The use of Deleuze's theory of assemblage for process-oriented methodology

"Dealing with the complexity of social change during the process of civilization, Deleuze and Guattari (1987) proposed the concept of an assemblage that is only grasped in the dynamic relation between the machinic assemblage (e.g., the structure of organizations, physical materials and resources) and the enunciative assemblage (e.g., regulations, governing principles and symbolic expressions). Exploring the complex relationship between social change and social networks in terms of Deleuze's theory of assemblage, we argue that the process-oriented methodology should be conceptualized as 'time-related research'. It is required to produce the 'process-generated data' in the form of Deleuze's sense of an event during the process of the time-related research. It includes the 'insider perspective' and 'judgment systems' which function as a detached 'outside perspective'. Such judgment systems are necessary for generating knowledge that supports social interventions in order to make or produce 'events data,' which are generated from an interaction between the machinic assemblages and the enunciative assemblages within social fields." (author's abstract

Artificial Intelligence in the Computer-Age Threatens Human Beings and Working Conditions at Workplaces

Due to the fact that there is a huge technological progress and automation trend in the working world in this 21st century, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is not only considered as a new innovative product of technological advancement for humankind but it also perceived as a new serious threat for workers during new industrial revolution in the computer-age. The main purpose of this article is to study on the effects of AI on working conditions, environments and skills at workplaces. Because of this study is considered as an exploratory research or qualitative research, data is collected by interviewing some workers in industrial sectors in South Korea and interview videos which provide some critical opinions on Industrial Revolutions, robotic trend and AI. And then the arguments are discussed and supported by the results of other academic studies. As the result of the mentioned process, it is possible to say that AI has a great influence on employment condition in the computer-age and this study can identify four significant effects on working place. One of those effects is that AI directly and indirectly hinders human-being relations in the workplace. Another effect is to destroy our working knowledge and skills which are needed for a job in the traditional working world. Additionally, AI gradually demolishes workplace engagement and organizational identity. Apart from these unexpected effects, AI is commonly perceived as a main cause leading to such a serious unemployment growth in our society. In order to cope with these new challenges which might be caused by AI and rapidly technological development at workplaces, some significant solutions are introduced including AI is created for increasing the capacity of workers rather than replacing human workers, putting obligations and responsibilities on AI which is intentionally created and used to replace human workers and law enforcement on the areas which should be fully support for developing Artificial Intelligences and which sectors cannot be allowed to be dominated by AI is necessary. The article conclusion, limitations and suggestions for the future research will be discussed in the next parts respectively

Hepatic Parasitic Abscess Caused by Clonorchiasis: Unusual CT Findings of Clonorchiasis

Clonorchiasis is caused by a chronic infestation of liver flukes, Clonorchis sinensis, and these reside mainly in the medium- and small-sized intrahepatic bile ducts. Therefore, diffuse, uniform, minimal or mild dilatation of these bile ducts, particularly in the periphery, without dilatation of the extrahepatic bile duct is the typical finding on several imaging modalities. We report here on the CT findings of an unusual case of hepatic parasitic abscess that was caused by clonorchiasis; this malady mimicked cholangiocarcinoma, and there was no dilatation of the intrahepatic bile ducts

Efficacy of an Educational Material on Second Primary Cancer Screening Practice for Cancer Survivors: A Randomized Controlled Trial

<div><h3>Background</h3><p>Cancer surivors have limited knowledge about second primary cancer (SPC) screening and suboptimal rates of completion of screening practices for SPC. Our objective was to test the efficacy of an educational material on the knowledge, attitudes, and screening practices for SPC among cancer survivors.</p> <h3>Methods</h3><p>Randomized, controlled trial among 326 cancer survivors from 6 oncology care outpatient clinics in Korea. Patients were randomized to an intervention or an attention control group. The intervention was a photo-novel, culturally tailored to increase knowledge about SPC screening. Knowledge and attitudes regarding SPC screening were assessed two weeks after the intervention, and screening practices were assessed after one year.</p> <h3>Results</h3><p>At two weeks post-intervention, the average knowledge score was significantly higher in the intervention compared to the control group (0.81 vs. 0.75, P<0.01), with no significant difference in their attitude scores (2.64 vs. 2.57, P = 0.18). After 1 year of follow-up, the completion rate of all appropriate cancer screening was 47.2% in both intervention and control groups.</p> <h3>Conclusion</h3><p>While the educatinal material was effective for increasing knowledge of SPC screening, it did not promote cancer screening practice among cancer survivors. More effective interventions are needed to increase SPC screening rates in this population.</p> <h3>Trial Registration</h3><p>ClinicalTrial.gov <a href="http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00948337">NCT00948337</a></p> </div

