You are on page 1of 55

MGMT Asia Pacific 3rd Edition Williams

Solutions Manual
Visit to download the full and correct content document: https://testbankdeal.com/dow
nload/mgmt-asia-pacific-3rd-edition-williams-solutions-manual/
McWilliams and Williams MGMT3 Instructor manual

Chapter 7
Innovation and change
Learning objectives ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 192
Terms ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 195
Lesson plans ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 196
Lesson plan for lecture--------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 196
Lesson plan for tutorial--------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 199
Workplace management video assignment------------------------------------------------------- 202
Media quiz: questions and solutions ---------------------------------------------------------------- 204
Assignments and activities ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 207
Management team decision -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 207
Student exercise ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 207
Instructor notes -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 209
Practice being a manager ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 212
Student exercise ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 212
Instructor notes -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 214
Additional assignments and activities -------------------------------------------------------------- 216
Video activities ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 218
Review questions ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 219

© Cengage Learning Australia 2016 191


McWilliams and Williams MGMT3 Instructor manual

Learning
1. Explain the difference between change and innovation.
The key difference between change and innovation is a difference of control, and more
specifically, between contextual forces beyond our control on the one hand, and
qualities and conditions within organisational control on the other. The concept of
change means an alteration in existing circumstances that surround products, services
and processes. Change can be important or minor, short-term or long-term, foreseen or
unexpected, implemented by managers or imposed on managers by circumstances. It
can have potentially positive or negative impacts, but it will often be completely outside
the powers of managers to avoid it.
Innovation means the successful implementation of creative ideas in an
organisation. Given that innovation is driven by organisational concern to bring about
improvements in products, services or processes, it often requires novel and useful
ideas for competitive advantage. Innovation usually requires organisational changes,
assessment of risk and decisions about how to manage change.

2. Explain why innovation matters to organisations.


Technology cycles typically follow an S-curve pattern of innovation. Early in the cycle,
technological progress is slow and improvements in technological performance are
small. As a technology matures, however, performance improves quickly. Finally, as the
limits of a technology are reached, only small improvements occur. At this point,
significant improvements in performance must come from new technologies. The best
way to protect a competitive advantage is to create a stream of innovative ideas and
products. Innovation streams begin with technological discontinuities that create
significant breakthroughs in performance or function. Technological discontinuities are
followed by discontinuous change, in which customers purchase new technologies and
companies compete to establish the new dominant design. Dominant designs emerge
because of critical mass, because they solve a practical problem or because of the
negotiations of independent standards bodies. Because technological innovation is both
competence enhancing and competence destroying, companies that bet on the wrong
design often struggle, while companies that bet on the eventual dominant design usually
prosper. Emergence of a dominant design leads to a focus on incremental change,
lowering costs and making small but steady improvements in the dominant design. This
focus continues until the next technological discontinuity occurs.

3. Discuss the different methods that managers can use for effective
management of innovation in their organisations.

© Cengage Learning Australia 2016 192


McWilliams and Williams MGMT3 Instructor manual

To successfully manage innovation streams, companies must manage the sources of


innovation and learn to manage innovation during both discontinuous and incremental
change. Since innovation begins with creativity, companies can manage the sources of
innovation by supporting a creative work environment in which creative thoughts and
ideas are welcomed, valued and encouraged. Creative work environments provide
challenging work, offer organisational, supervisory and work group encouragement,
allow significant freedom and remove organisational impediments to creativity.
Companies that succeed in periods of discontinuous change typically follow an
experiential approach to innovation. The experiential approach assumes that intuition,
flexible options and hands-on experience can reduce uncertainty and accelerate
learning and understanding. A compression approach to innovation works best during
periods of incremental change. This approach assumes that innovation can be planned
using a series of steps and that compressing the time it takes to complete those steps
can speed up innovation.

4. Discuss why not changing can lead to organisational decline.


The five-stage process of organisational decline begins when organisations don’t
recognise the need for change. In the blinded stage, managers fail to recognise the
changes that threaten their organisation’s survival. In the inaction stage, management
recognises the need to change, but doesn’t act, hoping that the problems will correct
themselves. In the faulty action stage, management focuses on cost cutting and
efficiency rather than facing up to the fundamental changes needed to ensure survival.
In the crisis stage, failure is likely unless fundamental reorganisation occurs. Finally, in
the dissolution stage, the company is dissolved through bankruptcy proceedings, by
selling assets to pay creditors or through the closing of stores, offices and facilities. If
companies recognise the need to change early enough, however, dissolution may be
avoided.

5. Discuss the different methods that managers can use for better
management of change as it happens.
The basic change process is unfreezing, change and refreezing. Resistance to change,
which stems from self-interest, misunderstanding and distrust, and a general intolerance
for change, can be managed through education and communication, participation,
negotiation, top management support and coercion. Knowing what not to do is as
important as knowing what to do to achieve successful change. Managers should avoid
these errors when leading change: not establishing urgency, not creating a guiding
coalition, lacking a vision, not communicating the vision, not removing obstacles to the
vision, not creating short-term wins, declaring victory too soon and not anchoring
changes in the corporation’s culture. Finally, managers can use a number of change
techniques. Results-driven change and the GE workout reduce resistance to change by

© Cengage Learning Australia 2016 193


McWilliams and Williams MGMT3 Instructor manual

getting change efforts off to a fast start. Organisational development is a collection of


planned change interventions (large system, small group, person-focused), guided by a
change agent, that are designed to improve an organisation’s long-term health and
performance.

© Cengage Learning Australia 2016 194


McWilliams and Williams MGMT3 Instructor manual

Terms
Organisation innovation Creativity Technology cycle
S-curve pattern of innovation Innovation streams Discontinuous change
Technology substitution Design competition Dominant design
Technological lockout Incremental change Creative work environments
Flow Experiential approach Design iteration
Product prototype Testing Milestones
Multifunctional teams Compression approach to Generational change
innovation
Organisational decline Change forces Resistance forces
Resistance to change Unfreezing Change intervention
Refreezing Coercion Results driven change
General electric workout Organisational development Change agent

© Cengage Learning Australia 2016 195


McWilliams and Williams MGMT3 Instructor manual

Lesson plans
Lesson plan for lecture
Pre-class prep for you: Pre-class prep for your students:
• Review chapter and determine what points • Bring book.
to cover.
• Bring PowerPoint slides.

Warm up Begin Chapter 7 by giving your students a brainteaser to solve. The game
Mind Trap offers several as do any number of Mensa puzzle books on the
market.

Content Lecture slides: Make note of where you stop so you can pick up at the next
delivery class meeting. Slides have teaching notes on them to help you as you lecture.

Topics PowerPoint slides Activities


Organisational • Why innovation Launch your lecture with
innovation matters your brainteaser and
• The difference • The technology prompt students to think
between change and cycle of what a brainteaser
innovation. • S-curves and has to do with
• Why innovation technological innovation. The aim
matters innovation here is to model new
• Technology cycles • Innovation streams ways of thinking about
• Innovation streams old problems (or new
ones), which leads to
innovation and new
technology.
• Managing innovation • Managing
• Managing sources of innovation
innovation • Managing sources
• Experiential of innovation
approach • Components of
• Compression creative work
approach environments
• Managing
innovation during
discontinuous

© Cengage Learning Australia 2016 196


McWilliams and Williams MGMT3 Instructor manual

change
• Experiential
approach to
innovation
• Managing
innovation during
incremental change
• Compression
approach to
innovation

• Organisational • Organisational Text uses Nokia as an


decline: the risk of change extended example of
not changing • Five stages of organisational decline. It
organisational might be interesting in
decline class to do an ‘intensive
care’ review of Nokia or
the current General
Motors’s situation as
outlined in Section 7.3.

• Managing change • Managing change


• Managing resistance • Managing
to change resistance to
• What not to do when change
leading change • Errors made when
• Change tools and leading change
techniques • Change tools and
techniques
• Results-driven
change
• General electric
workout
• Organisational
development
• General steps for
organisational
development
interventions

© Cengage Learning Australia 2016 197


McWilliams and Williams MGMT3 Instructor manual

• Kinds of OD
Interventions

Adjust lecture to include the activities in the right column. Some activities
should be done before introducing the concept, some after.

Conclusion Assignments:
and 1. Give students some experience in developing their own innovative
preview thinking. Assign the develop your career potential exercise (on the
CourseMate website), or adapt the Ideation activity in the assignments and
activities section for homework. To do so, require students to assemble
the disparate items and create a hat, vehicle, animal or other item you
determine. Have them submit a photo of their item along with a written
piece on how their innovation process evolved, the challenges of the
assignment and their reaction to the assignment in general.
2. Assign students to review Chapter 7 and read the next chapter on your
syllabus.

Remind students about any upcoming events.

© Cengage Learning Australia 2016 198


McWilliams and Williams MGMT3 Instructor manual

Lesson plan for tutorial


Pre-class prep for you: Pre-class prep for your students:
• Review material to cover and modify the • Bring book
lesson plan to meet your needs.
• Set up the classroom so that small
groups of 4–5 students can sit together.

Warm up Begin Chapter 7 by asking your students to work a brainteaser that you bring
to class. The game Mind Trap is full of examples, as are the numerous Mensa
and Mensa-style puzzle books on the market.

Content • Lecture on why technology matters and managing sources of innovation


delivery (LO1, LO2 and LO3)
• A necessary component of innovation is creativity the creative work
environment. To give your students a break from the traditional tenor of the
academic classes they likely take, use the teaching notes below to do the
Develop your career potential in class.
• Conversely, break for this group activity:

Ideation
Divide the class into small groups of three to four students and give each
group a bag of disparate items. This might include things rescued from the
trash, like milk jugs and lids, toilet-paper tubes and broken mechanical
items. Charge each group with building something you specify, like a hat or
a vehicle, or with deciding first what to build, then actually doing it.
Depending on your resources, consider giving a set of building materials to
each student and even inviting a professor from the industrial design
department (if your university has an engineering and/or design
faculty/school) to visit your class that day to help with the activity. After the
students have finished, let them present their design to the class. If time
allows, let students critique each design, making recommendations for
improvement or refinement.

• Come back together as a class to share results from the group activity.
• Segue into next section by asking students ‘Does change matter?’
• Lecture on organisational decline (LO4)
• Introduce the section on managing change by lecturing on change forces,
resistance forces and resistance to change.

© Cengage Learning Australia 2016 199


McWilliams and Williams MGMT3 Instructor manual

• Break for the following activity:

What’s happening
Divide the class into groups of three to four students to map what is
happening to at least two companies facing significant change forces. For
each company, students need to list what they perceive to be the change
and resistance forces at work. Ford, Myers, Australian Football League,
Sony and Shell are some examples. Consider letting students pick one
company to work with in addition to the one you give them. Also consider
giving each group a different set of companies so that when you come back
together as a class to share information, you’ll have a wide range of forces
to discuss.

