The necessity of driving to abilene
James A Wilson; Michelle Harrison
Organization Development Journal; Summer 2001; 19, 2; ABI/INFORM Global pg. 99

ORGANIZATION DEVELOPMENT JOURNAL
THE NECESSITY OF DRIVING TO ABILENE

James A. Wilson, PhD, RODe,
University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvannia
The Katz Graduate School of Business
412 South 5th Avenue
Highland Park, New Jersey 08904 jawilson@katz.pitt.edu Michelle Harrison, M.D., Clinical Associate Professor of Family Medicine
University of Medicine and Denistry of New Jersey

On a dry, hot, 104-degree July

use well before

1988

when

day in Coleman, Texas, Jerry B.

Harvey's book was published,

Harvey, author of

having been used in business

The A bilene
Paradox and Other Meditations on
Mana gement (1988), found himself, his in-laws, and his wife driving 106 miles to Abilene to eat

school classes and executive workshops. It was published

earlier in Organizational
Dynamics (1977) and had attracted

at a cafeteria with unpalatable

considerable a ttention if not

food, and then back to Coleman.

respect among some professors

Before driving off, all had been

and industrial consultants. Abilene

fairly comfortable in spite of the

reinforced system four, open

heat, playing dominoes on a

systems kinds of theory and was

screened porch, fan blowing, and

sometimes coupled with the Johari

drinking iced lemonade.

window. All of these speak to the

No one wanted to go, but no

benefits, if not the necessity of,

one spoke up when Harv ey's

combating hierarchical total

father-in-law (who worried that the

systems, with trust, openness,

others were bored) suggested they

sharing,

go.

feedback.

Upon returning home, each

admitted to having given in to the wishes of the other three. One and

self- disclosure

and

This is virtual revolution in pyramidal, hierarchical,

and

all, they had not wanted to leave

authoritarian

the back porch, fan, lemonade, and

Harvey does not suggest that all of

organizations.

dominoes to drive to Abilene. Yet,

us begin simply telling the truth,

all of them had been to Abilene.

self-disclosing, and giving honest

Harvey describes the Abilene

feedback, which would be personal

Paradox as an

inability to manage

and organizational suicide. Rather,

agreement. The implication of the

h e argues that processes of

Abilene Paradox is that when

openness and trust be safely built

people express what they really

into

believe and truly want, the family

organizations

and the organization's purposes

communications to the top side, as

can be met.

well as "downwards" for benefits

The Abilene metaphor was in

VOLUME 19

•

NUMBER 2

•

corporate

and

other

to

open

to the organization and persons.

SUMMER 2001

Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

99

ORGANIZATION DEVELOPMENT JOURNAL
The theory, which is "T-Group"

last post-Deming years have some

organization development field

corporations

other

and

based, is that if organizations have

organizations realized that the

free access to all the information

organization must be interested

encased in their system, decisions

and engaged in furthering the aims,

will improve; responsibility will be

purposes, and

needs

of

the

driven downwards parsimoniously

individual employee if mutual

to those persons most capable of

goals are to be achieved.

dealing with a problem or an

management relevance, the issues

opportunity; trust and creativity

redound to problems with power,

and satisfaction will increase; and

risk and hierarchy vs. openness and

controls

will

necessary organization r esponsive,

less

trust. How can safety and trust be

whole

established when ultimate power

more

rests at the top of a bureaucracy

autotelic.

with hierarchical stops in between,

become

as

As to

the

becomes more Effecting these changes requires

all of whom have the power to hire

training

readings,

and fire? Harvey is clear as to the

building,

risk, "One of the i s sues 1' ve

legitimization and role modeling

constantly stressed is that risk

sessions,

extensive

team

from the top, not to mention a

taking may not pay off - that you

major shift of corporate culture and

must be willing to accept the

philosophy.

possibility o f a bullet in the

Heroic processes are required

Heroic processes are required to dismantle or blur organizational power and to redistribute information and responsibility downwards. stomach

( "The

Gunsmoke

to dismantle or blur organizational

Phenomenon") to cope with the

power

Paradox. " ( Harvey, personal

and

to

redistribute

information and responsibility

communication, March

process

inherent

the

when one doesn't want a flawed

sharing,

product to reach the market? What

in

Participation, Gain

9, 1993)

Does one cite the Abilene trip

downwards - an empowering

"Japanese Management Style,"

of a product being developed

Total Quality Management, and

where safety is compromised for

Co-Determination schemes which

profit? At this level, the Abilene

now are both accepted by some and

story is profound because it

fearfully considered by those who

explains the inability of the

have yet to embrace that which is

participants to speak the truth when

a major paradigm shift in the

faced with policies they did not

philosophy of management.

design or support.

