Intangible Power Research Articles

Цифровые экосистемы: двуликий Янус национального государства

Economic security of the national state is traditionally considered to be implemented only at macro level of the national economy. However, a new reality of the XXI era has shown that the key aspects of the national security are being arisen at micro level of economic activity. Innovations have created not only new factors for prosperity but given birth to specific risks and novel threats for the national state. Digital ecosystems (DESs) that have just come to light have been generating a host of state threatening consequences. Nowadays most if not all of the largest world companies are parts of digital ecosystems. Market capitalization, total sales and total business operations of the digital ecosystems equal or even exceed the gross domestic product of many independent states. A typical profile of a digital ecosystem comprises such characteristics as self-regulation and independent business; vague industry and geographic frontiers; absence of clear inner structural elements within the firm; absence or minimization of material (brick-and-stone) assets. The services of the digital ecosystems lie in a variety of highly different production, transportation, market, and after-market spheres including finance and logistics. The intangible power of DESs is based on ICT technology, e. g., M2M and IoT, which could work in an autonomous regime even off Wi-Fi areas. Cloud computing, fog computing and edge computing allow to storage and manipulate big data over the firms’ boundaries and stay off the government control. Although M2M interactions are good for telemedicine, industrial security, payment systems, etc., smart digital activity of DESs might be harmful for national economic security. Firstly, as digital ecosystems are collecting huge amount of private data, they have access to more subtle behavioral aspects of individuals than government offices. Using their private databases, DESs could influence clients in both economic and political areas. Secondly, digital cartels could implement brand-new types of price discrimination which are out of government regulations. Dynamic pricing in both sides of the digital platforms (for content providers and for consumers) could add to national inflation rates. Thirdly, information that is used to elaborate and implement government economic policy could be easily manipulated within DESs due to low quality of IT operators or because of hacker-driven misinformation. It means that the critically important statistics are in fact in the hands of the digital ecosystems, which have been transforming into tacit co-partners of government economic and social policy. In social sphere DESs have introduced a special business model, that is, worker-on-demand. Like video on demand or car sharing, employees can be hired temporarily with no labour contracts, no social security plans, no any feasible limitations on time, place, and conditions of work. Quantity of labour force, level of wages, and other important elements of working life are in the hands of algorithmic management, a special IT program elaborated by DESs’ specialists in the interests of the DESs. Such practices of labour market undermine the government social policy and increase social tensions. Digital ecosystems have changed labour resources in the direction of cyber wars. In order to defense their own infrastructure and virtual space of their activity, DESs are in the process of establishing their own cyber-army. The DES employees usually act as potential (and actual sometimes) cyber-worriers in detecting and eliminating unsanctioned penetration in digital nets of the company. The problems of digital ecosystems having too much economic power are being under consideration in many countries. For example, in China in 2021 the government replaced its former liberal IT policy for tight IT regulation of DESs. Thus, thinking about national economic security, we should take into account a new digital reality in forms of digital ecosystems and their desire (consciously or unconsciously) to substitute national state in its significant economic and social functions.

The Madman and Psychotherapy in the Neoliberal Academy: A Chinese Doctoral Student's Experience in the United States

This self-reflective paper examines my experience as a Chinese doctoral student while studying in a large research university in America. Through my self-reflection, with Foucault's analysis on power, I hope to shed some light on my experience with the neoliberal academy, which caused much discomfort and created my fragmented identities. Instead of questioning the problematic neoliberal power relations that caused my discomfort in the first place, as the madman of higher ed, I was directed to psychotherapy to treat my symptoms, which only caused more confusion. Through my story, I hope to reveal how social context, Neoliberalism in this case, and social discourse of psychotherapy, work hand in hand in higher education space, which have exercised intangible power and created the fragmented identities among many international doctoral students in America. At the end of the paper, I also provided suggestions for graduate students to navigate the neoliberal academy.

Transformation of the Concept of Soft Power in the Political Discourse of China

The concept of “soft power”, which has entered the official lexicon of the Chinese Communist Party, has American roots. At the heart of Joseph Nye’s concept is a call for flexible use of the “intangible power resources” of culture and political ideals to influence the behavior of people in other countries. For the Chinese power groups, Nye’s concept looked like a modern development of the “Art of War” reasoning, so J. Nye’s idea received a deep cross-cultural resonance in China.The article presents two main aspects of the research carried out by the author of the article on the influence of the concept of “soft power” in the political process. Firstly, the influence of the concept of “soft power” on the political process: the fourth generation of Chinese leaders, led by President of the People’s Republic of China Hu Jintao, focused on soft power as the basis for the strategy of intercultural communication; Xi Jinping introduces the principle of cultural confidence, including values in the political discourse of modern China in a new era. This defines a new task of “soft power”. Secondly, “soft power” as a tool of political communication: the culture and ideology of Confucianism has a significant influence on the political process communication of the PRC. In these conditions, the ideology of the PRC adapts and uses Confucian concepts as a brand of intercultural communication and a kind of ideological bridge that can serve to ensure the preservation of national identity, form a positive image of the state and strengthen the country’s international position, and will become the basis for internal cohesion. Hence the authorities actively work to adapt “soft power” to the tasks of modern domestic and foreign policy. The studies carried out on this topic have shown that the concept of “soft power” of the PRC is a powerful instrument of the political culture of the PRC and a viable strategy of intercultural communication.

