Cultural Coalition

By Jan Grundling

Introduction

Knowledge may be considered as an aggregate of knowledge systems. This aggregation includes indigenous or community lay (local or traditional) knowledge systems as well as scientific (formal ways of knowing) knowledge systems. The sum total represents the knowledge assets of a country, which are deemed essential to drive economic growth, competitive advantages, human capital, and quality of life (Malhotra, 2003). Community knowledge systems often provide different types of knowledge classifications based upon the observations, beliefs and experiences of people from a specific environmental location, a need exists to incorporate it into development plans and actions. Incorporating community knowledge sytems into developmental approaches will according to Boven and Morohashi (2002) at least enables local communities to actively participate in the decision-making process of what really works in the daily practices of people living in a specific environment. Active participation by communities contributing localized knowledge gives recognition to the Participatory Action Research approach of synergistic maximization of impact, increased citizen participation and community ownership.

Recently, more recognition is given to the fact that indigenous or community lay knowledge has intrinsic merit, and hold development potential especially for rural area development (Crithley, 2000). However, the effective application and utilization of community lay knowledge in technology development and transfer remains largely unclear despite recognition that it represents a rich body of knowledge for technological innovations.

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to provide baseline information on how community lay knowledge systems can be applied in technology development and transfer through the process of knowledge creation cooperation, education and innovation in coalition with scientific knowledge systems. Community lay knowledge for the purpose of this article is distinct from scientific knowledge is that community lay knowledge is considered to be more experiential in nature, and includes judgement and common sense which has been acquired with experience. Community lay knowledge is often referred to as practical logic (Craig, 2000).

Features of knowledge systems Continue Reading

By Sam James

India is a vast country – a subcontinent with a medley of colorful people, languages, cultures, traditions and customs. Before the advent of western Government, it was not even known as a single nation and the popular saying was the 56 kingdoms ruled by 56 dynasties. Despite the seeming kaleidoscopic differences there was a spiritual and religious thread that made the string called India. As a nation, we have diversified interests and “Unity in Diversity” has been acclaimed as the greatness of India. Before independence there was only single cause-the liberation of the mother land from foreign yoke. And this expediency necessitated the growth of a Single National Party with a single goal.

Mahatma Gandhi said that after Independence the party should be disbanded and fresh parties should be formed for ruling the country. But the advice of the Father of the Nation was not needed to and freedom fighters who enjoyed the trust of the masses became rulers of the country. The opportunity for a Multi National Party Democracy was thus thwarted and during the Nehru era, the congress was the unquestioned single ruling party. A few national leaders who participated in the Freedom struggle, could not establish an equally popular party like the Congress. Since there was no national cause but for the brief Chinese invasion, rural interests and local type of narrow nationalism thrived and rural and local parties came to power in a few states. The advent of India Gandhi’s rule caused concern among senior leaders and the split of Congress gave place to a semi-national party which alone could not sweep the polls and needed a tactful seat adjustments in the election.

Since people tasted the bitterness of emergency, losing their fundamental rights, the Congress could not get majority and the first coalition government of Morarji Desai was put on the saddle which could not survive the stipulated period could not give a stable government. Congress was voted to power once again and till Rajiv was Prime Minister, the Congress rule existed by poll adjustments in the States dividing the constituencies with local parties. Afterwards India has seen only hung parliaments with no single party majority and coalition government became the order of the day. The credit of successfully running a hung parliament to its full period goes to Mr. Narashima Rao, who despite sarcastic and vitriolic criticism patiently bore the brunt.

The coalitions of Mr.V.P.Singh, Mr. Chandrasekhar, Mr.Gowda, Mr.I.K.Gujral and Mr. Vajpayee could not survive the full period, because of the partners pulling in different directions. Every partner of the coalition has some axe to grind and if it proves futile, the support is withdrawn with the result, the government precariously aborts. Though a common minimum policy, a national agenda, a common program is charted, the implementation brings certain differences of opinion and endangers the government.

