April 8, 2010
New Book Announcement - The Violence Volcano: Reducing the Threat of Workplace Violence
 

High-profile workplace violence incidents continue to garner a lot of national attention, reminding us that  workplace violence doesn’t happen just in big cities and big companies or postal facilities  but also in small towns and small businesses as well as public schools and universities.  Thus, all members of organizations clearly need to be know how to reduce threats of violence and how to respond if they occur.

The Violence Volcano (http://members.cox.net/badworkplace/1index.html) introduces the authors’ analogy of the volcano to explain how violent action or reaction builds within an individual, but it focuses on the organization and the environment, particularly bad management of tough workplace problems, as causes of unacceptable behavior.  “People don’t just snap,” explains David Van Fleet, who co-wrote the new book with his wife, Dr. Ella Van Fleet. “It’s really building over time, and workplace violence incidents are just the last step in a series of behavioral and emotional developments.”

Academics in management, criminal justice, education, and other areas will find that this book fits their courses.  In addition, practicing managers can use it as a guide on how to better handle potential workplace violence situations. It includes information about setting up anti-violence policies, creating crisis management plans, looking at legal issues and liabilities, and learning how to deal with knowledge about individuals who might commit a violent act.
Here’s what others are saying about The Violence Volcano:  "It is a 'must read' for all managers and a 'must have' for legal, corporate security, and human resource personnel. I also recommend it as required reading for any serious course of study on workplace violence. " -- Jim Murray, CPP. CEO, Holistic Crisis Management, LLC.  "I am impressed with this book to the point where it has become mandatory reading for all Associates in my organization." -- Dan Troller, Managing Consultant, Troller & Associates. "A real winner! The authors' recommendations should be embraced at all organizational and educational levels." -- Mike Cochran, longtime Associated Press writer in Texas.  "It is based on solid research and offers practical suggestions that enable managers to both reduce their liabilities and exercise their social responsibility for dealing with what has become an endemic problem for our organizations. " -- Mark J. Martinko, Bank of America Professor of Management, Florida State University.  "The Violence Volcano provides important insights into the trends and causes of workplace violence and offers concrete and practical guidelines for helping control it. I give this important book my highest recommendation.” -- Ricky W. Griffin, Distinguished Professor of Management and Blocker Chair in Business, Mays Business School, Texas A&M University.
David D. Van Fleet & Ella W. Van Fleet. (2010).  The Violence Volcano: Reducing the Threat of Workplace Violence. Information Age Publishing, Charlotte, NC. ISBN 978-1-60752-344-4.

March 4, 2010
In Memoriam: Leon C. Megginson (1921 – 2010)
 

Leon C. Megginson passed away in Mobile on Monday, February 22, 2010, at the age of 88. Born in Thomasville, Alabama, on July 26, 1921, Leon received his early education in Thomasville and Mobile. He enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Force during World War II as a Second Lieutenant and was honorably discharged as a Captain in 1945. He served as a pilot with the Eighth Air Force in England and, although he flew many different aircraft, the twin-engine P-38 Lightning fighter plane was his favorite.  
  
 Following the war, Leon enrolled in Mississippi College where he received his bachelor's degree in 1947. He then entered Louisiana State University's graduate program in Business Administration, received his MBA in 1949, and earned his Ph.D. in Management in 1953. Leon stayed on the LSU faculty, rising to Full Professor in 1960, before being named Professor Emeritus upon his retirement in 1977. While at LSU, Leon published some 100 articles and won numerous awards for teaching and research. He also authored or co-authored over 40 editions of 18 textbooks (including Personnel: A Behavioral Approach to Administration, winner of the Academy of Management Book Award in 1967). 
 
Leon is fondly remembered by multiple generations of students and colleagues. Michael LeBoeuf, a former student, recalls, “Though his list of personal and professional achievements is enormous, what I admired most about Leon were his solid values, his high character and his unwavering belief in the value of the individual. He combined a sense of purpose, hard work, high intelligence, and high character. The result was one of the wisest men I ever met.”  K. Mark Weaver, also a former student, adds, “He was a gentleman and pushed to make us all and me in particular, to be more than we thought we could be. I feel my curiosity and willingness to do research is a result of the challenges he provided to me.” Longtime colleague, Edmund R. Gray, recollects, “Leon was the first to welcome me and make me feel at home when I came to LSU. He was very much into international travel and brought international issues and experiences into his classes. He was also very much a champion of international students.” To Paul H. Pietri, Jr., a former student and co-author on a number of books, Leon was not only a mentor, but also “the consummate management educator-professional.” David L. Loudon fondly remembers that “Leon was the person who was most influential in my decision to enter the doctoral program at LSU.”
After “retiring” from LSU, Leon remained professionally active for another quarter century. He was named Research Professor of Management at the University of South Alabama in 1977 and concluded his career in 1999 as the J. L. Bedsole Professor of Business Studies Emeritus at the University of Mobile. An inveterate traveler, Leon visited over 60 countries on every inhabited continent. He studied management development in Madrid, Spain, as a Fulbright Scholar from 1961 to 1962; served as a Ford Foundation Resident Advisor on management and case development in Karachi, Pakistan, from 1968 to 1970; and was a U.S. representative to the 1971 United Nations Industrial Development Organization conference in Chile. An avid photographer, Leon richly documented all of his travels – to the expressed irritation, but secret delight of his family.
  
Leon served as President, Southwestern Social Science Association (1962); President, Southern Management Association (1973-1974); Founding President, North American Case Research Association (1980); and Chair, Management History Division of the Academy of Management (1983). A member of several honor societies, including Phi Kappa Phi, Beta Gamma Sigma, and Pi Gamma Mu, Leon was a Fellow of the Academy of Management (1973), the North American Case Research Association (1990), and the Southern Management Association (1995). Leon was a man of integrity, possessed of a rigorous mind and a vibrant personality that combined authority with warmth and generosity. We are fortunate to have had such a prolific scholar, dedicated teacher, and outstanding role model in our discipline for so many years.
 
       Daniel A. Wren                  Arthur G. Bedeian                              W. Jack Duncan
University of Oklahoma      Louisiana State University      University of Alabama at Birmingham  

Jan 2, 2010
Renew your SMA membership for 2010!
 
A very Happy New Year to our colleagues. Don't forget to renew your SMA membership for 2010. Membership costs $36/year and has numerous benefits, including a free subscription to the Journal of Management, the ability to get involved in many diverse professional development activities offered at our meetings, and the opportunity to be a part of the most welcoming and established regional Academy affiliate. You do not have to be from a southern institution to join; we have members from most of the 50 states and from countries all over the world. To renew or join SMA, visit www.southernmanagement.org/reg/.

Dec 29, 2009
SMA 2009 Meeting Photos now available
 
Photos from the SMA 2009 Meeting are now available at www.southernmanagement.org/meetings/2009/photos/index.html