The Study on the Recognition of Important Degree by Intangible Combat Power Components

The purpose of this study is to examine the recognition of the important degree of intangible combat power components. Combat power is expressed as the sum of tangible power and intangible power. The Korean Army has long gone through the mistake of estimating the level of combat power by evaluating only the tangible combat power.We admit that intangible combat power cannot be expressed in measurable numbers.Nevertheless, there is a need to properly understand and evaluate the important degree of intangible combat power components. And operating the unit according to the evaluation result is the key to rational command. Therefore, it is very meaningful to study the recognition of the important degree of intangible combat power components. In this study, the recognition of the important degree of intangible combat power components recognized by the military expert group (army general promoted officers) was analyzed by applying the AHP technique. Then, the results of KCTC, which was evaluated for training in the most war-like environmental conditions, were analyzed to determine how the components of intangible combat power influenced the training results. And then we looked the differences between the two analyzes and found some reasons for the differences. Lastly the alternatives to solve the discrepancies and further research tasks were presented.

A Study on the Influence of Intangible Power on Continuance Commitment and Customer Orientation in Organization

경쟁이 치열한 환경 속에서 조직의 발전 및 목표를 효율적으로 달성하기 위해서는 조직 내에 있어서 상사의 파워를 어떻게 사용하는지에 따라 조직에 대한 부하의 몰입 및 고객지향성을 높이는 중요한 요인이 될 수 있다. 그러나 상사가 파워를 행사하는 과정에서 부하들과 분쟁이 발생하는 경우가 있다. 당사자는 중재의 사용방법에 따라 조직 내에 있어서 파워를 행사하는 과정 중 구성원의 몰입에 변화가 있는지 고찰해야 하는 필요성이 제기된다. 따라서 본 연구의 목적은 조직 내에 있어서 파워 형태의 입장에서 무형적 파워가 지속적 몰입 및 고객지향성에 미치는 영향에 대한 실증연구이다. 중재는 조직 내의 분쟁의 해결 수단으로 분쟁 발생시 중재의 사용 방법에 따라 지속적 몰입의 정도에 차이가 있는지에 대하여 분석하고자 한다. 실증분석하기 위하여, 구조방정식을 통하여 자료 및 연구모형의 신뢰도, 타당성을 검증하고 설정된 가설을 검증하였다. 첫째, 무형적 파워인 준거적 파워와 정보적 파워가 지속적 몰입에 유의적 정(+)의 영향을 미치는 것으로 나타났으며, 전문적 파워가 지속적 몰입에 유의적 영향을 미치지 않는 것으로 나타났다. 둘째, 지속적 몰입은 고객지향성에 긍정적 영향을 미치는 것으로 판단되었다. 셋째, 준거적 파워, 정보적 파워 및 지속적 몰입의 관계에서 중재의 조절효과가 없는 것으로 나타났다. 넷째, 지속적 몰입은 준거적 파워→고객지향성 경로와 정보적 파워→고객지향성 경로에 완전매개효과가 있지만, 전문적 파워→고객지향성 경로에 매개 효과가 없는 것으로 나타났다. 끝으로 본 연구는 구성원의 지속적 몰입을 향상시키는 과정에서 준거적 파워 및 정보적 파워의 사용을 주장하며 상사들이 조직 효율성을 증대시키기 위해서는 상황에 맞는 파워유형을 행사하여 리더십을 효과적으로 발휘할 수 있다는 점을 알려주고 있다. 이러한 결과는 상사가 조직의 상황에 맞게 파워를 사용하더라도 구성원의 지속적 몰입을 향상시키지 않다면 고객지향성의 효과성이 나타나지 않는다는 것을 의미한다. 조직 상사는 전문적 파워를 행사 하는 과정에서 행사방식 및 행사태도 혹은 전문성에 대한 신뢰 등을 개선하게 되면 부하의 지속적 몰입 등 태도를 높이게 되거나 조직의 발전 및 목표를 효율적으로 운용할 수 있는 시사점을 제공해준다.

