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Criticism, Art and Theory in 1970s Britain: The Critical War (ISSN)
by JJ CharlesworthA critical study of the life of art criticism in the 1970s, this volume traces the evolution of art and art criticism in a pivotal period in post-war British history.JJ Charlesworth explores how art critics and the art press attempted to negotiate new developments in art, faced with the challenges of conceptualism, alternative media, new social movements and radical innovations in philosophy and theory. This is the first comprehensive study of the art press and art criticism in Britain during this pivotal period, seen through the lens of its art press, charting the arguments and ideas that would come to shape contemporary art as we know it today.This book will be of interest to scholars working in art history, British cultural history and history of journalism.
Criticisms of Classical Political Economy: Menger, Austrian Economics and the German Historical School (Routledge Studies In The History Of Economics Ser.)
by Gilles CampagnoloThe role of the German Historical School and of Carl Menger (founder of the Austrian School) is appraised in this new book. This important period of the history of economics is vital to understand how the discipline developed over the next half-century. Gilles Campagnolo has produced an impressive original work which makes use of rarely seen research by Carl Menger and as such this book will be of interest across several discplines, including history of economic thought, economic methodology, philosophy of science and the history of ideas.
Critics and Crusaders: Political Economy and the American Quest for Freedom
by Wilton S. DillonThe quest for freedom has always been a defining characteristic of the American people. That neither constitutionalism nor capitalism has secured complete freedom for every person is demonstrated by media announcements of slavery, oppression, exploitation, and a variety of shortcomings in the economic system. That said, and as this volume seeks to demonstrate through a history of radical commentaries, there have always been bold spirits who fight for such ambitious heights.With changing times, freedom meant different things to those who worked for it. This book in its broadest sense is a history of libertarianism. Each of the libertarians in this full study, extending from William Lloyd Garrison to Eugene V. Debs, fought for the ideal of political economy as a practical ideal. In so doing these major figures at the margins of power expanded the entire field of human rights. Charles A. Madison concludes that radicalism became an ideology in the search for freedom.The zeal and activity of these figures did much to attain the political freedom and economic well- being that Americans are inclined to take for granted. These individual chapters are set in frames supplied by background sketches of the movements each group led, and the whole is an attempt to depict and re-evaluate America's social progress without the rigor or formality of impersonalized history.
Critique Is Creative: The Critical Response Process® in Theory and Action
by Liz Lerman John BorstelDevised by choreographer Liz Lerman in 1990, Critical Response Process® (CRP) is an internationally recognized method for giving and getting feedback on creative works in progress. In this first in-depth study of CRP, Lerman and her long-term collaborator John Borstel describe in detail the four-step process, its origins and principles. The book also includes essays on CRP from a wide range of contributors. With insight, ingenuity, and the occasional challenge, these practitioners shed light on the applications and variations of CRP in the contexts of art, education, and community life. Critique is Creative examines the challenges we face in an era of reckoning and how CRP can aid in change-making of various kinds.With contributions from:Bimbola Akinbola, Mark Callahan, Isaac Gómez, Lekelia Johnson, Elizabeth Johnson Levine, Lawrence Edelson, Carlos Lopez-Real, Cristóbal Martínez, Gesel Mason, Cassie Meador, Rachel Miller Jacobs, Kevin Ormsby, CJay Philip, Kathryn Prince, Sean Riley, Charles C. Smith, Shula Strassfeld, Phil Stoesz, Gerda van Zelm, Jill Waterhouse, Rebekah West
The Critique of Archaeological Economy (Frontiers in Economic History)
by Stefanos Gimatzidis Reinhard JungThis book studies past economics from anthropological, archaeological, historical and sociological perspectives. By analyzing archeological and other evidence, it examines economic behavior and institutions in ancient societies. Adopting an interdisciplinary perspective, it critically discusses dominant economic models that have influenced the study of past economic relations in various disciplines, while at the same time highlighting alternative theoretical trajectories. In this regard, the book’s goal is not only to test theoretical models under scrutiny, but also to present evidence against the rationalization of past economic behavior according to the rules of modern markets. The contributing authors cover various topics, such as trade in the classical Greek world, concepts of commodity and value, and management of economic affluence.
