Rethinking Political Process in Technological Change: Socio-technical Configurations and Frames

The political process perspective has done much to enhance our understanding of the organizational effects of technological change as a negotiated outcome reflecting the political and power dynamics of the adopting context. In so doing, we suggest, technology has been marginalized as an analytical category and the problem of change agency, although better understood, remains largely unresolved. This article addresses these issues through the articulation of the concepts of socio-technical configurations and technological frames and explores their utility in understanding change agency through an action research project. The project sought a novel form of 'socio-technology' transfer, taking ideas and concepts of 'human-centered' manufacturing embodied in team-based cellular manufacture from a European context into three firms in Australia.     

Rethinking Political Process in Technological Change: Socio-technical Configurations and Frames

The political process perspective has done much to enhance our understanding of the organizational effects of technological change as a negotiated outcome reflecting the political and power dynamics of the adopting context. In so doing, we suggest, technology has been marginalized as an analytical category and the problem of change agency, although better understood, remains largely unresolved. This article addresses these issues through the articulation of the concepts of socio-technical configurations and technological frames and explores their utility in understanding change agency through an action research project. The project sought a novel form of 'socio-technology' transfer, taking ideas and concepts of 'human-centered' manufacturing embodied in team-based cellular manufacture from a European context into three firms in Australia.     

Technology, Work Restructuring and the Orchestration of a Rational Narrative in the Pursuit of 'Management Objectives': The Political Process of Plant-level Change

In this article a narrative approach is used in the construction of a story about the political aspects of plant-level change. It is shown how different individuals may recount and reconstruct stories which reflect their own interests and how the maintenance of common organizational stories often reflects the influence and political action of certain powerful actors and groups. These dominant narrators are often actively involved in a political process by which a rational narrative is constructed, revised and modified over time and sustained within the context of other competing voices and views. In examining the uptake of cellular manufacturing, technology is not conceptualized as a determinant of outcomes but as a substance of the workplace initiative which is continually open to influence (the mutual shaping of the 'social' and 'technical') during the political process of change. Finally, a broad conceptualization of political process is adopted in order to enable the reader to critically reflect on the data in pursuing their own analysis and conclusions.     

The Political Entrepreneur and the Coordination of the Political Process: A Market Process Perspective of the Political Market

The aim of this article is to apply the Austrian analysis of the entrepreneur to the political process. By distinguishing the political process from the economic process, we will endeavour to show to what extent an analysis in terms of the political market process is both possible and relevant. The existence of an information conveyance which can be assimilated to a price system within the political process, with its resulting profits, are motivating elements for the political entrepreneur. The political entrepreneur is doubly specialised and possesses all the Kirznerian functions of the Austrian entrepreneur as a coordinating agent for the political process.     

Continuity and Change: Labour Market Programs and Education Expenditure

Since 1971 Australian governments have varied expenditure on labour market programs and education. This article attempts to explain these changes in the context of several straightforward hypotheses concerned with political processes. In both policy areas the evidence is generally consistent with four views: that ALP governments spend relatively more than coalition governments; that ALP expenditure is more likely to be directed to the public sector, and coalition expenditure to the private sector; that governments of both political persuasions tend to move towards their opponents' position in budgets immediately preceding elections; and that, after the marked changes initiated in the 1972 to 1974 period, the parties have become increasingly similar in expenditure terms. Apparently there have been important differences between the political parties in government, but these distinctions have become less clear–cut over recent years.     

The Endless Day: The Political Economy of Women and Work

Few critics will question that the high tide of the influence of American institutional economics was reached during the New Deal. John R. Commons, Thorstein Veblen and their disciples reached the apex of their impact on public policy as sources of doctrine, policy-making and advising. Commons remains an influential figure in the history of institutional economics and progressive social thought. And he resides in the American tradition of empirical collectivism as articulated by Currin V. Shields in 1952. The tradition as understood by Commons finds the ultimate locus of power in democratic majorities, not in hegemonic classes or corporate networks, and it is only by its refinement and replenishment that it can meet the demands thrust upon it. His mature theoretical work, published between 1924 and 1950, is the main source of his empirical collectivism as shown through textual exegesis and biographical extrapolation.     

Consent for Change: Article V and The Constitutional Amendment Process

The political economy of U.S. constitutional amendmentswithin the guidelines of Article V is shown to tend toward minoritarianism.Specifically, two shifts reduce the consent necessary to passamendments, each potentially raising the social costs of changingthe Constitution by amendment. A typology of amending climatesis offered, followed by a discussion of the normative implicationsfor constitutional stability of minoritarian rule in amendmentpolitics.     

