A
By HOWARD J. GROSSMAN
Special to The Dallas Post
Innovation and entrepreneurial
management are words which
strike at the heart of the national
economy. In a book published by
Peter F. Drucker titled “Innovation
and Entrepreneurship,” these words
find themselves frequently utilized
within the book’s 277 pages.
Drucker focuses attention on where
jobs have been generated in recent
decades versus what happened fol-
lowing the end of World War II.
He attributes current growth to an
entrepreneurial economy of small
and middle-sized busiensses practic-
ing systematic innovation. In outlin-
ing excellent examples of where
growth has taken place, he also
points to the lack of innovation in
certain industry sectors. In his
words, “the United States Postal
Service did not react for many
years to innovators who took away
larger and larger chunks of the
most profitable services. What
made the psotal service so vulnera-
ble was its rapid growth. Volume
seemed to be minor categories, and
has practically delivered an invita-
tion to the innovators.”
He criticizes those business per-
sons, public service staff, or govern-
mental policy makers who neglect
demographics. He charges that too
many decision-makers ‘cling to the
assumption that demographics do
not change - or do not change fast.”
In his words, the “unwillingness, or
inability, of the experts to accept
demographic realities which do not
conform to what they take for
granted gives the entrepreneur his
oppportunity.”’
He strongly urges decision
makers to get out into the field to
look and listen as well as relying on
trend statistics. Sears Roebuck is an
example of this approach when they
geared their decision making
process to Latin America in the
early 1950’s, suggesting that cities
such as Mexico City and Sao Paulo
were expected to outgrow all United
States cities by the year 1975.
-Obituaries-
FLORENCE BEISEL
Mrs. Florence M. Beisel, 85, of 113
Warden Ave., Trucksville, died
August 2 in Hospice St. John, Heri-
tage House, Wilkes-Barre, following
an illness.
Surviving are her son, Kenneth E.
Beisel, Shavertown; two grandchil-
dren; four great-grandchildren.
Funeral services were held
August 5 from the Harold C. Snow-
don Funeral Home, Shavertown,
with the Rev. Lynn E. Rothrock,
pastor of St. Paul’s Lutheran
Church, officiating. Interment,
Hanover Green Cemetery.
BERNARD LASKOWSKI
Bernard F. Laskowski, 75, of 127
Shady Hill Road, Shavertown, died
August 1 at his home.
Surviving are daughter, Mrs.
Shirley Smith, at home; one grand-
son; brother, Elmer, Shavertown;
sisters, Mrs. Olive Skok and Mrs.
Melba Brown.
Funeral services were held
August 5 from the Earl W. Lohman
Funeral Home, Nanticoke, with the
Rev. Alice Collins officiating. Inter-
ment, Memorial Shrine Cemetery,
Carvertown.
JOHN WILKES
John A. Wilkes, of Chase Road,
RD 5, Shavertown, died August 1 at
Wilkes-Barre Mercy Hospital.
Surviving are sons, Paul and
John, both of Chase; a brother,
Larry, Lemoyne; sister, Mrs. Betty
Chopka, Plains Township; two
grandchildren.
Funeral services were held
August 5 from the Andrew Strish
Funeral Home, Larksville, with a
Mass of Christian Burial in St.
Mary’s Nativity Church. Interment,
St. Mary’s Cemetery, Plymouth.
DOROTHY JARRETT
Mrs. Dorothy P. Jarrett, 67, of 146
N. Main St., Shavertown, died
August 1 at her home following an
illness.
Surviving are her husband, Harry
W.; sister, Mrs. Arthur Bouquet and
brother, James Kilpatrick, both of
Youngstown, Ohio; several nieces
and nephews.
Funeral services were held
August 5 from the Harold C. Snow-
don Funeral Home, Shavertown,
with a mass of Christian Burial in
St. Therese Church. Interment,
Mount Olivet Cemetery, Carverton.
GEORGE SPACE SR.
George R. Space Sr., 89, of
Market Street, Noxen, died August 4
in Wilkes-Barre General Hospital
following a lengthy illness.
Surviving are his wife, the former
Edna Siley; son, Robert, Mountain-
top; five grandchildren; 14 great-
grandchildren; three great-great-
grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held
today at 11 a.m. from the Nulton
Funeral Home, Beaumont, with the
Rev. Donald Baker, pastor of the
Free METHodist Church of
Bowman’s Creek and the Rev.
PEgg A. Richards of the Noxen
United Methodist Church, officiat-
ing. Interment will be in the Orcutt
Cemetery, Noxen. Friends may call
today 7 to 9 p.m.
MUMS
THE
WORD —
Drucker states that ‘knowledge
based innovation is the superstar of
entrepreneurship.” It has the long-
est lead-time of all innovations, but
is not always based on scientific or
technical changes. “Social innova-
tions based on knowledge can have
equal or even greater impact.”
In discussing new ventures and
the role of the entrepreneur in an
existing company, Drucker believes
that “there has to be a special locus
for the new venture within the
organization, and it has to be pretty
high up. Even though the new
project, by virtue of its current size,
revenues, and markets, does nto
rank with existing products, some-
body in top management must have
the specific assignment to work on
tomorrow as an entrepreneur and
innovator.
Drucker aims his comments at
both profit making, non-profit
making and governmental organiza-
tions. He criticizes public service
organizations by stating that ‘the
most entrepreneuial, innovative
people behave like the worst time-
serving bureaucrat or power-hungry
politician six months after they
have taken over the management of
a public-service institution, particu-
larly if it is a government agency.”
In his mind, too many public
services are based on ‘success’;
that is, that public service institu-
tion which gets a “larger budget”
ratherthan obtaining results. He
also points to the differences
between profit making and public
service institutions.
“A public service institution has
to satisfy everyone; certainly, it
cannot afford to alienate anyone.”
He believes that public service insti-
tutions are ‘“‘out to maximize rather
than to optimize.”
Consumer service is an absolute
requirement for successful entre-
preneurship businesses. In his
words, ‘‘entrepreneurship always
needs to be market-focused, indeed,
market-driven.
What are the lessons to be learned
in Northeastern Pennsylvania with
respect to Drucker’s innovation and
entrepreneurship philosophy?
Should more attention be placed on
entrepreneurship beyond that which
is already occurring in the region?
Certainly the new venture capital
fund which was recently established
and has a $7.5 million dollar capital
base thus far is an innovation and
example of entrepreneurship involv-
ing both the profit-making and
public sector. The Venture Capital
Fund has an umbrella organization
called the NEPA Management Cor-
poration which is based in Easton
and which can provide equity fund-
ing for companies who meet the
(See GROSSMAN, page 4)
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