BUS603: Managing People

In early 1980 the brutal Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia had just been defeated at the end of many years of fighting, and several hundred thousand Cambodian refugees flooded hastily-constructed camps in eastern Thailand. Many Americans became concerned about the suffering in the refugee camps, and a group of 25 graduate students in Vermont studying international administration nearly played a direct role in the situation because their program's director was willing to speak out as a deviate.

The students were seated in a circle one morning, engaged in a discussion about human service agencies. One of them noticed that the director of the program, Walter Johnson, had been silent for some time and asked, "Walter, what do you think?"

Walter took a deep breath and replied, "I think what we're talking about is all well and good, but what I'd really like to do is call a colleague of mine at the U.N. and see if we could help the Cambodian refugees in those horrible camps in Thailand".

A stunned silence fell over the group. Someone asked, "Are you serious?"

Walter replied, "Yes, I am".

Silence returned. Finally, one of the students said, "Walter, if you believe what you're saying, go ahead and talk to your friend".

Walter left the room and returned in half an hour to say that his U.N. colleague was willing to investigate humanitarian service options in Thailand for the students. The challenge, then, was to explore whether the students themselves would consider performing such service.

For the next two days, the whole group engaged in difficult, soul-searching discussions about what it would mean for them to go to Thailand. They quickly realized that if they made that choice they would have to abandon their curriculum at the school and might imperil their financial aid. Some of them would probably have to leave a spouse or children behind. And they might be putting themselves in danger of disease or violence. On the other hand, they could potentially be able to act according to their shared ideal of contributing to world peace in a personal, direct, and powerful manner.

Ultimately, the group realized that it was facing an "all or none" question: either every one of them would have to agree to travel to Thailand, or none of them should. Walter's role as a constructive deviate in the Vermont group stimulated it to consider an option - the "go to Thailand option" - which in turn spurred earnest and productive conflict which most likely would not otherwise have taken place.