• Segue into next section by asking students how they feel about change:
embrace it, take wait-and-see attitude, resist it, sabotage it, etc. You’ll
probably get the majority of hands at the ‘wait-and-see’ or ‘resist it’ probes.
Ask students to account for the results:
– Why do you think that is? I mean, why do people tend to be resistant to
change?
– What problems can that tendency create for managers?
– What do you think managers can do to reduce that resistance?
• Lecture on managing resistance to change and what not to do when
leading change (LO5).
• Segue into lecture on change tools and techniques (LO5).
• After presenting the various techniques in the book, simulate the GE
Workout by doing the following group activity:

GE workout for campus president


As an entire class, brainstorm a list of specific problems at your university.
Problems can be related to any aspect of the campus (financial,
registration, social activities, sports, etc.). Divide students into medium-
sized groups of 8–10 students. Ask one student from each group to
volunteer to be the campus president for that group. Have the managers
leave the room (or sit together away from their ‘department chairs’) for 5
minutes and let them think of possible solutions their teammates might put
before them. Reintegrate the presidents with their management teams and
conduct the GE Workout. Time this part of the exercise to simulate the rapid
nature of the workout. You don’t want to give the presidents too long to
decide on any given item or to get into debates/discussions with department
chairs about the topic.

© Cengage Learning Australia 2016 200


McWilliams and Williams MGMT3 Instructor manual

Conclusion Assignments:
and 1. As an assignment that follows up the Ideation exercise above, have
preview students write a paragraph about their experience with the design process
and one about their response to the critique process.
2. If you have finished covering Chapter 7, assign students to review
Chapter 7 and read the next chapter on your syllabus.

Remind students about any upcoming events.

© Cengage Learning Australia 2016 201


McWilliams and Williams MGMT3 Instructor manual

Workplace management video assignment


Management workplace videos can support several in-class uses. In most cases you can
build an entire 50-minute class around them. Alternatively, they can provide a springboard
into a group lesson plan. Students can access these videos via their CourseMate access
card.

Video: Holden Outerwear


Managing change and innovation

Summary
Founded in 2002 by professional snowboarder Mikey LeBlanc, Holden Outerwear has given
traditional baggy outerwear a complete style make-over. Unlike ski-apparel brands that focus
on utility at the expense of looking good, Holden pants and jackets possess features that are
inspired by runway brands like Marc Jacobs and G-Star, as Holden is always looking to bring
new elements of style to the slopes. Holden has the attention of everyone in its industry.
Retailers wait anxiously to see LeBlanc’s newest collections, and competitors from Burton
and Salomon to Bonfire and Walmart borrow heavily from Holden’s collections. LeBlanc
doesn’t worry too much about the rampant plagiarism that goes on in his industry. As he
sees it, imitation is the highest form of flattery. Plus, Holden’s business is based on finding
the next big thing. When it comes to style, Holden is the leader, never the follower.

Discussion questions
1. Identify the type of change that Holden’s leaders are managing on a daily basis.

Holden is engaged in managing product change, not organisational change or


technology change. Product change and innovation is the primary way in which
organisations adapt to competition in the market.

2. What resistance has Holden encountered while introducing innovative garment


designs? How was it able to overcome that resistance?

Holden is a small company that does not own its own factories or fabric mills. To
produce any garment, the company needs cooperation from outside vendors, which is
not always guaranteed. In the video, designer Nikki Brush says that being highly
innovative means doing things differently. This requires managers to push on outside
apparel manufacturers and vendors in ways that may cause conflict. Owner Mikey
LeBlanc states that outside partners often give an ‘it’s not possible’ response to
Holden’s proposed concepts. Elsewhere in the video, Nikki Brush notes that rising costs
throughout the industry make vendor cooperation even more uncertain, as outside
manufacturers don’t want to risk money or resources on untested products. Mikey

© Cengage Learning Australia 2016 202


McWilliams and Williams MGMT3 Instructor manual

LeBlanc identifies a powerful counter to this resistance: the market rewards hot new
trends with big sales. Moreover, Holden has a reliable track record of successful
innovation, and Mikey LeBlanc is an effective idea champion.

© Cengage Learning Australia 2016 203


McWilliams and Williams MGMT3 Instructor manual

Media quiz: questions and solutions


Students can access the media quizzes via the CourseMate premium website.

Video segment 1
Video segment title: Managing change and innovation
Start time (in sec): 0:00
Stop time (in sec): 1:43

1. Holden Outerwear is engaged in the following type of change?


a. Organisational change
b. Incremental change
c. Discontinuous change
d. Reactive change

Correct answer: c
Feedback: Discontinuous change occurs when companies use a new technology to
replace older technology.

2. Based on the video, Holden Outerwear promotes creative innovation at the individual
employee level by:
a. hosting creativity seminars.
b. hiring open-minded employees who thrive on innovation, change and
experimentation.
c. using team-based brainstorming and devil’s advocate techniques.
d. copying ideas from top competitors.

Correct answer: b
Feedback: A key source of innovation at Holden is the creativity of the people that it
chooses to hire.

3. The primary source of innovation and change at Holden is:


a. external economic forces.
b. government regulation.
c. radical product innovation by top competitors.
d. creative drive and interests of Holden’s founder and employees.

Correct answer: d
Feedback: A key source of innovation at Holden is the creativity of the people that work
in the company.

© Cengage Learning Australia 2016 204


McWilliams and Williams MGMT3 Instructor manual

Video segment 2
Video segment title: Managing change and innovation
Start time (in sec): 1:44
Stop time (in sec): 4:13

1. Which one of the following facts results in a distinctive competence and competitive
advantage for Holden?
a. Holden draws its design inspiration from the world of high fashion, not the world of ski
sports apparel.
b. Holden creates snowboarding garments.
c. Holden offers a line of apparel for women.
d. Holden outsources the manufacture of its garments to mills and manufacturers in
China.

Correct answer: a
Feedback: A distinctive competence allows companies to make, do or perform
something better than their competitors.

2. When Holden garment designer Nikki Brush says she likes ‘taking something everyone
does every day and doing it slightly different’, she is describing:
a. radical innovation.
b. incremental change.
c. reengineering.
d. reactive change.

Correct answer: b
Feedback: Incremental change occurs when companies innovate by lowering the cost
and improving the function and performance of a dominant design.

3. As part of its dedication to eco-friendly business practices, Holden in 2005 invented the
world’s first natural-fibre waterproof breathable fabric for use in snowboarding outerwear
garments. This breakthrough reflects a:
a. design competition.
b. incremental change.
c. technological discontinuity.
d. design iteration.

Correct answer: c
Feedback: Technological discontinuity occurs when an advance or unique combination
of technologies creates a significant breakthrough.

© Cengage Learning Australia 2016 205


McWilliams and Williams MGMT3 Instructor manual

Video segment 3
Video segment title: Managing change and innovation
Start time (in sec): 4:13
Stop time (in sec): 7:00

1. According to Mikey LeBlanc and designer Nikki Brush, Holden Outerwear faces
increasing resistance from outside vendors that help Holden manufacture its highly
innovative performance outerwear. Sources of this resistance include all the following
except:
a. fear of economic loss.
b. fear of the unknown.
c. high consumer demand for new fashions.
d. the inertia and comfort of using standard status quo factory processes.

Correct answer: c
Feedback: The primary reason that change efforts at Holden are resisted is because of
the fears of suppliers and contractors.

2. Acting as change agents, Holden’s managers can overcome their manufacturing


partners’ resistance to change by:
a. educating partners on how innovative new products can be made using standard
factory technologies and processes.
b. giving partners a share of profits on sales of innovative garments.
c. giving vendors prominent public recognition for successful product innovations.
d. all of these options.

Correct answer: d
Feedback: All of the above reflect actions that change agents take in helping to direct
change efforts.

3. Companies that rely on innovation, like Holden, can create a creative work environment
by encouraging all of the following except:
a. challenging work.
b. organisational impediments.
c. freedom.
d. work group encouragement.

Correct answer: b
Feedback: A lack of organisational impediments is critical to creative a creative work
environment.

© Cengage Learning Australia 2016 206


McWilliams and Williams MGMT3 Instructor manual

Assignments and activities


Management team decision
Student exercise
Brushing up at Colgate
Ever since Procter & Gamble merged with Gillette, your phone has been ringing off the hook
from investment bankers wanting your company, Colgate, to make a deal with Alberto-
Culver, S.C. Johnson, Reckitt Benckiser or Clorox, and today is no exception. Your
management team has assembled to listen to yet another set of bankers outline some
grandiose proposal. You’ve got another plan for Colgate, however, and it doesn’t involve a
big acquisition. Quite the opposite in fact. For the first time in nearly a decade, Colgate’s
earnings shrank last quarter (by 10 per cent), and you are planning to cut 4400 jobs,
restructure the company and save $300 million in the process.
Colgate’s problems are no secret. In a decades-long tug-of-war, P&G has regained the
edge thanks to its innovation machine. In the last five years, P&G has aggressively
expanded in the oral care markets where it competes most heavily with Colgate. New
flavours of Crest whitening toothpastes, Crest Whitestrips, SpinBrush and a licensing
arrangement with W.L. Gore for Glide floss have all helped Crest re-emerge as the leader in
the markets it serves. Colgate’s most recent innovations – Colgate Total, Motion and
Actibrush electric toothbrushes, and Simply White tooth whitener – are now either fading
memories or also-rans. And even though Colgate has a strong reputation as a reliable
brand, it has been slow to develop new products for developing and existing markets.
Perhaps it’s just a case of once burnt, twice shy. The company’s most aggressive innovation
was the tooth-whitening system Simply White. Regardless of the product’s quality, the bottle
and applicator looked like Liquid Paper and proved no match for P&G’s Crest Whitestrips.
After that near debacle, Colgate managers apparently decided that going for big hits wasn’t
a workable strategy. The company now seems to be playing catch-up to P&G and
pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline, a new competitor in the oral care market. In fact, in a
recent year, P&G spent US$229 million on its toothpaste and tooth-whitening products;
Colgate spent only US$80 million.
Innovation isn’t the only area where Colgate has failed to invest. The company’s
annual ad budget of US$1 billion pales in comparison with the US$5 billion P&G spends
each year to promote its consumer products. Heavy spending has helped P&G capture 51
per cent of unit sales and 70 per cent of dollar sales in the tooth-whitening segment. Colgate
weighs in with 21 per cent and 10 per cent, respectively. P&G’s innovative approach to
advertising has helped catapult its products to the forefront of consumers’ minds. For

© Cengage Learning Australia 2016 207


McWilliams and Williams MGMT3 Instructor manual

example, advertising and sales for Whitestrips began on the Internet, where the demand
was overwhelming. Once the product was rolled out on the market, the day after Colgate’s
Simply White, P&G had a blockbuster. Simply White hit the shelves and stayed there.
After hanging up from yet another conference call with investment bankers urging your
management team to consider a merger, you lean back in your chair and look around the
table. ‘I think we all know what we’re not going to do,’ you begin cautiously. ‘The real
question is what we are going to do. Now that we have announced measures to conserve
resources, we need to decide how to invest what we save’.
For this exercise, assemble a team of four to five students to play the role of the
management team at Colgate.

