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This book brings a major new resource to organization studies: the work of Norbert Elias. By applying his ideas in a critical but sympathetic way, the authors provide a new perspective on the never-ending stream of management fads and fashions. Standing back and taking a more detached perspective, inspired by the work of Norbert Elias (1897-1990), it becomes clear that many 'new' types of organizations are often variations on an old theme.Elias gives us considerable purchase on current debates through his emphasis on long-term historical perspectives, his highlighting of issues of power, emotion and subjectivity, his interweaving of analysis at the level of the state, the organization, group...
This volume elaborates on the EU report A Human Security Doctrine for Europe, adding an engaging discussion of international legal consequences and operational demands in the European Union’s quest for domestic security. Introducing the concept of “Human Security from Below,” the editors highlight how people in war-torn countries have no choice but to create their own security arrangements. But such structures, surprisingly, are not unique to war zones, the contributors reveal—human security initiatives from below occur in even the most stable Western countries. Arguing that human security as a concept only makes sense if it covers both foreign and domestic policy concerns, The Viability of Human Security offers concise insights on this largely neglected topic.
Many authors have researched the connection between humor and education but as E .B. White said: “Analyzing humor is like dissecting a frog. Few people are interested and the frog dies of it. However, Dr. Peter Jonas takes a broad and practical approach examining the connection between humor and learning. The book uses a meta-analysis and meta-synthesis to identify nine areas where humor significantly improves various aspects of the learning environment. This book provides practical examples, as well as research on how much of an effect (effect size) humor has on Leadership, Learning, Stress reduction, Job Satisfaction, Relationships, Creativity, Culture, Communication, and Engagement. Humor needs to be taken seriously, because when you get people laughing you can transform learning.
This is the second in a series of Dutch short stories edited for Guernica by Gerrit Bussink. Authors included: Renate Dorrestein, Ad van Iterson, Jan Siebelink, Levi Weemoedt, Simon Carmiggelt, W.F. Hermans, Anton Koolhaus, Hannes Meinkema, Armando, Fleur Bourgonje, Maarten Biesheuvel, Margaretha Ferguson, Remco Campert, Margriet de Moor, Tim Krabbe, and L.H. Wiener.
Why are some firms successful on global markets whilst others are not? In this collection of papers, a group of distinguished international researchers examine the inter-relationship between national context, firm performance and global competitiveness. In a series of empirical studies covering major industries (such as banking, telecommunications, construction, automobiles, and airlines) in a number of European countries (Great Britain, France, Germany, Holland, Finland, Slovenia), the studies show how distinctive patterns of firm competences and capabilities arise from national contexts. These influence the way in which firms perform in response to changing technologies and competitive pressures. Thus the impact of the globalisation of economic activity may be to reinforce existing national differences in firm performance rather than producing a homogenisation and standardisation. This book will be of interest to researchers in business and management, sociology, economics and political science for its comparative organizational approach to problems of economic performance.
The book examines the social processes which have shaped the development and organisation of various marketing practices and activities, and the markets associated with them. Drawing on the figurational-sociological approach associated with Norbert Elias the contributors explain how various markets and related marketing practices and activities are organised, enabled and constrained by the actions of people at different levels of social integration. Collectively, The Social Organisation of Marketing provides insights into topics such as the consumption and of wine in China, the advertising of Guinness, the management of on-line communities in Germany, the corporate social responsibility strategies of multinational energy corporations in Africa, the concept of talent management in contemporary organisations, the child consumer in Ireland, and the constraining and enabling influences of the American corporate organisational structure.
The beginning of the 21st century is characterized by fundamental societal changes: in addition to changing demographics and the globalization of economic flows, the transformation of an industrial-Fordistic society to a non-industrial service society is significant. For more than twenty years, these large-scale trends and their inherent chances and risks have been the topic of vivid discussions in all the social sciences. Keywords are ‘risk-society’, ‘post-industrial society’, ‘knowledge-society’ and ‘information-society’. The implications of these developments are also reflected in the challenge to the traditional, hegemonic and rational understanding of subjectivity. Again...
Casting the Other: Maintaining Gender Inequalities in the Workplace focuses on the production and maintenance of gender inequalities in organizations. By emphasizing 'difference' as something to be managed many organizations institute the 'problem of difference', and while orgainzations pay lip-service to ideas of equality, their day-to-day practices may be unchanged and unchallenged. Discrimination of various groups such as women, immigrants and older people continues and its dynamics remain unclear, largely because of the difficulties of studying it in the field. Additionally, various programs aimed at removing inequality, such as gender equality of managing diversity programs, may actually promote it by making differences visible and stabilizing them. Management, under these circumstances, comes to refer to the management of appearances which take the place of more radical acts to change the 'status quo'.
The Second Edition provides an overview of current research, theory and practice in this expanding field. The editorial team and the authors come from diverse professional and geographical backgrounds, and provide an unprecedented coverage of topics relating to both culture and climate of modern organizations.