The Social Implications of Computing
June 18, 2008
Directed by Mark Harrison, "Visions of Heaven and Hell” is a three-part cautionary tale come documentary commissioned by Channel Four, that warns of the impending infiltration of technology and pessimistically endeavours to communicate the sentient of an old Buddhist proverb which states “To every man is given the key to the gates of heaven; the same key opens the gates of hell.” and within computerisation lies such a key thought a dismal set of apprehensive predilections.
A not-so-distant possible future is portrayed by the predictions the from such techno-thinkers as Douglas Adams, Esther Dyson, Faith Popcorn, Lily Burana and John Naisbitt, in which technology thoroughly penetrates everyday life, displacing social relationships with a formless web of stratified information and global capital.
The overriding philosophy demonstrated throughout these voids is that technology is bad, avoid it at all costs, it assumes theat just because one aspect of technology is unappealing or useless all of it is, but this attitude causes them to miss out on some of the finer enhancements to their lives that technology, through computerization, can add.
Six Reasons to Give
May 31, 2008
If you run a business, you undoubtedly feel many pressures on your time and money. Why would you want to add “giving to the community” to your “to do” list? Here are six reasons …..
1. It feels good. Making contributions to the community is personally rewarding. Our values are important to us - from helping kids to supporting neighborhood cleanup efforts. Charitable contributions enable us to support these values.
2. It’s tradition. Local businesses traditionally have been principal supporters of many community organizations that do good work. Without the support of the local business community, many programs that serve your neediest residents would not exist.
3. It builds company morale. Contributing to organizations that are important to employees enables business owners to promote a more positive work environment and build shared pride in the company’s role in the community. Providing opportunities for employees to contribute, whether financially or volunteering time, improves morale and helps reduce turnover.
4. It’s good for business. Support for local causes is a good way for a business to develop a positive image, reinforce relationships with customers, and develop closer relationships with community leaders and officials.
MacDonalidisation: Braverman, Taylor & Mayo
May 14, 2008
Background: George Ritzer defined McDonaldization as “…the process by which the principles of the fast-food restaurants are coming to dominate more and more sectors of American society as well as the rest of the world.”
For our purposes, MacDonaldisation is a process of rationalisation that results in an efficient, logical sequence of methods that can be used to complete a given task in a controlled way.
Frederick Winslow Taylor: Approach to organisational efficiency "scientific management". He developed a theory of organisation which altered the personalised autocracy of work under which human beings were treated like machines and assumes the specialization of work, and:
Protestant work ethic, that assumes people will work hard and behave rationally to maximize their own income
Workers would neutrally tend to work no harder then necessary given the chance to do so, and believed in control of those tendency through management. The method system was concerned with control; but was too rational ie there was no place in it for workers as human beings
Taylor was driven by the promise of direct financial benefit resulting from there studies of social science and research.
The Views of Karl Marx VS Max Weber
April 26, 2008
Compare and contrast the views of Karl Marx and Max Weber with regards as to what motivates people to work.
Karl Marx: [1] Exploitation
[2] Proletariat have to sell their labour-power
[3] The machines of the industrial revolution eliminate creativity require only the workers own labour, work is alienated, workers alienated.
Max Weber: [1] Regarded as one of the ‘founding fathers’ of sociology
[2] Wider analysis of capitalism then that of Marx
[3] Weber ignores labour exploitation as being a function of class
Compare: [1] Calvinism can be seen to have provided the initiating force for capitalism in as much as the effects of Calvinism that originated in theology reflect the spirit for capitalism (the drive for economic success).
[2] Ownership and control through capitalism
[3] Mark uses exploitation and oppression of the working classes (proletariat). as a means for exercising control by manipulation the situation.
[4] Weber uses bureaucratic organization as a means for exercising control by calculated acts of influence.
[5] Abolition of control and capitalists that cannot exist without wage-workers would create a Utopian Socialism where superstition, injustice, privilege, oppression, were to be superseded by equality
The Need to Survive; A Death Knell For Organizations
April 9, 2008
Changing the driving force upon which business decisions are based is crucial in order to not only restore ethics in business but to truly improve the lives of those whom they were meant to benefit: executives, employees and consumers. After all, weren’t business activities meant to improve the state of existence of human beings on this planet?
So what is this driving force that I am referring to? Well its the “fear of not surviving”. You thought I was going to say something like “the profit motive” didn’t you? Well the latter tends to derive from the former. Hence I would prefer to look at the deeper issue.
Is anyone surprized that the current state of business decisions and activities is ruled by this emotional factor? If you are an executive and look deeply within yourself I think that you will likely recognize it operating and living within yourself and also the CEO’s of many major corporations.
What impact does having such a force inside one’s self likely to have on that individual? Well if its powerul enough, and it can be quite powerful, as you can determine for yourself by recalling the last time you felt its effects operating, it can literally cause you to entertain decisions that could potentially undermine your self esteem, your integrity and the integrity of your organization.
Are You Selling Out Your Integrity?
