Recommendation 1 from ‘The Economic Times’
Article Name:‘Work spaces open up to fun, innovation’
By: ‘Sreeradha Basu & Saumya Bhattacharya’
The article talks about new fun ways that companies are taking up to engage their employees. Article talks about a fun room in Philips electronics, which gives latest Phillips products at employees disposal and fun room is basically an unwinding zone and the best thing, no one keeps tab on time employees spend here. Then there is Google where under 20% time project, employees can use 20% of their week work to pursue special projects of their own interest. Then there is American Express’s Parents are looked after program in which the company assists the employees in their role as the care givers.
Summary:
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, indeed. Gone are the days when all the focus was on surviving the world in job come back and sleep and then go back to the office again. Today people want to pursue their other interests also and companies understand this. Further, this also helps in increasing the productivity.
Learn Words from the article:
Unwinding: Relaxing
Concierge: Gatekeeper
Recommendation 2 from ‘The Economic Times’
Article Name:‘Management Mythos: Kathenotheism comes naturally to businessmen’
By: ‘Devdutt Pattanaik’
The article gives lessons from the mythology that can be and should be replicated in the field of business and management. Article states that according to Max Mueller, Hindus were kathenotheistic, which means that every god is supreme, but his supremacy is depended on the context .i.e. according to the situations .e.g. in drought Indra was the supreme god. In the similar way in business too each department of the organisation contributes to the success and is important in its own way.
Summary:
Very true, in business everyone dealt with is considered equally important; each little thing determines the success or failure of the organisation. Who could have thought our religious practices could have taught us this. We all know on paper that everything matters, but in reality how many of us practice it. Well, with mythology we do it everyday, so why not business?
Learn Words from the article:
Determined: Resolute
Dependence: Reliance
Context: Background
Recommendation 3 from ‘Foreign Policy’
Article Name:‘Citizen Chen’
By: ‘Isaac Stone Fish’
The article talks about how Chen Guangcheng, a legal activist turned into an icon for freedom. The article states that his first legal success came when he won the case and received a tax refund for his parents, which they were not supposed to pay due to his disabilities. Further, it states that fear of Chen had always characterized government’s response and as a response he was also detained and house arrested. However, when Time magazine named him as one of its 100 most influential people in 2006 and from there many human rights had followed for him. And now when the story of injustice towards a blind man has spread far and wide, he feels powerless and angry. He became a bigger icon when people attempting to meet him were shunned away and when he and his family were regularly beaten up.
Summary:
The article traces the story of how he became such a big icon. However, what can really be taken out of the article is that in addition to his activism what drove him to the status today is the oppression of the government. And what really can be vouched for the Chinese government here is that it needs to work much more on the human rights and freedom of speech. And right now the government needs to protect him and no demand apology from America for shielding him.
Learn Words from the article:
Dissidents: Rebels
Intellectuals: Thinkers
