Vladimir Putin's Leadership in Times of Crisis

Vladimir Putin is one of the most prominent leaders in the world and has been in power for the last 18 years. As the leader of the government of Russia since 2000, he has presided over several crises as well as successes that have affected his country. A consequence has been that he has been seen as an individual that works well under crisis and seems to always have a solution that makes it possible for him to achieve his objectives. This paper will make an analysis of the Georgian, Ukrainian, and Syrian crises, as well as the Russian economic crisis, in order to show the manner through which Putin has handled all of them to attain his objectives.

The Georgian crisis came about in 2008 as a result of the actions of Mikhail Saakashvili’s, the Georgian president at the time, decision to forcefully reintegrate the province of South Ossetia into Georgia. This incident took place despite the fact that there were Russian peacekeeping troops stationed in South Ossetia when the Georgian attack took place (Friedman, 2008). The action taken by President Saakashvili seems to have been aimed at ensuring that the territorial integrity of Georgia was secured so that it could more easily become a part of NATO. Becoming a part of NATO would have essentially meant that this military alliance got closer to Russian borders; a situation that Russia has been against almost since immediately following the fall of the Soviet Union. As a response, Putin, who was then prime minister of Russia, ordered the employment of Russian forces into Georgia, with the aim of preventing the reintegration of South Ossetia into Georgia. The operation was a success because not only did Russia push Georgian forces out of South Ossetia, but they did it decisively. Not only was Georgia prevented from joining NATO, but Russia provided its support for South Ossetia’s declaration of independence from Georgia (Tuathail, 2008).

Another incident that proved Putin’s leadership in times of crisis was the Ukrainian crisis and the following civil war that came about following the overthrow of the democratically elected President Viktor Yanukovych. This situation developed following Yanukovych’s decision to reject an EU Association Agreement in favor of joining the Russian-led Customs Union. A consequence was that Ukraine’s legitimate government was overthrown and while this situation came as a surprise, Putin responded swiftly, first by protecting Russian military interests in the Crimean Peninsula by annexing this territory, and later through arming rebels in Eastern Ukraine, many of whom are ethnically Russian (Treisman, 2016). These moves, while condemned as being acts of aggression by Russia as well as being an attempt to redraw the map of Europe, were actually quite brilliant because they ensured that there was the advancement of Russian interests especially in preventing Ukraine from immediately joining NATO (Kunz, 2014). Therefore, while Russia was essentially isolated following this incident and sanctions placed on it, Putin was able to make sure that the security of his country from an aggressive alliance was achieved.

While the considerable isolation that Russia faced as a result of its actions in Ukraine was significant, Putin countered it with his decision to support Russia’s ally, President Bashar Al Assad of Syria in the Syrian Civil War. The direct Russian intervention essentially ended the crisis that had arisen because of its isolation and it ensured that western countries that had sought to isolate Putin and Russia were suddenly forced to engage with him (Ibryamova and Kara, 2017). Therefore, while the sanctions remained in place, the Russian international isolation effectively ended and suddenly, it had become one of the big players in the Middle East. This situation can be considered to be highly significant because it shows that Putin is essentially able to undertake problems, and handle crises well under a lot of pressure. The Syrian intervention was a bold stroke that not only ended the isolation imposed by the west, but also ensured that Russia’s longtime ally was plucked away from imminent defeat (Kaplan, 2016). Furthermore, this act also made it possible for Russia to undertake to fight terrorist groups in Syria to such an extent that their capabilities were significantly eroded. Therefore, not only did Putin manage to increase Russia’s international stature, but he also showed that his country was determined to directly confront terrorism.

One of the most significant results of the Ukraine crisis is that tough sanctions were imposed on Russia by the West. These sanctions are responsible for the current Russian economic crisis because they came at a time when the country was just recovering from the 2008 Financial Crisis that affected many countries across the globe. Despite the considerable pressure that came about as a result, President Putin has been able to handle the situation in an exemplary manner because rather than undertaking a program aimed at shoring up the local currency by using the country’s foreign currency reserves, he has presided over letting the currency float (Dreger et al., 2016). A consequence has been that Russia has maintained its foreign currency reserves at more or less the same level it was pre-crisis. This is at the same as making sure that there is a level of stability brought about by a ban on European exports that has sparked domestic production of those goods and services that were imported prior to the sanctions (Tuzova and Qayum, 2016). The iron-fisted manner through which Putin has presided over the economy since the imposition of western sanctions can be considered the primary reason why the Russian economy, despite being badly hit, has maintained a level of stability and has not experienced an absolute collapse.

In conclusion, President Putin has been able to display considerable leadership in times of crisis, and this has ensured that he has maintained a level of popularity that his colleagues across the world can only envy. He has not only come up with the means to ensure that his country avoids political isolation, but he has also helped his allies, such as President Assad in Syria, and the leaders of South Ossetia and Abkhazia  turn the tables over their enemies; achieving a level of stability in their countries.