思想政治工作的活力在于创新和现代化

思想政治工作是党一切工作的生命线。当前正处在一个大变革、大发展的时代,国内外经济社会生活出现一系列复杂的新情况、新问题,思想政治工作要在继承优良传统的基础上,适应新的时代特点,解放思想,与时俱进,改进创新,实现科学化和现代化。     

努力建设思想政治工作的新机制

思想政治工作是我们党的优良传统和政治优势。在新的历史条件下,思想政治工作仍然具有不可或缺、不可替代的重要作用。切实加强和改进思想政治工作,是实现党的十六大提出的全面建设小康社会、加快推进现代化建设这一宏伟目标的重要保证,是提高党的执政能力的重要方面,是坚持以人为本、促进人的全面发展的重要环节,也是做好经济工作和其他各项工作的重要动力和必然要求。思想政治工作是新时期的“必需品”,不是“装饰品”,不是“调味品”,更不是“弃用品”。     

社会工作视阈下思想政治教育工作的创新

思想政治教育工作面临新情况、新挑战的情况下,社会工作进入思想政治教育工作视野成为必然趋势,借鉴社会工作价值理念和方式方法,能够创新思想政治教育工作观念和工作模式。     

Change and Continuity in the American Macroeconomy, 1929-2007: Exercises for Principles of Macroeconomics

This article provides a series of exercises based on statistics about the American macroeconomy. These exercises were designed to introduce students to the institutionalist perspective, promote basic historical literacy, and help the student develop their skills with the Microsoft Excel software program.     

从互文性视角看古题乐府《燕歌行》主题演变

从互文性视角出发,对魏晋南北朝至唐代《燕歌行》系列作品的主题由＂闺怨＂向＂征战＂的演变过程进行梳理和论证,重点探讨《燕歌行》主题演变过程中继承与创新的关系以及文本意义的增值问题,有助于发掘诗歌文本的审美意蕴。     

努力做好新时期企业思想政治工作

社会主义市场经济体制建设的不断深入,促使企业转机建制的步伐加快,力度加大。企业思想政治工作如何适应经济发展的新形势,如何与时俱进,为经济建设服务是值得探讨的问题。在新的历史条件下,加强国有企业的思想政治工作,一定要正确处理和把握好企业的生产经营目的与企业的社会政治责任和利益驱动机制与思想政治工作的关系。     

Continuous Time Models of Collective Action and Political Change

This paper presents continuous time models for an analysis of dynamic systems using them to examine the complex dynamics of collective action and political change. The study concentrates on the mutual dependence and behavior of two variables over time: the number of citizens participating in collective action, and the amount of resources mobilized by the government to combat such collective action. The models presented highlight the key components that determine outcomes, and allow for planning, of particular dynamics of collective action and political change. Specifically, the proposed models analyze the impact of collective action on the transition toward democracy as well as possible dynamics of revolution.     

Conventions and Economic Change: A Contribution toward a Theory of Political Economy

This essay presents a perspective on the growth of knowledge as the source of economic growth. After a critical examination of the reasons why the crucial issue has been neglected in the dominant tradition in economics, a concept of paradigm-seeking as the essence of decision making under uncertainty and learning is proposed. Behavioral implications of paradigm-seeking include the generation of conventions by which people stabilize their expectations and build a network of coordination and cooperation. The stability of conventions, however, generates a dynamic process of change, by creating unexploited opportunities. Entrepreneurial successes and their emulation amount to the process of social learning and growth of knowledge. It is further suggested that implications of the proposed perspective are consistent with other observed phenomena.     

网络条件下企业思想政治工作的新思路

以互联网为代表的信息技术是一种具有革命性的新概念,在对社会产生剧烈影响的同时,也同样对企业思想政治工作带来新的机遇和挑战。本文在分析机遇和挑战的基础上,提出了开展网络思想政治工作的新方法。     

Economy as Instituted Process: Change,Transformation, and Progress

During the past two decades, chronic fiscal deficits have led to elevated and rising ratios of government debt to nominal GDP in Japan. Nevertheless, long-term Japanese government bonds' (JGBs) nominal yields initially declined, and have since stayed remarkably low and stable. This is contrary to the received wisdom which holds that higher government deficits and indebtedness will exert upward pressures on nominal yields. This paper examines the relationship between JGBs' nominal yields and short-term interest rates, as well as other factors, such as low inflation, persistent deflationary pressures, and tepid growth. We also argue that Japan has monetary sovereignty, which gives the Japanese government the ability to service its debt, and enables the Bank of Japan (BOJ) to keep JGBs' nominal yields low by ensuring that short-term interest rates are low, and by using various other tools of monetary policy. The argument that short-term interest rates and monetary policy are the primarily drivers of long-term interest rates follows John Maynard Keynes's (1930) insights.