Mountain Quest Institute
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Mountain Quest Institute
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Mountain Quest Institute is a research and learning center dedicated to working with individuals, groups and organizations to achieve growth, understanding and high performance in this age of change, uncertainty, complexity and the increasing anxiety resulting from change, uncertainty and complexity. Nestled in the Allegheny Mountains of West Virginia, this 450 acre mountain research and retreat site (www.mountainquestinn.com) offers opportunities for individuals and groups to relax, reflect, learn, enjoy their surroundings and interact to better comprehend important aspects of our selves, our organizations and our world. Every day is a new day. The research and work of the Institute is focused on three quests: The Quest for Knowledge, the Quest for Consciousness and The Quest for Meaning. In pursuit of these quests, MQI is scientific, humanistic and spiritual and finds no contradiction in this combination. MQI is the birthplace of Organizational Survival in the New World: the Intelligent Complex Adaptive System (ICAS) (Elsevier, 2004), new theory of the firm that turns the living system metaphor into a reality for organizations. More recently, it has released Knowledge Mobilization in the Social Sciences and Humanities (KMb) (MQI Press, 2007). Our MissionCreate, share and apply knowledge, wisdom and moral courage for the preservation and development of Life!
Institute ProfileThe Institute is dedicated to working with individuals, groups and organizations to achieve growth, understanding and sustainable high performance. Learning, exploration and dialogue are the sources of knowledge and wisdom. As T. S. Eliot says so beautifully: We shall not cease from exploration ... and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time. See The MQI Learning Environment. MQI believes that by exploring answers to the most basic questions about ourselves, our organizations, and our world we can develop the insight, judgment and understanding needed to grow personally, meet professional challenges, and achieve sustainable high performance. This new awareness and understanding helps each of us and our organizations survive, grow, and contribute in the complex present and future world. The Institute is built on and promotes high ethical and moral standards,
respect for all individuals, taking responsibility for the future, lifelong
learning, and knowledge creation and sharing. These principles--coupled
with hard work, passion and integrity--represent the foundation for success and
a better world. Alex and David Bennet, the founders of the Institute, brought their ground-breaking work on developing a new theory of the firm to maturity with the publication of Organizational Survival in the New World: The Intelligent Complex Adaptive System (ICAS) (Elsevier, 2004). In 2007 they created MQIPress to publish a series of short books on topics of relevance to a changing, uncertain and complex world. Their first offering is: Knowledge Mobilization in the Social Sciences and Humanities: Moving from Research to Action. See Knowledge Mobilization. Download a Capabilities Summary (Power Point, two pages)
Professional Backgrounds of the Co-Founders:Alex Bennet, internationally recognized as a leader in knowledge management and an agent for organizational change, was the Deputy Chief Information Officer for Enterprise Integration with the role of Chief Knowledge Officer (CKO) for the United States Department of the Navy. She was also co-chair of the Federal Knowledge Management Working Group, leading implementation of KM across the federal sector. Before becoming CKO, she served as Acquisition Reform Executive and Standards Improvement Executive. Alex has a Ph.D. in Human and Organizational Systems, degrees in Management for Organizational Effectiveness, Human Development, English and Marketing, and graduate certificates in Total Quality Management, System Dynamics, Project Management and Defense Acquisition Management. She is a member of Delta Epsilon Sigma and the Golden Key National Honor Society. Among her many honors, she is the recipient of the Department of the Navy Distinguished and Superior Public Service Awards, the National Performance Review Hammer Award from the Vice President, and the National Knowledge and Intellectual Property Management Task Force Award for distinguished service and exemplary leadership. Profile for Alex Bennet. David Bennet was co-founder, CEO, and then Chairman of the Board and Chief Knowledge Officer of a professional services firm specializing in engineering management, information technology and organizational development. He has extensive experience in private industry, civil service and the military in the areas of strategy, change management, leadership, facilitation, systems thinking and complexity thinking. Dave was the technical director of two major Department of Defense acquisition programs, and did fundamental research at the Office of Naval Research. He has taught extensively and developed and implemented a major leadership program for the Department of the Navy. He authored the DOD's acquisition virtual learning course on integrated product teams, designed and developed a comprehensive CD guide and flight simulator, and received the National Performance Review Hammer Award from the Vice President for his work in developing Defense metrics. David is a Phi Beta Kappa, Sigma Pi Sigma, and Suma Cum Laude graduate of the University of Texas with bachelor degrees in Mathematics and Physics and masters degrees in Nuclear Physics, Human Development and Liberal Arts. Profile for David Bennet. For their story, see The Wonder of Nature, Life and Learning (MSWord, 6 pages)
The Institute TeamDawn Buchanan, Research Assistant, dawn@mountainquestinstitute.com Susie Weber, Administrative Assistant, susie@mountainquestinstitute.com Hillary Sparks, Public Relations Manager, hillary@mountainquestinstitute.com Derek Lowe, Junior Research Assistant, dereklowe@mountainquestinstitute.com Barbara Bennet, Editor and Innkeeper, barbara@mountainquestinn.com Andrew Dean, Webmaster and Computer Specialist, adean@mountainquestinstitute.com
The MQI Knowledge Associate NetworkNo individual has all the knowledge they need at their fingertips. While rigorous research certainly helps, vericating a thought process with others is a time-honored process for ensuring the richest possible decisions and outcomes. Verication is the process of consulting a trusted ally, that is, having an interaction, a dialogue, with a trusted source of information--often an individual who operates from a different frame of reference--to discover new insights and opportunities. In every way possible, MQI attempts to exemplify in the process of research and implementation of research the same behaviors the process of knowledge management represents. The MQi Knowledge Associate Network provides the opportunity for face-to-face and virtual interaction with leaders in related fields. This MQI living network includes the following areas of expertise: organizational development, human development, human and organizational systems, information and document management, organizational memory, information architecture, social change, social psychology, management and leadership, systems engineering, enterprise management, engineering management, engineering law, decision-support systems, education systems, intelligence, security management, business and network development, program management, physics, technical management, nuclear engineering, strategic planning, total quality, system dynamics.
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This Web Site copyright 2008 by Alex and David Bennet. For educational and knowledge sharing purposes and in the context of knowledge mobilization, permission is given to copy and distribute materials on this web site with attribution.Send mail to adean@mountainquestinstitute.com with questions or comments about this web site.Send mail to dereklowe@mountainquestinstitute.com with problems or technical difficulties with this web site. Last modified: 06/24/09 |
