...understandings of power, leading away from the analysis of actors who use power as an instrument of coercion, and even away from the discreet structures in which those actors operate, toward the idea that ‘power is everywhere’, diffused and embodied in discourse, knowledge and ‘regimes of truth’ (Foucault 1991; Rabinow 1991). Power for Foucault is what makes us what we are, operating on a quite different level from other theories: ‘His work marks a radical departure from previous modes of conceiving power and cannot be easily integrated with previous ideas, as power is diffuse rather than concentrated, embodied and enacted rather than possessed, discursive rather than purely coercive, and constitutes agents rather than being deployed by them’ (Gaventa 2003: 1) Foucault challenges the idea that power is wielded by people or groups by way of ‘episodic’ or ‘sovereign’ acts of domination or coercion, seeing it instead as dispersed and pervasive. ‘Power is everywhere’ and ‘comes from everywhere’ so in this sense is neither an agency nor a structure (Foucault 1998: 63). Instead it is a kind of ‘metapower’ or ‘regime of truth’ that pervades society, and which is in constant flux and negotiation. Foucault uses the term ‘power/knowledge’ to signify that power is constituted through accepted forms of knowledge, scientific understanding and ‘truth’: ‘Truth is a thing of this world: it is produced only by virtue of multiple forms of constraint. And it induces regular effects of power. Each society...
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...Introduction Mahatma Gandhi has been a distinctive leader throughout his lifetime. His leadership characteristics have been recognized, analyzed and praised all around the world. He has become a prime example of a successful leader. In this research paper, I will pick certain theories to analyze Gandhi’s leadership. Then I will choose a “leader” from my circle of family, my mother, and examine her leadership using the same criteria. The purpose of the comparison is to recognize key leadership attributes and behaviors and establish an understanding of the importance of certain fundamentals of leadership. As I was beginning to research information on the topics of leadership and the basic ideas of it, I realized that I agreed with a lot of theories and opinions. However, I decided to take some key ideas and formulate my own definition of leadership that fits my perceptions of life, my cultural beliefs, my background and my personality. In my view, in order to be a leader one must have an open mind. One must have the ability to view situations from different perspectives. One must be able to think logical and free of clichés and acknowledge all advantages and disadvantages for all parties involved. In order to practice those characteristics one must get to know the players of the situation, one must get to know their mindset and their reasoning for action. What inspired me most about Gandhi, and which is also considered his most distinguishable and memorable trait, is that he...
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...fostering an ethics based culture. But awareness alone will not be sufficient to instill ethical behavior and practices across the organization. It requires consistent and conscious effort to impede an ethical perspective into day to day leadership and management behaviors. This essay presents a global perspective on a particular tribe of the human race. The question addressed is that of leadership. I have pondered on the paucity of quality leadership in the world at the present time. From reflections on different traditions, I came to believe that the answer was simple and ancient, yet perhaps more radical than old fashioned. Without ethics, rooted in a spiritual practice that entails meditation, there is no possibility of a leadership emerging that would rest on principles of integrity, compassion and awareness. The lack of leadership, truth and integrity in public life exist simply because the world is ignorant of its true nature. As ignorance can be remedied through education. I believe that people everywhere are searching, consciously or unconsciously , to experience this and to instinctively know that it is where their happiness lies. The striving is instructive, because it reveals that humanity's true nature is that of truth, integrity and happiness. The interconnection between...
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...The Truth: About Managing People . . . and Nothing but the Truth Stephen P. Robbins, Ph.D. PEARSON EDUCATION, INC. “If someone wants to unleash the truth of people management, read this book. Author Robbins addresses the most critical challenges organizations face today in a concise and entertaining way.” — SUBIR CHOWDHURY Executive Vice President, American Supplier Institute Author of the best-selling The Power of Six Sigma and The Talent Era: Achieving a High Return On Talent “Stephen Robbins does it again! A prolific scholar and writer, he cuts through the research and theory to deliver immediately useful and essential insights for the effective management of people. I have never seen anything quite like The Truth. Excellent for all of us who don’t take the time to keep up with leading edge thinking and practice in the field of management.” — ERIC G. STEPHAN, Professor Organizational Leadership & Strategy Marriott School of Management, Brigham Young University “This is a clever book. Stephen Robbins has put together a book I wish I had written. It’s a quick reference written for practicing managers, social scientists, and anyone interested in managing people. Robbins’‘best of ’ approach, as well as the reference materials each section draws on, make this book a ‘must have’ for practical, reliable, and valid information on the important leadership/management/people topics of the day.” — RANDALL P WHITE, PH.D. . Principal, The Executive Development Group LLC Co-author...
