Re: The Question: Talking Heads - Offshoring

From: <Christopher>
Date: Thu Sep 29 2005 - 23:46:00 EDT

On Sep 29, 2005, at 9:07 AM, Bruce Bullough wrote:

> We often don't acknowledge that engineering is a significantly
> CULTURAL thing.

Interesting point. When you compare the Russian space effort to the US you really see how attitudes shape methodology. Both have had remarkable successes and failures and we've managed to go from cut-throat competitors to associates in the International Space Station. When you compare approaches, it's like comparing a boxer and a slugger or a string quartet to a jazz band. The US tends to manage the hell out of things and make everything into a project. The Russians seem to have a can-do, by God we'll make-it-work attitude toward their projects. I'd be very surprised if the Russians didn't think the US effort is a bit sissified, and I know that US engineers aren't comfortable with the way the Russians tend to play things by ear. It's not a matter of right or wrong, just the way cultures work--you can't ignore it.

Christopher Wright P.E. |"They couldn't hit an elephant at <a href="/group/PipingDesign/post?postID=0_HcVqUYn85kvF-JErJJ9myo8M3ddDamKwIHcr-f28lrhXH1dmY08EQpLq3RbkGook-rUWrRT295uQ">chrisw@skypoint.com</a> | this distance" (last words of Gen.

.......................................| John Sedgwick, Spotsylvania

1864)
<a href="http://www.skypoint.com/~chrisw/">http://www.skypoint.com/~chrisw/</a> Received on Thu Sep 29 23:46:00 2005