Questions
1. Is innovation really necessary at Colgate? In other words, in a market saturated with
innovation, is there something to be said for the ‘keep it simple’ approach? Explain.
2. Do you use the US$300 million saved from operational cuts to fund innovation, or do
you use the money to better market current products?
3. Where do you suggest Colgate look for sources of innovation?
4. As Colgate begins implementing a new innovation strategy, do you recommend that the
company follow a compression approach to innovation or an experiential approach?

© Cengage Learning Australia 2016 208


McWilliams and Williams MGMT3 Instructor manual

Instructor notes
Brushing up at Colgate
Purpose
Articles abound in the business press about the importance of innovation. Fast Company,
Fortune, and Business 2.0, all had issues dedicated to innovation and innovative companies
in the same year! Most often the articles champion innovation as the lifeblood of an
organisation, without which there can be no success. For every thesis, however, there is an
antithesis and this exercise is designed to prod students to thinking of the validity of an
antithesis. That is, in a market saturated with innovation and new products, is there
something to be said for a ‘keep it simple’ approach?

Setting it up
Because this is a management team decision, have your students work through it using one
of the group decision-making techniques they learned about in Chapter 5. Group work is
ubiquitous, in university and in the workplace, so students will be well served to have
experience with techniques other than simple ‘consensus’ which seems to dominate student
projects. This activity can be used either as an in-class exercise or as an assignment.
As an assignment, direct students to go back at least two years to research recent
press articles about Colgate and its competitors, primarily Procter & Gamble and Unilever.
Once students complete their research, teams will need to meet to share results and work
through the answers to the case questions. Remind students that a more successful case
solution can be built through the use of background information collected through outside
research.
Even if you decide to use the case in class, consider having students prepare for the
in-class exercise by conducting the research described above. That groundwork will make
for more fruitful debates in class.

Questions and answers


1. Is innovation really necessary at Colgate? In other words, in a market saturated
with innovation, is there something to be said for the ‘keep it simple’ approach?
Explain.

Part of Colgate’s operational cuts included selling all of its laundry businesses to focus
exclusively on oral care and high-margin products. Colgate is simplifying its product
offerings. In that context, Colgate must carefully balance innovation and simplicity.
Nothing angers or confuses customers more than becoming attached to a brand that
subsequently gets quickly pushed out of a product line to make space for new

© Cengage Learning Australia 2016 209


McWilliams and Williams MGMT3 Instructor manual

innovations. Colgate needs customers to find what they like in its oral care product line.
Colgate, then, needs to innovate to meet the level of its key competitor, P&G, and then
find and develop areas of innovation as yet untapped by its rival.
For students who propose a ‘keep it simple’ approach, you may want to push
students to review Figure 7.1 and think about how long a company can be successful
marketing the ‘same old thing’. With the pace of innovation accelerating across
industries, the life cycle of a hit product or idea is not as long as it once was.
Nonetheless, there is some longevity in a blockbuster, say, like iPod, but even then, it
doesn’t take long for competitors to build incrementally on a discontinuous innovation
and gain significant market share themselves.

2. Do you use the US$300 million saved from operational cuts to fund innovation, or
do you use the money to better market current products?

Students’ answers will vary, but you can tell them that Colgate ploughed a tremendous
amount of its restructuring savings into marketing. In 2005, the company increased its
spending on marketing (advertising, promotions) to nearly US$300 million, which
represented a significant increase over the previous year. Advertising spending alone
increased 16 per cent. This focus on marketing had measurable impact on the bottom
line. Revenues increased by 10.5 per cent, the biggest single-year increase in over 10
years. Unfortunately, however, that jump in revenue did not correspond to higher
profitability. Overall, the company saw earnings decline 7 per cent (including
restructuring charges). Unilever, another key competitor in this industry, also pushed
marketing spending to terrific levels, but like Colgate, paid for its marketing efforts with
profitability. Unilever’s campaign for real beauty (their Dove product was at the forefront
of this campaign see http://www.dove.us/social-mission/campaign-for-real-beauty.aspx )
drove sales up 11 per cent, but earnings plummeted 25 per cent. So, significant
investment in marketing programs does not always bring about the anticipated return.

3. Where do you suggest Colgate look for sources of innovation?

Companies can look for sources of innovation internally, by fostering creative work
environments, or externally, through customers, suppliers, consultants and other
sources. Colgate has looked both inside and outside the company for innovative ideas.
One idea from inside the company has been the development of a toothpaste containing
salt. Colgate’s Indian division developed the product to meet fill a gap in that country’s
oral care market. Salt is widely used across India as an oral care product, so Colgate
created a product that combined traditional and modern oral care knowledge. In the US
market, there was only one new product introduced in the toothpaste segment in 2005:
Colgate’s Luminous, a product aimed at strengthening tooth enamel and removing
surface stains. Although Colgate is not the first company to try enamel-strengthening

© Cengage Learning Australia 2016 210


McWilliams and Williams MGMT3 Instructor manual

hook in the toothpaste market, the company has decided to highlight a secondary
product attribute (whiter teeth) rather than the primary (keeps teeth stronger longer).
Colgate-Palmolive is also looking for innovations from external sources. The
company has formed an alliance with Introgen Therapeutics Inc., a biopharmaceutical
company focused on the discovery, development and commercialisation of targeted
molecular therapies for the treatment of cancer and other diseases. Introgen and
Colgate are hoping to find practical ways of applying gene therapy research in the oral
care market. Specifically, Colgate and Introgen will investigate methods to deliver
treatments for oral cancers via mouthwashes and other oral health care products.
Colgate purchased US$20 million of Introgen's shares and will have the rights to any
products developed by the alliance.

4. As Colgate begins implementing a new innovation strategy, do you recommend


that the company follow a compression approach to innovation or an experiential
approach?

Students’ answers will vary, but you can tell them that in the past, Colgate has not taken
a ‘swing for the fences’ (big hitting) approach that better characterises the incremental
approach to innovation. Instead, the company has opted for incremental changes to
existing technologies (adding breath-freshener strips to toothpastes, for example). That
choice of strategy stems in large part from the fumble with Simply White, Colgate’s
biggest investment in a breakthrough innovation. Going forward, Colgate will most likely
need to incorporate more risk-taking into its innovation processes in order to reap
significant gains (simply increasing marketing spending will not suffice, as indicated in
the answer to question 2). Colgate will also need to think innovatively not just about its
products, but untapped markets. The company will need to identify areas unserved or
underserved by competitors because of the stiff brand competition. Now that P & G has
merged with Gillette, the Cincinnati-based consumer-products giant boasts the Crest
brand, the license for Glide floss and now also Oral B.

© Cengage Learning Australia 2016 211


McWilliams and Williams MGMT3 Instructor manual

Practice being a manager


Student exercise
Inventor or investor?
Successfully managing innovation is challenging. Companies must find ways to support
creativity and invention, while at the same time screening their investments in support of
innovation. This exercise will give you an opportunity to experience a bit of the organisational
dynamic regarding innovation and investment.

Step 1: Assign roles. Your lecturer/tutor will assign you to a pair or small group, and give
your team a role as either ‘Inventors’ or ‘Investors’.
Regardless of role, assume that you work for a large clothing and accessories
company that targets university students. Your company makes some traditional clothing
and gear (such as backpacks and folios), but also prides itself on developing new and
innovative products. Recently, there has been some interest in considering new services and
accessories that the company might offer to the student market, such as clothes that cater
for mobile technology, or gear for events and social gathering.

Step 2: Work with your partner(s) on the following tasks depending upon your
assigned role.
• Inventors: Brainstorm and work to develop a new product or service concept. Be
prepared to explain your concept to those inside the company who screen ideas and
recommend investments.
• Investors: Discuss and agree upon some criteria that your company should use to
screen new product and service concepts and to identify which ones to recommend to
senior management. Be prepared to listen to one or more concept presentations, ask
questions, and then to use your criteria to evaluate the concept(s).

Step 3: Pair up. As instructed by your lecturer/tutor, inventor and investor groups should
pair up. Inventors will now present their new concept, and investors will ask questions and
then use their criteria to rate the concept.

Step 4: Change roles. As time allows, your lecturer/tutor will rotate Inventor and Investor
pairings through a few rounds of concept presentation and investor evaluation.

Step 5: Debrief. Return to your original Inventor or Investor pair/group, and discuss your
experiences in this role-play. What are some of the challenges of playing this role? What
was it like to interact with the ‘other side’ of the presentation/evaluation process?

Step 6: Discuss challenges. As a class, discuss the challenges likely faced by companies
as they try to successfully manage innovation. Some items for discussion might include:

© Cengage Learning Australia 2016 212


McWilliams and Williams MGMT3 Instructor manual

a. What is the impact of an ‘evaluation/rating’ on the creative process?


b. Do you think that ‘inventor units’ (such as product development and R&D) and ‘investor
units’ (finance) often clash over new-product investment decisions? Why or why not?
c. What role might organisational culture (and subculture) play in the innovation and
investment processes?
d. How might managers support healthy innovation and wise investment?

© Cengage Learning Australia 2016 213


McWilliams and Williams MGMT3 Instructor manual

Instructor notes
Inventor or investor?
Purpose
This exercise is a basic simulation of the interaction between members of the same
organisation who occupy ‘inventor’ roles and those who occupy ‘investor’ roles. Although
organisations use cross-functional teams and other tools to help them synthesise invention
and investment perspectives, it is not uncommon to encounter groups of employees in the
same organisation who exhibit much greater loyalty to one or the other of these roles. In
such cases, the two groups may find it challenging to work collaboratively. The purpose of
this exercise is to help students feel this basic tension between inventor and investor, and
then to discuss its likely impacts on innovation and change.

Setting it up
No student preparation is necessary for this exercise. You may wish to ask students to scan
the website of a company similar to that described in the exercise – ’large clothing and
accessories company that targets university students’ – but this is entirely optional.
You should assign each student to either an inventor or investor pair (e.g. two students
as inventors) or small group (e.g. three students as investors). Make sure that you assign
equal numbers of pairs/small groups to each type, so that each inventor pair/group can work
directly with an investor pair/group. To speed things along, you may want to assign pairings
in advance (e.g. Pair 1: Investor group #1 and Inventor group #1; Pair 2: Investor group #2
and Inventor group #2).

