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At 11:18 PM 6/15/99 +0800, you wrote: <br>
<blockquote type=cite cite>I have just gotten into some conversations
about the reaction to Chinese groups to an Open Space event. My gut
reaction is that it would work after the initial shock of the extreeme
egalitarianism and opportunity to take responsibility for the agenda and
content. However, I do not have any empirical data to back this up.
<br>
<br>
Do any of you have stories about doing programs in a Chinese or Asian
environment, and what has been the response of the participants?
</blockquote>************************************************************<br>
Talking about Open Space in an Asian Environment requires some definition
-- like What is Asia? If you include India -- the Open Space Experience
is extensive and positive. Indeed one of the first Open Space gatherings
for folks other that the strange crew the assembled for the annual
Symposium on Organization Transformation was done under the sponsorship
of the Tata Family Businesses in Goa. For an account of this you might
take a look at the opening chapter of my book "Expanding Our
Now" (Berrett-Koehler/1997) That Open space was done in 1989, and it
has continued in various ways ever since. There have also been reports of
folks using Open Space with non-mainland Chinese groups (Hong Kong,
Singapore etc) where it seemed to work just fine. I think Brian
Bainbridge (Australia) has done something in the area (maybe Indonesia?)
and if he is listening perhaps he could tell me that I am wrong (or
right?). Bottom line is that I would predict that the Chinese response
would be just about the same as anybody else within the general confines
of Homo sapiens.<br>
<br>
Harrison <br>
<div align="center">
Harrison Owen <br>
7808 River Falls Drive <br>
Potomac, MD 20854 USA <br>
301-469-9269 (phone) <br>
301-983-9314 (fax) <br>
email owen@tmn.com<br>
Website
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Open Space Institute website<br>
<a href="http://www.tmn.com/openspace" eudora="autourl">http://www.tmn.com/openspace</a></html>