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Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Does Knowledge Brilliance Has Any Correlation with Achieving Power, Money and Fame?

(Read the inside stories of the corporate sector in the form of short management case studies at: http://shyam.bhatawdekar.com or http://management-anecdotes.blogspot.com/ or http://corporate-case-studies.blogspot.com/)

Correlation between Knowledge Brilliance and Achieving Power, Money and Fame Hardly Exists

The comments here are based on just about general observations; it does not have any statistically correct research base. So, take them with a pinch of salt. But frankly what is written here is vastly true.

The observations pertain mainly to the developing countries who have yet to mature a lot in terms of professionalism, meritocracy and discipline.

In such countries success of people in terms of gaining power, money and fame is inversely proportional to the knowledge brilliance one achieves through school and college education and self study. Read on further to understand this phenomenon.

Many of the first few top rankers in the schools, colleges and universities are terrifically brilliant. They really are terrific brains though branded as nerds and also geeks. They try to achieve excellence in their knowledge and come out with flying colors in the screening examinations used for admissions in the reputed engineering and medical colleges. Those streams of engineering and medicine are invariably the first choice or preference of these fundamentally brilliant few (They are the real backbone of progress in developed or advanced countries, though not necessarily in the developing nations). We will call them Type 1.

The ones who cannot achieve such academic excellence and have not developed their cerebral powers to that extent settle for other courses; courses other than engineering and medicine. We will call them Type 2.

Many of the students drop out even before reaching this stage. They are pretty duffers as far as the learning in the class rooms goes but many of them are very good in sports and games like football, cricket, tennis etc. They start concentrating on playing these games. We will call them Type 3.

Then some start emerging as political leaders right during the school and college days. They get elected as general secretaries and presidents of the college unions etc. They are worldly wise, cunning, the popular types, political and slow on any kind of value structure and generally poor at academics. We will call them Type 4.

The last types are none of the above. You just do not notice them. They seem pretty insignificant- the quiet types, nothing spectacular about them in terms of getting any great grades in the examinations. Most people ignore them safely. They don't speak much but internally something definitely must be happening to them since many of them soon become escapists. Some of them, soon in their life, escape from homes under the garb of seeking solace, quiet and god. We will call them Type 5.

Now look at what happens after passage of a few years.

The Type 1 join a government sector, public sector or private sector organization as an engineer or a doctor at a comparatively junior level and need to work their way to climb a tall hierarchy before even thinking of becoming number 1 in the organization. Invariably they stop at number 2 of the organization at best if at all they climb up to that height. Number 1 position in government sector or a public sector company is invariably reserved for and occupied by a Type 2 and in private sector by the worthy or unworthy son or daughter of the promoters or owners of the company.

The Type 2 having failed to get admissions in good engineering or medical colleges try their hand at some other degrees etc and after graduation keep on attempting their luck in various civil services examinations conducted by the government. After succeeding in them in several attempts, they become the coveted bureaucrats in the government departments and ultimately become the bosses of Type 1. Type 2 thus have more power, more money than Type 1.

Type 3 keep on working out their energies on playing a game of cricket or football or tennis etc, particularly the money and fame making games. Some become very successful and become the national and international icons and bathe in unlimited money and fame. They also earn huge sums of money from the advertisers. They become the so called celebrities. The media pampers them lots and lots since they increase the money earning capacity of the media.

Type 4 join an important political party or start their own party. They contest the political and so called democratic elections, win and soon become a minister. The bureaucrats (the Type 2) report to them. Thus Type 4 become the bosses of Type 2 and Type 1. They wield tremendous power everywhere. They also become the so called celebrities. The media covers and dishes out all of their activities day in and day out. They have power and fame and they can make unimaginably high amount of money by several means.

Type 5 remain unknown and in oblivion for quite some time. And one fine day they emerge from somewhere and somehow as the god men. They start gaining popularity and soon they have millions of disciples. In fan following they beat them all; they beat all the other Types, from Type 1 to Type 4. They are showered tons of money by people and institutions of all sorts which is tax free. They exercise tremendous power and the media is also in their pocket. They become a very high order so called celebrity.

So, here ends the case of inversion.

Saturday, May 8, 2010

Should the Child Labor Continue the Way It is Now?

(Read the inside stories of the corporate sector in the form of short management case studies at: http://shyam.bhatawdekar.com or http://management-anecdotes.blogspot.com/ or http://corporate-case-studies.blogspot.com/)

Ban the Child Labor Totally

As per numerous studies carried out by numerous agencies and people, millions of children (at least one child in 6 children) all over the world are engaged as child labor.

The children so engaged in work are exposed to health risks (including mental and emotional) or physical injury and cannot attend schools.

They are caught in various forms of labor in various workplaces of various industries and businesses like diamonds, chocolate, mining, fire crackers, hotels and restaurants, cinema and TV shows (as child artists or in reality shows), rag picking, and also in slavery, trafficking, debt bondage and other forms of forced labour, prostitution, pornography and other illicit activities. The list is long.

They are being employed by the promoters of the companies, industrialists, businessmen, professional managers, anti social and criminal elements of the human society etc. In short, good, bad and ugly- all kinds of people employ them and exploit them. It's shame that even the so called good people
at all levels do it. It is real shame.

It is essential that the child labor should be banned totally. The culprits should be penalized so heavily that they should never be able to repeat that mistake.

If children are the future of the nations and this planet earth, then bring them up with lots of care- not by making them child labor.