In-class use
Encourage students in each condition to carefully read and follow the instructions in Steps 1
and 2. For example, Investors need to ‘discuss and agree upon some criteria that should be
used by your company to screen new product and service concepts’.
To streamline this exercise, no specific financial or manufacturing information is
included here. But you should encourage students to think about the types of issues that
might be important to people in their particular role and to discuss them in general terms. For
example, investors might be concerned about the complexity/difficult of a particular design.
Although students in the investor condition are not given manufacturing cost data, they
should feel free to use the rough proxy of ‘greater complexity/difficulty = higher costs’.
Students in the inventor condition likewise must work in the absence of sales data and
marketing research, but they should feel free to argue from observation and anecdotal
evidence in support of, say, a new and innovative backpack design.

© Cengage Learning Australia 2016 214


McWilliams and Williams MGMT3 Instructor manual

The aim of the exercise is to help students feel and experience the ‘mindset’ of
inventor and/or investor. Technical matters are of little or no importance to the success of the
exercise. Assumptions and evidence on particular technical points are only useful to the
degree that they support the aim of engaging students in the role that they are playing. As
mentioned in Step 4 of the exercise, you should rotate roles as time allows. Ideally each
student should have the opportunity to play each role at least once.
Class discussion items are included in Step 6. Question (a) is central to the problem of
inventor-investor tension. Evaluation/rating of new product concepts may be a useful tool for
making investment decisions. Ratings appear more objective than intuitive (‘gut feel’)
approaches. However, students who played the inventor roles should recognise the potential
chilling effect of such ratings. Inventors may learn to ‘play it safe’ by making incremental
improvements to established products.
The remaining questions (b–d) ask students to use their experience in the exercise to
explore some of the group and organisational dynamics surrounding innovation and
investment decisions. ‘Inventor’ units, such as a research and development lab, may
develop a sub-culture that rewards risk taking, meticulous scientific testing and independent
thinking. A corporate finance department, on the other hand, may develop a sub-culture
around such ‘investment’ elements as numbers-based decision-making, conservative profile
and checks-and-balances on judgment. Students may suggest a number of means for
supporting healthy innovation and wise investment (question d), including cross-functional
teams, matrix organisation, job rotation as well as fostering informal collaboration and
negotiation.

© Cengage Learning Australia 2016 215


McWilliams and Williams MGMT3 Instructor manual

Additional assignments and activities


Out-of-class project: ‘Shapes’. Assign students to create a unique geometric shape using
curved and straight lines. Lines should not intersect so that the shape’s interior space is
unbroken. The shape should not look like anything (bird, plane, tree, house, etc.) and should
be completely original. Have students bring shapes to class for critique.

In-class activity: ‘Creative learning environments’. Divide the class into small groups (4-5
students). Using the ‘creative work environment’ model in Figure 7.2, have each group come
up with ideas for each component of how innovation can occur in higher education. Students
should list ideas for: (1) how to make the work challenging; (2) organisational
encouragement; (3) supervisory encouragement; (4) work group encouragement; and (5)
freedom. They should also list what organisational impediments exist. The instructor may
adapt this exercise to how to make public education more creative.

‘Change and Civilisations’. Go to http://www.learner.org/interactives/collapse/ This is part


of a website maintained by Annenberg/CBP about why great civilisations collapse. Read the
story of one of the four great civilisations in this website. What can business corporations
learn from this experience? How does this relate to the business world? What would happen
to a business if it continued to ignore change?

‘Innovation in education’. Go to the website of Intel’s ‘Innovating in education’ at


http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/education/intel-in-education.html. What initiatives
has Intel started to promote innovation in education? What does innovation mean to Intel?
How will students benefit from this program? How will Intel benefit from this program?

‘Think tanks’. Go to the website of Teen Think Tanks at


http://teenthinktanks.info/Our_Mission.html. This organisation allows teens to brainstorm on
ideas of how to prevent school violence. Click to see the survey (take it, if you want), and
click to see other aspects of the website. How does this brainstorming organisation work?
What kind of technology does it use? How can the business world learn from such
techniques?

‘Change agents’. Go to the website of Patty Hathaway, ‘the change agent,’ at


http://www.thechangeagent.com./This is a commercial website that introduces Patty
Hathaway as a motivational speaker who can (for a fee) come to a company and help make
change work. What exactly does Ms. Hathaway do to accomplish this? What are her
qualifications? What are some the products and services she offers? Can an outside
consultant such as Patty really incite and implement change in an organisation? Why or why
not?

© Cengage Learning Australia 2016 216


McWilliams and Williams MGMT3 Instructor manual

‘High tech innovation’. Use the Internet to find high tech companies that are known for
innovation and change. What are the characteristics of these companies? What kinds of
products do they sell? What is their mission statement?

Out-of-class project: ‘Ideation’. Divide the class into small groups of three to four students
and give each group a bag of at least 10 disparate items (like the Inventables described in
the develop your career potential exercise on the CourseMate website). Things rescued from
the trash, like milk jugs and lids, toilet-paper tubes and broken mechanical items make good
resources. Also think of things like the items on this list:

Pipe cleaners Magnets Thumbtacks Milk-jug lids


Pom-poms Paper clips Empty cans Plastic chopsticks
String Floral wire Styrofoam Wooden blocks
balls/cubes
Fabric scraps Old stapler Keys Rubber bands, all
sizes
Binder clips Cardboard scraps Paper tubes Steel wool
Old kitchen utensils Q tips Tweezers Balloons
Unused/old CDs Plastic cups Dental floss Egg cartons
Screws, nuts, bolts, Old hand tools Paint sticks Marbles
washers
Funnels Plumbing supplies Happy Meal toys Any small, metal item

Charge each group with building something you specify, like a hat or a vehicle. Or, you
can tell groups that they need to first decide what they’ll build, and then actually do it.
Depending on your resources, consider giving a set of building materials to each student and
even inviting a professor from the industrial design department (if your university has an
engineering and/or design college) to visit your class that day to help with the activity. After
students have finished, let them present their design to the class. If time allows, let students
critique each design, making recommendations for improvement or refinement.

© Cengage Learning Australia 2016 217


McWilliams and Williams MGMT3 Instructor manual

Video activities
Title: Nathan Marston on innovation & creativity.
Location: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCArTQTR2No
Concept: Innovation.
Clip description: Organisations must be innovative in order to sustain their very existence.
Question for discussion: Why are innovation and continuous improvement critical for
organisations? Discuss.

Title: Steve Jobs talks about managing people.


Location: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f60dheI4ARg
Concept: Leadership, teamwork, middle-management.
Clip description: Steve Jobs discusses the management of Apple being underpinned by
ideas.
Question for discussion: Does organisational structure dictate management and/or
leadership? Discuss.

Title: Kodak files for bankruptcy – what went wrong and how can it survive?
Location: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZpIzStAfTw
Concept: Organisational decline: the risk of not changing.
Clip description: An analysis of the fall of Kodak.
Question for discussion: Kodak innovated and designed the digital camera, yet still failed.
Discuss.

Title: John Kotter - Resistance to Change.


Location: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wdroj6F3VlQ
Concept: Managing change.
Clip description: This clip provides a detailed explanation of resisting organisational
change.
Question for discussion: As a manager, how might you address resistance to
organisational change? Discuss.

© Cengage Learning Australia 2016 218


McWilliams and Williams MGMT3 Instructor manual

Review questions
1. What is the relationship between technology cycles and the S-curve pattern of
innovation?

Technology cycles typically follow an S-curve pattern of innovation. Early in the cycle,
technological progress is slow, and improvements in technological performance are
small. As a technology matures, however, performance improves quickly. Finally, as the
limits of a technology are reached, only small improvements occur. At this point,
significant improvements in performance must come from new technologies. In its
infancy, then, a new technology exists alongside the old technology until the point
occurs at which the new technology is accepted as dominant (i.e. obtains critical mass,
or clearly surpasses the older design in form or function).

2. Explain why innovation matters to companies?

It is obvious that technology is rapidly changing our lives. Products that we used
yesterday are obsolete today and in some cases not even available. Organisations that
do not keep pace with these changes are destined for failure. As Jack Welch said, ‘If the
rate of change outside the organisation is faster than the rate of change inside the
organisation, the end is in sight’.

3. Describe innovation streams.

Innovation streams are patterns of innovation over time that can create a sustainable
competitive advantage. The four stages of an innovation stream are:
• Technological discontinuity: scientific advance or unique combination of existing
technologies that creates a significant breakthrough in performance or function.
• Era of ferment: phase of a technology cycle characterised by technological
substitution and design competition.
• Dominant design: a new technological design or process that becomes the
accepted market standard.
• Incremental change: the phase of a technology cycle in which companies innovate
by lowering costs and improving the function and performance of the dominant
technological design.

4. How can companies create creative work environments?

Companies can use a variety of tools to fashion a creative work environment. First,
companies can provide their employees with challenging work that demands attention
and focus and is important to others. Managers can also foster creative work
environments by encouraging risk taking and new ideas and setting clear goals. Another
way to create creative work environments is by ensuring that work group members have

© Cengage Learning Australia 2016 219


McWilliams and Williams MGMT3 Instructor manual

a variety of experiences. Finally, when its employees have autonomy over one’s day-to-
day work, a company is more likely to experience the benefits of a creative environment.

5. What is the difference between incremental change and discontinuous change?

Technological discontinuities are followed by a discontinuous change, which is


characterised by technological substitution and design competition. Technological
substitution occurs when customers purchase new technologies to replace older
technologies. Discontinuous change is also characterised by design competition, in
which the old technology and several different new technologies compete to establish a
new technological standard or dominant design. Because of large investments in old
technology, and because new and old technologies are often incompatible with each
other, companies and consumers are reluctant to switch to a different technology during
design competition. At a certain point, a dominant design will emerge. That is, a specific
design becomes the accepted new market standard for technology. This can happen
because most people use the design (i.e. it has critical mass), or because it solves a
practical problem.
The emergence of a dominant design signals a shift from design experimentation
and competition to incremental change, a phase in which companies innovate by
lowering the cost and improving the function and performance of the dominant design.
This focus continues until the next technological discontinuity occurs.

6. Compare the experiential approach to managing innovation with the compression


approach.

The experiential approach to innovation assumes a highly uncertain environment and


uses intuition, flexible options and hands-on experience to reduce uncertainty and
accelerate learning and understanding.
The steps to the experiential approach are:
• Design iterations
• Testing
• Milestones
• Multifunctional teams
• Powerful leaders.
In contrast, the compression approach to innovation assumes that incremental
innovation can be planned using a series of steps, and that compressing those steps
can speed innovation. It is used in an environment that is certain when the firm has
entered an era of incremental change with established technology.
The steps to the compression approach are:
• Planning
• Supplier involvement

© Cengage Learning Australia 2016 220


McWilliams and Williams MGMT3 Instructor manual

• Shortening the time of the individual steps


• Overlapping steps
• Using multifunctional teams.

