Has the red flag fallen?

This pamphlet asked the question: has socialism come to the end of the line or can it find a new path forward

Organization, Evolution, Cognition and Dynamic Capabilities

Using insights from 'embodied cognition' and a resulting 'cognitive theory of the firm', I aim to contribute to the further development of evolutionary theory of organizations, in the specification of organizations as 'interactors' that carry organizational competencies as 'replicators', within industries as 'populations'.Especially, I analyze how, if at all, 'dynamic capabilities' can be fitted into evolutionary theory.I propose that the prime purpose of an organization is to serve as a cognitive 'focusing device'.Here, cognition has a wide meaning, including perception, interpretation, sense making, and value judgements.I analyse how this yields organizations as cohesive wholes, and differences within and between industries.I propose the following sources of variation: replication in communication, novel combinations of existing knowledge, and a path of discovery by which exploitation leads to exploration. These yield a proposal for dynamic capabilities.I discuss in what sense, and to what extent these sources of variation are 'blind' , as postulated in evolutionary theory.organization;evolution;cognition;dynamic capabilities;learning;invention

Organization, Evolution, Cognition and Dynamic Capabilities

Using insights from ‘embodied cognition’ and a resulting ‘cognitive theory of the firm’, I aim to contribute to the further development of evolutionary theory of organizations, in the specification of organizations as ‘interactors’ that carry organizational competencies as ‘replicators’, within industries as ‘populations’. Especially, I analyze how, if at all, ‘dynamic capabilities’ can be fitted into evolutionary theory. I propose that the prime purpose of an organization is to serve as a cognitive ‘focusing device’. Here, cognition has a wide meaning, including perception, interpretation, sense making, and value judgements. I analyse how this yields organizations as cohesive wholes, and differences within and between industries. I propose the following sources of variation: replication in communication, novel combinations of existing knowledge, and a path of discovery by which exploitation leads to exploration. These yield a proposal for dynamic capabilities. I discuss in what sense, and to what extent these sources of variation are ‘blind’, as postulated in evolutionary theory.evolutionary economics;organization;cognition;dynamic capabilities

The transfer of western management to China: Context, content and constraints

This paper examines the issue of transferring Western management knowhow to China, focusing on the context, content and constraints of the transfer. A model of the transfer of management knowhow is developed which contains five closely-related stages: selection, adaptation, application, evaluation and integration. Factors which influence management transfer are identified as environmental, organisational, and cultural and behavioural; while cultural constraint are discussed in detail. It concludes that China cannot depend on the West for the solutions to its problems but develop its own indigenous knowhow by blending the best of both East and West

From habituality to change : Contribution of activity theory and pragmatism to practice theories

Peer reviewe

Stages Of Discovery And Entrepreneurship

In an attempt at a systematic theory of entrepreneurship, this paper connects various literatures, from economics and business. In economics, there are many notions of entrepreneurship, some of which seem to contradict each other. For example, there are notions of entrepreneurship as an equilibrating and as a disequilibrating force. In this paper, these differences are connected with the issue of exploitation and exploration from the business literature. The question is how one can explore while maintaining exploitation. For this, a cycle of discovery has been proposed, with stages of equilibration and disequilibration which build on each other, in process where exploitation leads to exploration. It is proposed that different notions of entrepreneurship can be associated with different stages of that cycle. In this way, different types of entrepreneurship complement each other in an ongoing process of discovery.entrepreneurship;innovation;organizational learning;discovery

A fair-tale for grown-ups: Christian orthodoxy in the theology of C.S. Lewis

This thesis investigates C.S. Lewis as one of the most successful Christian apologists of this century. It begins by looking at his influence as part of a movement of lay orthodoxy in the twentieth century, and examining some of the reasons for the emergence of that movement. In the context of this discussion, several key influences are explored. Charles Williams and G.. Chesterton are examined as contemporaries who helped shape Lewis' specifically Christian theology, Edwyn Bevan as an influence on his philosophy of God, Baron von Hugel as a beacon of light in the Modernist crisis, and Rudolf Otto as the primary source of Lewis' synthesis of the rational and the non-rational in his theology. The thesis then goes on to explore three areas where Lewis had a distinctive contribution to make to modern orthodox belief The first of these is the assertion that , he was making an attempt to resurrect Romanticism in some form in theology, in contrast to such figures as Kari Barth, for whom Romantic philosophy was part of the entire problem of the Liberal enterprise. The second area is the regaining of a Christian imagination concerning the life to come and of the doctrines of Heaven and Hell. It will be argued that Lewis' doctrine of Transposition offers suggestions as to an alternative to self-defeating reductionism in this area of Christian thought. The third area is Lewis’ engagement with the ideas and philosophies of his day, and in particular his hostility towards Scientific Materialism. This will be examined through his use of the literary - genre of Utopia/Dystopia to critique materialist and relativist positions. His work will be explored alongside two examples of the genre - H.G. Wells and Yevgeny Zamyatin - to place him in the context of the discussion of possible human fixtures of his time. The thesis will argue that C.S. Lewis was the foremost exponent of a group of lay Christians who were concerned to restate orthodox Christian belief in the modem context. It will argue that Lewisian orthodoxy was a credible and complex construct which encompassed the rational and the non-rational, the moral and the numinous, the intellect and the imagination. Ultimately it will argue that Lewis offers theological suggestions as to the solution of the lost unity of heart and mind - the "dissociation of sensibility" - which the Romantics sought

Exploring the Darkverse: A Multi-Perspective Analysis of the Negative Societal Impacts of the Metaverse

The Metaverse has the potential to form the next pervasive computing archetype that can transform many aspects of work and life at a societal level. Despite the many forecasted benefits from the metaverse, its negative outcomes have remained relatively unexplored with the majority of views grounded on logical thoughts derived from prior data points linked with similar technologies, somewhat lacking academic and expert perspective. This study responds to the dark side perspectives through informed and multifaceted narratives provided by invited leading academics and experts from diverse disciplinary backgrounds. The metaverse dark side perspectives covered include: technological and consumer vulnerability, privacy, and diminished reality, human–computer interface, identity theft, invasive advertising, misinformation, propaganda, phishing, financial crimes, terrorist activities, abuse, pornography, social inclusion, mental health, sexual harassment and metaverse-triggered unintended consequences. The paper concludes with a synthesis of common themes, formulating propositions, and presenting implications for practice and policy

The Silver Lining Methodology

The way in which Strategic planning is designed is different depending on the organization. For that reason, no standard procedures can be given to develop Strategic planning. However, the scenarios analysis method is used in any field or organization. We could define a scenario as a set of variables or events that describes a future situation. Additionally, the continuous irruption of new technologies invites us to carry out a revision of the old methodologies and procedures with the intention of starting an innovation process to make them more efficient. The challenge presented in this article consists of the use of the agents technology within a new methodological approach to envision future possible scenarios more quickly and more accurately than the classical methods we currently use