This somewhat idealistic and optimistic view of organizations

Truth telling

becomes confused with disloyalty and even

betrayal

when

it

r e quires that truth telling is

confronts the next hierarchical

welcomed and will pay off,

level.
A person experiencing this

specifically that you won't be fired before the

r esults

of

your

conflict of personal truth and

suggestion can be attempted or

organizational falsehood may be

achieved.

left with ethical and emotional

It also implies that

within an organization, the aim of

shame, guilt, and even moral

purposes of the company as they

failure for not having acted upon

further hislher own.

100

challenges related to self-betrayal,

every individual is to further the

his

Only in the

VOLUME 19

•

or

her

appraisal

NUMBER 2

Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

•

of

the

SUMMER 2001

ORGANIZATION DEVELOPMENT JOURNAL organizational reality.

interviews across and up

Individuals, families, and

the organization and does

organizations frequently think or

a "diagnostic study,"

preach one way and behave

"needs analysis" or

another. The Watergate scandal is a prime example. Harvey

(1988,

"climate survey," etc.
•

response to a question during

Questionnaires can be sent and returned to mail drops.

p.27) speaks to Jeb Magruder's
•

congressional hearings following

Task forces can be established to investigate

the Watergate cover-up:

contingencies.

If you were concerned because

•

Hot lines and suggestions

the action known to you to be

boxes, if truly anonymous,

illegal, because you thought it

can serve to inform

improper or unethical, you thought

management, as do "straw­

the prospects for success were very

votes" when appropriate.

meager, and you doubted the

•

Mock trials of protagonists

reliability of Mr. Liddy, what on

and their ideas are useful

earth would it have taken to decide

and dramatic when used in

against the plan?

safe and accepting settings.

(Magruder): Not very much, sir. I am sure that if I had fought vigorously against it, I think any of us could have had the plan canceled. During an Executive MBA

If it is accepted that Abilene

course, one of the authors once put Andrew Carnegie on trial for his role in the
Homestead Strike
(Pittsburgh, PA) riots and

can be disastrous, how can these

killing of workers by the

trips be avoided?

Pinkertons in

Avoiding Abilene requires taking the risk out of risk-taking;

Assume the "typical" North
American or Western European

1886.

After

the ensuing objective and sometimes-impassioned o rganization that has not yet

litigation by graduate

reached "system-two" status.

students over two days, the

Avoiding Abilene requires taking

jury found him guilty of

the

"murderous indifference,

risk

out

of

risk-taking;

removing the personal risk by use

greed and general

of structural interventions and

chicanery."

communication devices so that leadership can be told without

Harvey

(1988, p.15) says that,

"telling on them" or the self. For

". . . when organizations blunder into

example:

the Abilene Paradox, they take actions in contradiction to what

•

An agent can be identified

they really want to do and,

to officially tell the

therefore, defeat the very purposes

authority or test them. In

they are trying to achieve;" and that

medieval times, the court­

". . . managing conflict is one of the

jester would have done it

greatest challenges faced by any

via an emotionally safe

organization, but ... the inability to

arena. Now consultants

manage

provide this service. So

m a y be the major source o f

one hires a consultant who

organization dysfunction."

VOLUME 19

•

NUMBER 2

•

[discover, eds.] agreement

SUMMER 2001

Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

101

ORGANIZATION DEVELOPMENT JOURNAL
T h e paradox is that each

corporate wimp.

It explains the

individual silently and secretly

phenomenon that Kilmann

(1985)

holds the same belief as the others,

has documented concerning the

but various fears prevent any one

amazing vulnerability and naivete

of them from expressing that

of business people as they buy and

opinion.

