Collective Creativity: The Conflict of Individualist & Collectivist Dynamics in the Modern Economy.. скачать в хорошем качестве

Collective Creativity: The Conflict of Individualist & Collectivist Dynamics in the Modern Economy..

Podcast version of the PhD thesis "The Conflict of Individualist and Collectivist Dynamics in the Modern Economy and the Search for Solutions" prepared by NotebookLM. Full version of the dissertation (in Turkish) with extended English abstract is available at national thesis center: https://tez.yok.gov.tr/ ABSTRACT: THE CONFLICT OF INDIVIDUALIST AND COLLECTIVIST DYNAMICS IN THE MODERN ECONOMY AND THE SEARCH FOR SOLUTIONS By Ali Gülüm This dissertation offers a comprehensive exploration of the intensifying structural contradiction between the long-standing ideal of the "free and rational individual"—a cornerstone of modern economic promise since its inception—and the functional necessity of "collective creativity" required for its contemporary operation. The study posits that the current systemic blockage is not a mere technical inefficiency but a fundamental tension arising from this dichotomy. In this context, the intensifying structural crises of the modern economy and the disruptive phenomena currently reshaping the global business landscape—most notably the "Great Resignation," "Quiet Quitting," and the burgeoning "Competence Crisis"—are analyzed through a critical lens. Rather than viewing these trends as isolated managerial malfunctions or temporary human resource challenges, the research frames them as simultaneous manifestations of a historical blockage in the system’s capacity for self-reproduction and a profound rupture in the bond of trust between the individual and the collective. The study is meticulously designed as a historical-sociological and theoretical analysis rather than an empirical field study. It proceeds by reconstructing the genealogy of the "rational, autonomous individual," tracing its evolution from the political philosophy of the Enlightenment through to classical and contemporary social theory. The dissertation further investigates how this conceptual figure has been embedded, disembedded, and reconfigured across successive economic crises and various organizational arrangements. Drawing upon a vast and diverse corpus of sociological theory, management thought, and international labor market reports, the study seeks to demonstrate that the competence crisis of the twenty-first century is an inseparable component of the broader polycrisis characterizing late modern capitalism. The first chapter of the dissertation traces the conceptual roots of the individual–collective conflict through the seminal works of Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Mill, and Kant. It then follows the sociological elaboration of these themes in the writings of Tönnies, Durkheim, Marx, Weber, and Simmel. This theoretical trajectory reveals a poignant paradox: the modern project simultaneously liberates and isolates the individual, ultimately leaving them vulnerable to the impersonal forces of the market. While the language of rights, autonomy, and self-realization has gained significant cultural prominence, traditional forms of community, shared norms, and "thick" solidarities have been systematically eroded. The chapter then shifts its focus toward organizational and management theory to show how these philosophical shifts manifested in the workplace. It illustrates how Taylorist scientific management and rational systems approaches reduced workers to controllable, mechanized resources. Subsequently, it examines how the Human Relations School rediscovered "the social" primarily as a sophisticated tool for enhancing productivity rather than a genuine human need. In contrast to these reductive approaches, Mary Parker Follett’s pioneering notion of "integration" is highlighted. Her work represents an exceptional attempt to rethink conflict, power, and cooperation in non-zero-sum terms, pointing toward progressive forms of "power-with" rather than the traditional, hierarchical "power-over." This analysis serves as a foundation for seeking new solutions to the modern economic deadlock.