ABSTRACT
Some years ago, I was living temporarily near Angles City, the Philippines, teaching several graduate courses in organizational behavior and human factors/ergonomics at the U.S. Clark Air Force and Subic Naval Bases. The courses were part of a University of Southern California (USC) MS program in systems management. A bright, hard-working Pilipino man, whose fi rst name is Fred, was employed by USC to maintain the house which was rented for us by the university. Over the course of my fi rst several weeks there, I came to know that Fred previously had worked in a cottage industry factory, fi nishing the many interesting kinds of Philippine baskets to be found throughout the country for sale in local retail shops and for export to the United States. He also had built rattan furniture in the factory, even helping to design some pieces. His long-term ambition was to eventually have his own factory, but he did not have the necessary funds to get started.