The end result is a

attempt to implement such "quick

decision which no one favors, but

fixes" as sensitivity training, zero­

which no one will challenge. For

sum budgeting, MBO, To tal

many, the price of finding out that

Quality, re-engineering and the

they are in agreement, that is,

like.

opposed

corporations

to

what

has

been

No one in the world of other and

suggested is felt to be too high.

organizations wants to be caught

Harvey is correct; many assess the

dead driving to Abilene! It is not

risks and costs of truth to be too

that these processes have no merit,

high and often ignore the costs of

for they do, but managers may

projects gone awry, the pain of

have the misplaced hope that they

Monday morning quarterbacking

will do more good than they are

or "lessons-learned."

capable

Harvey states, "It takes a real

of

doing

organizations.

for

their

Often a new

team effort to go to Abilene," that

process is a substitute for the lack

"each person, in his own collusive

of commitment to carry out the

manner shares responsibility for

In the most toxic of situations the naysayer or messenger is shot, thus in one blow, both the bad news and the reminder of the bad news are banished. previous one. They are also pushed

the trip." In the paradox, Harvey

b y the bandwagon effect of:

calls i t "a paradox within a

"We're all doing it" - do you want

paradox", what begins as self­

to be left behind?
The larger and more costly the

protection ends as self and/or group defeat.

issue for the organization, the more

Speaking the unwanted truth,

likely the train to Abilene will be

contradicting the boss, or bearing

full.

bad

as

between personal costs of dissent

I n the

(job, status, friendships, etc.) and

news

is

perceived

contaminating the bearer.

Here is the felt intersection

most t oxic of situations the

the obvious potential corporate

naysayer or messenger is shot, thus

costs. The corporate-loss costs of

in one blow, both the bad news and

dissent are money, market share,

the reminder of the bad news are

stronger competition, loss of

banished.

shareholder

The organization may

etc.

trust,

now incorporate the messenger's

Management usually perceives

ideas into a new incarnation, this

benefits as less significant than the

time blessed and to the credit of a

costs of losing. Unless the survival

The formerly

of the corporation is at stake,

unspeakable, but true or wise,

corporate money is "funny money"

new invent or.

becomes "invented here." The trip

anyhow.

to Abilene is canceled. Everyone

bonuses, gifts and perks are real;

Salary, stock options,

is relieved and celebratory, except

corporate money is unreal.
W ha t of ethics, mor ality,

for the martyred messenger, now

justice, rationality, etc.?

dead and forgotten.
Going to Abilene has come to

These

may be discussed and even

mean being gutless, afraid to speak

102

considered,

up, being a "y e s m an" and a

irrelevant to corporate structure.

VOLUME 19

•

but

NUMBER 2

Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

•

are

usually

SUMMER 2001

ORGANIZATION DEVELOPMENT JOURNAL
The more costly and significant the

disembark at various federal penal

issue, the more the boss will

institutions.

defend, pressure and test toward

they "agree" because they are too

Later, they say that

commitment to the goal and its

frightened

results, and the more costly is

intimidated by Mitchell. They are

dissent in the group. If the matter

team players fearful of losing their

is small or trivial, then "why

jobs.

confront the boss?" One can leave

to

Strong,

disagree,

powerful

too

and

for Abilene because of the large

charismatic CEOs or Chairs can

issues or the trivial ones - everyone

usually wring agreement from

can get a ticket!

Those who do

carefully chosen staff members -

refuse or dissent or speak up at

staff who do not bash heads with

Watergate-like meetings are often

the boss, but who are ambitious

seen as poor team players.

enough to keep their corporate

American and Western

level jobs and perhaps even

European corporations remain,

compete for the top job when the

still, primarily authoritarian

time comes.

bureaucracies, quasi-military in

is considered a skill. If the boss is

character.

Managing upwards

Here, command and

grandiose or vengeful, the cost of

obedience are the "stuff' of such

disagreement and confrontation

organizations.

Abilene is thus

institutionalized up and down the hierarchy, as

in

telescoping

triangles of risk, benefit, costs, trust, non-trust,

self

and

organizational interest.

increases.

Indeed, if one has a

choice between mutiny, job loss and Abilene, few would not get on the train.
In untrusting and non-trusted organizations, fear, frustration,

Perhaps the Watergate case

anger and justified paranoia keep

provides a bridge to the corporate

individuals from stating their

and business world. That is, John

positions or even making creative

Mitchell, a very powerful Attorney

American and Western European c orporations remain, still, authoritarian primarily bureaucracies, quasi-military in character. suggestions, thus presenting an

General who was very close to

even greater challenge. What do

President Nixon and was the

those organizations usually do?

functional head of the Committee to Re- elect

the

President,

A usual response is to send out a specific or general survey to all

suggested a cover-up of the

relevant

Watergate Apartments' break-in to

stratified

his trusted but somewhat junior

sample, sometimes with requests

staff members.

for so much individual and unit

employees and or

to

a

representative

Mitchell, as advocate, was

demographic information that

clearly willing to entertain, if not

identity may be narrowed to one

press forward, with the cover-up

or the two people, or a unit of four

of the illegal Watergate break-in.

to eight people.