전문가 시스템을 이용한 상대적 전투력 분석

본 논문의 목적은 지상작전 시 피아간 상대적 전투력을 분석하는데 전문가 시스템을 이용하는 방안을 제시하는 것이다. 상대적 전투력 분석은 지휘관 및 참모들이 부대를 어떻게 운용할 것인가에 대한 방향을 설정할 수 있기 때문에, 그 절차는 신속하고 이성적인 의사결정의 과정을 필요로 한다. 여러 애플리케이션들이 탑재될 수 있는 전술정보통신체계가 10년 동안 개발되고 있지만, 상대적 전투력 분석의 절차는 의사결정에 관여한 일부인원들에 의해 수작업으로 진행되어왔다. 본 연구에서는 이론적으로 3가지 상대적 전투력 분석방법을 고찰하고 이를 시스템에 지식(Knowledge)롤 사용될 수 있도록 수치적으로 표현하고, 유형뿐만 아니라 무형의 전투력도 지식에 포함될 수 있는 방안이 연구되었다. 기존의 대대급 전투력 지수와 수치적으로 표현된 지식을 이용하여 상대적 전투력 분석을 위한 전문가 시스템은 EXSYS Corvid로 구현되었다. 의사결정의 오류를 줄이고 빠른 의사결정을 가능하게 하며 유형뿐만 아니라 무형의 전투력까지 의사결정에 반영할 수 있을 것으로 기대된다. 향후에는 전투력 분석뿐만 아니라 인사분야나 정보 분석 분야에도 전문가 시스템을 도입하는 방안이 연구되어 객관적이고 합리적인 군 의사결정체계에 기여해야 한다. This paper's aim is to suggest the Expert System for analyzing relative combat power in ground operations. Since relative combat power analysis in terms of comparing combat power of friendly forces with one of the enemy can determine how the commander and staffs operate their unit afterwards, it requires fast and rational decision-making process. However, it has relied on manual method so far though Tactical Information Communications Network(TICN) into which numbers of applications can be loaded has been developed over a decade. 3 methods for analyzing relative combat power were expressed as mathematic rules to be used knowledge in the expert system after reviewing previous studies, and it studied how intangible power as well as tangible were reflected on total combat power. The expert system that will be built using EXSYS Corvid tool is expected to lessen error rate, provide faster decision-making, and reflect both intangible combat power and tangible one by using an appropriate weights in analyzing relative combat power. Next research filed includes how to build expert systems related with military personnel and intelligence areas for fast and rational decision-making processes.

POWER DIMENSIONS AND CHINESE STRATEGY FOR OIL ACQUISITION AT THE DAWN OF THE 21ST CENTURY: AN ANALYSIS OF THE CASES OF KAZAKHSTAN, ANGOLA AND VENEZUELA

The objective within the present study is to evaluate the modalities of the Chinese power projection, as part of the country´s strategy to gain access to develop crude reserves in developing countries. The notion of power is treated through its conceptualizations within Joseph Nye´s (1990; 2004; 2011) liberal-institutional perspective combined with Zhimin Chen and Lulu Chang´s (2013) further elaborations of this. Recent Chinese relations with Kazakhstan, Angola and Venezuela are reviewed in order to be able to classify the Chinese power projection with regards to the different conceptual dimensions, to which it relates. A parallel objective is to assess the consistency between 1) the fundamental Chinese foreign policy goals, 2) the country´s strategy regarding energy related cooperation and obtainment, as well as 3) the specific tactics applied in the source countries examined. A strong reliance upon tangible power resources for material inducement is identified, as an essential part of the Chinese energy strategy. This however, should not be understood as being in contrast to or as incompatible with measures of soft power inducement, but rather as a necessary pre-condition for the establishment of channels through which intangible power resources can be applied.

The Frame-Breakers: Thomas Pynchon’s Post-human Luddites

Abstract: Thomas Pynchon’s Vineland depicts an America moving inexorably toward what Gilles Deleuze calls a “control society,” one where intangible power structures enmesh agentless subjects. This article elaborates on the ways radical politics must be met by an equally revolutionary reconceptualization of the body. While, in Vineland, the activist film collective 24fps attempts to resist governmental power, their instrumentalization of their media technology (the film camera) leads to their own appropriation by hegemonic forces. Instead, it is the Thanatoids, liminal creatures inextricably linked with the television, who disrupt the control apparatus and present both a resistant (post)human body and a revolutionary new politics.

Visions of Dynamic Power: Archaic Rock-paintings, Altered States of Consciousness and ‘Clever Men’ in Western Arnhem Lane (NT), Australia

The Dynamic figures are a distinctive component in the earlier rock-art of western Arnhem Land, north Australia. They include therianthropic (hybrid human–animal) images. Recent vision experience ethnographically known in the region, and the wider pattern of Altered States of Consciousness (ASC) in hunter-gatherer societies, are consistent with elements of the Dynamics. One key feature is the use of dots and dashes in the Dynamic images, explicable as a depiction of some intangible power, of a character comparable with that in the ‘clever men's knowledge’ of modern Arnhem Land. Tropical Australia thereby is added to the number of regions where a visionary element is identified in rock-art; the specific circumstances in Arnhem Land, permitting the use together of formal and of informed methods, provide unusually strong evidence.