The Decisional Role of a Manager

Introduction

Within the organizational environment, the manager should undertake the process of not only making decisions, but also solving problems. Under such circumstances, it is essential for the manager to make sure that he has knowledge concerning the problems and potential problems, as well as the promotion of means through which to come to decisions that have a positive effect on the work environment. it is also necessary for the manager to make sure that the decisions that he makes are relevant to the issue being resolved in order to bring about a situation where there is the achievement of organizational goals. This paper focuses on the decisional role of the manager and the manner through which he can be able to achieve effectiveness in his role.

Literature Review

When it comes to the decisional role of the manager, it is essential for them to ensure that they are able to undertake the role of entrepreneur (Horlacher & Hess, 2016). This is a highly critical responsibility because it involves a process where they are required to make sure that there is a constant improvement of the units under their jurisdiction. The process of improvement can be considered essential because it involves the promotion of a situation where the organization ends up being highly equipped when it comes to handling a diversity of technological challenges. Managers under such circumstances have to make sure that they are constantly looking out for new ideas that can help them ensure that their products are improved and value added to them (Laitinen, 2017; Ollila & Yström, 2017). The role of the manager when making decisions should also include the initiation of feasibility studies that seek to determine the path toward which the organization is heading. It is also necessary to make sure that necessary arrangements are made for the acquisition of capital for the development of new products, as well as undertaking to gain suggestions from employees concerning the various ways that the organization can be improved (Verboncu & Zeininger, 2015). All of these processes can be easily achieved through the holding of strategy meetings with the project managers and using suggestion boxes, as in the case of other employees.

Decisional management is one that also considers the role of the manager as an arbiter of conflicts within the work environment (Karanja & Rosso, 2017; Kumar, 2015). This is a highly pertinent role because it involves a process where the manager takes on the role of arbiter in conflicts between subordinates. A similar case arises when it comes to conflicts between the management of the organization and employees. These conflicts might come about because of a variety of reasons, which include agitation for an increase in wages or a major client of the organization going bankrupt, which might end up leading to a situation where its financial future is left uncertain. Therefore, managers should be able to anticipate such issues and take preventative action whenever it is possible. It is also necessary for the manager to sometimes take corrective action in situations where problems have arisen (Thomas, Lorange, & Sheth, 2015). Among the problems that might arise include complaints from customers, machine breakdowns, labor disputes, and interpersonal conflicts, which have the potential of interfering with the activities of the organization. The role of the manager under such circumstances can therefore be considered critical, because it involves a process where individuals have to be managed in a manner where they view the manager as the final arbiter to issues involving them. Through this process, the manager takes on a pivotal role within the organization in a way that ensures the achievement of its mission.

Another role that has to be undertaken by the manager within the organizational setting is that of being able to allocate resources (Sule & Wahyuningtyas, 2017). This is an extremely important role because it involves a process where the manager has to establish priorities concerning which tasks are the most critical for the organization and how many resources have to be allocated to each. The different activities within the organization that require budgetary allocation receive it based on their importance to its objectives, meaning that it is essential for the manager to determine those with the highest priority (de Oliveira, Escrivão, Nagano, Ferraudo, & Rosim, 2015). It is also their role to make sure that the necessary personnel are assigned to the various tasks at hand, and this is aimed at bringing about a situation where the most qualified individuals are given the tasks to which they are most suited. This ensures that there is the establishment of means through which to bring about greater efficiency in the workplace (Cohen, Rozenes, & Faccio, 2016). Furthermore, in conjunction with giving tasks to those best suited for them, it is necessary for the manager to make sure that there is the establishment of effective means of allocating their own time to different activities in a manner that ensures that they are seen to be on the lead by all the teams involved in the process.

The manager also has a pertinent role to play as a negotiator on behalf of the organization (Laud, Arevalo, & Johnson, 2016). This is an extremely important role because it involves a process where the manager plays an active role in the negotiation of deals that are favorable for the organization. These deals are necessary because they make sure that there is the achievement of agreements aimed at making the activities taking place both within and outside the organization smoother (Liew, Talib, & Jacobs, 2016). Furthermore, they promote the development of guidelines through which the organization is able to interact with other organizations as well as stakeholders in society. Such guidelines make it possible for the organization to have an effective action plan that can be developed and implemented in a manner that enhances its role within its industry. Negotiation skills on the part of the manager are also critical in bringing about the achievement of the goal of promoting the interests of the organization when it comes to negotiations of contracts with unions, as well as the negotiation of prices with major customers (Soltwisch & Krahnke, 2017). Therefore, the ability of managers to recognize their role and undertake them appropriately ensures that there is the promotion of means through which they not only enhance their efficiency within the organization, but their overall effectiveness ensures that there can be an assessment of how well their role as decision makers is performed.

