Narrative motion on the two-dimensional plane: the “video-ization” of photography and characterization of reality

"Art is not truth. Art is a lie that enables us to recognize truth" Pablo Picasso Time, as known to many, is an indispensable component of photography. Period(s) included in “single” photographs are usually and naturally much shorter than periods documented in video works. Yet, when it comes to combining photos taken at different times on one photographical surface, it becomes possible to see remnants of longer periods of time. Whatever method you use, the many traces left by different moments, lead to the positive notion of timelessness (lack of time dependence) due to the plural presences of time at once. This concept of timelessness sometimes carries the content of the photo to anonymity, the substance becomes multi-layered and hierarchy disappears. This paper focuses on creating photographical narratives within the two-dimensional world. The possibility of working in layers with transparency within the computer environment enables us to overlay succession of moments seized from time on top of each other, in order to create a storyline spread in time that is otherwise not possible to express in a single photograph, unless properly staged. Truth with the capital T is not taken as the departure point in this article; on the contrary, personal delineations of temporary yet experienced smaller realities is suggested

Innovation-based competitive differentiation amongst South African fibre to the home (FTTH) operators

A research report submitted to the Wits Business School in the University of the Witwatersrand, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Management in the field of Innovation StudiesFibre-to-the-home (FTTH) as an access technology is viewed as vital for economic growth and competitiveness. The deployment of high speed networks and advanced access technologies is essential for continuous development of broadband in South Africa. FTTH is an access technology that has recently been deployed and adopted by different network providers in South Africa. South Africa is one of the developing countries attracting investments in the deployment of infrastructure where industry players are deploying fibre at a high rate with acquisition of smaller players. FTTH operators and service providers are challenged with competitive pressures within the market where competitiveness relies on the capacity to continually develop and implement unique innovative initiatives that will drive competitive advantage over its competitors. Competitive advantage is needed to achieve the organisation’s objectives. These innovative initiatives are required due to intense competition within the market which results in reduction of prices and margins. The purpose of this study is the exploration of innovation-based competitive differentiation from a South African FTTH provider perspective. The study aims to look at potential innovation differentiation amongst South African FTTH providers and how it can be applied in order to obtain a competitive advantage by looking at the factors that influence competitive advantage and barriers for innovation within the market. The study will provide knowledge and insights to develop an understanding of innovation for FTTH providers in a developing country such as South Africa. In this study, realistic data from the different network providers and service providers has been collected utilising a qualitative research method to investigate and conduct an in-depth analysis based on interviews with subject matter experts and managers from FTTH operators and service providers. Some propositions have been suggested as a validation for the proposed framework. The sample for the study has been drawn from the active FTTH network infrastructure operators and service providers based in Gauteng. The research findings indicate that the fibre-to-the-home market is a highly competitive environment with network providers and service providers offering various products and services to customers in order to meet customer needs. However, there are challenges with innovation based competitive differentiation since, currently, 3 competition is primarily based on the price of the broadband product. As a result, prices have been plummeting, leading to some service providers operating and selling their FTTH products with no margins or negative margins. KEYWORDS: Fibre-to-the-Home, FTTH, Innovation, Differentiation, Competition, Network Operators, Competitive Advantage.GR201

EVOLVING GEOPOLITICS OF THE GLOBAL COMMONS IN TURKEY: MARITIME POLICY, ENERGY SECURITY, AND REGIONAL DIPLOMACY 2016-2021

Research Question: Why have maritime domains become of heightened importance for Turkey between 2016 and 2021? What factors have shaped Turkey’s Blue Homeland maritime policy? This research explores the significance of Turkey’s Blue Homeland (Mavi Vatan) maritime policy through the lens of neoclassical realism by investigating the impact of geopolitics and domestic-political factors on foreign policy outcomes. Using process tracing, the research uncovers motivations behind the policy change between 2004 and 2021 with a particular focus on the last five years, the period when Turkey’s naval assertiveness reached its peak following the failed coup attempt in 2016. The argument highlights that Blue Homeland is an extension of Turkey’s national self-conception embodied in the Vatan concept; it is the manifestation of a traditional land power claiming its place as an emergent maritime power. The government has reinforced an activist maritime policy since 2016 due to pressures of regional insecurity, domestic coalition logrolling, and nationalist sentiment. As opposed to arguments for purely offensive motives or identity projection, the holistic analysis of structural factors, systemic stimuli and the domestic-political context under the neoclassical realist paradigm provides a more nuanced and compelling account of the policy trajectory. Intense foreign pressure, changes in relative distribution of power, and greater immediacy to act form the base line of structural factors / systemic stimuli. These external factors moderated by an assertive, realpolitik strategic culture, an authoritarian government, and stronger nationalist sentiment culminated in a policy re-orientation toward securitization. The quest for maritime control is a key pillar of this policy for defending vital interests from afar and projecting power to the near abroad. In the outcome, geopolitical shifts and the AKP’s nationalist turn changed Turkey’s threat perception, gave a political dimension to Blue Homeland, and brought it into a central place in Turkish politics after 2016. Despite the political reshuffle and rhetorical descent since 2021, Blue Homeland has a powerful socialized definition and a popular appeal across the political spectrum that positions it as a viable long-term strategy

