Containing China

Given Obama's cosying up to the nation that the US is in hock to, I thought you might like to see the difference between China's Google search engine and our own:

Best not get too cosy eh?

Courtesty of Dizzy.

Roy Bhaskar

For the last few days I have been in Nottingham University to listen to Roy Bhaskar, the founder of Critical (or Transcendental) Realism and one of the world's most leading philosophers. Fortunately, the organiser of the workshop is a good friend of mine and I was able to have dinner and several chats with Roy.

Ranging from the completely anecdotal to the philosophical, here are a few insights into the workshop, Roy and Critical Realism:

1. Roy is one of the nicest, happiest and most generous people I have ever encountered. Despite having recently had his foot sawn off, being confined to a wheelchair and being buffeted by aggressive questions from professors who are either jealous or in comprehensive of his work, and various other burdens which I won't go into, the man appears to genuinely value every idea or person he meets.

2. Critical realism is not very critical, at least not in the critical theory sense, in that it doesn't really have a strong normative persuasion. This does not put it at a disadvantage to most ontologies as, unless one prioritises value above existence (e.g. Pilsig's work) the IS doesn't become the OUGHT. Bhaskar might disagree on this point but he didn't seem to put up a robost defence.

3. Critical Realism is a new project and, as such, contains a number of flaws, but the basic realist structure it proposes (shared by some other forms of realism) provides the best explanatory power and the most accurate ontology I have encountered.

4. Given the obvious weakness in their positions, most post-structuralists are retreating from their discourse is everything / nothing outside the text position. However, in my opinion, unless they accept a realist ontology (which is entirely compatible with ideas of discourse) it is impossible to adequately explain choice, resistance and change.

5. Bhaskar is a VERY nice man. Did I say that already?

Research Design

This piece from the Big Four Blog, which purports to be showing what a marvellous, resiliant lot entrepreneurs are, is typical of the flawed research evident in much management literature.

The intention of the piece, to paint E&Y with the magic paint that is 'entrepreneurialism' is nonsense upon stilts. A fact which may have been hinted at by the early statement that:

"Entrepreneurs are hardy folks. Undeterred by current circumstances....".

Which flies in the face of all evidence that minor things like, say, unavailable credit, cuts in consumer spending and buyers hammering their suppliers, hit SMEs and start-ups disproportionally.

On top of the general twittery of the article direction, it is evident on further reading that the 'evidence' has been taken, not from balance sheets, VAT returns or VC analysts but by, ahem, asking entrepreneurs questions like:

'are you pursuing growth opportunities?'

'do you wish to implement technology for higher business efficiency?' etc...

Note that these are aspirational, rather than actual. It's like asking Gordon Brown 'do you wish you were popular?'. The answer has little to do with the reality.