The Analogue Technology of S: Exploring Narrative Form and the Encoded Mystery of the Margin

The 2013 publication of S, J.J. Abrams’ and Doug Dorst’s “love letter to the written word,” represents a particular intervention in the debates surrounding the future of the book and the relationship between analogue and digital publication. In S we see how the analogue nature of this particular book drives much of the narrative structure of the text, indeed the physical presentation of the book informs much of the imaginative contents of the narrative. In this article I would like to consider the theoretic bounds of this novel and its form, from the question of marginal (and fragmented) writing that is evoked in the work of Jacques Derrida, to the importance of the medium and the message that it carries as described by Marshall McLuhan. One could furthermore consider the manner in which S integrates itself into the imagination of the reader both in textual and in literal terms in light of Umberto Eco’s notion of the “open work.

DE LA JOUISSANCE AU "JOUIS-SENS" - Le jeu de mots dans l'œvre de Jacques Derrida

La portée centrale de cette thèse repose sur une étude des jeux de mots au sein de l’œuvre de Jacques Derrida à travers l’optique de la jouissance textuelle. Le point de départ est le constat qu’il est possible de mieux considérer le texte derridien en termes littéraires qu’en term es philosophiques. De ce fait, la thèse s’ouvre avec une étude de l’écriture derridienne comme, d’après Barthes, ce que nous pouvons nommer un texte de jouissance – un texte qui met en avant une forme d’écriture inouïe, brisant les limites des formes traditionnelles. Elle soutient une analyse de la façon dont les jeux de mots derridiens dévoile nt une esthétique de la joie et de la jouissance. Ceci fait référence, et au jouis‐sens tel que Lacan le conçoit, à travers lequel nous pouvons comprendre (avec Kristeva) la multiplication de sens au cœur de l’expression derridienne, et au sens jouissant de la « philosophie poétique » de Derrida qui renvoie au « gai savoir » de Nietzsche. La question ultime est celle d’une philosophie sous‐jacente de la joie et du plaisir de l’expression « poétique » qui s’exprime implicitement par les jeux de mots derridiens. Loin d’être une philosophie purement idéaliste, la thèse donne une vision de l’œuvre de Derrida en tant que philosophie matérialiste de la production textuelle, le style derridien se trouvant ainsi caractérisé comme l’expression d'une chora sémiotique.The central thrust of this thesis lies in a study of wordplay in the work of Derrida. seen through the optic of textual "jouissance". The starting point of the thesis is the realisation that it is perhaps better to consider Derrida's writing in literary as opposed to in philosophical terms. In so doing, this thesis opens with a study of Derrida's writing in terms of, following Barthes, we can consider to be a "texte de jouissance", a text which foregrounds an unexpected form of writing, breaking with tradition. The thesis undertakes an analysis of the manner in which Derrida's wordplay evokes an esthetic joy and of "jouissance". This refers to both the notion of "jouis-sens" as understood by Lacan, through which, we can understand (with Kristeva) the multiplication of meaning at the heart of Derrida's expressive style, as well as to Derrida's "poetic philosophy" which recalls Nietzsches's "gay science". The ultimate question is that of an underlying philosophy of joy and of the pleasure of "poetic" expression which is implicitely articulated through Derrida's wordplay. Far from being a purely idealistic philosophy, this thesis offers a vision of Derrida's work as a philosophy concerned with the material aspects of textual production, Derrida's style can thus be characterised as the expression of a semiotic chora

Corporate political strategy and liability of foreignness : similarities and differences between local and foreign firms in the South African Health sector

We investigate the differences between corporate political strategies (CPS) of local and foreign firms in the South African Health Sector. We expected to find significant differences in CPS due to MNE subsidiaries needs to overcome liability of foreignness (LOF) effects and MNEs possessing superior resources than local firms. We surveyed 103 firms and found considerable commonality in perceptions of uncertainty for both groups of firms, however foreign firms are more likely than local firms to adopt adaptation and avoidance strategies. We find that antecedent conditions such as turn over, age of the subsidiary and industry are more important than LOF in the selection of CPS.bmgibs201

I Am Distinctive When I Belong: Meeting the Need for Optimal Distinctiveness through Team Identification