7. How do change forces work to bring about change? How do resistance forces
work against change forces?

According to social psychologist Kurt Lewin, change is a function of the forces that
promote change and the opposing forces that slow or resist change. Change forces lead
to differences in the form, quality or condition of an organisation over time. By contrast,
resistance forces support the status quo, that is, the existing conditions in organisations.
People resist change out of self-interest because they fear that change will cost or
deprive them of something they value. For example, resistance might stem from a fear
that the changes will result in a loss of pay, power, responsibility or even one’s job.
People also resist change because of misunderstanding and distrust; they don’t
understand the change or the reasons for it, or they distrust the people, typically
management, behind the change. Resistance may also come from a generally low
tolerance for change. Some people are simply less capable of handling change than
others. People with a low tolerance for change feel threatened by the uncertainty
associated with change and worry that they won’t be able to learn the new skills and
behaviours needed to successfully negotiate change in their companies.

8. How can companies manage resistance to change?

Employees might resist change because of self-interest, misunderstanding and distrust,


and a general intolerance for change. The five ways to manage resistance to change
are:
• Education and communication: When resistance is based on insufficient or
incorrect information, managers should educate employees and communicate
change-related information to them.
• Participation: When employees participate in planning and implementing the change
process, they are less likely to resist change because they are helping to create it.
• Negotiation: Employees that discuss and agree on who will do what after change
occurs are less likely to resist change.
• Top management support: Resistance to change will decrease if managers secure
the support of top management.
• Coercion: This is the last resort to manage resistance to change and should only be
used if a crisis exists or when all other methods have failed.

© Cengage Learning Australia 2016 221


McWilliams and Williams MGMT3 Instructor manual

9. What mistakes do managers commonly make when leading change?

The following are common errors made by managers when managing change: not
establishing a great enough sense of urgency; not creating a powerful enough coalition;
lacking a vision; not communicating the vision; not removing obstacles to the vision; not
systematically planning for and creating a series of short-term wins; declaring the win
too soon; and not basing the changes within the existing organisational culture.

10. List and describe the four main change tools and techniques.

Managers can use a number of change techniques. Results-driven change and the GE
workout to reduce resistance to change by getting change efforts off to a fast start.
Transition management teams, which manage a company’s change process, coordinate
change efforts throughout an organisation. Organisational development is a collection of
planned change interventions (large system, small group, person-focused), guided by a
change agent, that are designed to improve an organisation’s long-term health and
performance.