Conclusion

For a manager at a decisional capacity, it is necessary to make sure that there is the promotion of a situation where there is a tight rein on all agreements that have been made within the team. This means that all the rules and agreements concerning the conduct of members of the team have to be respected at all times. There is also a need to make sure that there is the promotion of means through which there is the promotion of result orientation within the team, because the manager is therefore able to ensure that the team achieves all the intended results and targets. As seen above, the clarification of targets is a critical means of making sure that there is the promotion of the integrity of the work that is conducted by the team; meaning that the manager has a critical role in determining the direction towards which his team is heading. Double checking for mistakes and errors within the team context it critical in bringing about a situation where exemplary work is created; meaning that decisional management can have a positive effect on the way that the team functions, since the leader is able to ensure greater efficiency among its members.

References

Cohen, Y., Rozenes, S., & Faccio, M. (2016). Modeling a Manager’s Work as a Service Activity. Paper presented at the International Conference on Exploring Services Science.

de Oliveira, J., Escrivão, E., Nagano, M. S., Ferraudo, A. S., & Rosim, D. (2015). What do small business owner-managers do? A managerial work perspective. Journal of Global Entrepreneurship Research, 5(1), 19.

Horlacher, A., & Hess, T. (2016). What does a Chief Digital Officer do? Managerial tasks and roles of a new C-level position in the context of digital transformation. Paper presented at the 2016 49th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS).

Karanja, E., & Rosso, M. A. (2017). The Chief Risk Officer: a study of roles and responsibilities. Risk Management, 19(2), 103-130.

Kumar, P. (2015). An Analytical study on Mintzberg’s Framework: Managerial Roles. International Journal of Research in Management & Business Studies (IJRMBS), 2, 12-18.

Laitinen, E. K. (2017). Managerial work, importance of information and corporate profitability: evidence from Finland. International Journal of Accounting and Finance, 7(4), 301-334.

Laud, R., Arevalo, J., & Johnson, M. (2016). The changing nature of managerial skills, mindsets and roles: Advancing theory and relevancy for contemporary managers. Journal of Management & Organization, 22(4), 435-456.

Liew, C., Talib, A. A., & Jacobs, R. (2016). Malaysian aviation technologist promotion to managerial role: an empirical overview. Paper presented at the IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering.

Ollila, S., & Yström, A. (2017). An investigation into the roles of open innovation collaboration managers. R&D Management, 47(2), 236-252.

Soltwisch, B. W., & Krahnke, K. (2017). Maximizing Decision Making Style and Managerial Effectiveness: Understanding How Maximizing and Locus of Control Impact Managers' Performance on the Job. Managing Global Transitions, 15(3), 215-230.

Sule, E. T., & Wahyuningtyas, R. (2017). Managerial Roles in a Dynamic Environment. Advanced Science Letters, 23(1), 656-659.

Thomas, H., Lorange, P., & Sheth, J. (2015). Dynamic capabilities and the business school of the future EFMD Insights into Business Education: case studies from business schools worldwide. Volume 2 (Vol. 1, pp. 1-6): European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD) in association with GSE Research.

Verboncu, I., & Zeininger, L. (2015). The Manager and the Managerial Tools: Job Description. Review of International Comparative Management/Revista de Management Comparat International, 16(5).

Operation Management at Costco

The management of the operations within an organization is extremely essential in bringing about its success. This is especially the case considering that for the most part, organizations in the business world are increasingly getting involved in competition with each other in order to remain competitive. Costco is one of the organizations that seek to bring about the best quality in their services through making sure that its employees are satisfied and this is achieved through the advancement of their interests both within and outside the company. In this way, Costco has been able to develop a good reputation based on its need to promote its image through its employees while at the same time providing the best services possible to its customers.

One of the most fundamental aspects of Costco’s operations is that is seeks to promote the efficiency of their employees. This is especially considering that it seeks to create an environment within which its employees are able to do their best for the sake of the company through the advancement of their interests within it. A good working environment where employees are provided with free reign on how to handle customers on a more personalized basis has made it possible for employees to feel empowered in their work. Taking competitive advantage into consideration is another aspect of management that can ensure Costco’s success (Heizer and Render 71). This has been achieved through the provision of benefits and higher wages to employees for the sake of advancing their quality of life which has in turn made them more loyal to the company. The result is that Costco has allowed for the advancement of its workforce in a manner that brings about the best in them for the sake of promoting its own interests in the market. Moreover, the empowerment of employees can also be considered to be a sound strategy especially considering that other companies tend to deny their employees the right to do what they think is best for the sake of promoting the products that they are selling. The result is that there is a loss of morale among employees who come to believe that they are not valued enough by management to independently bring in customers. This is not the case with Costco which has put employee empowerment at the forefront of its strategy because it has made employees the biggest promoters of its image.