There are, of

He was prepared to test it with his

course, ways to avoid such real or

staff and, if they agreed, to co-opt

assumed identification, but that is

them into doing the actual work of

beside the point. The real point is

the cover-up. They tell him they

that such information, even when

agree, or agree tacitly, with varying

carefully garnered, can be ignored

degrees of enthusiasm, and they

and often is.

get aboard the Abilene train to

anyhow.

VOLUME 19

•

NUMBER 2

•

The train leaves

SUMMER 2001

Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

103

ORGANIZATION DEVELOPMENT JOURNAL
The answer is for organizations

focuses on the trust-gap itself. It

to become trusted and trusting, but

would inquire into the norms or

that would mean a cultural change,

conditions under which employees

personal change of executi ve

and managers would be prepared

values and style and a dismantling

to answer more in-depth and

of the hierarchical structure, in

specific surveys. It would ask how

spirit or fact.

management behavior would have

This implies and

demands on-board executive skills

to

within a real as opposed to 'virtual'

comfortable with completing such

change

for

them

to

be

system-four organization - open,

an

organIc

autotelic.

consultants, trusted by employees,

traditional

would have to manage the survey

executives are likely to experience

from design to statistical and

and

Contemporary that s y s t em as

Outside

instrument.

"chaot ic" as

pattern analysis, including a

described by Stacey, or by Davis

highly-trusted and safe off-site

and Meyer in Blurr.

mail drop, and a contract to destroy

Contemporary organizations

the original questionnaires in the

who fear fearful employees have

presence of witnesses within a

other less-jolting solutions to

short time limit after their use.

getting at the truth of employee opinion, aside

from

truly

surveys.

Another technique borrowed from counseling psychology might

A

be to ask an employee "to talk

philosophic and organizational

about his or her inability to talk

solution, in the literature for over

about the issue." Some will balk,

20 years, is to expect and value and

but others will talk for hours, often

anonymous

adversarial and Hostile relationships produce stress for both sides and thus create a wish and desire for an end to the pain and a hope for an improved future.

even reward mistakes which make possible correction

and

crossing the credibility or non-trust gap. However, the other side is that

improvement in the "Japanese" mode. This

demands

an

if employees are angry, fearful and

exploratory and 'playful' corporate

paranoid, the management will not

culture in which persons and the

care about them, let alone listen

human factor are valued, supported

and act on their suggestions and

and enhanced, if not nurtured.

feelings, even if they can get the

Unfortunately, this is revolutionary

employees to tell them. It is a bind!

in the current "bo ttom-line"

If employees are in this mode, it is likely that management is itself

culture.
In addition to

the m ajor

angry, hostile, paranoiac and

undertaking above, organizations

scapegoating of the work force.

have available tested techniques of

But management is also likely to

"deep sensing"; suggestion boxes;

be curious about how employees

hot-lines; straw votes; mock trials

t hink

and press conferences; trial

corroborate what management

balloons; and secret ballots. One

thinks "they" think about "us".

and

feel,

if

only

to

might even ask employees, "Do

Hostile

you agree or disagree" spoken

relationships produce stress for

honestly.

both sides and thus create a wish

adversarial

and

In non-trusting organizations, another revolutionary process is to

and a hope for an improved future.

construct a survey instrument that

104

and desire for an end to the pain
Sometimes a task force "design

VOLUME 19

•

NUMBER 2

Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

•

SUMMER 2001

ORGANIZATION DEVELOPMENT JOURNAL team" can be formed made up of

go to Abilene herself, but fearful

equal members of management

of allying herself against her father,

and employees, with the help of

she might have felt immediately

consultants, to fight out the issues

protective of h e r father and

of how they might design the first

resentful of her husband.

second-generation

or

"You

NEVER can take other people's

Often this builds

suggestions," she might have gone

ownership and begins constituency

on, perhaps touching on past

p rocesses that may improve

conflicts between them; not an

chances of success.

unusual happening in family life.

questionnaire.

