I think the term "doing more with less" had a much less sinister
 original context.  I am not positive, but think it was Buckminster
 ("Bucky") Fuller who first used this term in an
 ecological/environmental context--that given the finite resources of
 earth, we all need to learn how to do more with less--literally. As
 you might recall, he was also the person who first talked about
 "spaceship earth"--if we think of ourselves in this way, we more
 easily recognize our limits and hopefully get more creative about how
 we use what we have and what we make.

 Paula Burkhart
 University of Oregon

______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: Re: Meaning of Doing More with...?
Author:  Research Administration Discussion Group
<xxxxxx@ALBNYDH2.BITNET> at GATEWAY
Date:    10/11/95 9:03 AM

Steve:
I think that "doing more with less" is usually an invitation to ignore
professional and personal boundaries.  Usually the invitation carries a sub
text of and displaced anger.  I am always wary of the originator of such a
message.  The message taken to an extreme is a statement such as "do more
and more with less and less until you are doing everything with nothing."
Counselors confronted with an administrator sending this message with an
aura of concern can usually expect hard times to follow on the heels of the
message.  The message leaves most recipients in a cynical mind frame.
Little can be gained long term with rational arguments.  I suspect that the
message, though presented rationally, has a highly emotional content that
the sender has problems voicing.  In short, although a dream is sometimes
just a dream, this one smells too much.

As to the origin..........I don't have a clue.
Gary

>These days most of us have heard the phrase "Doing More With Less."  I
>am curious about your interpretations of that phrase, aside from how you
>may feel towards it (like it, dislike it, etc.).  Thanks for your help.
>
>Steve Hoagland
>Old Dominion University
>xxxxxx@oduvm.cc.odu.edu
>
>PS - Does anyone know the source(s) of this phrase (author, book, etc)?

Gary L. Hudson, Ed.D.
Counseling Center
Mankato State University
Mankato, Minnesota
xxxxxx@vax1.mankato.msus.edu
Voice 507 389-1455  Fax 507  389-6593

Just a little past the road to Lake Wobegon