In certain cases the partner or the outside supporter brings certain constraints to the government to dismiss the rival party rule in the States. The DMK and the AIADMK governments used to be toppled successively in the past like this. If the coalition government demurs, it is axed and the government falls. Sometimes there may be ulterior motives in the disguise of petty causes to topple the government. The partners in coalition have different narrow political interests, they are egoistic and want to escape from the clutches of the law of the land. The original demand is always clandestine and the toppling is done under masked flimsy reasons. The irony in the fall of the last government was due to a single vote majority. The party which toppled the government do not form a fresh government as it too did not posses unequivocal support of others.

What would be the future of India? No party other than the congress is national party having grass roots in all the States. The States are governed by local parties. Therefore coalition has become an inevitable feature of Indian politics somehow or other, India is learning by trial and error to survive a coalition government to its full term. Already debate has smartest on the formation of national government of a Presidential Form of Democracy. Political parties have started rethinking on their behavior patterns and there is a broad-based give and take policy. Even parties having different ideals and ambitions bury their differences and join hands for a common cause in establishing a stable government at the Centre. Some parties even urge to have twin policy one suitable to the State and another suitable to the nation as a whole. Coalition, though at present looks odd is emerging as the successful type of government suited to the Kaleidoscopic nature of our country, surely it will be successful in future and this will also be a needed model for other developing countries to follow suit. Continue Reading

By Lance Winslow

So often we see on our news the problems of the culture clash between the world of Islam and the Muslim Faith and the rest of the World. Indeed, we can also witness the hostility in political and popular news Blogs. Recently in a political Blog a lady attacked the United States verbally with some interesting comments when she stated;

“Christian countries have just invaded, occupied, taken the natural recourses from and murdered hundreds of thousands of human beings in Iraq alone.”

This is simply not so if you are speaking of the USA and Iraq, as we have liberated the people of Iraq from a Dictator and given them purple fingers of self-determination and destiny. We are not occupying Iraq, the coalition is helping Iraq get situated so it can proceed with Liberty, Democracy and Freedom and join with first world nations of the world as a “Free Iraq.”

It is apparent that those who listen to Al Jazeera, have fallen for a completely skewed view of things. It is apparent that the blogger when they label other nations as; Christian countries, that in fact they have chosen a them or us scenario. Meaning they are accusing Christian Nations of being the problem for the woes and all the hardships of Islam. And obviously that is simply not so. Consider this in 2006.

“Lance Winslow” – Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance is an online writer in retirement.

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By Mark Bodnarczuk

A common perception is that cultural change has to start at the very top of an organization. But studies and field experience have shown that culture change can begin with the sub-culture of a work-group where a manager who is one or two levels down from senior management decides to become an Island of Excellence® in a sea of mediocrity. As objective evidence of believable performance improvement becomes known to other managers, change often goes horizontal across the organization through other work-groups, then up through the line organization to top managers. The Breckenridge Institute® has developed ten guidelines that managers should follow when under-taking this kind of culture change.

* Make sure that the changes you propose are in the best interest of the overall organization, not the self-interest of your work-group. Build sustainable capability and infrastructure that benefits the entire organization rather than optimizing your own position and sub-optimizing the organization’s overall performance.

* Solve your own work-group’s problems first and become an example of the change you’re trying to achieve. Operate from a “no-blame” philosophy that doesn’t point the finger at others, but takes personal responsibility for your work-group’s performance within the organizational context it is embedded. As Jim Collins describes, when there are issues and problems to be solved, look in the mirror of personal responsibility. When there is praise and recognition to be apportioned, look out the window and ascribe credit to those who have made the change possible.

* Create your own organizational “space” and obtain additional resources based on the value you add. Don’t move in on other managers’ areas or “cherry pick” the most visible high-leverage projects. Find a new area to develop or one that has been traditionally neglected by the organization and turn it into a high-performing enterprise. Strive to build new organizational capability that can be transformed into revenue or an enhanced ability to achieve the organization’s purpose and goals.