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...interpreting the world which results in different knowledge acquired (Hatch & Cunliffe 2006). Globalisation has enable organisations to enter new markets and reduce business cost. These organisations are known as transnationals because their routine activities have crossed borders. They are able to exert control through ownership and/or through operations (eds. Alvesson, Bridgman & Willmott 2009). In this essay, I will be using modernist and critical theory perspective and related theories to analyse how Apple as a capitalist, exercise power and over its organisation network and external environment. The first section of the essay includes the meta-theoretical frame work of the two perspectives. It also includes how the two different perspectives view power in the organisation and the environment. The second section will be my analysis of Apple using control theories and the resource dependency theory to analyse how Apple has the power over Apple’s own employees, Foxconn and the workers. Section 1: Theoretical Framework To make comparison between modernism and critical theory, it is essential to know the assumptions of these perspective using...
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...all of these corporate failures, the level or absence of disclosure has had a lot to do with the unexpectedness of the collapse. This paper analyses the HIH collapse within a Foucaldian framework to demonstrate the need for accountants and auditors to work together so as to avoid criticism of the profession arising from unexpected corporate failures in the future. INTRODUCTION The purpose of this paper is to analyse the collapse of HIH and the role of its auditor, Andersen, within a Foucauldian framework encompassing archeology and genealogy of power and knowledge. The mythical Jedi force is used as a metaphor for power attained by the accounting profession through its claim to superior knowledge and skill to be applied in the public interest. Accordingly, the force includes professional ethics. The dark side is used as a metaphor for the collapse of HIH because accounting standards and practices, the accounting profession's power base, were used to conceal impending collapse resulting in the escalation of losses to policy holders, creditors and the general public. Regulatory responses to the Royal Commission into the collapse of HIH are viewed for purposes of this paper as the return of the Jedi in that the Corporate Law Economic Reform Programme (CLERP 9) proposals are aimed at strengthening corporate governance including auditor...
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...which information can be drawn to make comparisons not only between countries but against the world average to give a broader picture. The following graph gives a comparison between Germany and China. It also allows for assessment against the Asian average and World average and our own British culture as benchmarks. Hofstede Comparison: UK, Germany, China Asian Average and World Average [pic] Comparison of Germany and China [pic] Power Distance Index Germany 35 LOW China 80 HIGH Individualism Germany 67 HIGH China 66 LOW Masculinity Germany 66 HIGH China 66 HIGH Uncertainty Avoidance Germany 65 HIGH China 30 LOW Long Term Orientation Germany 31LOW China 118 HIGH Power Distance Index – PDI Power Distance measures equality of power in society and how much people are willing to allow or give in to superiority. Countries with high scores tend to operate with power being given to the top few, with little room for lower rank intervention. Low scoring countries either spread power through delegation or encourage input from more levels of society. Germany 35 China 80 World Average 55 |...
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...to modernists, critical theorists’ ontology is also objectivism, and organizations are real entities which exist in the objective world. However, critical theorists view organizations as objects used by capitalists for the exploitation and alienation of workers and the environment. Symbolic interpretivists believe that reality is subjective, and only exists if we give meaning to it. As such, organizations are socially constructed realities which are constructed and reconstructed by their members through symbolically mediated interaction. Without its members giving meaning to it, an organization does not exist. Postmodernists suggest that reality is constructed through language and discourse. Organizations are ‘imagined’ entities whereby power and social arrangements are reinforced through language and discourse. C. Epistemology Epistemology is defined as knowing how u can know. It is concerned with how human form knowledge and establish criteria for evaluating it. Modernist relates to positivist epistemology which assumes that one can discover what truly happens in organisations through the categorisation and scientific measurement of the behaviour of...