Four people went to Abilene,

Management in the United
States, even in "prosperity," has yet

four people had a bad time, and

to grapple with the impact on

four people each blamed the other

employees and their families of

for the trip. But no one felt singled

downsizing,

out. The failure of the afternoon

upgrading,

globalization, mass-layoffs, plant

was a collective failure, not an

closings, stagnant pay and de­

individual one - the failure was

certification of unions - decisions

one that brought them together

in which employ ees and their

rather than tearing them apart. To

unIOns

no

that extent, the purpose was met,

participate.

but the purpose was that of family

have

virtually

o pportunity

to

Creating

trusting,

a

open

cohesiveness, not of a pleasurable

organizational environment during

afternoon.

and after such processes is difficult

each one was willing to sacrifice

- perhaps impossible.

his or her individual wishes for the

It is of some interest that management has hired consultants

The lesson was that

purpose of pleasing the others. The happening would

become

a

who use the Abilene concept -

wonderful family story - a kind of

often coupled with "open systems"

The failure of the afternoon was a collective failure, not an individual one - the failure was one that brought them together rather than tearing them apart.

joke on all of them - that would

"Four-way

t h eory,

continue to draw them together in

10hari

humor and irony for many years.

exercises - yet unknowingly

Their sins were those of charity,

continue

not of selfishness.

Communica tion" to and

schedule

trips

outbound to Abilene at every level

The family had been motivated

of the organization. That is what

by their love for each other and for

the contradiction of Abilene

the family itself. Each wanted to

predicts, is it not?

please.

It

was

ultimately

very

No one wanted to seem

rejecting

or

rejected.

In

important that Harvey's family

organization life, at the same level,

drive to Abilene. Harvey's father­

there would be fears of appearing

in-law had suggested a trip to

to be disloyal, being perceived as

Abilene.

of

not being a team-player, of

and

"rocking the boat" and causing

The

interpersonal

gauntlet

r elations

meaning had just been thrown

damage to one's career.
The Abilene paradox is written

down. What if Harvey had said,
"I'd rather not go to Abilene." His

for

wife might have interjected, "Why

individuals

organizations, or not

for

families,

but

not? Can't you ever do what my

learning is often borrowed from

father suggests?" Not wanting to

one setting or role and applied to

VOLUME 19

•

NUMBER 2

•

SUMMER 2001

Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

105

ORGANIZATION DEVELOPMENT JOURNAL the other. What has seemed to be

grown anecdote, a metaphor for

wisdom at the workplace also

love and sacrifice, but Harvey

seems to b e useful a t home.

reports it as a withholding of feared

Likewise, what works at home,

truth and a failure to risk the self

may be applied to the workplace,

against the consensus of the group.

for example, the Abilene Paradox.

It is each and both, but Harvey

The specter of the Paradox leaves

deals primarily with the trust,

everyone wary of making trips to

conflict and failure to be open and

Abilene. For the Harvey family, it

communicate issues - namely, "the

was easier to go to Abilene than to

management of agreement". It can

resist.

Applied more broadly,

also be interpreted as a flight from

"Who has NOT been to Abilene,

feeling and fear of intimacy (Dr.

countless times?"

Donald

Abilene is presented as a crisis

Cole,

personal

communication, Dublin, Ireland,

of agreement, but the only way to

1998).

It was also a joke - a kind

know if there is agreement is if one

of joke on the family, but one

person takes a position. In fact, it

infused with love, charity and

is well known in marital therapy

kindness - a bending of individual

and in organizational development

wills to the good of the family, or

that systems change only when

amusing celebration of family and

in the interests of change, growth,

selflessness for, given what they

and an end to a severe problem.

It was an amusing celebration of family and selflessness for, given what they did not know, they had to go to Abilene - it was necessary to go.

their perception of it.

someone takes a stand risking all

did not know, they had to go to

It was an

However, the only way to find that

Abilene - it was necessary to go.

information is to risk hurting

But it was a managerial failure

someone's feelings, if in the

wherein they did not accomplish

family, or antagonizing a boss or

the goal of staying home!

co-worker, if at work.