Spielformen im Spielfilm : zur Medienmorphologie des Kinos nach der Postmoderne

Die aktuelle Konjunktur exzentrischen Erzählens im gegenwärtigen Kino ist längst nicht mehr bloß die Illustration einer condition postmoderne, sie verweist vielmehr auf die Hybridisierung von Erzählung und Spiel im digitalen Medienumbruch. Insbesondere im massenattraktiven Spielfilm stehen nicht mehr die selten gewordenen Identifikationsofferten im Zentrum des Interesses und die Zuschauer sorgen sich auch nicht um Interpretationshypothesen, sondern sie finden Vergnügen an Erzählrätseln und verfolgen neugierig das Spiel mit unterschiedlichen Plotvarianten oder paradoxalen Welten. In den Beiträgen dieses Bandes werden Formen dieser Hybridisierung exemplarisch aufgeschlüsselt und genealogisch nachvollzogen

MAPPING GEOPOLITICAL IMAGINATIONS: TURKISH AUDIENCES & VALLEY OF THE WOLVES-PALESTINE

This study explores how the Turkish film, Valley of the Wolves-Palestine, reflects the geopolitical imaginations of the Turkish people and how this political-action film is interpreted by different individuals in the post-9/11 world. To do this, I investigated three sites of the film: production includes film-making process and geopolitical conditions in which the film took shape; text, wherein geopolitical discourses are embedded, and; consumption, through which audiences make their meaning. I utilized a mixed-method approach, including interviews with one of the scriptwriters of the film and the Mavi Marmara activists, seven audience focus group discussions, analysis of online comments, and an online survey. The collected data, in general, showed that Turkish audiences\' reading of the film is diverse, but some commonalities were found.This study suggests that Turkish audiences had pre-conceived notions about Israel and its policies toward Palestinians before they had seen the film. In this respect, the film did not particularly affect people\'s opinions about Israel, but it served as a conduit to have their voice be heard. Turkish audiences acknowledged the importance of publicizing the human drama in Palestine and valued the indispensability of bringing it to the attention of international movie audiences. In particular, this study argues that the film, and consumption of the film, is as much about understanding the Palestinian struggle as it is about re-presenting and re-orienting Turkey and its geopolitical position in the Middle East.Finally, this study highlights that `negotiated\', `oppositional\', and `dominant\' readership was also present in the meaning-making of the film. Some Turkish audiences understand that the film is a cinematic challenge to Israel\'s Middle Eastern policies, while some see the film as an ethno-religious narrative operating within the limits of political economy and agenda setting. Also, a large number of people indicate that they understand the essence of the message in the film, which is to visualize the Palestinian drama, but they oppose the ways in which the message is represented

The structural relationships between customer based corporate reputation, organisation public relationships, corporate social responsibility, perceived organisational culture and transparent communication

Customer-based corporate reputation (CBCR) has been identified as an emerging area of study in the field of corporate reputation. Yet, limited research has been conducted in this area. Thus, this study aims to investigate the antecedents and a mediator of CBCR in the context of the Nigerian insurance industry. Specifically, the study investigated the mediating effects of transparent communication on the relationships between organization-public relationships (OPR), corporate social responsibilities (CSR), perceived organizational culture (POC) and CBCR. This study adopts the Relational theory; Institutional theory and the Signalling theory to provide a theoretical foundation for the study. The researcher carried out a cross-sectional survey on 327 customers from three randomly selected insurance companies located in three major commercial cities in Nigeria. The study used Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to test the hypotheses. The result of the hypothesized direct relationships between OPR, CSR and CBCR was supported, while the hypothesized relationship between POC and CBCR was not supported. Also, the hypothesized relationships between OPR, CSR, POC and TC were supported. With regard to the mediation hypotheses, a complementary mediation was observed in the OPR, CSR and CBCR while competitive (as the direct and the indirect effect have an opposing sign in the Path Coefficients) mediation was obtained on the relationship between POC and CBCR. The study recommends the need for insurance companies in Nigeria to aggressively engage in CSR activities that specifically focus on social equity with a view to encourage the most vulnerable to appreciate the importance of insurance services. Additionally, insurance companies stand to benefit substantially if they can reduce the opaque nature of their operations by putting in place a transparent communication structure that provides accurate and timely information for client positive customer based reputation assessment. On the overall, the findings are significant for the Nigerian Insurance Industry and has provided new additional insights to the literature of CBCR

İK2018 17th Internationally Participated Business Congress, 26-28 April 2018, Çeşme, İzmir