The development of stronger team identity has previously been explained through the social identity aspect of belonging. Although this has contributed much to our understanding of sport fans, it has neglected an alternative explanation for team identity, specifically the search for distinctiveness. How then do fans develop stronger team identity by \u27standing out\u27 as opposed to \u27fitting in\u27? This paper provides evidence of seven identity management strategies used by fans with a strong psychological connection to their chosen team. Saturation sampling was employed to interview 29 South African rugby union fans via semi-structured interviews, followed by a directed approach to content analysis. The results contribute a stronger explanation of how the psychological need for optimal distinctiveness functions within the attachment process towards stronger fan loyalty, and provides a more complete explanation for the way in which fans can \u27stand out\u27 while still belonging

The use of external perceived injustices by AMCU in the South African platinum mining industry

Social movement theories applied to industrial relations are insufficient to explain recruitment and collective action focused on perceived injustices that are external to the workplace and that an employer has a limited ability to influence. The South African platinum mining industry has been characterised by increased collective action and the emergence of a new independent union at the expense of the incumbent union. The new union has mobilised primarily on external injustices that employers cannot directly influence. 299 Union members were interviewed of rival unions to examine the effect of using external perceived injustices as the main driver for collective action in the platinum mining industry in 2012//2013. The findings extend prior research on social movement theory and industrial relations and discuss the implications for unions allied to government and employers.http://reference.sabinet.co.za/sa_epublication/labouram2016Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS

Mission attachment and job embeddedness in the trade union sector of South Africa

The job embeddedness construct is a totality of forces that act as a web of attachments to mitigate employee turnover. This view has gained support from research by Holtom, Mitchell and Lee (2006) but further research is needed to expand our understanding of the concept. In this article the applicability of mission attachment as a fourth dimension of job embeddedness is tested, thereby adding to our understanding of the construct. Data from 134 (trade union) and 30 (comparison group) respondents were analysed quantitatively and it was found that within a social organisation such as a trade union there is a strong, consistent and positive ranking between mission awareness and organisational job embeddedness. The results also show that the different dimensions of mission attachment had a significant impact on employees in the trade union sample. An additional finding was that employees in the trade union sector who are highly attached to the mission of the organisation tend to be those who have been employed in that sector for a relatively short period and that mission attachment declines over time.http://www.journals.co.za/ej/ejour_labour.htmlhb201

Social protest action, stakeholder management, and risk : managing the impact of service delivery protests in South Africa

Stakeholder management is an important method for reducing business risk. Recent decades have seen the growth of a new type of stakeholder: social protest stakeholders, individuals engaging in protest action which is directed at other unrelated parties, often the government. However, the actions of social protest stakeholders may negatively affect companies located nearby. This stakeholder category has not received any formal attention in the literature, and this article addresses the knowledge gap by exploring the effects of community-driven protest action in South Africa and the strategies that firms adopt to mitigate the negative consequences of such protests. A multiple case study analysis was used to describe this type of stakeholder group and the management of the consequences of social protest action. Eight manufacturing companies in the Gauteng province participated in the study, the companies varied in size and industry. Among the key findings are that companies need to be highly adaptable if they are to mitigate the impact of protest action. We make practical suggestions about how companies may manage these risks, including the recommendation that companies engage more directly with social protestors to manage risks. The study makes an important contribution to the literature by identifying an additional key category of stakeholder and proposing a risk management approach to avert or minimize loss and damage.http://wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/basrhj2023Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS

Methods of reducing the referral of frivolous cases to the CCMA

The Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration is a statutory labour dispute resolution body that was introduced in 1996. With over 125 000 referrals annually, experience has demonstrated that too many frivolous cases are referred, causing administrative problems and potentially increasing the cost of doing business in South Africa. Propositions, based on international experience from three other labour dispute resolution systems and recommendations in the literature, were tested with the aid of the Delphi technique. Three rounds were conducted with experts in the field. The findings show that there are a number of interventions which, if implemented, would prevent the referral of frivolous cases to the CCMA. In implementing the interventions, the underlying principle needs to be that rights of access and use should be enhanced and not narrowed. Therefore, the interventions focusing on enhancing systems are deemed preferable to those that use exclusionary criteria

The symptoms of and consequences to selection errors in recruitment decisions

The ability to select effective human capital has long been viewed as the bedrock of the human resource function and a driver of organisational success. There is a plethora of literature available on recruitment and selection methodologies but little empirical evidence of the consequences to selection errors. Data was gathered on 393 incidents of selection errors across a wide range of industries. The symptoms and attribution of, and the wide-ranging consequences to, these selection errors were documented. Methods to rectify the selection error and the outcome of those attempts were also explored. Recommendations based on these empirical findings are offered.http://www.journals.co.za/ej/ejour_busman.htmlnf201