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Changing
Equations of Power
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As
recent global developments leaves the world economy in a tizzy,
sea changes are taking place in the rules that govern us,
and the forces and powers that exercise their influence on
our existence.This article examines the changing power structures,
analyses the factors that determine their influencey
GMR Research Team
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The
world around us is changing beyond recognition. The new orders
of the day are fast spreading their tentacles deep into the
system breaking the century-old structures into smithereens.
The archaic rules are getting replaced with new set of standards.
And we are not mere witnesses to the change. We are the thespians.
The transformation is being catalyzed by a constant interplay
of heavily polarized forces that hold power. As Max Weber
says “Power is the chance to impose your will within a social
context, even when opposed and regardless of the integrity
of that chance”. What are the forces that retain power? Who
are getting affected by these new power relationships? What
are the factors that form the basis of their influence? To
find an answer to these queries we ought to study the probable
components affecting the new balance of power and ask ourselves
some key questions.
A process of geo-political transformation has been initiated
by the collapse of the bipolar world order at the end of the
millenium. Though the effects are yet not clear, it is obvious
that isolationism will not work in the twenty-first century
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->
What are the factors that shape power relationships in a “knowledge-based”
society?
Ideas and knowledge, disseminated in the form of information,
have always been at the root of the onward march of human
civilisation. The new technologies enable an unlimited access
to an ocean of information. The ability to choose the right
information for the right purpose becomes a decisive factor
for success. Materialistic differences at the international
level and non-materialistic or educational differences in
the regional level lead to an information imbalance which
further gives birth to a two-tier society.
-> What impact do the new values create on the
existing power structure?
The changes around us are too bewildering to be ignored in
the value system on which our society rests. The ideological
institutions that once brought security, stability and complacence
are fast disintegrating. The structures determining the social
and educational environments, traditional and political ideologies,
professional status and religious obligations are falling
apart into pieces. And it is difficult to predict what role
they will assume in the future.
->What form should competition take? Should it be subject
to regulatory controls?
Privatisation of the former state-run monopolies, along with
turbulent market forces and other global concentration processes
have started affecting all sectors of the economy. The World
Trade Organization is striving hard to strike a favourable
balance between liberalization of export trade and the protection
of specific national institutions. In the international platform
competition has been found to cause a relentless shift in
the balance of power.
->How durable will the change be from the Old Economy to
the New Economy? And which values of the Old Economy will
continue to prevail?
The Internet has revolutionised the dynamics of international
commerce and is playing a major force in the democratisation
of capitalism. The business world was euphoric about the birth
of the dot-coms which threatened the very existence of the
traditional brick-and-mortar organisations at the start. And
the development of New Economy has changed the equation of
the power relationships throughout the industrial sector and
economic systems.
->With the shift of decision-making power to a supranational
level, how much room will the national governments still have
to manoeuvre?
Globally active concerns are exerting pressure on the power
and influence of nations. Institutions that have gained expertise
in the skilful use of the possibilities of New Economy are
fast emerging as forces to be reckoned with. The decision-making
process is shifting to a supranational level. This is leading
to a new definition of national sovereignty that is bound
to lead to conflicts.
->What are the forces that control / influence media?
And who are responsible for the results media strives hard
to achieve?
Media, which shoulders the onus of disseminating information,
has emerged as a powerful institution. It provokes the masses
and shapes their opinions. With the proliferation of Internet-based
media and a vast array of information channels, news has become
customised like never before. And in the near future the nations
might become increasingly fragmented in the absence of standard
source of news.
-> Can man control nature? To what extent can
he shape the forces of nature to his ultimate advantage?
The changing lifestyles and preferences of modern man are
having drastic evolutionary effect on the human race. While
children are maturing at a hyper-speed, surrogate parenting
is becoming more and more common and an increasing number
of women are choosing to remain childhood by choice. All these
are straining man’s fragile relationship with the nature.
->What are the implications of the changing geo-political
and economic power relationships? What will the “balance of
power” look like in the future?
A process of geo-political transformation has been initiated
by the collapse of the bipolar world order at the end of the
millenium. Though the effects are yet not clear, it is obvious
that isolationism will not work in the twenty-first century.
And it is just not credible that any single nation can remain
an oasis of prosperity unaffected by a world that is experiencing
greatly increased stress. To keep pace with the changing scenario
it is imperative for the managers to analyze the prevalent
play of forces, study the causes of the shifts in power and
draw up a new set of guidelines which will serve as a model
for decisions on the corporate policy level.
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