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...surface, we appear to be converging: television, books, movies, internet, eating habits etc. • However, it seems that the pressure for convergence or integration may in fact create an equal, if not stronger pressure for divergence or fragmentation. o E.g. protests against learning English as second language in Switzerland, different neighborhoods in NYC (Chinatown, Little Italy etc.). o Executives across Europe are reading many of the same publications, but still more often they read national magazines and newspapers. Management is management • Management is management, consisting of a set of principles and techniques that can be universally applied. • However, different practices (such as management) are shaped by its cultural origins, and so is management. • Also, different notions of organizations (relationships vs. tasks) and different HRM practices based on motivations of employees (intrinsic vs. extrinsic). • Good management is culturally sensitive management: best fit between people’s motivation and tasks. • Sensitivity towards invasion of foreign companies and their business ideologies and practices. 2. Despite technological & economic forces for integration/convergence, there are equal or greater forces for fragmentation, one of them being culture. Culture as a source of competitive advantage/disadvantage • Culture can provide source of competitive advantage (Michael Porter): availability of resources, size and sophistication of the market, nature of government intervention...
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...According on that, there are facing dilemma of truth in accounting between justification of standard setting and justification of auditing. Difference researcher, have a difference opinion. According to Macintosh (2002), decision usefulness as defined by FASB is myth and truthfulness as defined by AICPA is a reality. Another researcher, Moore (2009) characterized the economic reality the FASB set out to show a myth. Other than that, Williams and Ravenscroft (2010) argue that decision usefulness as defined by FASB is since there is no way to any standard actually improves the prediction of cash flows. That is no empirical means is available to standard-setters to prove predictive ability either for any individual decision makers or for any mechanical method of economic prediction. Unlike standard-setting, auditing is the act of attesting to the veracity of something, an evidentiary process analogous to the legal process of gathering evidence to establish the ‘‘facts of the case.’’ Some countries use the term “truth” in their auditors’ reports. According to Myddelton (1995), under UK Companies Act, United Kingdom used “true and correct” from 1879 to 1947 and they changed to “true and fair view” after that. According to Chastney (1975), for Australia, they have used “true and fair” since issuance of the Financial Corporation Act of 1974. After a detailed comparison between many countries, a report shows that many problems occurred in implementing a term whether they should use...
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...esteem by colleagues and are seen as the key indicators of performance. Appraisal systems based on the softer competencies as favoured by many U.K. and U.S. firms are still not common in traditional German companies. German business structures Most of the power in German companies is vested in the hands of a few senior managers. Larger companies (AG & GmbH) have a Supervisory Board (Aufsichtsrat) which appoints the Management Board (Vorstand). The management board is the final decision-maker on policy matters which affect management. However below Vorstand level, companies tend to have a strictly hierarchical approach within which individual's specific roles and responsibilities are tightly defined and compartmentalised. This results in a methodical approach to most business issues where procedures and adherence to well-defined rules are respected. This methodical approach has both good and bad points. On the plus side, everybody knows what is expected of them and has a process to help them achieve clearly identifiable goals. On the other hand, a criticism that is often levelled at German industry as a whole and at German business people individually is that they are inflexible and slow to change to new situations. Management in Germany Managers in Germany are expected to be technically capable in their respective areas and to show...
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...LEADERSHIP By Dr. John H. Clippinger It is very true that I have said that I considered Napoleon’s presence in the field equal to forty thousand men in the balance. —Duke of Wellington One bad general does better than two good ones. —Napoleon Introduction During the early nineteenth century, Wellington’s and Napoleon’s1 observations made sense. With the onset of battle, communications became muddled, artillery was immobilized, and a commander’s ability to control his forces was limited. Consequently, the leadership of a single general could prove decisive in battle by maintaining clarity of command and control. We are now at a totally different stage of warfare. This not to say that the fog of war has completely lifted, but visibility and synchronized actions, and the speed, precision, and lethality of response is beyond comparison to anything that has preceded it. The battlefield success of the doctrine and technology of Network Centric Warfare was not based upon a single brilliant plan, or a single individual or group, but rather was a property of the network, both technologically and organizationally. As Operation Iraqi Freedom so vividly illustrated,2 battle plans can now be changed very rapidly, affecting all aspects of operations—strategy, tactics, logistics and PSYOPs, operations, kinetics, and all types of forces. The competencies that make NCW a success are network properties; they are no longer solely the province of charismatic leaders or chance...
