Message and Medium:The Role of Consulting Firms in Globalization and Its Local Interpretation

A century ago, management consulting as we know it all but did not exist. The management consulting industry emerged and structured itself in the twentieth century, growing then very rapidly. In today’s capitalist landscape, it has become a significant actor (Kennedy Information Research Group on-line). Historically, the changing needs of a stable group of large corporate clients were driving growth. In time, however, growth also came from the exploration of uncharted territories – new clients, new industries but also new countries. From traditional engagements with private for profit firms essentially involved in the manufacturing, marketing and distribution of goods, consulting firms have made inroads in the service and non profit sectors as well as in semi-public and public organizations. From the mid-1960s, they have also rapidly internationalized their activities from a mostly American base, often becoming in the process multinational or even global firms. [First paragraph

Message in the Sky

We argue that the cosmic microwave background (CMB) provides a stupendous opportunity for the Creator of universe our (assuming one exists) to have sent a message to its occupants, using known physics. Our work does not support the Intelligent Design movement in any way whatsoever, but asks, and attempts to answer, the entirely scientific question of what the medium and message might be IF there was actually a message. The medium for the message is unique. We elaborate on this observation, noting that it requires only careful adjustment of the fundamental Lagrangian, but no direct intervention in the subsequent evolution of the universe.Comment: 3 pages, revtex; to appear in Mod.Phys.Lett.

Labour law: the medium and the message

From the contract of employment to the ‘gig economy’, attention has been fixed on the medium through which personal work relationships have been facilitated. The medium and message in labour law are explored here using the example of the United Kingdom. Fragmentation of and the associated decline in trade unions (the most evident medium in labour law) have been noticeable. Labour law’s preoccupation with the medium warrants further consideration with regards to the ‘gig economy’. ‘Gig’ work does not warrant ‘game changer’ standing because it is a continuation of the long-standing issue of employment status. Still, innovations in information technology prompt further reflection, such as the lure of app-based work. Conversely, algorithms as a tool of workplace management may be themselves ‘game changers’. Appealing to the notion of ‘scientific management’, algorithms ostensibly promise an objective means through which to measure workplace performance

Information Congestion

Advertising messages compete for scarce attention. ?Junk? mail, ?spam? e-mail, and telemarketing calls need both parties to exert effort to generate transactions. Message recipients supply attention depending on average message beneÞt. Senders are motivated by proÞts. Costlier message transmission may improve message quality so more messages are examined. Too many messages may be sent, or the wrong ones. A Do-Not-Call policy beats a ban, but too many individuals opt out. A monopoly gatekeeper performs better than personal access pricing if nuisance costs are moderate. The medium is the message with multiple channels, and there is excessive indiscriminate mailing.information overload, congestion, advertising, common property resource, overÞshing, two-sided markets, junk mail, email, telemarketing, Do Not Call List, message pricing, the Medium is the Message, market research.

Metaphors and Metaphysics

Culture is a net of information exchange basing upon messages. To say anything about understanding within cultural communication one should study the very structure of a message. It seems that any message consists in at least five elements: sending – a node within the culture net projects and constructs the information transfer coding – the message is encoded in a specific language pattern medium – material carrier of the information decoding – the language of the message is identified and the content is read receiving – understanding of the message The process of understanding is engaged in the first and the last stage of communication and therefore the abilities of constructing and understanding a message are to be examined1

The Medium Is the Message: And the Problem?

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II. Classical Chinese: The Medium and the Message

Monograph in Histor