© Cengage Learning Australia 2016 222


Another random document with
no related content on Scribd:
Mismoedig en troosteloos het ek op die was wat ek opgemaak het,
gaan sit en die dag van my geboorte verwens. Ek kan nie onthou dat
ek al ooit van te vore so sleg gevoel het of so ontevrede met my lot
was nie. Meteens hoor ek voetstappe kort agter my. Ek draai my om
en kyk in die skelm oë van die man wat ek die allerminste sou
verlang het om te sien. Neef, ek moet erken dat al die onderdrukte
hartstogte van die laaste ag maande my in ’n oogwenk oormeester
het, en as daar ’n wapen op die oomblik binne my bereik was, sou
ek ’n moord begaan het. Ja, as Freek my ook in die minste
beledigend aangespreek het, soos hy in die laaste tyd nooit nagelaat
het om te doen nie, dan sou ek hom daar en dan op die plek verwurg
het. Begryp dus my verbasing toe hy ewe saggies—ten minste so
vals vleiend as hy kon—vir my goeiendag sê en na my welstand en
dié van tant Lenie verneem. Ek was so uit die veld geslaan dat ek
niks kon antwoord nie.
„Is dit nou weer een van Freek se skelmstreke? dog ek by myself,
en opnuut sien ek net rooi.
„‚Kyk hier, Freek, as jy weer gekom het om met my te spot en jou
in my ellende te verheug, dan hoe gouer jy jou pestelike
teenwoordigheid hier verwyder hoe beter, anders begaan ek so
waaragtig as wat ek lewe vandag ’n moord!’
„Maar Freek bly maar staan, en hoewel hy so effentjies bleker
word, gaan hy voort: ‚Nee, Omie, ek kom nie spot nie; ek kom
besigheid praat.’
„‚Besigheid!’ skree ek; ja neef, ek het nou nie meer gepraat nie.
‚Besigheid! Jou godvergete niksnuts! Praat jy van besigheid met my
wat jy tot die bedelaarstaf gebring het! ... Vrou!’ brul ek, en my stem
het vir my eie ore vreemd geklink, ‚Vrou, bring hier die roer; hier is ’n
duiwel en ek wil hom hel-toe stuur, waar hy tuis hoort!’
„Neef, ek wens jy kon Freek se gesig toe gesien het. Al die sluheid
het soos ’n toorslag daarvan verdwyn en plek gemaak vir bange
vrees. Die vent was op daardie oomblik nog afskuweliker as die
lelikste onder die beeste. Wat praat ek van beeste? Dis ’n belediging
vir die diere om die laagste onder hulle met so ’n skepsel te
vergelyk.
„Op hierdie moment verskyn my vrou op die toneel, anders huiwer
ek om te dink wat sou gebeur het. Jy weet sy het altyd ’n
kalmerende invloed op my, neef. Sy is ’n engel, neef, en sy hoort nie
op die aarde tuis nie. Ek wonder wat sy ooit in my kon gesien het om
met my te trou? Haar gelyke loop daar nie op hierdie wêreld rond
nie. Maar, neef, ek dwaal af van my storie. So gaan dit altyd as ek
van tant Lenie begin te praat. Jy weet, neef...”
„Ja, Oom, ek weet daar is maar net een tant Lenie op hierdie ou
aardbol. En wat maak Oom toe?”
„Toe maak ek niks, neef. Wat kon ek maak met daardie
verwytende blik van tant Lenie op my gerig? Soos ek reeds hierbo
opgemerk het, neef, is sy mos nie ’n gewone mens nie en....”
„Ja, Oom, sy is ’n engel. Maar wat het Freek toe gemaak?”
„Freek het ook niks gemaak nie, neef; hy het net sy droë lippe
natgelek en toe stamel hy voordat ek nog weer die woord kan kry:
‚Maar oom Piet, ek kom met Oom reëlinge tref oor die afbetaling van
die £1,500 wat ek aan Oom skuld!’
„Ek kon maar nog nie glo dat Freek dit opreg meen nie en wou net
vorentoe spring om hom aan sy strot te gryp, toe ek weer daardie
selfde verwytende blik van tant Lenie gewaar. Neef, het jy al ooit ’n
vrou met sulke oë gesien? Die diepte van die hemel en die teerheid
van...”
„Ja, Oom, dis waar. Tant Lenie het wonderlike oë, maar Oom het
laas opgehou by Freek se strot en die kontras tussen tant Lenie se
hemelse oë en....”
„Ja, neef, dis ook waar; ek dwaal alte maklik af as ek van tant
Lenie praat.”
„‚Gee vir Freek ’n kans om te sê wat hy te vertel het, en bedwing
jouself, Piet,’ sê tant Lenie op daardie sagte dog gebiedende toon
wat haar alleen eie is. Jy weet, neef, ek glo nie daar is nog ’n vrou
met so ’n stem soos tant Lenie nie. As sy praat dan....”
„Dan moet Oom stilbly. Maar het Freek toe besigheid gepraat?”
„Hy het, neef. Hy transporteer sy huisie, sy biljartkamer en sy kafè
op my naam, en boonop betaal hy my £500 kontant as ek wil afsien
van die £1,500 wat ek indertyd vir hom moes inbetaal en my mond
wil hou. Wat hy met die laaste sin bedoel, weet ek nie, want ek het
buitendien nooit oor hierdie ou transaksie gepraat nie. Maar ek het
darem belowe.
„Ek wou eers nie sy geld en goed vat nie, en was dit nie dat ek
voor my oë gesien het hoedat tant Lenie by die dag agteruit gaan
nie, dan het ek hom eerder by die gruisgat afgeskop. Maar die
gesondheid en die welstand van tant Lenie het die deurslag gegee
en ek het sy aanbod aanvaar.
„Maar, neef, weet jy miskien wat Freek beweeg het om dit te
doen? Dis opmerklik dat dit juis gebeur het op die dag van jou
besoek.” En hier kyk oom Pieter my so stip in die oë dat my gesig
amper die geheim verklap het.
„En wanneer is Freek dan toe weg van Kreepoort af?”
„Ek sal vertel, neef. Ja, die arme Freek het dit die laaste week
voor sy vertrek maar smoor gehad hier op die delwery. Het jy al
gehoor hoedat Jan Pieterse, sy voorman, hom deur-geloop het? Ek
het nie, sê jy. Maar man, dan was jy amper een van die beste
grappe kwyt wat hier ooit plaasgevind het... Het jy al ooit opgelet hoe
daar in party diere meer karakter sit as in ander van dieselfde soort?
Ek herinner my nog goed dat my pa twee osse gehad het: die een
was ’n skoorsoeker van die eerste water en baie parmantig, maar by
die werk het hy maar min beteken en het hy geen hart gehad nie,
terwyl die ander weer goed van geaardheid was en ’n baastrekker.
Jentelman was ’n vooros en, soos ek reeds aangemerk het, ’n
staatmaker. Net agter hom het Koerland getrek, wat dit nooit kon
nalaat om Jentelman net wanneer hy die kans kry ’n gevoelige stoot
met sy skerp horings te gee nie. In die veld het Jentelman gewoonlik
padgegee, maar in die juk was dit natuurlik buite die kwessie, en ek
het al die idee begin te kry dat die vooros maar ’n bangbroek was.
Op ’n goeie dag het ons gebraak en die osse het noustrop getrek.
Elke keer by die draai moes die arme Jentelman dit ontgeld en die
skerp horings van Koerland voel. Om twaalfuur word afgehak om die
osse ’n paar uur rus te gee. By so ’n geleentheid gee Jentelman
gewoonlik ver pad vir Koerland en gaan hy rustig op sy wei, maar
vandag kon ’n mens somar aan sy hele houding sien dat sy geduld
uitgeput was. Om ’n lang storie kort te maak: Koerland het die eerste
die beste kans gevat om Jentelman ’n gevoelige stoot in die ribbekas
te gee. En toe was die gort gaar. Jentelman spring om, en daar is die
twee diere aanmekaar. Koerland kon vir ’n maand lank nie ploeg trek
nie.
„Nou, neef, so wou ek maar sê is dit by die mens net soos by die
dier; en jy wat so baie met mense te doen het, sal dit wel self al
opgemerk het. Ek wou maar net duidelik gemaak het dat Jan
Pieterse my altyd aan Jentelman, en Freek Willemse my aan
Koerland laat dink het.
„Baiekeer as ek verby Willemse se kleim stap, het ek moes
aansien en aanhoor hoe Freek die arme Jan Pieterse boelie. Ek het
dié Jan bewonder vir sy geduld en verdraagsaamheid, maar in my
hart het ek hom tog as lafaard bestempel.
„Een agtermiddag moes ek daar weer verby en hoor hoe Freek die
arme Jan slegsê en uitvloek. Dit was net die dag na hy sy huisie en
die ander twee geboue op my getransporteer het. Jy weet mos hoe
praat Freek, nè, as die duiwel in hom gevaar het. Hy begin
daaronder in die diepte, en sy stem klim altoos hoër en hoër totdat
dit eindelik in ’n langgerekte gehuil—soos dié van ’n nadroejakkals—
wegsterf. Nie tevrede om Jan uit te maak vir alles wat laag en
gemeen is nie, en dit nogal in die teenwoordigheid van die kaffers,
spring hy naderhand af in die kleim waar Jan en die volk werk, en
gee sy voorman ’n raps met sy handsambok dwars oor sy kop. Neef,
glo my as ek jou sê, dit was weer ’n Jentelman en ’n Koerland wat ek
daaronder in die kleim sien, maar net baie komiekliker. In ’n kits het
Jan Pieterse die handsambok uit Freek se hand geruk en looi hy
Freek net so lustig as hy kon. Dit het Willemse nie verwag nie, en
soos ’n kat probeer hy by die kleim uitklouter sonder om hom in die
minste te versit. Jy weet die gruis hierlangs sit baie diep, nè. Elke
keer nes Freek amper bo is, gryp Jan hom aan die voet met die
linkerhand, en terwyl hy hom aftrek na onder, steek hy hom los met
die regterhand. Die kaffers skree dit uit van louter vreugde, en die
toeskouers, wat nou al aansienlik in getal aangegroei het, hou hulle
sye vas soos hulle lag. Dit was rêrig te komiek!
„Freek het die dag na die pak spoorloos verdwyn, en niemand
weet wat van hom geword het nie. En dit was ook maar die beste
wat hy kon gedoen het, want sy dae op Kreepoort was getel.
Buitendien glo ek dat die poliesie ook vir hom soek, want hulle vertel
dat hy ’n hele reeks misdade op sy kerfstok het. Maar neef, verveel
ek jou nie?”
„Nee, glad nie, Oom. Inteendeel, daar is nog iets wat ek darem
graag van Oom wil geweet het. Ek kon nie help om op te merk dat
Oom se taal nou heelwat.....”
„Sê maar gerus fatsoenliker,” val die oubaas my in die rede.
„Ja, Oom, fatsoenliker en beskaafder is as twee maande gelede.
Het Oom dan al so gou weer Oom se oordeel oor die Voorsienigheid
gewysig, en moet ek dit toeskrywe aan die meer gegoede
omstandighede waarin Oom nou verkeer?”
„Neef, ek het gehoop dat jy my hierdie verklaring sou spaar, want
ek praat liewers nie oor hierdie saak nie. Kyk, laat ek dan somar van
die staanspoor af sê dat ek my skaam dat ek my daardie dag so
vergeet het in jou teenwoordigheid. Maar neef, ek was in elk geval
eerlik en het toe gepraat soos ek in daardie dae gevoel het. Man, toe
die teenspoed my tref en ek in daardie ellende verkeer, het ek vir die
eerste keer besef hoe ’n skynheilige lewe ek van te vore gelei het. Al
my vroomheid was niks anders as selfbedrog gewees nie; en ek
bloos om dit te getuig, maar my ouderlingskap en huisgodsdiens en
gebede was alles skyn. Toe daardie mantel van geveinsdheid in die
diepte van my ellende van my afval, staan Piet Legransie in al sy
naaktheid daar, en toe sou ek eers besef hoe werklik bedorwe ek
was. Dit was net in daardie tyd wat jy my op die delwerye raak-
geloop het, en jy sal miskien nou beter my taal van toe kan verklaar.
Maar ek dwaal af. Kyk, ek wil nie ons kerk blameer nie, maar dit lyk
tog vir my of dit alte gemaklik is om lid te word of as ouderling en
diaken te dien. Ek glo ons Dominee noem die lede van my soort:
mooiweer-kristene, en hy is reg ook. Maar ek wonder tog of hy sou
weet hoeveel van my soort daar nog in sy kerk is?...
„Daardie aand na Freek Willemse weg is en ek as deur ’n wonder
uit my haglike toestand gered was, het tant Lenie met my gepraat
soos sy nog nooit van te vore gedoen het nie. Ek mag nie vertel wat
daar alles plaasgevind het nie, maar ek het my opnuut leer ken soos
ek is en nie soos ek graag in die oog van die wêreld wil lyk nie. En jy
weet, neef, dit beteken vir ’n mens al ontsaglik baie. Ek sien jy word
haastig. Met jou verlof sal ons hierdie saak nooit weer aanroer nie.”
By myself dink ek hoe goed dit sou wees as meer mense,
waaronder die skrywer, hierdie ware selfkennis besit.
„En gaan Oom nou vir altyd op die delwerye bly?”
„O nee, neef! Sodra ek ’n koper kan kry vir hierdie ongewenste
beslommering wat ek die trotse eienaar van is—met bytende
sarkasme uitgespreek—dan skud ek vir ewig die stof van die
delwerye van my voete af. Welgevonde is weer in die mark; ek hoor
die Bank wat dit destyds vir skuld moes inneem, wil graag die plaas
van die hand sit. Wie weet, moontlik heet ek jou nog aankomende
jaar welkom in die ou huis.”
INTELLIGENSIE-TOETSE.
I.
Die Afrikaners aap baie graag na. En meesal vergeet hulle om
eers te gaan sit en die koste te bereken. ’n Paar studente gaan
Duitsland-toe, kom as hooggeleerde doktore terug, vertel ons dat
ons hele opvoedkundige stelsel verkeerd is, en ons sê onmiddellik ja
en amen daarop. „In Duitsland maak hulle so en so en so, en ons
behoort dit hier ook te doen!” roep een van die intellektuele reuse, en
dadelik word deur die lengte en die breedte van die land deur middel
van die pers uitgebasuin dat al ons skole volgens Duitse model moet
ingerig word. Wie nie saamstem nie, word vir bekrompe en
ongeleerd uitgeskel. So was dit vanselewe toe ons ’n Skotse
onderwysstelsel ingevoer het, en so gaan dit vandag nog. In plaas
dat ons gaan sit en ’n suiwer Suid-Afrikaanse stelsel ontwerp wat
rekening hou met Suid-Afrikaanse toestande, neul ons aljimmers
met ingevoerde artiekels. In stede van Suid-Afrikaanse skoene te
dra, dwing ons ons voete om te groei volgens die formaat van
ingevoerde stewels. As ons streng eerlik met onsself wil wees, dan
sal ons moet erken dat ons patriotisme waarop ons kamtig so trots
is, dikwels selfbedrog is. Ons strewe na die vreemde en uitheemse
en jaag dit na asof ons hele saligheid daarvan afhang.
En so het ons eindelik tot die ontdekking gekom dat ’n mens die
kind se intellek kan meet! Dis nie juis ’n nuwe teorie nie, want iets
wat bestaan kan ’n mens meet, hoewel so ’n metery dikwels tot
absurde gevolgtrekkings lei. Die kopbeen van ’n idiotiese ou
Boesman word in Taungs per ongeluk opgegrawe, en nadat
sorgvuldige afmetings van die lengte, hoogte en breedte gemaak is,
beweer die een groot geleerde na die ander dat eindelik die skedel
van ons ou stamvaderlike aap ontdek is! O tempora! O mores!
So wou ek maar net gesê het dat dit miskien wel moontlik sal blyk
om die menslike verstand te meet, maar dan moet rekening gehou
word met baie meer omstandighede as wat nou gebeur. Dis mos tog
dwaasheid om te reken dat ’n stel intelligensie-toetse wat opgetrek is
vir ’n Johannesburgse seun, toepaslik sal wees om die verstand te
meet van ’n seun wat sy hele lewe op die delwerye geslyt het.
Onmoontlik sal dit seker nie blyk om intelligensie-toetse vir die
delwerskind op te stel nie, maar dan moet in gedagte gehou word al
die omstandighede wat op sy ontwikkeling ingewerk het: sy huislike
lewe, sy vermake, sy skool.
Maar nou kom een en ander van die jonger deskundiges vars uit
een van Amerika se uniwersiteite met ’n volledige stel intelligensie-
toetse volgens Terman, en kom pas dit somar onvervals toe op Suid-
Afrikaanse kinders, om uit te vind of die bloedjies hoër of laer staan
as hulle Amerikaanse nefies en niggies! ’n Ander bring weer die
Binet-toetse in sy hand-sakkie saam en verklaar met fronsende
voorhoof en treurige hoofskudding dat ons seuns en dogters agter is
vir hulle Europese boeties en sussies. ’n Derde gee Cyril Burt se
intelligensie-toetse netso onvervals en maak dan sy gevolgtrekkings!
As dit nie was dat die leser my miskien met Ananias sou
klassifiseer nie, dan het ek hier opgeteken ’n stel intelligensie-toetse
wat aan sekere skole in Transvaal gestuur is, met die versoek aan
die onderwyser om dit in sy klas af te neem. Die resultate moes
opgestuur word om te sien hoeveel normale kinders ons in hierdie
deel van die provinsie besit. Ek verstaan dat die uitslae uiters
teleurstellend was. En g’n wonder nie, want die meeste vrae was
absurditeite. Een toets moet tog aan die vergetelheid ontruk word,
en dis die volgende: „Wat sou jy doen as jy nog ’n hele ent van die
skool af is en die klok hoor lui?”
Nou glo ek dat dat die kind moes antwoord dat hy sou hardloop
dat die stof so staan om darem nog te trag om betyds te kom, maar
die delwerseun dink glad anders oor die saak, en hier volg enige van
die antwoorde:

(1) Ek sou ’n paar skrifte agter by my broek insteek.


(2) Ek sou omdraai en my pa gaan help.
(3) Ek sou sê my ma het my uitgestuur en dat ek moes wag.
(4) Ek sou sweer dat ek ons donkies moes gaan keer.
(5) Ons skool het nie ’n klok nie; Meester blaas op ’n fluitjie.
(6) Ons sou nie die klok hoor nie; ons donkiekar raas te baie.

Geeneen van die voorgaande antwoorde het enige punte behaal


nie! Die opsteller was verbaas oor die onbegaafdheid van Kreepoort
se delwerskinders!

II.

„Hoogsbenoke,
14 Junie 1925.
Mnr.............,
Skoolinspekteur,
Smartendal.
Die outoriteite het my verlof gegee om die intelligensie van
sekere delwerskinders in u kring te kom meet, en my gevra
om sake verder met u te reël. Sal u tog so goed wees om my
per ommegaande te laat weet watter dae vir u gerieflik sal
wees, en of u my sal vergesel?
(Get.) D. E. M. Fohl, Ph. D.,
ens., ens., ens.”

