By Pierre Bourdieu (London: Routledge, 2010), xxx + 607 pp. £15.99 paper. A combination of social theory, statistical data, illustrations, and interviews, Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judg...

Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgement of Taste

In recent decades, struggles for recognition have increasingly dominated the political landscape.1 Recognition theorists such as Charles Taylor (1994) and Axel Honneth (1995) seek to interpret and justify these struggles through the idea that our identity is shaped, at least partly, by our relations with other people. Because our identity is shaped in this way, it is alleged that feelings of self-worth, self-respect and self-esteem are possible only if we are positively recognised for who we are. Consequently, for many political theorists, recognition is an integral component of a satisfactory modern theory of justice, as well as the means by which both historical and contemporary political struggles can be understood and justified.

The Politics of Recognition

This paper studies how salespeople make ethical decisions. For this purpose a structural model has been developed which configures how the organization's environment, the organizations's climate, and personality traits affect ethical decision making. Internal communication and the choice of a control system especially affect ethical decision making. Internal communication also affects the attraction of salespeople with unethical personality traits (Machiavellism), while the control system affects the ethical climate. Ethical climate and salespeople's personality traits also affect the ethical decision making. In fact the study shows that ethical decision making can be influenced by management.

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Exploring the contextual and individual factors on ethical decision making of salespeople

Games People Play: The Psychology of Human Relationships

In this course we will explore some of the central theories, debates, and controversies which have emerged in the field of gender studies. We will begin our exploration of the sociology of gender through a conceptual and comparative approach. That is, we will define gender and consider the significance of gender cross-culturally in various sex/gender systems. With a special focus on education and the family, we will examine gender and socialization taking into account debates within the scientific community around the competing role of environment and biology. We will study various perspectives on the origins of inequality between men and women and analyze the strengths and weaknesses of each at both the theoretical and political levels. This will lead to a discussion on the current status of the women’s movement and growing interest in the men’s movement. We will venture into the private realm to see how gender roles are negotiated, challenged, rejected, or maintained through an analysis of power dynamics within the family and through interpersonal communications. On a more controversial level, we will debate the influence of media such as television, movies, ads, and pornography on gender roles and relations. Ultimately, we will analyze the relationship between homophobia and the sex/gender system within which we live.

The sociology of gender

The semiconductor market has become more competitive than ever before with new players joining the industry. There is pressure for innovation and differentiation in this industry to maintai...

Semiconductor Pricing Strategy in USB Market: A Market Leader’s Dilemma:

In the past researchers have questioned the effectiveness of ethics training in higher education. Also, there are observations that support the view that ethical behaviour (range of actions)/ethical decision making models used in the past make use of vignettes to explain ethical behaviour. The understanding remains in the perspective that these vignettes play a limited role in determining individual intentions and not actions. Some authors have also agreed that there are possibilities of differences in one’s intentions and actions. This paper makes an attempt to fill those gaps by evaluating real actions rather than intentions. In a way this study suggests the use of an experiential methodology to explore Berlo’s model of communication as an action along with orchestration of various principles. To this endeavor, an attempt was made to use conversational analysis in the pursuance of evaluating ethical decision making behaviour among students and middle level managers. The process was repeated six times with the set of an average of 15 participants. Similarities have been observed in the behaviour of students and middle level managers that calls for understanding that both the groups of individuals have no cognizance of their actual actions. The deliberations derived out of conversation were taken a step forward for meta-ethical evaluations to portray a clear picture of ethical behaviour among participants. This study provides insights for understanding demonstrated unconscious human behaviour which may fortuitously be termed both ethical and unethical. Keywords—Berlo’s action model of communication, Conversational Analysis, Ethical behaviour, Ethical decision making, experiential learning, Intentions and Actions.

Teaching Ethical Behaviour: Conversational Analysis in Perspective

An exploratory study on perceived quality of working life among sales professionals employed in pharmaceutical, banking, finance and insurance companies in Mumbai

Many transgender employees leave their employment even before they settle themselves in their workplace. Their inclusion in mainstream employment is a sensitive and emerging issue. As Bourdieu’s th...

Synergistic Use of Bourdieu’s Theory of Practice, Queer Theories, and Employment Relation Theories: A Perspective for Sustainable Transgender Inclusion at the Workplace:

Purpose




Existing methods of enhancing-based public speaking efficacy are based on the deficit-based model. On the other hand, public speaking is an ability that has a potential to produce anxiety, fear of negative evaluation. The purpose of this paper was to explore the use of strength-based learning pedagogy, i.e. appreciative inquiry to work upon enhancing public speaking skills of engineers.




Design/methodology/approach




An appreciative inquiry was conducted on 15 engineers using 4D model. The data were gathered using narrative analysis and grounded theory.




Findings




Participants shared their stories of past, present and future to derive meaningful insights that have potential to bring development.




Research limitations/implications




The study has an underpinning in Deci and Ryan’s self-determination theory. As practitioners of self-determination theory open the positive space for individuals to learn, appreciative inquiry aids in opening such positive space so that learners can experiment openly without any fear of negative evaluation. It prepares them by enhancing intrinsic and extrinsic motivation.




Practical implications




The study motivated engineers to focus on effortless delivery of their speeches and eliminate other associated fear. The study can be used as a classroom pedagogy.




Social implications




As public speaking is associated with fear of negative evaluation and anxiety, it has a potential to affect self-confidence and self-image adversely. As appreciative inquiry fosters one’s confidence positively through constructionism, the appreciative inquiry can be a choice of pedagogy and has positive implications for learners at the social level.




Originality/value




The study presents a fairly novel approach as it focuses on encouraging engineers to improve their presentation skills and to focus on what they do well (rather than what their weaknesses are) so they can build their confidence.

Nikhil K. Mehta

Papers

Semiconductor Pricing Strategy in USB Market: A Market Leader’s Dilemma:

Teaching Ethical Behaviour: Conversational Analysis in Perspective

An exploratory study on perceived quality of working life among sales professionals employed in pharmaceutical, banking, finance and insurance companies in Mumbai

Synergistic Use of Bourdieu’s Theory of Practice, Queer Theories, and Employment Relation Theories: A Perspective for Sustainable Transgender Inclusion at the Workplace:

Enhancing engineers’ public speaking efficacy using appreciative inquiry