Fundable Knowledge
Fundable Knowledge

Author: A.D. Van Nostrand

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2013-11-05

Total Pages: 263

ISBN-13: 1136686576

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Knowledge is the basic output of the defense technology establishment in the United States; it is what enables the development of weapon systems. From this premise, this volume explores the process of knowledge production in defense technology from the beginnings of the Cold War to the present time. Produced through the process of research and development (R&D), technical knowledge for defense is an economic commodity. It is "fundable" in the sense of having future value. Like other commodities in the futures market, it is purchased before it is produced. But unlike those other commodities, this knowledge is typically produced through the joint efforts of the customer and the vendor. This study highlights two polar aspects of knowledge production: technology development and technology transfer. It centers on the present, shifting concept of defense conversion that is redefining defense technology policy. The book also includes cited documents pertaining to the transactions that engage customers and vendors in the process of knowledge production. The documents constitute a literature of needs and claims, and they reveal two chief properties: problem formulation and tactical positioning. Apart from the substantive yield of these particular documents, the strategy of evidence in this volume has broad implications for further study, suggesting a means of analyzing knowledge production in other large social systems.

The Internet, Organizational Change and Labor
The Internet, Organizational Change and Labor

Author: David C. D. Jacobs

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2003-07-31

Total Pages: 184

ISBN-13: 113449081X

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As we devote increasing amounts of time time at work and at home to the Internet and computer networks, our daily lives are dramatically being reshaped. We are better informed and can work more efficiently, yet there is anxiety about the security of our jobs. Examining what is happening to work, organizations and unions in the age of the Internet, this fascinating book reveals both the opportunities and dangers for workers in the digital age. Exploring the Internet's impact on organizations and labor from complementary perspectives, Jacobs and Yudken consider how new digital technologies shape cultural change. They look at the culmination of the development of the Internet, its impact upon jobs and the current prospects for unions, and conclude that the Internet ultimately reduces transaction costs thereby aiding profit making, and also assists workers, consumers and citizens in challenging business practices. Ideal for students of management, e-business and human resource management, this informative text is a balanced analysis of the Internet aided workplace. Unlike many enthusiasts of e-commerce, it identifies dangers in the Internet-driven enterprise such as contingent employment, employee monitoring and job loss, and also explores the potential benefits for employees, proposing possible strategies for reforming the economy.