Die voorgaande brief het ek beleef beantwoord en die geleerde


heer laat weet dat hy baie welkom sou wees op Smartendal op die
28ste Junie en volgende dae. Ek sou met hom saamgaan om
meteen ook te kan profiteer van sy ondervinding en kennis op die
gebied van die intelleksbepaling.
Die 28ste Junie het eindelik aangebreek, en om neënuur stap dr.
Fohl by my kantoordeur in. ’n Mens moes hom van naby sien om sy
persoon behoorlik te kan appresieer! Sy hele voorkome het jou
onwillekeurig aan ’n ontvlugte kranksinnige herinner. Sy oë staan
verwild in sy kop; sy hare—en die vent het ’n vreeslike bossiekop
gehad, netsoos die meeste mal mense het—is ongekam. Daarby dra
hy ’n groot skilpadbril, wat nie juis sy uiterlik verbeter het nie. Hy stap
so vinnig op my af dat ek begin bang word het dat hy dwars oor my
sou struikel.
„Môre!” sê hy, „is jy die skoolinspekteur?” met die nadruk op die jy.
„Goeiemôre,” antwoord ek, „en wie is u?” met die nadruk op die u.
„Wat!” roep hy, „meen jy te sê jy ken nie vir my nie?”
„Nee,” antwoord ek ewe bedees, want miskien had ek te doen met
’n seur of ’n graaf of so iets, „ek ken u nie.”
„Ek is dr. Fohl. Het jy nog nooit van my gehoor nie?”
„Dit spyt my om u teleur te stel; glad nie. Ek het nog net eenmaal
van u gehoor en dit was toe ek u brief ontvang het.”
„Dis snaaks, want op die Rand is ek welbekend; ek wou amper sê
beroemd. My portret was in byna al die dagblaaie.”
„Bedoel u onder die advertensies van De Wit se pille of Moeder
Seigel’s stroop?” vra ek ewe onskuldig.
Dit was die moeite werd om die kêrel se gesig te sien. Ek dag hy
sou ’n oorval kry.
„Probeer jy om snaaks te wees, of is dit maar net wat ’n mens te
wagte moet wees van julle buite-inspekteurs?” voeg hy my bits toe.
Sonder om op sy woorde ag te slaan, vat ek my hoed en my jas,
stap na die moter toe, maak die deurtjie oop vir hom en klim self in.
„Ons sal maar met die grootste skool begin,” sê ek, „en dan sal u
self kan oordeel of dit die moeite werd sal wees om met die toetse
voort te gaan.”
Ons het ’n rit van ’n goeie twintig myl voor gehad, en ’n hele ruk
het hy stil gesit sonder om sy mond oop te maak, en ek het hom nie
gestoor nie. Maar eindelik het die stilswye hom begin te verveel.
„Hou jy nog jou inspeksie op die ouderwetse manier?” vra hy.
„Ek weet nie reg wat u bedoel nie,” sê ek.
„Stel jy jou vrae om die kinders se kennis te toets, of probeer jy om
daardeur hulle intelligensie te bepaal?” gaan hy voort.
„Albei,” was my antwoord, „want dis nog al taamlik moeilik om
altyd juis die lyn te trek tussen kennis en intelligensie.”
„Nonsens,” sê hy met soveel nadruk dat ek byna in ’n sloot ry met
die moter. „Nonsens! Dis gemaklik, en as jy dit nog nie kan doen nie,
dan behoort jy nie inspekteur van onderwys te wees nie.”
Ek was egter nie uit die veld geslaan nie.
„Neem nou die geval van my eie seuntjie van vyf jaar,” gaan ek
voort, „as jy vir hom moes vra hoekom ’n voëltjie, hoewel hy
swaarder weeg as lug, nie grond-toe val as hy vlie nie, dan sal hy jou
dadelik die antwoord kan gee. Hoekom? Omdat sy boetie wat
veertien jaar oud is, baie belangstel in vliegtuie en hy van hom
geleer het wat dinamiese krag beteken. Die toepassing op die vlie
van die voëltjie doen hy self. Sou jy in hierdie geval die vraag beskou
as ’n toets vir sy intelligensie, of van sy kennis? Jy sal my seker wil
gewonne gee as ek sê dat dit moeilik is om hier ’n definitiewe lyn te
trek tussen sy intelligensie en sy kennis. Verder is dit duidelik dat die
meeste kinders van sy leeftyd die vraag nie sou kan beantwoord nie,
tensy hulle ook boeties het om hulle op dié punt in te lig.”
Maar dr. Fohl het my met minagtende stilswye bejeën en iets
binnensmonds gemompel wat baie soos sy naam met die voorletters
geklink het.
Die twintig myl was tog eindelik op ’n end, en ons hou voor die
skool stil. Nog nooit het my die pad so lank gelyk nie.
Die nuus van die hooggeleerde dokter wat ’n kind se verstand kan
meet, het ons vooruit-gesnel; en toe ons by die skool stilhou, was
daar ’n hele klomp delwers met vrouens en kinders, en die
skoolkommissie was ook voltallig. Almal het gekom om die
wonderdokter te sien.
By die afklim storm almal op ons toe.
„Sal die dokter tog nie vir my vrou iets gee nie; sy ly so aan die
asma?” vra een hier agter my, en dit het my ’n geruime tyd geneem
om die goeie mense dit aan die verstand te bring dat ons geleerde
vriend nie ’n medisynmeester is nie, maar wel ’n verstandsmeter.
„’n Landmeter ken ons,” sê een van die ouers, „maar ’n
verstandsmeter het ons nog nooit van gehoor nie. En hoe gaan hy
miskien ’n kind se verstand meet? Dis mos ’n ongehoorde iets.”
„Kyk, Oom,” sê ek aan die voorsitter van die skoolkommissie, „dit
sal beste wees dat die skoolkommissie die toetse bywoon, dan kan
die lede vir hulleself oordeel. Maar versoek tog asseblief die ander
vriende om te vertrek. Hulle sal môre kan verneem hoe dit met die
geestes-gawes van hulle kinders gesteld is.”
Hierdie suggestie het byval gevind en die ouers het vertrek.

