Spectacles and Festivals of Organization

Managing Ahimsa Production and Consumption

September, 1999

Book under review

David M. Boje

Sample Tables Chapter 1

 

Table One: Assumptions of Spectacle and Ahimsa Business Practices.

Spectacle

Assumptions

Ahimsa-Festival Assumptions
  • Progress defined as material accumulation
  • Material accumulation

= happiness

  • Spectacles of production & consumption grow by resource use
  • Economic productivity

 

  • Material values

 

  • Work that is drudgery

 

  • Business that pollutes
  • Technology advances to sustain competitive progress
  • Survival of the fittest = richest

 

  • Consume for immediate gratification; live for today

 

  • Conspicuous consumption = good
  • Progress defined as spiritual accumulation
  • Self awareness

    • = happiness

    • Planet has finite and dwindling resources to be preserved.
    • Eco-sustainable productivity

     

    • Spiritual values and

    awareness

    • Work that is ennobling/actualizing
    • Business is non-polluting
    • Technology used sparingly to sustain natural splendor
    • Survival of the cooperative

     

    • Consume in ways healthy for our offspring; live for their future

     

    • Frugal consumption = good

     

    Table Two: Old and New Business Spectacle Paradigms.

    Old Spectacle Paradigm of Business

    New Ahimsa Festival of Business
    1. Ravaging the earth is justified by fundamentalist biblical interpretations.
    2. Greedy profiteering is legitimated in struggle of survival of the fittest.
    3. Cutthroat business practice is the bottom line (inequality rules)
    4. Evolution is Social Darwinian, struggle of the fittest; those who are rich are fitter than the poor.
    5. Mindless consumption keeps the economy booming.
    6. Economy grows for its own sake.
    7. Business is not responsible for social consequences of production and consumption outcomes.
    8. Humanitarian service is a private act.
    9. People motivated by their material values (money, status & power)

      10.  

    10. Vision by elites doing rational analysis

      11.  

    11. Regimented and conformist structures of surveillance and hierarchy.
    12. Status-seeking leaders who are autocratic or fake participation.
    1. "To be as harmless as doves and as wise as serpents" from New Testament.
    2. Profiteering robs others of the opportunity to survive.

      3.  

    3. Interdependence of all life is bottom line (economic equality rules).
    4. Coevolution means not hampering survival of any life form (equality).

      5.  

    5. Mindful consumption keeps nature teeming with life.
    6. Ecology grows to support economy.
    7. Business is responsible for social and ecological consequences of production and consumption.
    8. Humanitarian service is a business responsibility.
    9. People motivated by their spiritual values (interdependence, life-respect).
    10. Vision by democratic participation and seeking inner wisdom.
    11. Democratic and participative structures of ownership and cooperation.
    12. Servant leaders who coach and facilitate and let others grow their empowerment.

    Table Three: Spectacle and Festival

    Spectacle

    Festival
    1. Work
    2. Work or play

      3. time

    3. Imposed patterns of behavior
    4. Dead time
    5. Religions of consumption

      6.  

    6. Pseudo desires

      7.  

    7. Pseudo needs

      8.  

    8. Loss of Self

      9.  

    9. Colonized spaces
    10. Spectator

      11.  

    11. Functionary
    12. Survival of the Fittest/Richest
    1. Play
    2. Work and play

      3.  

    3. Freely constructed behavior
    4. Live time
    5. Self

      6.  

    6. Transparent

      7. desires

    7. Transparent

      8. needs

    8. Self-Management

      9.  

    9. Free spaces
    10. Participant/Co-

      11. designer

    11. Self-Managed
    12. Coevolution and Co-survival

     

    Table Four: Summary of Five Spectacle Worldviews

    2. Corporate Imperialism Spectacle

    Colonization of native lands, corporate colonization of social and leisure spaces.

    Hybrid of 2 and 3

     

    Anti-Colonialism

    A hybrid of Ahimsa or nonviolence resistance and nonviolent attempts to resist colonialism.

    3. Ahimsa and Simplicity Spectacle

    Nonviolence approaches of Gandhi, Kumar, Chitrabhanu, and King Jr. Encompasses simplicity in consumption and nonviolent approaches to production.

    Hybrid of 2 and 4

     

    Corporate Charter

    A hybrid of political economy critique with movements towards rewriting corporate charters for more local control.

    1. Knowledge Work and Management Spectacle

    Focus on the new Digital economy of information technology. Includes knowledge workers, knowledge managers, and knowledge consumers, as well as the global division of virtual labor.

    Hybrid of 3 and 5

     

    New Age Postmodern

    A hybrid of the spirituality in business and ecology with certain postmodern positions.

    4. Political Economy Spectacle

    A focus on the critical and labor process theory of Marx. Includes an analysis of the political and economic uses of technologies.

    Hybrid of 4 and 5

     

     

    Critical Postmodern

    A hybrid of critical theory and certain postmodern perspectives.

    5. Postmodern Spectacle

    Positions that range from Lyotard’s focus on local narratives, Baudrillard’s hyperreal, Bauman’s analysis of Holocaust, to Best and Kellner’s extension of Debord to postmodern sensibilities.

     

     

    Table One: Four Ideal Types of Movies Reflecting Global Spectacles

    FRAGMENTATION

     

    I

    N

    D

    I

    V

    I

    D

    U

    A

    L

    Bio-tech Spectacle

    Gattica

    Twilight of the Gods

    Twins

    Sleeper

    Boys from Brazil

    Eco Spectacle

    Armageddon

    Deep Impact

    Twister

    Volcano

     

    C

    O

    M

    M

    U

    N

    I

    T

    Y

    Consumption Spectacle

    Holy Man

    Other People’s Money

    Wall Street

    Pretty Woman

    Nine to Five

    Clock Watchers

    Tribal Spectacle

    Dazed & Confused

    Breakfast Club

    American Graffiti

    Star Wars

    Star Trek

    Contact

    STANDARDIZATION

     

     

    Table Two: Nine Types of Movies Reflecting Global Spectacles

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    I

    N

    D

    I

    V

    I

    D

    U

    A

    L

    FRAGMENTATION

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    C

    O

    M

    M

    U

    N

    I

    T

    Y

    Bio-tech Spectacle

    Gattica

    Twilight of the Gods

    Twins

    Sleeper

    Boys from Brazil

    Bio-Eco Spectacle

    Medicine Man

    Silkwood

    China Syndrome

    Silkwood

    Outbreak

    The Stand

    DNA

    Species

    Godzilla

    Eco Spectacle

    Armageddon

    Deep Impact

    Twister

    Volcano

    Bio-Robo Spectacle

    Metropolis

    Modern Times

    Robo Cop

    Johnny Mnemonic

    Stepford Wives

    Total Recall

    Fly

    Inter Spectacle

    Bladerunner

    Fifth Element

    Jurassic Park

    Eco-Civics Spectacle

    Mad Max

    Rollerball

    Water World

    Postman

    Fire Below

    Towering Inferno

    Civil Action

    Soylent Green

    Consumption Spectacle

    Holy Man

    Other People’s Money

    Wall Street

    Pretty Woman

    Nine to Five

    Clock Watchers

    Cyber Spectacle

    Wag The Dog

    Truman Show

    Pleasantville

    The Game

    Enemy of the State

    Network

    Tribal Spectacle

    Dazed & Confused

    Breakfast Club

    American Graffiti

    Star Wars

    Star Trek

    Contact

     

    STANDARDIZATION