Exploring ethical management from systemic perspectives

We have witnesses 'ethical management', which has increasingly much attention to Korean business managers (Yu and Moon, 2004). Ethical management regards as a fatal way of sustainable development, not dealing only with real and practical issues of business firms, but also with complex and problematic issues of business networks in societies. In other words, for business managers, ethical management became a strategic choice that fosters ethical and rational decesion-making that aims to achieve ethical objectives in an effective and efficient manner (Ferrell, et al., 2005). In order to study practical issues of ethical management from systemic perspectives, this paper seeks to appreciate the ethical management, which can be made through the reflexive research on Korean business contexts. Systems approaches are introduced and demonstrated to study ethical management in business practice

Towards a vitalist holism: Deleuze's Theory of Assemblage

In this paper, we propose and evaluate an epistemology of systems thinking in relation to the vitalism of social systems and to develop systems approach for understanding the vitalist holism by construing the emergence and reproduction of social and organizational systems of the &lsquo;civilizing process&rsquo; as non-linear and rhizomic events. We present and appreciate Deleuze&rsquo;s theory of an assemblage in order to explore social and organizational complexities as researchers rethink the value of &lsquo;systems thinking&rsquo; through the unfolding process of problematization in terms of virtualities and actualities. It allows participants to be &lsquo;critical thinkers&rsquo; on the given situations. To be critical thinkers, what is important for the process of action learning and research is not so on what is true of &lsquo;scientific knowledge&rsquo; being appreciated, but it is on our thought and learning to what the &lsquo;practical and discursive knowledge&rsquo; produces in particular, contingent contexts. In this sense, we reappreciate the value of Deleuze theory of assemblage theory towards understanding of the &lsquo;vitalism&rsquo; of social systems, which are evolved from the continuity and transformation of the relationships between life and (non) living bodies

A cybernetic approach to understanding the management of social enterprise in Korea

Understanding the social entrepreneurship and active responsibility of social enterprise in society, a cybernetic approach to management is used to explore problematic situations of the organisation and to explore the set of ‘what’s for improving and appreciating the management of the social enterprise from systemic perspectives. In order to do so, the processes of participatory action research is made to extend to a higher level of learning processes that explores new sorts of “questions and problems” in a given situation. In this sense, we explore the nature of the process of action-based learning by examining one’s own actions and learning about the complexity of social practice from systemic perspectives. The finding reveals a cybernetic approach can be used to examine the problem of social enterprise from the three level of organisational fitness, namely normative, strategic and operational managemen

Managing Social Innovation and Organizational Change from Systemic Perspective

This paper investigates the complex relationship between social innovation and organizationalchange from systemic perspectives. Systems approach is proposed to explore the dynamicnature of social innovation, organizational analysis and change that is based on a newspirit of management paradigm. In order to suggest a new thinking of the management paradigmin organizational contexts, I regard ethics and social responsibility being an integral fortheoretical imperative to nurture a new thinking in management paradigm. Viable systemsbasedtheory offers us to see the management of social and organizational innovations from themultiple perspectives, in which Beer’s Viable System Model is used for developing a newmodel of organizational diagnosis in practice. In this way, viable systems-based theory is proposedto explore the nature of social innovation in relation to the sustainability of social and organizationalsystems. This development of viable systems theory suggests new possibilitiestowards a systems based philosophy that is useful for the livability and sustainability of the capitalism in South Kore

Proposing a Process-Oriented Systems Research for Systems Thinking Development

This paper discusses systems thinking development from Churchman’s systems ideas related to critical systems practice that appreciates the use of systems methods from sociolinguistic perspectives and poststructuralist thought. Systems research enabled us to understand and reinterpret Churchman’s philosophy and systems approach through the works of Deleuze and Foucault. Based upon the interpretation of Churchman’s philosophy and systems approach, I propose ‘process-oriented systems research’ developed from the use of social appreciative process and Churchman’s metasystem approach. By applying a metasystem approach into practice, I basically appreciate Deleuzian ethics and Foucault’s theory of discourse in order to deal with issues of power and knowledge, and metaethics or moral epistemology, where the meaning of good or bad is discussed. A detailed account of an application of process-oriented systems research is given to demonstrate how I use systems methods to examine the usefulness of the systems research in practice

Understanding the management of the Chinese bank from Systemic Perspectives

This paper looks into the management and operational activities of the Chinese bank from cybernetic perspectives. The research is carried out using the application of Viable System Model (VSM) to explore the complex nature of banking activities according to Ashby&rsquo;s Law of Requisite Variety. Using VSM, we explore the nature of banking practice where it needs to assess, what happens in practice, and how we will design the system model for the banking business. Based on the systemic research on Chinese banking practice, we appreciate and present a good system model for the responsible management and feasible and desirable activities of the bank. Being a socially responsible bank, we propose a better banking practice from systemic perspectives. It allows a practitioner to be an actor for &lsquo;sustainable finance&rsquo; in practice