Another aspect of Costco’s operations that can be considered to be important to its success is employment stability. This has been achieved through the promotion of benefits for its employees which include job security as well as benefits in case of disability as well as when suffering from any ailments (Heizer and Render 435). This is an extremely sound strategy because it ensures that employees are completely focused on their work instead of seeking more stable work elsewhere. Works schedules that put into consideration the need to take case of the welfare of employees have also been put in place. This, in addition to the higher wages that they receive when compared to rival companies, has allowed for an increase in motivation to work among employees to such an extent that they give their best to their work. The various constraints to its human resource strategy, such as the need to control the expenditure that it places on its employees when compared to other companies, have been smoothed over by Costco through its making sure that the potential financial problems it might face are outweighed by its excellent performance in the market. This has been to such an extent that a significant number of employees have ended up doing their best in their work in the comfort of knowledge that they will be compensated.

Healthcare benefits are some of the most important aspects of the success of any company because the more generous they are, the more likely that employees will be motivated to increase their performance. This is a lesson that Costco’s management seems to have taken to heart because it has provided extremely generous medical and dental benefits to its employees that have allowed for the advancement of the health of these individuals. Moreover, the extension of these benefits to dependents has made it possible for individuals that work at Costco to increase their output because of the motivation that they have based on the belief that the company cares for their welfare and that of their loved ones. The generous benefits that the Costco has advanced its employees are essential because it has become a major contributor to the success of its operations. The generous incentive system that has been put in place by the company is important because it allows employees to be self-directed in their work (Heizer and Render 438). This means that they are better able to make sure that they work with minimal supervision, which helps the company save both time and money when it comes to dealing with issues concerning employs. Thus, productivity remains high while at the same time making sure that the interests of employees are secured in a manner that advances the interests of the company.

By competing through the advancement of its employees’ interests, Costco has the potential of attracting some of the best individuals in the industry to work for it. The pro-employee policies that it has adopted can be considered to be essential for promoting not only its image as a viable employer, but also shows potential employees that unlike its rivals, it is a generous employer. In this way, it becomes possible to make sure that there is a large pool of potential employees to choose from when the time comes for recruitment. However, while it has the best possible number of potential recruits, there is need for the company to make sure that it only employs those individuals who display the highest ethical standards possible (Heizer and Render 455). This is because when companies in the contemporary world conduct their operations, it is essential for them to observe ethics at all fronts or risk ending up getting their reputations damaged and in turn ending up losing their market share. Therefore, in order to make sure that all operations run smoothly, it is important that Costco, when staffing its operations, is able to advance the highest ethical standards possible so that it can maintain and advance its market share. It is important for there to be an effort to observe ethical standards while at the same time promoting continuous improvement because it is one of the most fundamental ways through which employee commitment to the company can be ensured while at the same time promoting the competitiveness of the company in a way that allows for the creation of better market opportunities than it already possesses.

In conclusion, it is essential for Costco to make sure that it continues to promote the interests of its employees through providing them with incentive packages as well as better working conditions than its competitors. This is one of the most fundamental ways through which it will be able to continue performing well in the market while at the same time attracting the best talent possible to help run its operations. Making employees the center of its operations management is essential because it is these who are the driving force behind their success while at the same time advancing the good name of the company through their efforts to make it a success. It is, therefore, essential for the interests of employees to be protected as a means of making sure that there is a proper means through which operations can be advanced without any glitches as a result of lack of motivation.

Work Cited

Heizer, Jay and Render, Barry. Operations Management: Sustainability and Supply Chain Management. 11th Edition. New York: Pearson, 2013.

Khashoggi: Bots feed Saudi support after disappearance By Chris Bell and Alistair Coleman

Suspected bot accounts are attempting to shape the social media narrative following the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Arabic hashtags expressing support for de facto Saudi leader Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, condemning news organisation Al Jazeera and urging users to "unfollow enemies of the nation" were among those amplified by the involvement of bot networks alongside genuine users.

Twitter has suspended a number of bot accounts.

Mr Khashoggi is missing, presumed dead, after he was seen entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on 2 October.

Turkish officials allege the journalist, who had been critical of the Saudi regime, was killed there.

On 14 October, the Arabic hashtag translating as "we all have trust in Mohammed Bin Salman" was among the top global trends, featuring in 250,000 tweets. Additionally, "We have to stand by our leader" was used more than 60,000 times.

On Wednesday, a hashtag translating as "unfollow enemies of the nation" was also highly used, while in the past 24 hours the term "campaign to close Al Jazeera, the channel of deception" has gained traction, used close to 100,000 times on the social network.

Bot networks were used by both sides in an effort to control the conversation on social media during the crisis.

Ben Nimmo, Information Defence Fellow at the Atlantic Council, analysed one of the Arabic-language hashtags with bot involvement.

"Unfollow enemies of the nation" was used in excess of 100,000 times. The vast majority of that came through retweets, which can be a signal of bot activity.

Accounts which had been dormant for a long time were suddenly tweeting again, posting identical or near-identical material to other suspicious accounts.

