of "work" itself, of the role of "technology," of "rewards," of em-
ployee "development," and of "success"--are outdated. Most of
them, in fact, are leftovers from the 16th century. Until we update
them, until we rework them and fit them together in a more appro-
priate manner, progress will remain difficult, for they are the founda-
tion blocks upon which our workplace culture is built.

This, then, is the purpose of Work and Rewards, to help develop
20th-century definitions for these building blocks. The book's sec-
ond objective is to show what is possible, both in our work lives and
in our lives in general, once the perspective spawned by this new
framework is accepted.

The above challenge has been both interesting and difficult. I
could not have met it without a lot of assistance. First, I would like
to thank the Wharton School professors who taught me to think sys-
temically, who helped me to develop the world view necessary to
write a book of this sort. They are Russell Ackoff, Eric Trist, Hasan
Ozbekhan, Jamshid Gharajedaghi, and Fred Emery.

Also, I would like to thank my Uncle, Fred Roth, whose on-going
research provided me with a significant portion of my support ma-
terials and whose continual encouragement has been deeply appreci-
ated. I would like to thank Eileen Tasca and John Kalish, good friends
and two of my chief advisors on all projects. I would like to thank
Henry Argento, who never let me doubt for a minute that I could do
it if I was willing to make the necessary effort. Finally, I would like
to thank Caroline Trist, who read the manuscript at a critical juncture
and helped me to get back on track.

-x-