* Align your work-group’s vision with other work-groups, departments, and functional units by focusing on the things you hold in common. While each work-group may have a different function in the overall organization, its activities should be aligned to achieve a common purpose and the goals of the overall organization. Alignment of purpose and goals and focusing on what an organization has in common are the core differences between being a “group” of people and being a “team.”

* Communicate the trade-offs of actually accomplishing change to work-group members. For example, if your goal is to increase productivity, then this will require more time and energy from group members and increased resources may not always be immediately available until the work-group demonstrates its increased productivity to top managers. But positive change often brings increased visibility with senior managers that can result in professional advancement for those involved in the change. Continue Reading

By Kenneth Rice

The Diversity Initiative

Speaking at a National Naval Officers Association Conference, Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Mike Mullen stated “diversity continues to be a leadership issue and critical to the Navy’s future success.” Everyone is familiar with the traditional challenges of diversity. However, concepts of diversity have evolved from inclusion and tolerance, to managing diversity, and recognizing the link between diversity and the emerging complexity of organizations such as the Navy. “A complex environment is one characterized by multiple critical elements that differ significantly.” Complexities such as joint collaborations, emerging technology, and globalization contribute to the challenges of organizational diversity within the Navy. Culture is not created by declaration; it derives from expectations focused on winning. We can only have a culture that encourages performance if we recruit the right people, require them to behave in a way that is consistent with the values the Navy espouses, and implement processes that will allow the Navy to be successful.

Differences of any kind make the task more complex. Differences such as proficiency in the use of technology or differences among warfare communities (i.e. Supply Corps, Aviators, Surface, etc.) will contribute to organizational complexity. If the Navy wishes to remain competitive in this complex environment, we must adopt “complex managerial strategies” drawn from multiple strategies.

If we accept that the leader’s job is to inspire and support the collective responsibility to create a better future for the Navy, then what are the tools to effectiveness? What characteristics must naval leaders have for this mission? There are key principles we must consider while striving to improve leader-follower relationships. First, organizational design affects culture which in turn impacts strategy formation. Second, leaders must have an understanding of their organization’s culture in order to identify the obstacles to effective leadership. Finally, by aligning the Navy’s organizational design and diversity strategy with culture leaders can modify their behavioral styles for desired outcomes by utilizing tools that engage sailors. In summary, I will identify obstacles to diversity and measures of effectiveness that commanders can implement to manage diversity.

IMPACT OF ORGANIZATIONAL DESIGN ON DIVERSITY

The task of managing diversity in today’s rapidly changing environment is becoming progressively more difficult. Of course increasingly dissimilar kinds of people are entering the Navy and demanding different treatment. But some underlying forces are also present and pushing toward needed unity. Some of the reasons that spurn the need for diversity management include: “misunderstanding or distortion of affirmative action requirements,” the expectation that “only one group needs to change,” or an “appearance of ‘political correctness’ that can put off those with differing views.” Continue Reading

By Stephen Warrilow

Lets us assume that you and your informal and formal team have met a number of times, and a shared high-level perception of the initial objective has now emerged. This means that you now have a shared view of the organisational need for the change, the specifics of what will change, the benefits of the change, and the impacts of the change.

You are well aware of the need to reach a shared high-level perception of the initial objective with at least 80% of all those who represent the formal power and political influence in your organisation. In recognition of this you extend the process across every area of your responsibility within the organisation that is likely to be impacted by the change initiative. To facilitate all this you need to:

# Create a guiding coalition – drawn from the formal and informal networks of your teams – to steer the change initiative and support any change team that your boss may have established.

# If your boss has not established an organisation-wide change team, then you appoint a change team within your areas of responsibility with the appropriate skills and resources to lead and manage the initiative

# Adopt a structured methodology to undertake an extensive pre-planning exercise and cultural analysis.

# Conduct an extensive and intensive pre-change initiative review and cultural analysis involving all of, or a significant cross section of, areas of your organisation that will be impacted by the change initiative. Continue Reading