Repository: UIHistories Project: Dedication - Home Economics - Challenge of Home Economics [PAGE 52]

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have been years ago, and the person who originally authorized the work may have moved into another sphere of influence, or he may delegate much of the work so that the thinking behind the original decision to establish the Home Economics Department has become clouded. So he said that we need to know where we're heading, and let others know too. Columbus didn't know where he was going, where he was when he got there, or where he'd been when he got back. Mr. Russell Z. Eller, advertising manager of SUNKIST, spoke at the Los Angeles HEIB "Bosses' Night" banquet last month. He reflected the thinking of others who have top management responsibilities for directing the work for Consumer Service. "Never has the opportunity for an HEIB been richer and never has the challenge to creative thinking been greater," he said. "The Home Economist, no matter what her sphere, ought to be the spearhead of the industry for more facts, greater depth of understanding. Since we cannot impart knowledge unless we possess it, the well-qualified Home Economist in Business today has a major part in interpreting an industry's message to the eager, intelligent mass of women consumers." Mr. Eller said that today every phase of business is under scrutiny. He posed several provocative questions: Is what we are doing the right thing; is it done as well as it might be; does it serve the needs of today or does it mirror traditions that are fading into the sentimental past; do we know enough about women in this new age so that we may best serve her needs; are we using new research techniques such as motivation studies and market surveys to check our opinions and information? Do we keep up with the times? Ten years ago we thought the bumper crop of babies was a phenomenon of war — to be dealt with on a temporary basis. Now it seems the sky's the limit on population projections — on national income too. Do we know about the new market of teenage wives — and about the needs of the growing number of senior citizens. All such knowledge is important to succesful work with others. Planning Ahead for Better Marketing, a bulletin put out by the Grocery Manufacturers of America, gives an interesting definition of management which I'd like to include in discussing the question, "Do I work creatively with others?" Grocery Manufacturers of America's Bulletin says, "The science of management is the talent of getting people to work effectively towards an established goal. In medium- and large-scale business, successful management means 50 percent the management of people/9 (It does not surprise you, I'm sure, that

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