III.
Aan die gesigte van die skoolkommissie kon ek sien dat hul nou
iets wonderliks verwag. Wat vir toormiddels gaan die kêrel gebruik?
„Seker so ’n dingetjie soos die dokters gebruik om te hoor of ’n mens
hartkloppens het,” fluister een.
„Nee wat,” waag ’n ander, „hulle sê hy kyk somar binne in ’n kind
se kop met daardie groot bril van hom.”
Soortgelyke en nog heelwat minder vleiende opmerkings van die
kant van die skoolkommissie-lede het ek opgevang.
Nou neem die toetsery ’n aanvang. Elke leerling kry ’n papiertjie
waarop tien vrae gedruk is, en hierdie tien vrae moes in seker
bepaalde tyd beantwoord word. Volgens die antwoorde word dan die
kind se intelligensie bepaal.
Hier volg enige van die toetse vir kinders van elf jaar:
(1) Jan val van sy fiets af en is bewusteloos. Hy stap na die dokter
vir hulp.
Wat is verkeerd met hierdie voorval?
(2) Eendag het die poliesie die lyk van ’n arme kind by die spruit
gekry. Die liggaam was in 18 stukke opgesny. Die hoofkonstabel
reken dat die kind selfmoord gepleeg het.
Is dit moontlik?
(3) Ek het drie broers: Jan, Piet en ek.
Sou jy dit netso gesê het?
(4) Gister het daar ’n treinongeluk gebeur en vyftig mense het
verongeluk. Die koerante sê dis gelukkig nie so danig ernstig nie.
Is die koerante reg?
(5) As iemand jou opienie vra oor ’n seun of dogter wat jy nie goed
ken nie, wat sou jy antwoord?
(6) Veronderstel dat jy iets moet onderneem wat baie belangrik is,
wat sou jy heel eerste doen?
(7) Waarom moet ’n mens iemand oordeel by wat hy doen en nie
by wat hy sê hy sal doen nie?
(8) In julle skool speel een-derde van die kinders voetbal en een-
derde speel krieket. Is daar nou kinders wat nòg die een nòg die
ander speel? Is daar kinders wat albei speel?
(9) Aalwyn en rubber groei in warm landstreke. Gras en
heiblommetjies groei in kouer landstreke. Heiblomme en rubber wil
klam grond hê; gras en aalwyn wil nie alte baie nattigheid hê nie. By
die Amasonerivier is dit baie warm en baie nat. Watter van die
voormelde plante sou daar groei?
(10) C lê wes van B; B lê wes van A. Lê A nou noord, suid, oos of
wes van C?
Of die voorgaande toetse, wat, tussen hakies gesê, almal dié van
Burt is, afdoende is om die intellek van ’n kind van elf jaar te bepaal,
laat ek aan die gesonde verstand van die leser oor. Ek wil in die
meriete van die saak nie juis ingaan nie. Persoonlik egter is ek die
mening toegedaan dat sulke vrae op hulself nie baie opvoedkundige
waarde besit nie, en glad nie daarop berekend is om uit te vind wie
die slimste kind in die klas is nie, nog minder help om juis die
elfjarige leerling se verstand te bepaal nie. Ek het dan ook al gesien
dat ’n hele paar seuns van nege jaar die elfjarige toetse baie beter
gedoen het as dié wat vir kinders van hulle eie leeftyd bedoel was.
Die uitdrukking op die voorsitter se gesig toe hy die verskillende
kaartjies in die hand neem en deurkyk, was die moeite werd om te
sien. Ek kon my moeilik bedwing. Maar toe hy hoor dat sy Jannie
skaars drie uit die tien toetse reg beantwoord het volgens dr. Fohl se
vereistes, was die gort gaar.
„Mag ek sien wat Jannie oor jou verspotte vrae te sê het?” vra hy
verstoord aan die geleerde dokter.
„Seker,” was die antwoord, „dan sal u miskien meteen ’n besef kry
van u eie kapasiteit.”
„Wat meen die vent?” vra die voorsitter, en ek kon sien dat sy oë
blits.
Hier tree ek tussenbei.
„Wag laat ons sien hoe Jannie die vrae beantwoord het,” val ek
hulle in die rede. „Ek sal een vir een vraag en antwoord aflees, en
dan kan die dokter sê of hy dit goed- of afkeur.”
Met hierdie suggestie was almal tevrede, en toe begin ek af te
lees:
Vraag: (1) Jan val van sy fiets af en is bewusteloos. Hy stap na die
dokter vir hulp. Wat is hiermee verkeerd?
Antwoord van Jannie: Die een wat dit vertel het, lieg dat hy so
bars.
Vraag: (2) Eendag het die poliesie die lyk van ’n arme kind by die
spruit gekry. Die liggaam was in 18 stukke opgesny. Die
hoofkonstabel reken dat die kind selfmoord gepleeg het. Is dit
moontlik?
Antwoord van Jannie: ’n Poliesman wat so onnosel is, behoort uit
die diens ontslaan te word. „Hoor! Hoor!” uit die mond van die
kommissielede.
Vraag: (3) Ek het drie broers: Jan, Piet en ek. Sou jy dit netso
gesê het?
Antwoord van Jannie: Natuurlik nie. Wie tel homself dan as ’n
broer?
Vraag: (4) Gister het daar ’n treinongeluk gebeur en vyftig mense
het verongeluk. Die koerante sê dis gelukkig nie so danig erg nie. Is
die koerante reg?
Antwoord van Jannie: Dit hang alles daarvan af wie in die trein
was. As dit kaffers of koelies of onderwysers was, dan is die
koerante reg, anders is hulle verkeerd.
Vraag: (5) As iemand jou opienie vra oor ’n seun of dogter wat jy
nie goed ken nie, wat sou jy antwoord?
Antwoord van Jannie: Ek is nie so slim soos dr. Fohl nie, wat ’n
hele boel kinders kom beoordeel wat hy vandag vir die eerste keer
sien.
Vraag: (6) Veronderstel dat jy iets moet onderneem wat baie
belangrik is, wat sou jy heel eerste doen?
Antwoord van Jannie: Ek sou my pa eers raadpleeg. „Hoor! hoor!”
van die voorsitter, en in sy hele houding is vaderlike trots te lees.
Vraag: (7) Waarom moet ’n mens iemand oordeel by wat hy doen
en nie by wat hy sê hy sal doen nie?
Antwoord van Jannie: Omdat jy anders maklik gekul sal raak.
Vraag: (8) In julle skool speel een-derde van die kinders voetbal
en een-derde speel krieket. Is daar nou kinders wat nòg die een nòg
die ander speel? Is daar kinders wat albei speel?
Antwoord van Jannie: Ek weet nie. Ons speel net voetbal en
albaster, en die meisies spring toutjie of speel hasie.
Vraag: (9) Aalwyn en rubber groei in warm landstreke. Gras en
heiblommetjies groei in koue landstreke. Heiblomme en rubber wil
klam grond hê; gras en aalwyn wil nie alte baie nattigheid hê nie. By
die Amasonerivier is dit baie warm en baie nat. Watter van die
voormelde plante sou daar groei?
Antwoord van Jannie: Rubber, maar daar sal wel gras en onkruid
ook groei.
Vraag: (10) C lê wes van B; B lê wes van A. Lê A nou noord, suid,
wes of oos van C?
Antwoord van Jannie: Oos.
„Wat sê u, Dokter, het die seun net drie antwoorde reg?” vra
Jannie se trotse vader.
„Ja,” brom dr. Fohl, „en sy intellek is dié van ’n sesjarige seun. Hy
aard waarskynlik na sy vader.”
Hier moes ek opnuut die vrede herstel.
„Sal ons nie liewers nou maar ry nie, Dokter?” vra ek. „Dit word
laat en u kan vanaand die resultate op u gemak uitwerk, en dan
môre vir my laat weet hoe dit met die delwerskinders se
verstandsvermoë gesteld is.”
„Dis nie eers nodig om dit uit te werk nie,” antwoord dr. Fohl. „Daar
is byna g’n enkel kind in hierdie skool wat normaal is nie. Feitlik
almal is onder normaal.”
„Maar as dit werklik die geval is, dan is u toetse onbevredigend.
Ek laat my nog nooit vertel dat onder honderd en tien kinders daar
skaars ’n dosyn volgens u berekening normaal is nie! U moet vir die
delweryskole ’n stel toetse optrek wat rekening hou met hierdie soort
kind se omgewing, ontwikkeling, ondervinding en huislike
omstandighede. Die resultate bewys dat u intelligensie-toetse nie
doelmatig is nie!”
Dog die dokter wou my kant van die saak maar nie insien nie.
Ons was dan ook al so goed as in die moter, toe die voorsitter, wat
vir die laaste paar minute in druk gesprek was met ’n paar lede van
die skoolkommissie, vorentoe tree.
„Mag ek die dokter vra of hy gewillig is om homself te onderwerp
aan seker toetse wat ons hom sal stel? Ons wil graag sien of sy
groot intellek meetbaar is. Dis nie aldag wat ons sulke geleerde
manne in ons midde kry nie.”
As ek in die dokter se plek was, dan sou ek hartlik vir die
eksamentjie bedank het, maar ek het verwag dat hy hom die toetse
sou laat welgeval. Was die kêrel ’n bietjie minder verwaand gewees
en het hy die delwer beter geken, dan sou hy die versoek geweier
het, maar nou loop hy in die val netsoos beer by jakkals.
„Seker, alte seker, oubaas,” sê hy, „maar maak net gou, want ons
is haastig.”
„Ek sal nie lank draai nie, Dokter. En as jy die volgende vrae tot
ons bevrediging beantwoord, dan is jy werklik so slim soos jy dink
dat jy is.”
Vraag (1): Hoe moet gravel lyk om ’n goeie was te gee?
Vraag (2): Hoe sal jy uitvind of jou masien diamonds weggooi?
Vraag (3): Hoe moet die porrel lyk?
Vraag (4): Wat is meer werd: ’n bruin diamond of ’n swarte?
Vraag (5): Hulle beweer dat die diamonds hier spoeldiamonds is.
As dit so is, hoe kom hulle hier tussen die gravel op die bult?
Op versoek van die voorsitter het ek die vrae afgeskrywe en die
papier toe aan dr. Fohl oorhandig.
„Kyk,” gaan die voorsitter verder, „jy kry twee minute om ’n vraag
te beantwoord.”
„Maar is jy ernstig?” vra dr. Fohl half-verleë:
„Dood-ernstig,” herneem die voorsitter.
„Maar wat weet ek van gravel en porrel en wat dies meer sy af; ek
is mos nie ’n delwer nie,” vervolg dr. Fohl.
„Nou ja, maar sê dan reguit of jy die vrae kan beantwoord of nie!”
gaan die voorsitter voort.
„Ek kan nie,” beken dr. Fohl.
„Maar Jannie van my kan wel,” sê die voorsitter. „Volgens jou
uitspraak is sy intellek dié van ’n kind van ses. Nou ja, dr. Fohl,
volgens my oordeel en dié van my kommissie is jou verstand dié van
’n kind onder ses, en ek sou aan die hand gee dat jy eers ’n tydjie op
die delwerye kom deurbring voordat jy dit waag om weer toetse vir
ons kinders te kom stel.”
Na hierdie woorde draai hy sy rug op die dokter, gee my sy hand
en vertrek met die lede van sy skoolkommissie.
Op pad huis-toe wou ek weet of ons die ander-dag met die
intelligensie-toetse sou voortgaan, maar dr. Fohl het my ’n antwoord
skuldig gebly.
Dieselfde aand is hy met die tienuur-trein weg R.-toe.
„GETREP.”
Daar gaan baie oneerlikheid aan op die delwerye, en etlike
delwers vergaan van ellende omdat die diamante wat op hulle kleims
gekry word, in die besit kom van gewetelose persone wat maar alte
gereed is om op onwettige wyse hierdie kosbare steentjies van
kaffers te koop. En dis nie so danig maklik om die kaffer of die
onwettige koper te vang nie. Hulle is uiters geslepe en slimmer as
die houtjie aan die galg.
Om ’n halfdosyn of meer kaffers wat onder in ’n kleim werk, dop te
hou om te voorkom dat hulle stilletjies ’n diamant oppik, is nie
kinderspeletjies nie. Persoonlik wou ek nooit glo dat ’n kaffer my so
onder my oë sou fop nie, en het dan ook hierdie mening aan meer
as een delwer vry uitgespreek.
„Nou goed,” sê ’n ou delwer eendag aan my, „kom saam na my
kleim toe, en dan sal u self kan oordeel of ons delwers die kaffer se
gladheid om ’n diamant te steel oordrywe het.”
Ek het sy aanbod gewillig aanvaar, en net vir gou staan ons by sy
kleim waarin sowat sewe kaffers besig was om gruis los te kap.
„Swartbooi,” sê my vriend (wat onder die delwers bekend gestaan
het as Koos Blikkies) aan sy mandoor onder die skepsels, „hierdie
baas wil nie vir my glo as ek hom vertel dat julle kaffers ’n diamant
onder sy neus sal wegsteel sonder dat hy dit sal bemerk nie. Nou wil
ek net vir hom wys hoe maklik julle dit kan doen.”
„Goed, my baas,” antwoord Swartbooi. „Gooi maar daardie ses-
carat wat ons gister gekry het, hier in die kleim voor my neer. Laat
hierdie baas dan al die tyd vir my in die gate hou, en as die steentjie
wegraak, dan moet die baas hom maar betaal. Hy is mos so seker
van sy saak.”
„Ek is heeltemal tevrede,” sê ek, „maar as ek vir Swartbooi betrap
dat hy die diamant vat, dan kry hy ses houe met hierdie
handsambok.”
Swartbooi gee so ’n lang pruimspuug, en terwyl al sy van die twak
geelgekleurde tande wys, sê hy laggend: „Allright!”
My selfvertroue het my nou ’n bietjie begewe, want ’n kaffer
beklink nie somar gou so ’n kontrak nie, of hy moet absoluut seker
wees van sy saak. Maar die feit dat ek net die één skepsel, wat g’n
drie tree van my af gruis kap nie, moes dophou, het my soveel
vertroue in myself gegee dat ek my pyp stop en op my gemak gaan
sit en rook het op die kant van die kleim.
„Nou toe,” voeg ek Koos Blikkies toe, „plaas nou maar die diamant
net waar jy wil, solank as ek net die steentjie kan sien, en as
Swartbooi hom wegvat sonder dat ek hom betrap, dan eet ek nog
my hoed op die koop toe ook op.”
Koos Blikkies het die diamant onder in die kleim neergesit, omtrent
twee tree van my en sowat ’n tree van Swartbooi af, en toe vir my
gewaarsku om baie oplettend te wees. Hy sou my ’n halfuur tyd gee;
as die diamant dan nog daar was, of as ek die kaffer gevang het,
dan het ek gewen. Met ’n laaste vermaning aan my om die skepsel
dubbel goed dop te hou, het hy vertrek.
Binne ’n kwartier het die diamant spoorloos verdwyn. Ek kon
sweer dat ek vir g’n enkel oomblik my oë van die klippie af
weggeneem het nie, en tog ... dit was weg! Onder die stof kon dit nie
wees nie, want dit het onder op die harde bodem gelê en die volk het
aan die ander kant van die kleim gewerk, en dan? ek het die ding
nog so flussies daar gesien.
Ek vrywe my oë en kyk weer.
„Waar is die diamant, Swartbooi?” vra ek.
„Ek weet nie; die baas hy het hom mos opgepas,” antwoord die
skepsel, en om sy mond sweef daar ’n trek van diepe minagting vir
my oplettendheid.
„Maar wat het dan van die ding geword?” vra ek weer, en in my
verbeelding sien ek reeds hoe ek £150 vir Koos Blikkies moet betaal,
en geld was in daardie dae nie juis alte volop by my nie.

You might also like