They

In other

did not share and self-disclose.

words, the obstacle is not either the

Rather, they remained silent

management of agreement or

because of their love for one

conflict, per se, but rather creation

another.

of the safest environment possible

As to corporate Abilene, it is

in which people can express their

very difficult to sort out, to filter

opinions and misgivings in an

motives

atmosphere that fosters safety in

disagreement in individuals and

for

agreement

and

risk-taking, uncertainty, creativity,

groups about what is proposed.

and honest criticism, and even

The stakes can be quite high in

sometimes being wrong. What is

corporations. In corporations fact­

needed is a careful analysis,

sensitivity and level-sensitivity in

organization by organization,

respect to the proposing person's

concerning the obstacles to risk,

or group's place in the hierarchy,

trust and self-expression so that the

and the character or general

walls of f e ar, paranoia, self­

conduct of the proposing leader,

protection and suspicion may be

sets

carefully, slowly removed in the

agreement or confusion. Another

the

stage

for

co nflict,

interests of truth and reality. What

factor seldom discussed is the post­

is needed thus, is for all to work

Abilene trip letdown wherein a

on the walls.

tripper can feel himself to be

Abilene is really an over-

106

duped; can feel very guilty ("I

VOLUME 1 9

•

NUMBER 2

Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

•

SUMMER 2001

ORGANIZATION DEVELOPMENT JOURNAL should have spoken up") and feel

References

used and exploited by the group
Davis,

because they did not speak up.
And

sometimes,

Coleman, Texas in

as

in

1959,

the

nothing can stop them.

Harvey

says wisely, "Perhaps you have to

Harvey, J. B.
Abilene Paradox:

that you are loved."

(Harvey,

personal communication, March 9,

1993)

Agreement.

It can be an organizational disaster.
There is a balance to be found or created, in which adequate trust exists to allow for dissent.

That

balance requires a blending of

(1974).

The

The Management of

Organizational Dynamics.

Harvey, J. B.

(1988).

The

Abilene Paradox and Other Meditations on Management. Lexington, MA: D. C.
Heath.

Driving to Abilene, in

retrospect, was a family necessity.

Meyer,

New York: AMACOM.

run the risk of finding out that you are not loved in order to find out

and

Addison-Wesley Co.

family or organizational group is committed to going to Abilene and

Stan,

Christopher (1998). Blurr. Reading. MA:

Kilmann, R.

(1985).

Beyond

the Quick Fix. San Francisco, CA: Jossey
Bass.
Stacey, Ra lph D.
Managing t h e

(1992) .

Unknowable.

S an

Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Publishers.

openness, compromise, structure and loyalty.

It is not a balance

easily found.

When the cost is

minimal, it may be necessary to drive to Abilene.
The challenge to organizations is to create the parallel of family commitment and cohesiveness within the organization, without constantly driving to Abilene.

VOLUME 19

•

NUMBER 2

•

SUMMER 2001

Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

107

ORGANIZATION DEVELOPMENT JOURNAL

JAMES A. WILSON

is Professor

emeritus in the Katz Graduate School of Business at the University of
Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
He directed the Doctoral Program of the School, was Assistant to the Dean for Planning and D evelopment, and
Clinician-in-Residence. He consults broadly, including the diagnostic study of organizations, strat egy, mental health issues, family business and executive coaching. He conducts an O.D. practice from New Jersey and
Pittsburgh.
Wilson has published several books including, with Professor D. Wood, the first definitive empirical study of the role and work of the internal auditing profession. His articles have appeared in Minerva in London, New
Sci entist, the Journal of S ocial
Science and Medicin e, the California
Management Review, and the Russell
Sage New Directions S eries, among others. MICHELLE HARRISON

is a

physician, professor, writer, and ethicist. She consults and lectures

internationally about the effects of institutional policies on the lives of women and children.

From 1994-

2000, she was with Johnson &
Johnson, as Worldwide Director of
Medical Affairs in the Consumer
Division, and then as Executive
Director of the Johnson & Johnson
Institute for Children, a worldwide philanthropy initiative. She holds a teaching appointment as Clinical
Associate Professor of Family
Medicin e, Robert Wood Johnson
Medical School, University of
Medicine and D e ntistry of New
Jersey.
Harrison is the author of A Woman in
Residence (Random House 1982;
Ballanti n e 1993), Self-Help for
Premenstrual Syndrome, (Random
House 1985, 1999), and The Pre­ teen's First Book About Love, Sex, and AIDS (American Psychiatric
Press 1995).

108

VOLUME 19

•

NUMBER 2

Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.

•

SUMMER 2001