‘Decolonising’ the clinical encounter via multi-criteria decision support (Preprint)

UNSTRUCTURED According to researchers drawing on the ideas of Jürgen Habermas, Canadian patients and Danish General Practitioners are experiencing ‘colonisation’ of their ‘lifeworlds’ by ‘the system’, Their suggested remedy is to ensure that the clinical encounter, freed of strategic rationality, re-prioritises Habermasian ‘communicative action’ aimed at mutual understanding. However, Blau shows that such communicative action is, and should be, inextricably interwoven into means-end rationality, when Habermas’ caricature of the latter is rejected. We argue that the decision support framework provided by Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis can help produce the ‘communicative means-end rationality’ essential in a public health service based on role-respecting sincerity and autonomy. No ‘positivistic reduction’ is involved in the technique.

Social Image Concern and Reference Point Formation

This paper develops an axiomatic context-dependent model of social image concerns. Allowing for context-dependence based on choice sets, it examines how context-dependence impacts social image concerns, in particular how a decision maker exhibits various social emotions stemming from their intrinsic reference point, which may not be captured by conforming to social norms. To elicit the intrinsic reference point, this paper provides weaker versions of Strategic Rationality and Independence, in addition to the basic axioms, to characterize the model of the Reference-Dependent Image-Conscious utilitarian. This paper also examines how social emotions stemming from the intrinsic reference point are related to preference reversals as violations of the Weak Axiom of Revealed Preference (WARP). Finally, this paper considers the relationship between social image concerns and intrinsic reciprocity. The findings demonstrate that social image plays a large role and the model developed illustrates a condition in which cooperation is sustained in prisoner’s dilemma games.

Governamentalidade autocrática: repensando as racionalidades de governo em diálogo com Florestan Fernandes / Autocratic governmentality: rethinking government rationalities in dialogue with Florestan Fernandes

Pretendo ler a reflexão de Florestan Fernandes sobre as resistências à mudança social e sobre a dominação autocrática nos termos do que o Foucault dos anos 1977-1979 chamou de governamentalidade. Assim, procurarei demonstrar como os padrões de ação, reação e práticas definidos como sociopatia irracional, racionalidade possível e racionalidade estratégica dos setores dominantes da sociedade brasileira ganham, em termos analíticos, quando entendidos como manifestações de uma mentalidade de governo autocrática. Mais do que enquadrar o sociólogo paulista no interior do aparato conceitual foucauldiano, pretendo demarcar, num esforço de simetria e enriquecimento recíproco, as suas contribuições para uma analítica das racionalidades de governo para, por fim, em diálogo com leituras mais recentes do capitalismo contemporâneo, sugerir a atualidade da sociologia crítica de Florestan Fernandes no esforço de elaboração de um diagnóstico do presente.I intend to read Florestan Fernandes' reflection on resistances to social change and on autocratic domination in terms of what Foucault of the years 1977-1979 called governmentality. Thus, I will try to demonstrate how the understanding of defined patterns of action, reaction and practices such as irrational sociopathy, possible rationality and strategic rationality of the dominant sectors of Brazilian society gain, in analytical terms, when understood as manifestations of an autocratic governmentality. More than framing the São Paulo sociologist within the Foucauldian conceptual apparatus, I intend to demarcate, in an effort of symmetry and reciprocal enrichment, his contributions to an analysis of government rationalities and, finally, in dialogue with more recent readings of contemporary capitalism, suggest the relevance of the critical sociology of Florestan Fernandes in the effort to elaborate a diagnosis of the present.

Six Actionable Canons for Rationality in Strategy Practice

For strategists working in and for firms, acquiring knowledge about the business world is dependent on a rational process of collecting, organizing, and interpreting information. As such, these individuals are best conceived not as knowers, but as self-directing learners who are motivated to acquire, create, and apply new knowledge. To facilitate these processes, in this paper an axiomatic foundation for strategic thinking is established regarding the nature of the object of strategic thinking, the nature of strategic thinking, and the nature of knowledge. Next, four boundary references set by these axioms are used to establish a new conceptual frame of reference for strategic rationality. Interconnections between the boundary references are subsequently used to infer six canons for strategic rationality. It is concluded that strategic rationality may be found where all references overlap. Finally, to contribute towards greater rationality in strategic management practice, an actionable definition of strategic rationality is formulated that includes all references and canons.

Kaupungin strateginen spatiaalinen suunnittelu – Navigointia eri mittakaavatasojen ja rationaliteettien välillä

This article scrutinises the role of communicative and strategic rationalities in the strategic spatial planning of a city. With an analytical framework that draws on Habermas’ theory of communicative action, the article identifies communicatively and strategically rational action orientations in competitive and collaborative settings at different scales of strategic spatial planning. The analytical feasibility of the framework is examined by analysing strategic spatial planning in the city of Turku (Finland). By providing insights on the central role of strategic rationality, the article contributes to the theoretical discourse on strategic spatial planning that has been strained by an overemphasis on communicative rationality. Regarding relevance to planning practice, the article adds to the understanding of the complex governance networks in which a city engages in its strategic spatial planning.

Penganggaran Daerah: Dinamika Politik Menuju Konsensus

This study aims to find out how the political process in preparing the budget carried out by local government institutions in reaching consensus. Budget politics is interpreted as an effort made by the actors (legislative and executive) to fight for the interests of the community. However, the implementation of budget discussions that produce budget legitimacy is still of a formal legal nature. The study was conducted using a critical paradigm approach with the analysis tool of Habermas the theory of communicative action. This theory emphasizes the realization of mutual communication over each other's consciousness without any pressure from any party. So that the communication model that is built is dialogic to achieve mutual understanding. To achieve effective communication, it must fulfill claims of validity consisting of comprehensibility, truth, sincerity, and rightness. Data collection techniques using the method of observation, in-depth interviews, and documentation. In the view of Habermas the theory of communicative action, the rationality that guides the actions of the actors is instrumental rationality and target (strategic) rationality. Weaknesses in the validity of honesty claims have implications for the quality of consensus that is not good so it does not show a budget based on communicative rationality

The Utopian Background

The conventional wisdom is that interwar France was socially incoherent, excessively legalistic, and unrealistically punitive. This chapter counters that French foreign policy after World War I had a high degree of consensus and strategic rationality. France adjusted to its falling power by scaling back its ambitions and leaning increasingly on other states. Unfortunately, France suffered from a lack of capable allies and options, and clung to a successful policy too long after the conditions that nourished success faded.

To the letter vs the spirit

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine why firms governed by the same environmental management standards within an industry exhibit contrasting responses, with some adhering to the letter and others achieving the spirit behind the standards. Design/methodology/approach Using Arena et al. (2010) as an analytical schema to examine the institutional dynamics behind such contrasting responses, the paper analyses archival and interview data relating to firm strategy, control technology and human expertise in two contrasting Australian forestry firms. Findings The embedding and decoupling of environmental standards with a firm’s environmental management practices is influenced, first, by the extent to which founder directors and senior management integrate environmental responsibility with the underlying business motives and, second, by the use of organisational beliefs and values systems to institutionalise the integrated strategic rationality throughout the firm. Finally, informed by the institutionalised strategic rationality, the participation and expertise of actors across the organisational hierarchy determine the level to which the design and execution of the eco-control technologies move beyond merely monitoring compliance, and act to facilitate continuous improvement, knowledge integration and organisational learning at the operational level. Originality/value This paper responds to institutional theorists’ call for a holistic explanation that considers the interactions among several intra-organisational factors to explain the dynamics behind why some firms decouple while others do not, even though the firms exist in the same social and regulatory context.