "clerk" is insulting, or even that
Associate is less insulting or more non-insulting. But it's more
inclusive-sounding.

To you, maybe. To me it sounds pompous and ridiculous. A clerk is a
clerk is a clerk whatever there origin. "A rose by any other name..."

Retail clerks are just as
important as "associates".

Of course they are. You don't think I think otherwise do you?

Actually, he who doth protest too much comes to mind here...

They are clerks, so call them that. Truck
drivers, grave diggers, garbage men, are all importnat jobs that people do
and they can be just as proud doing a good job as a banker or chemist.

Of course they can be, but the employers didn't change their term just
as a matter of whimsy. Someone tried it out, or someone has looked
into the matter and concluded that in fact, at least in the cases
studied, at least at the beginning of this practice, before it was so
common, they do a better job when called associates. ...

"Can"??? I thought you were convinced they _are_ as valuable.
Freudian slip, maybe?

And, you might be surprised at how easy it can be to convince management
of the latest greatest theory in employee morale-boosting or other
management practices. I can't recall the number or even the names now
of all the management panaceas that came, one after another, during my
career...from "Management by Objectives" on, there was one about every
2-3 years I would estimate, on average. This is simply the current fad.

....

Criticizing people who deride political correctness has nothing to do
with whether the term Associate is good or bad. Because I don't think
using Associate is an example of political correctness. You do, but I
don't. So regardless of whether I'm right about that part or not, you
can't fairly conclude I tied the two together that way, even if you
would have been if you had made the same statements.

Criticizing people who deride p-c which has run amok also seems to be
p-c these days.

imo, ymmv, etc., etc., ...

Although I had promised myself I wouldn't get sucked into this foolish
"debate"...

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