Others were newly-created or exhibited other characteristics typical of bot accounts.

Attempts to control and manipulate social media conversations have become an increasingly prominent global issue.

On Wednesday, Twitter published more than 10 million tweets from suspected state-backed Russian and Iranian "troll farms".

While US national security chiefs have warned of "a pervasive messaging campaign by Russia to weaken and divide the US".

Zimbabwe: its history and fight for independence

The land of Zimbabwe was settled by the British in 1890 and named Rhodesia after its founder, Cecil John Rhodes, who believed that the British had the right of imperial rule in Africa because they were the “first race in the world and therefore the more of the world they inhabited, the better it would be for the human race”. It is this ideology which served as the basis of the discriminatory colonial policies that were set up to serve the interests of the white minority which had settled most of the best land in the country, and excluded the African majority who had virtually no rights in their own land. These policies led to the demand for change by the Africans within the limitations of the colonial constitution and when this did not work, the African nationalists became more radical when they realised that violence and bloodshed were inevitable if there was to be any change in the country. It was the stress of this oppression that forced the people of Zimbabwe to take up arms as the only solution to their problems. The armed struggle was led by two political parties namely the Zimbabwe African People’s Union (ZAPU) and the Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) which had splintered from ZAPU. These two nationalist organisations got a lot of support from external forces which contributed to the success of the liberation movement in Zimbabwe.

These external forces consisted mainly of neighbouring independent African states – known as the frontline states, other armed liberation movements in neighbouring countries, and the Communist bloc led by China and the Soviet Union. The Communist bloc through the Organisation of African Unity (O.A.U.) gave aid to the Zimbabwean liberation movements in the form of arms and money. Some also provided training for the liberation combatants within their territories such as the Soviet Union, China, Cuba, Algeria, and Tanzania. These countries further provided instructors who trained the recruits in the camps who had come from Zimbabwe to join the struggle for majority rule. Furthermore, organisations such as the United Nations, the World Council of Churches and certain left-wing organisations in the west and in Scandinavia gave moral and financial support.

The Zimbabwe People’s Revolutionary Army (ZIPRA) was the armed wing of ZAPU which was formed in the 1960s and had camps in Angola and in Lusaka, Zambia which were provided by the Zambian government to help in the liberation of their fellow Africans in Zimbabwe. ZIPRA’s crossing points to and from Zimbabwe were at Feira in Zambia opposite Mashonaland East. It was more influenced by the Soviet Union than by China as it adhered to Marxist-Leninist principles of mobilising the urban workers rather than the Maoist principles of mobilising the rural peasantry pursued by the Zimbabwe African National Liberation Army, the military wing of ZANU. ZIPRA was also in a formal alliance with Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK), the military wing of the African National Congress in South Africa. In the mid-1960s, these two allied organisations mounted a celebrated mission into Southern Rhodesia, although this mission was not militarily successful. This mission, known as the Wankie fiasco, saw several hundred ZIPRA and MK freedom fighters enter Rhodesia through the uninhabited areas of Wankie and these were either killed or captured by a joint Rhodesian-South African force. Other countries, such as North Korea, had its military officials train the Zimbabwean freedom fighters how to use explosives and arms at a camp near Pyongyang.

ZANLA, on the other hand, was formed in 1965 in Tanzania and was heavily influenced by the Maoist guerrilla tactics that had been used very successfully by FRELIMO in Mozambique, that is, by infiltrating combatants into Zimbabwe, politicising the peasantry, and participating in ‘hit-and-run’ ambush operations. Even before Mozambique’s independence from Portugal, FRELIMO had supported ZANLA by allowing it to use the territory it controlled in Tete district along the Rhodesian border as a base of operations against the Rhodesian government. Because of its close ties with Mozambique’s FRELIMO, ZANLA gained a lot of support after Mozambique’s independence when its government permitted ZANLA to open training and supply camps along the Mozambican-Zimbabwean border which greatly assisted in the recruitment and training of troops.

The OAU member states’ meetings and resolutions concerning the white minority regime in Rhodesia induced Britain to push the United Nations to invoke mandatory sanctions against Rhodesia in 1968. However, these sanctions had many failings which included: the long period of time which had elapsed since Rhodesia’s Unilateral Declaration of Independence from Britain in 1961 which had enabled the white regime to make adjustments and arrangements for the evasion of sanctions; the refusal of South Africa and Portugal to apply sanctions by continuing normal trade with Rhodesia and acting as go-betweens to market its goods and import on its behalf; and the general lack of political will on the part of most members of the United Nations to make sanctions work effectively. These sanctions against Rhodesia, although they did not work, helped to give a moral boost to the liberation movements in Zimbabwe, because despite the internal divisions within it, the OAU supported their fellow Africans in their struggle for freedom. Through its Liberation Committee, the OAU co-ordinated the material and financial support sent to the liberation movements in Zimbabwe from independent African states and from abroad. It also sought to reconcile the differences between ZANU and ZAPU, the main revolutionary groups in Zimbabwe so as to unify their forces against the common enemy. Both ZANU and ZAPU had gotten embroiled in the struggle within the Communist bloc between China and the Soviet Union about the latter’s leadership of the bloc. Each of these nationalist movements had adopted the communist doctrines of its main sponsor, such that ZAPU had adopted those of the Soviet Union while ZANU had adopted those of China. This resulted in the difficulty that kept these movements apart as well as various battles between their military wings.