March 21, 2008
Integrity in business is a quality that is highly under-rated by executives these days. Many executives are so “pushed and pulled” by a not so hidden force called the “profit motive” that they often find themselves compromising something that without which they could lose all credibility and trust from those they are trying to retain business from.
Isn’t it ironic that something (i.e. the profit motive) that is supposed to help guide businesses into the black often drives them blindly into the red? Why is this? Well it’s because often executives who run such businesses put profits above their own personal and business integrity. This treacherous mistake can easily lead one to ruin as has been witnessed in some recent scandals i.e. Enron, World Com, Arthur Anderson and others less publicly known.
As an Executive Coach, Psychiatrist and Specialist trained in the underlying emotional issues that lead to ethical dilemmas, I have witnessed that the main causes of such ethical tragedies stem from an executive’s low self esteem. Yes, you heard it correctly, “low self esteem”. Seems ironic doesn’t it as many of us may consider some of the stalwarts of the business world who run these huge companies as the heros of our age. In fact, when one scratches the surface of these CEO’s one finds a very different kettle of fish.
Business Ethics: An Oxymoron?
March 5, 2008
Why do I believe good PR and business ethics are inextricably linked? It comes down to definitions. Ethics is learning what is right and what is wrong and then doing the “right thing.” PR involves providing counsel on the “right thing” to do and then helping the organization get credit for it.
The business and political excess of the last 10 years have taken some PR practitioners to the dark side because they felt it was the only way for their company to profit. Although I personally believe doing right for right’s sake is enough, there are some who may not share this view. OK, here’s a reason that any good capitalist can embrace: research now shows that socially responsible behavior is good for the bottom line.
A recent analysis of overall financial performance of the 2001 list of 100 Best Corporate Citizens shows that this group of firms did significantly better than the remaining companies of the S&P 500. Professors at DePaul University found that the mean ranking of the 100 Best was more than 10 percentile higher than the other firms of the S&P 500.
Tales from the Corporate Frontlines: Diversity And Success, In The Workplace
February 15, 2008
This article relates to the Diversity in the Workplace Competency, commonly evaluated in employee satisfaction surveys. This competency explores whether your organization provides understanding and supports interaction among diverse population groups while respecting individuals’ personal values and ideas. Research shows that by fostering a climate where equity and mutual respect are intrinsic, an organization can create a success-oriented, cooperative and caring work environment that draws intellectual strength and produces innovative solutions from the synergy of its people.
All businesses can benefit from a diverse body of talent bringing fresh ideas, perspectives, and views to the workplace. However, a diverse workforce means that the managers within your organization must be capable of capitalizing on the mixture of genders, cultural backgrounds, ages, and lifestyles present in your staff to respond to business opportunities more rapidly and creatively.
This short story, Diversity—-and Success, in the Workplace, is part of AlphaMeasure’s Compilation, Tales from the Corporate Frontlines. It illustrates how one manager recognized and used a diverse team to achieve the best possible work product for the company, and win new business as well.
Anonymous Submission
Ethics? How To Take the Measure Business
January 29, 2008
When asked to write a small piece pertaining to ethics and integrity in the business world, my first inclination was to draw on personal experience.
Everyone has bad experiences to relate. We deal with a business, determine that we were treated shabbily therefore that business has no integrity. Or perhaps we disagree on the implementation of a refund, hence the business or owner has no ethics.
Rather than using ethics or integrity to describe business practices, a better definition might be “character”.
My dusty old copy of Webster’s New World Dictionary provides the following definitions for use in this context:
-ethics…the study of standards of conduct and moral judgment; moral philosophy.
-integrity…the quality or state of being of sound moral principle; uprightness, honesty, and sincerity.
-character…an individual’s pattern of behavior or personality; moral constitution. moral strength; self-discipline, fortitude, etc. reputation.
If you will look at these definitions you can see that ethics relates to standards of conduct. Period. Ethics are…no good or bad comes into the mix. Integrity either is or isn’t. Sound moral principle is relative to the observer or end user.
It stands to reason, therefore, that the best measure of good or bad practice falls to basic “character”.
Business Ethics: How The Sales Function Can Transmit Company Values
January 11, 2008
I recently got a “thank-you” call from a man who read my new e-book Buying Facilitation.
“Boy,” he said, “this method sure helps me close more deals and make more money. Thanks!”
“Glad I could help. Is that all you’re looking for? To make more money?”
“What do you mean?all? What else is there? Sales is about closing deals and making money, right?”
“I’m surprised you didn’t notice the value of becoming a trusted advisor, or how you can use the seller’s role as one of a servant-leader to lead your clients to discover their solutions quickly.”
“Well, I noticed all that. But it’s all in service of me closing deals and making money, right? I don’t mind doing it nicely if it gives me better results. But what’s sales about if my job isn’t about me making money?”
I’m wondering how many people out there still believe sales to be a job that is focused on making money? Or only about making money. All of us want to get paid fairly for what we do. The question is: how can we make money and make nice.
