For the first time, dictionary publishers are incorporating real, spoken English into their data. It gives lexicographers (people who write dictionaries) access to a more vibrant, up-to-date vernacular language which has never really been studied before. In one project, 150 volunteers each agreed to discreetly tie a Walkman recorder to their waist and leave it running for anything up to two weeks. Every conversation they had was recorded. When the data was collected, the length of tapes was 35 times the depth of the Atlantic Ocean. Teams of audio typists transcribed the tapes to produce a computerised database of ten million words.

The urban youth is happy with marriage ceremonies and rituals, but they are not ready to take on the responsibilities that come with it. They have found a solution to the same by introducing a concept known as the trial marriage’. It is observed that most marriages generally work well but lasting marriages can be a dream for many. A lot of them ‘try one, two or even more partners to find the right one. Nowa-days, the young don’t find happiness in marriage as they lack certitude and constancy. In Shakespearean days, marriage was considered a sacred bond and a source of eternal bliss; but today, marriage like many other social bonds is linked with utility. Dissatisfaction with partners leads a person marrying many times over. With a vast number of tryouts on the marriage frontier, there will be a sea change in the social setup of the society. World would see a paradigm shift in values and customs. Most importantly, the parent-child relationship will also change drastically. These temporary marriages would it seems bring in more problems for the society than it may solve. The older generation, it seems, has failed to pass on the values to the next generation.

What values is the current generation missing out on?

When I first went to the U.S., in the 1970s, I found American democracy reigned supreme and as the saying goes when God is in Heaven, everything seems alright with the world. The Vietnam War was at the fag end and President Nixon was trying very hard to end it. It seemed that America rides on a pendulum from good to bad and from bad to good. The pendulum has swung once again, but many believe that the values upheld by the country for so long would not let it remain where it is, for long. America is still a country that is the birthplace of democratic values and the people are patriotic to the core. The honest and hardworking people of the country would bring America’s lost glory back home. All that is needed is a good push towards the direction and that can come from the next President.

Why is the big push needed from the next President?

Information is power and the one that is well informed, flexible and quick to adapt wins. The market demands rapidly changing systems that are represented by a set of diverse specialists, professionals and managers. Managers today, need to have skills to comprehend the ever changing situation and take decisions instantly. Soft skills and people management skills are becoming increasingly important as there is a need for cohesive groups that can work together as a team. This new form of management may be termed Ad-hocracy, a workable kinetic organization of the future. Bureaucracy meant all authority and decision-making power was vested in the top management; the ‘subordinates’ were just supposed to do as commanded” by the top man. These power laden hierarchies were the norm around a decade or two earlier but in all probability are headed towards their demise.

Which of the following management systems best survives in today’s market place?