The coup against the Salazar regime in Portugal in 1974 and its subsequent decolonisation policy helped the liberation movement in Zimbabwe a great deal because the white minority government lost one of its most important outlets for its exports namely, the ports of Mozambique. This coup also shocked the white regime and its main ally, South Africa, into the realisation that the African liberation movements could, through long and sustained armed struggle, force a colonial power to decolonise. This led the government of South Africa to adopt a more conciliatory approach to its relations with the newly independent black African states as well as its commitment to a political solution to the crisis in Rhodesia. South Africa was in a key position to influence Rhodesia because its roads and railways were the lifeline of the Rhodesian economy and as such was the only government in the region that was capable of putting pressure on it. The moderation of the policies of its chief ally towards its enemies led the embattled Rhodesian government to start negotiations with the African nationalists in Zimbabwe and finally to the beginning of majority rule in the country.

The Cuban Revolution and Gender

A happy Cuban woman

         The revolution has played an immense part in the development of the new man and woman in the workplace. This has allowed people to become aware that they need to treat each other well. Moreover, it has enabled all workers to concentrate more on service for the greater good of all Cubans, than to work for personal gain. One of the firmest principles which the revolution has instilled in the workplace is that working for the people of Cuba is the most valuable thing; it is what will determine whether the revolution is eventually judged as being either a success or a failure.

       The revolution has encouraged the equal opportunity among men and women in the place of work. This is because it has ensured that these two genders have equal capabilities to function at work. There is no task which is designated to one gender that cannot be undertaken by the other. Furthermore, it has ensured that there is a balance between the employment of men and women in the workplace, hence ensuring that gender balance has been achieved. Cuba is the only state in the world to achieve an almost perfect gender balance, and all this is due to the revolution.

The real Cuba

           The most desirable society that can be created in Cuba is one where all people within it are equal, with nobody being either above or beneath the other. Moreover, there should be gender balance in government so that it is no longer just dominated by men. In addition, a society which is just should be created, where everybody is allowed to do what they want so long as what they do does not destroy the aims of the revolution. However, the creation of such a society cannot be achieved unless several threats are dealt with swiftly. One of these is the beginning of a highly paternalistic culture in the society, where one cannot go ahead in life unless he or she is sponsored by somebody powerful in society. The second threat is the temptation to slowly introduce capitalistic features into the country in order to conform to the world economy. This is extremely dangerous because so far, the revolution has been a success and it can, therefore, not be merged with corrupting elements.

More of the real Cuba

           The United States has, from the very beginning of the revolution, been the biggest enemy of Cuba. It has, time and time again, tried to overthrow the revolution and replace it with a corrupt capitalistic system like the one which existed before. This state is, therefore, also the biggest threat to the achievement of life which the new order would bring to the people of Cuba. There is a possibility that the United States may foment revolt against the revolution by promising a few Cubans a better life to the one which they currently have. This, of course, is American propaganda, because there is a larger percentage of people with low standards of living in that country than in Cuba. It is exceedingly urgent for the government and people of Cuba to be wary of such temptations because to submit to them would make all the sacrifices made for the revolution to be useless.

Governance Networks

Within the last decades of the twentieth century, the concept of governance developed within political studies and the fields related to it. This concept is one that seeks to promote the idea that there is a wide variety of approaches that are required to make sure that there is an understanding of the world and the changing nature of the role of the state within the international system. Furthermore, there is the rise of the belief that governance can be used to promote the idea that the contemporary world is where individuals live in a world where there are a diversity of coexisting networks that are aimed at safeguarding the lives of individuals as well as society in general (Bush, Oosterveer, Bailey, & Mol, 2015). These networks have developed in such a way that ensures that there is the creation of a better understanding of the massive urbanization, globalization, and a diversity of other societal demands that have come about because of the considerable participation of the civil society in everyday life (Fung, 2015). This new knowledge is essential in bringing about an understanding of the way that the world is developing because it allows for the inclusion of the manner that new concepts such as the participation of the civic society has been able to establish a strong public voice in decision making. In this paper, there will be a discussion and analysis of the concept of the governance network and the manner through which it has been able to affect the world.

