Week 5 - social networks

Social networks are networks between actors. Some actors are more central in the web, some figure as a bridge between different groups and some are standing on the side. When studied in the form of online communities there is also the term social media. The movie from 2010 called Social Network is even about the social medium Facebook. Social media that I am using have no direct coordinating mechanisms, so I will describe two special social groups.

Theater group
A more concrete network I am involved in is a theater group in Delft. Every production a (different) board is managing new members, funds and logistics. The board is the least dependent on the other members of the group. The board is dependent on the members that are willing to form a new board for the continuity.

Members are playing, making music and delivering the sound, light, costumes or stage. Reasons to participate are mostly fun and some social and learning opportunities. Members are depending on the board and director but could also self organize activities.

The director sometimes gets paid and most of the times likes to work with student groups. He/she is mostly dependent on the players to produce something and partly on the board for funding.

Approximately once a year there is a performance with spectators that are depending on the players. And in return the spectators deliver a financial contribution to the production.

Last but not least are the funds. S&C from TU Delft has a location and gets a good relation back with the students. Other funds are depending on gifts and interest to stimulate a cultural climate.

Conquer Club
This gaming website allows users to play an equivalent of the boardgame Risk with each other. This is set up by an individual in 2006 that wanted to turn his hobby into his work. Most of the other administrators are volunteers that can modify forum posts or even ban players if they misbehave.

Everyone has an own user name and can organize themselves in so called clans. These clans are ranked in score so the higher clans are more in favor to join. The clans have their own leaders that decide if a new members is accepted. Making friends also helps so you know what to expect in the game.

The most interesting for me is the map making section. Everybody with an idea for a new environment can submit this and everybody can give feedback. So people are depending on getting feedback in order to continue with the idea. Also to try these new environments people are depending on the mapmakers.

Week 4 - Nokia

Companies like Nokia are outsourcing the manufacturing to their suppliers. These supplier companies are active in countries with low labor cost. Whose responsibility is it to improve the working conditions for the laborers in the supplier factories?

Is it effective to let suppliers meet Nokia's sustainability criteria diffusively?
By selecting the most sustainable supplier for their devices Nokia can steer towards its criteria for sustainable development. If production cost only rises with a small fraction it would be acceptable. If not only the involved production line is improved but the entire factory complies with the demands then the effects could be huge.

How would another government mechanism improve on this?
If none of the existing factories is able to deliver the required quality there is also an option to start an own factory where the conditions can be determined. This is not likely to happen because Nokia's policy is to focus on the design instead of production. Also there would be a stronger connection between the company and possible abuses that could deliver bad advertisement.

Policy of the Chinese government

The employees in the documentary A Decent Factory by Thomas Balmès are on probation time for half a year without a contract. In this way they can work below minimum wage. If the government would allow lower wages during the probation time they would possibly get a contract. This way the employees would get more rights.

A successful government mechanism is the implementation of one child politics. The factory is responsible for birth control. If a girl gets pregnant this will also gets her fired. Apparently it is not difficult to let companies cooperate with government policy. A law or better enforcement could improve the conditions of workers in the entire country.