Çevrimiçi (XLV, 2055 sayfa )26-28 Nisan 2018 tarihlerinde Çeşme’de düzenlenen, 17. Uluslararası Katılımlı işletmecilik Kongresi’nin İzmir Katip Çelebi Üniversitesi, iktisadi ve idari Bilimler Fakültesi, işletme Bölümü ev sahipliğinde gerçekleştirilmesinden dolayı büyük bir mutluluk ve onur duyduk. Türkiye’de işletmecilik alanında uzun süredir başarıyla gerçekleştirilen ‘İşletmecilik Kongresi’ 17. Oturumunda uluslararası bir nitelik kazandırılarak gerçekleştirilmiştir. Bu vesile ile kongrenin 17. Oturumu ‘Uluslararası Katılımlı İşletmecilik Kongresi’ olarak tanımlanmıştır. Kongrenin bu niteliği kazanmasında katkıları olan herkese teşekkür ederiz. Umut ederiz ki bu kıymetli kongrenin ileriki oturumlarının da bu nitelikte gerçekleşmesidir. 17. Uluslararası İşletmecilik Kongresi’ne akademi, iş dünyası, sivil toplum kuruluşları ve bireysel olarak yaklaşık 700 katılımcı ilgi göstermiştir. Kongrede sunulmak üzere 400’den fazla çalışma tarafımıza ulaşmıştır. Bu çalışmalardan kongrede sunumu yapılan 236 tane tebliğ bu kitapta yer almaktadır. Kongrenin düzenlenmesi sırasında her zaman desteklerini hissettiğimiz Danışma Kurulu değerli üyelerine, bildiri tam metin ve özetlerini dikkatle ve özenle değerlendiren Bilim Kurulu üyelerine ve kongre sponsorlarına çok teşekkür ederiz. Prof.Dr. Hayrettin USUL 17. Uluslararası Katılımlı İşletmecilik Kongresi Dönem Başkan

Mythologies politiques et identitaires dans les conflits du Moyen-Orient à l'heure de la mondialisation

The goal of this dissertation is to study the way in which references have been created and are used by political actors in the Middle-Eastern conflicts, so that these references have become norms, which are contingent to their actions. These norms can be state-created or through private initiatives, and our aim is also to study how these two dimensions interact. This dissertation also takes into account and the way these references have been mixed in the context of globalization with references from other cultural areas. This goal has been attained through the study of memorials and museums, and through the study of films, in Egypt, Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey.Cette thèse a pour objet d’étudier la façon dont sont constitués et utilisés les systèmes de références des acteurs politiques dans les conflits du Moyen-Orient, de telle sorte que ces références deviennent des normes, par rapport auxquelles leurs actions sont conditionnées. Ceci en prenant en compte à la fois la dimension étatique dans la création de ces normes, et les initiatives privées, et la façon dont ces deux dimensions dialoguent. Par ailleurs, compte tenu du contexte de la mondialisation, cette étude prend en compte la dimension de métissage de ces références. Pour ce faire, elle procède par l’étude des mémoriaux et musées d’une part, et d’un corpus filmique d’autre part, sur les terrains de recherche égyptien, israélien, palestinien, libanais, jordanien et turc

Du souvenir de l'expérience à la relation à l'enseigne : une exploration théorique et méthodologique dans le domaine du commerce de détail

Our research proposes an enrichment of the experiential paradigm by focusing on the consequences of experience. We support the view that an approach by the memory of the experience can partly compensate for the limitations of satisfaction in understanding the retailer-customer relationship. Our literature review leads us to a better understanding of the relationship between experience, memory of the experience and remembered experience. The completion of two longitudinal studies helps to: [1]. conceptualize dimensions of the memory of the shopping experience; [2]. understand the evolution of memory over time; [2]. study its effects on satisfaction, retailer attitude, retailer commitment, and consumer behaviors. Our results confirm that the memory of the experience seems to constitute a better predictor of the retailer-customer relationship than satisfaction, no matter whether the experience occurs in a store, in a mall or on a website. Our work concludes on the suggestion of operational avenues to assist retailers in their “customer experience memory management” (CEMM).Notre recherche propose un enrichissement du paradigme expérientiel en s’intéressant aux conséquences de l’expérience. Nous soutenons la thèse qu’une approche par le souvenir de l’expérience peut, en partie, pallier les limites de la satisfaction pour comprendre la relation unissant le consommateur à l’enseigne. Notre revue de la littérature s’intéresse à l’articulation existant entre expérience, souvenir de l’expérience et expérience de souvenir. La conduite de deux études longitudinales permet de : [1]. conceptualiser les dimensions constitutives du souvenir de l’expérience de magasinage ; [2]. de comprendre l’évolution du souvenir au fil du temps ; et [3]. d’étudier ses effets sur la satisfaction du client, son attitude et son attachement à l’enseigne, ainsi que sur ses comportements. Nos résultats confirment que le souvenir de l’expérience semble être un meilleur prédicteur de la relation à l’enseigne que ne l’est la satisfaction, que l’expérience soit vécue dans un magasin, un centre commercial ou sur un site internet. Notre travail se termine par la suggestion de pistes opérationnelles permettant d’aider les enseignes dans leur « management du souvenir de l’expérience client » (Customer Experience Memory Management - CEMM)