One of the most significant aspects of the governance network is that it has led to the argument that societies are increasingly becoming fragmented. This is mainly because of the belief that the new demands that are being made on governments has led them towards a shift from the more traditional bureaucratic order to one that is more responsive to the demands of society (Wiesel & Modell, 2014). Such interactive governments have the potential of leading towards the fragmentation of society because it involves a process where there is greater devolution of power in such a way that promotes the achievement of more efficiency when it comes to service delivery. Governance networks have also become critical when it comes to policymaking because the individuals involved in the latter tend to consult with the diverse stakeholders in society before any decisions are made (Bovaird, Stoker, Jones, Loeffler, & Pinilla Roncancio, 2016). The arbitrary decision making processes that was an essential aspect of the bureaucratic forms of government are increasingly being abandoned in favour of more open ones where there is need to seek to achieve the approval of stakeholders before policies are implemented (Denis, Ferlie, & Van Gestel, 2015; Greve, 2015). Furthermore, there has also been an increasing role of the private sector in those aspects of government that were previously the strict domain of the public sector (O'Toole, 2015). Thus, governance networks have become essential means through which to bring about a form of governmental devolution that seeks to enhance service delivery in the most efficient way possible while at the same time reducing the role of government in the process. It has also ensured that the role of government in society has essentially become blurred because the institutions involved in service delivery have their roles increasingly being taken by more specialized entities from the private sector.

The latter collaborative arrangements have made it possible for governments to undertake their tasks in a manner that is more supervisory than active. Governance networks have ensured that there is an increase in the proliferation of governance arrangements either with the private sector or other governments with the aim of bringing about a more efficient achievement of goals (Page, Stone, Bryson, & Crosby, 2015). This is especially the case considering that there are some governance networks which have developed between a local government, other governments, as well as the private sector with the aim of seeking to achieve the best possible results when it comes to undertaking their functions. These new collaborations have essentially made it possible for governance networks to become more common in the contemporary world to such an extent that they have become the norm. It is currently normal for individuals to expect that network arrangements will bring them the services that they need without a complete reliance on their governments to provide the services (Vangen, Hayes, & Cornforth, 2015). Governments have ended up becoming facilitators and guarantors rather than the actual providers of services; meaning that there has developed a necessity that there is the establishment of newer networks to increase efficiency. It has also become possible for a new layer of governance to appear within local governments, with these layers playing a significant role when it comes to the development of strong initiatives aimed at enhancing efficiency while at the same time reducing the role of government (Kapucu, Hu, & Khosa, 2017). The various stakeholders in society have also come to have a say in the management of their own governments and how services are delivered. However, despite this being the case, it is essential to approach governance networks with caution because despite their being widespread, they have not been as widely adopted as expected.

Governance networks have brought about a greater understanding of the role that networks can play in enhancing the role of governments. This is because it involves an understanding of the manner through which the complexity of the multi-governmental landscape has become a necessity in the contemporary world (De Vries, Bekkers, & Tummers, 2016). It is necessary to consider that governance networks have essentially made it possible for there to be the creation of means through which to bring about the interaction between a diversity of actors in society in such a way that promotes the interests of all involved because there is devolution of functions (Borg, Toikka, & Primmer, 2015). Furthermore, it has become possible for these actors to come to terms with each other’s capabilities in such a way that helps to bring about the achievement of means through which to promote the diversification of functions towards the achievement of common goals. Thus, it can be argued that politicians and administrators have become the main actors when it comes to the promotion of societal interests and this has been in such a way that they have come to be seen as the guarantors of public services (Bryson, Crosby, & Bloomberg, 2014; Head & Alford, 2015). However, despite the achievement of this objective, it has become essential to consider that these individuals have gained considerable power over a diversity of functions. This is especially the case considering that these individuals might end up abusing their power to ensure that they serve the interests of their respective organizations or lobbies that sponsored them towards attaining their positions (Howlett & Ramesh, 2016). Therefore, there should be a process where there is the development of awareness concerning the relationships between the actors in various governance networks so that it can be possible to bring about the achievement of greater transparency in the processes that are undertaken.

The term governance network implies that there is a convergence when it comes to a diversity of issues concerning government and the manner through which it is operated. It is necessary to consider that this convergence is one that has taken place in order to meet the needs of society while at the same time promoting a situation where there is the achievement of common goals in as efficient a manner as possible (Lecy, Mergel, & Schmitz, 2014). While there has been considerable debate concerning what exactly governance networks mean, it is pertinent to consider that it is a reality in the contemporary world and has to be understood as such. A body of knowledge and concepts concerning governance networks has grown over the years and this has led to the establishment of means through which an understanding of the term can be understood. One of the most important factors concerning governance networks is that is involves a situation where service delivery and policy are developed and implemented through networks that involve actors that are essentially interdependent. The interdependency between the various actors can be considered to be an essential aspect of promoting the development of the networks that are involved in service delivery (Bryson, Crosby, & Stone, 2015). It is also necessary to stress that it is the actors who make choices concerning the strategies that they have to use in order to find and make solutions to various problems. There are also instances where there is a complexity of interactions and negotiating partners that come about because of the interdependencies that occur between actors (Skelcher & Smith, 2015). Therefore, the different governance networks tend to be quite diverse in their make up because each of them is developed to satisfy a large number of unique needs (Van den Hurk & Verhoest, 2015). The variety of perceptions and strategies that they have to implement requires that there is the achievement of unique problem solving, service delivery and policy implementation initiatives at all times to ensure efficiency.

