Virtual Politicking

This text defines the phenomenon of politicking with e-mail in organizational settings. It outlines a model that explains and predicts the usage, and discusses the opportunities and threats that are associated with it. The book also speculates about evolving and future political uses of e-mail.

States like Russia and Ukraine may not have gone back to totalitarianism or the traditional authoritarian formula of stuffing the ballot box, cowing the population and imprisoning the opposition - or not obviously. But a whole industry of 'political technology' has developed instead, with shadowy private firms and government 'fixers' on lucrative contracts dedicated to the black arts of organizing electoral success. This book uncovers the sophisticated techniques of the 'virtual' political system used to legitimize post-Soviet regimes; entire fake parties, phantom political rivals and 'scarecrow' opponents. And it exposes the paramount role of the mass media in projecting these creations and in falsifying the entire political process. Wilson argues that it is not primarily economic problems that have made it so difficult to develop meaningful democracy in the former Soviet world. Although the West also has its 'spin doctors', dirty tricks, and aggressive ad campaigns, it is the unique post-Bolshevik culture of 'political technology' that is the main obstacle to better governance in the region, to real popular participation in public affairs, and to the modernization of the political economy in the longer term.

This volume takes a communications-oriented approach to a wide range of topics encompassing organization, management, political theory and practice, business-government relations, innovation processes, and IT. Offering a balanced, international presentation, it contains authoritative contributions from world-renowned experts representing various disciplines, including administrative law, organizational and political theory, phenomenology, public and business management, educational technology, psychology, and other fields. The book addresses typically neglected subjects such as communicating through humor, drama, film, poetry, fiction, and other creative forms.

"This book charts this influence and describes the unique effect electronic communication has on organizations, communities, nations, and cultures"--Provided by publisher.

With the ubiquitous nature of modern technologies, they have been inevitably integrated into various facets of society. The connectivity presented by digital platforms has transformed such innovations into tools for political and social agendas. Politics, Protest, and Empowerment in Digital Spaces is a comprehensive reference source for emerging scholarly perspectives on the use of new media technology to engage people in socially- and politically-oriented conversations and examines communication trends in these virtual environments. Highlighting relevant coverage across topics such as online free expression, political campaigning, and online blogging, this book is ideally designed for government officials, researchers, academics, graduate students, and practitioners interested in how new media is revolutionizing political and social communications.

New tools and technologies are being developed to cater to the e-learning triangle of content, technology, and services. These developments (in technology, needs of students, emergence of new modes of education like MOOCs or flipped classrooms, etc.) have resulted in a change in the approach to teaching. Innovative Applications of Online Pedagogy and Course Design is a critical publication that explores e-learning as a tool for instructional delivery across various kinds of educational institutions and at all levels. Featuring coverage on a wide range of topics such as distance education, cumulative sentence analysis, and primary teacher training, this book is geared toward educators, professionals, school administrators, researchers, and practitioners seeking current and relevant research on instructional design and delivery in online and technology-based courses.

The dramatic expansion of the media and communications sector since the 1990s has brought South Asia on the global scene as a major center for media production and consumption. This book is the first overview of media expansion and its political ramifications in South Asia during these years of economic reforms. From the puzzling liberalization of media under military dictatorship in Pakistan to the brutal killings of journalists in Sri Lanka, and the growing influence of social media in riots and political protests in India, Nepal and Bangladesh, the chapters analyse some of the most important developments in the media fields of contemporary South Asia. Attentive to colonial histories as well as connections within and beyond South Asia in the age of globalization, the chapters combine theoretically grounded studies with original empirical research to unravel the dynamics of media as politics. The chapters are organized around the three frames of participation, control and friction. They bring to the fore the double edged nature of publicity and containment inherent in media, thereby advancing postcolonial perspectives on the massive media transformation underway in South Asia and the global South more broadly. For the first time bringing together the cultural, regulatory and social aspects of media expansion in a single perspective, this interdisciplinary book fills the need for overview and analytical studies on South Asian media.

Following the migration of workflows, data, and communication to the Cloud and other Internet-based frameworks, interaction over the Web has become ever more commonplace. As with any social situation, there are rules and consequences to actions within a virtual environment. Cyber Behavior: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications explores the role of cyberspace in modern communication and interaction, including considerations of ethics, crime, security, and education. With chapters on a variety of topics and concerns inherent to a contemporary networked society, this multi-volume work will be of particular interest to students and academicians, as well as software developers, computer scientists, and specialists in the field of Information Technologies.