ABSTRACT
REFLECT: Before you read the chapter, think about how you would answer the questions above with your current knowledge.
How Is Paradigm Defi ned?
Th e term “paradigm” is oft en used in the popular press (i.e., newspapers, magazines, Web sites) to mean a general idea
about something; however, it is also used in enough diff erent contexts to make it diffi cult to discern the underlying meaning of the word. For example, in an opinion piece on the widely read Time.com Web site, the author states that “the network is the key structure, or paradigm, or whatever you want to call it, of this century” (Grossman, 2008). In other words, the author defi nes paradigm as both a physical entity and a central idea, something like a “networkness” paradigm. In another article on the Time site, “stronger principles of accountability and transparency and integrity and sound practices” are seen as a new paradigm in banking (Mayer & Robinson, 2009). In this case paradigm is seen as a set of principles. In another instance, Jay Leno’s fi rst retirement from his long-running television talk show “Tonight” was noted as a paradigm change in late-night television. It seems that paradigm in this example indicates personnel!