In conclusion, the governance network approach is one that stresses the need to consider the outcomes of the implementation of different policies and service delivery. A consideration of the outcomes ensures that there are initiatives aimed at promoting the development of the most pertinent policies possible while at the same time including the most qualified actors to undertake the diverse tasks involved in bringing about the achievement of results. The development of an understanding of needs is critical for the creation of institutionalization of the relationships that come about between the different actors. These create patterns that are necessary for the promotion of effective working relationships between actors that make it possible to bring about strong service delivery initiatives. The relationships involved are those that ensure that there is the establishment of social networks that are necessary for not only bringing about better service delivery, but also ensures that there is the establishment of a basis upon which the various actors can work together in other networks. Finally, the relationships between the various actors ensures that there is the emergence of rules that promote the regulation of the behaviour within networks; making it possible for actors to explore new content that might enhance their efficiency while at the same time helping in enhancing the quality of services being delivered.

References

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Mfecane: The wars that shaped Southern and Eastern Africa

Mfecane refers to the numerous wars that were started by the Ndwandwe king Zwide and spread to the rest of the African societies in Southern Africa at the beginning of the nineteenth century. Therefore, the statement that the mfecane was largely a Zulu affair is not true considering that their activities were mainly concentrated in the Natal area while the Mfecane itself occurred in a far wider range than that. Furthermore, most evidence points to the fact that the Zulu only got involved in the mfecane when it was at its climax. The mfecane began in the later part of the eighteenth century when the process of nation building among the Nguni of the northern Natal region began. The larger political units that came from this development were partly due to the competition for the control over the lucrative trade in ivory with the Portuguese based in the Delagoa Bay. 

Moreover, the population pressure among the Northern Nguni people led to the increased competition for resources because the effect of white pressure on the frontier of the Cape colony had, by the end of the eighteenth century, made expansion in a westerly direction impossible. In the years around 1803, there was a long and severe drought which sparked the unprecedented competition between the emerging states for control over good pastureland and other essential resources. The conflict between three main groups of the northern Nguni namely the Ndwandwe, the Ngwane, and the Mthethwa brought about the mfecane, the first of which was between the Ndwandwe of Zwide and the Ngwane of Sobhuza , the latter who after being defeated, moved further north where the Swazi nation was to be eventually established. Contrary to the popular opinion among the proponents of the old paradigm concerning the mfecane, it was the Ndwandwe rather than the Zulu who initiated the climax of the mfecane by attacking the Ngwane of Matiwane. When the Matiwane and his Ngwane were driven from their home by the Ndwandwe, they began a career of conquest and terror against the communities they encountered. They surprised and defeated the Hlubi, killing their chief Mpangazitha, defeated the Tlokwa, and forced Moshoeshoe of the Sotho to pay tribute to them.

It should be noted that the first known recorded history of the mfecane was written, not by the Africans themselves, but by Afrikaans and English speaking writers. Most of these histories were written with the idea of European superiority in mind hence the portrayal of Africans as savages. The Zulu serve as an example of this mindset with their portrayal as the originators of the mfecane despite overwhelming evidence on the contrary. One would agree with Julian Cobbing’s argument that the role played by the Zulu in the events known as the mfecane were minimal at best and that the emergence of the Zulu kingdom was a result rather than a cause of this period of upheavals. The Zulu kingdom was one of the defensive states such as the Sotho, the Swazi, and the Pedi kingdoms that emerged due to the mfecane. The so called acts of aggression by the Zulu against other groups were merely measures of defence; attacks to defend themselves against future aggression. If the states surrounding the Zulu had been allowed to become too powerful, then the nation would have been destroyed.

Although the Zulu were not responsible for the mfecane, their military innovations like the use of the short broad bladed stabbing spear which allowed them to close in on their enemies instead of standing off from them, as well as their discarding of their ox hide sandals in battle, gave them superior speed making the mfecane wars even more devastating. The rise of the Zulu came at a time when large states were necessary to protect people from enemy attack. An example of these is the Mthethwa who, after their defeat by the Ndwandwe, turned to the only person in the region who had the ability to defend them against their enemies, and this was Shaka. It was this choice which brought about the ascendancy of the once insignificant Zulu. The Zulu, therefore, did not contribute to the chaos surrounding them but instead brought order in the Natal region with the creation of their state, the forceful absorption of weaker groups, as well as the destruction of the more aggressive ones like the Ndwandwe state.