For example, in 1847, Ignaz Semmelweis demonstrated that physicians could dramatically reduce the death-rate of new mothers from puerperal fever ("child-bed fever") by simply advocating that physicians wash their hands before attending to women in childbirth.

His discovery predates the germ theory of disease and was not accepted by his contemporaries who did not take kindly to the suggestion that they were responsible for causing the death of their patients by failing to sterilize their hands between examinations. Consequently, his simple recommendation was not put into general practice until the 20th century. (1)

How many lives could have been spared if the simple discovery of hand washing as disease prevention was advocated sooner?

Similarly, discoveries in Organizational Science being researched today will have an equally life-changing effect on people in the future. The role of the Institute of Organizational Science is to promote innovation, document and provide prescriptive interventions for Organizational syndromes and blockages and train the next generation of practitioners to apply organizational technology to develop optimally healthy organizations.

To further the analogy, today the notion of hand washing as a means to prevent the spread of disease is so commonplace that we do not even think about it. It has become ingrained into our culture. We expect hand washing stations in every public restroom. We would think it foolish not to disinfect a child's scraped knee and we have created legislation requiring hand washing before handling food to prevent the spread of germs. An industry with a marketplace estimated value of $15.6 billion has developed to manufacture the soaps and detergents needed to feed our need for clean. (2)

In similar ways, the revolutionary technologies being created at the Institute for Organizational Science will develop and shape the workplace of the future in ways that we can only dream about today.

(1) Ignaz Philipp Semmelweis, the prophet of bacteriology" ("savior of mothers"), O. Hanninen, M. Farago, E. Monos, Department of Physiology, University of Kuopio, Kuopio, Finland, 1983, webpage: http://www.general-anaesthesia.com/images/ignaz-semmelweis.html

(2) US Industry Report, Gale Encyclopedia of American Industries ©2005