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...The power behind the recent surge in Asia’ economy may have developed from the s tenets of one of that continent’ earliest philosophers. s The Confucius Connection: From Cultural Roots To Economic Growth Geert Hofstede Michael Harris Bond J n 1968,the late Nobel-prize-winning mist Gunnar Myrdal published Asian Drama that described tions into the failure in South ment policies different Korea, econo- a book entitled his investigadevelopAsia. a very South however, countries Malaysia, some South and Southeast Asian besides Singapore, such as India, Thailand, and Indonesia drama), (the very also show signs of of economic scene of Myrdal’ s and Southeast drama: Kong, Japan, Twenty years later, we are experiencing kind of Asian Taiwan, Hong an economic takeoff. World Bank data on the average annual growth product rate of per capita gross national the East Asian (see Exhibit 1) confirm and Singapore are now outperforming the United States and Western Europe economically. Western markets are flooded with high-quality, hightechnology products “made in Asia”; the production of cameras, TV sets, and domestic appliances has all but ceased in many Western countries, the automobile business has suffered severely, and President Reagan has had to violate his free-trade principles to save the U.S. microchip industry. It is true that most of the competition is from East, rather than from South or Southeast Asia; lead. The Five Dragons, as these countries...
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...TURUN YLIOPISTON JULKAISUJA ANNALES UNIVERSITATIS TURKUENSIS SARJA - SER. B OSA - TOM. 348 HUMANIORA Essays on Business and Leadership Ethics Tuomo Takala TURUN YLIOPISTO UNIVERSITY OF TURKU Turku 2012 ISBN 978-951-29-5010-2 (PRINT) ISBN 978-951-29-5011-9 (PDF) ISSN 0082-6987 Painosalama Oy – Turku, Finland 2012 A note from the writer I was born in 1955 and am a professor of management and leadership at the University of Jyväskylä, with a solid academic track record. My main academic work has been research in the area of business ethics and corporate social responsibility (CSR). Based on my research I have written around a hundred publications, of which about fifty can be seen as scientifically significant, in one way or another. I started as a business leadership major at the University of Jyväskylä in 1977. General studies sparked my interest in philosophy, and in time I became more and more interested in it. I graduated as a Master of Economics in 1982, at which point I had already done Advanced studies in Philosophy. Nevertheless, I did my postgraduate studies in economics and began to study corporate societal responsibility in 1983. At the same time I continued my studies in philosophy and graduated as a M.Sc (Philosophy) in 1986, the same year when I finished my licentiate’s work on societal responsibility for the Business Studies program in the University of Jyväskylä (Ph.D in Economics 1991). At that time, I was already also interested...
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...communicating ensures minimal negative consequences, hence, positive action and reaction from the audience. This makes it a crucial aspect of leadership. It is important to note that effective and ethical communication is different. For instance, a charismatic leader such as a politician has the ability to appeal to the emotions of the masses, but if the truth is exaggerated or hidden, this cannot be referred to as ethical communication. It is only effective. Ethical communication includes what is said as well as what is not said, hence the need to act as one preaches and correction of false impressions. Throughout human history, unethical communication has been portrayed as a powerful weapon of destruction. It has ruined interpersonal relationships, been used to support greed, corruption, oppression and tyranny within institutions as well as starting and fuelling economic injustice, violence and war, genocide and tribal conflicts among other social evils [ (Makau, 2009) ]. Ethical communication has also been shown to foster human relationships, foster truth, honesty and peace, hence understanding and peace. This shows the power that communication holds, more so, ethical communication. Being a topic that covers a wide range in everyday life, there are numerous approaches...
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