The Critique of Management: Towards a Philosophy and Ethics of Business Management
by Vincent BlokThis book reflects on the nature of business management to contribute to the development of a philosophy and ethics of management. It engages in conceptual engineering of management to delineate the phenomenon of management and, as a result, to open a new perspective on management beyond its self-evident conceptualization. After questioning the self-evident concept of management, the author develops a philosophy of management with six dimensions of the nature of management: management as participation; management as resistance and responsive action; management as constitution of meaning; management as politico-economic governance; management as non-reductive stakeholder engagement; and management as epistemic insufficient entrepreneurship. These six dimensions of management are taken as points of departure to develop an integrated concept of business ethics, an individual competence for ethical business management, and a concept of ethical codes for corporate social responsible behavior. This new conception of philosophy of management and business ethics can guide future philosophical and empirical work on the nature of management. The Critique of Management is an excellent resource for researchers, students, and professionals interested in philosophy of management, business ethics, and corporate social responsibility.
A Critique of the Gold Standard (Routledge Library Editions: The Gold Standard #5)
by H. L. PuxleyOriginally published in 1933 this book discusses the inadequacy of ‘orthodox Gold Standard theory’ in the light of post-war monetary phenomena. In demonstrating that the Gold Standard had broken down the book explains that the Quantity Theory of Money is an inaccurate explanation of what happens over short periods and that the determining factor in the rise or fall of prices is the Velocity of Circulation. The book makes a plea for a workable Gold Standard operated by an international consortium of Central Banks.
Critique of the New Consensus Macroeconomics and Implications for India (India Studies in Business and Economics)
by Dilip M. NachaneThe thought-provoking book presents alternative viewpoints to mainstream macroeconomic theory, questions conventional policy wisdom and suggests a systematic re-orientation of current macroeconomic and financial regulatory policies in India.The New Consensus Macroeconomics (NCM), which established itself in the 1980s as mainstream macroeconomics, essentially represents an “uneasy truce” between two dominant schools of economic thought viz. New Classical and Neo-Keynesian economics. The NCM sets the tone for much of the macroeconomic (especially monetary) policy followed by the advanced economies in the period of the Great Moderation (1990–2005). The recent global crisis has posed a major challenge to the NCM as empirical models based on the NCM failed to anticipate the occurrence of the crisis and later its extent and severity. The above considerations constitute the underpinnings of this book, which addresses the theoretical controversies within a general context and their policy implications for India. The authors’ analysis leads to a somewhat critical assessment of the financial sector policies followed in India since the initiation of reforms in 1991. This makes the book a valuable resource not only for researchers working in this area, but also for policy makers.
Critiquing Capitalism Today: New Ways to Read Marx (Marx, Engels, and Marxisms)
by Frederick Harry PittsThis book critically introduces and compares two of the most compelling contemporary schools of Marxist thought: the German Neue Marx-Lekture, or New Reading of Marx, and Italian postoperaismo. In so doing, it radically updates our understanding of the key categories of Marx's critique of political economy- including value, money, labour, class and crisis- in light of new and exciting theoretical developments. The New Reading of Marx reevaluates Marx's Capital in the shadow of the first-generation Frankfurt School, finding an increasing uptake in the Anglophone world. Postoperaismo reconceptualises Marx's work in the wake of the Grundrisse, its theories of immaterial labour and capitalist crisis finding growing favour beyond the radical fringe via recent bestsellers like Paul Mason's Postcapitalism. Drawing on the first to engage in a pathbreaking critique of the second at a time of peak interest in its optimistic prospectus, the book brings into critical dialogue important modern thinkers such as Michael Heinrich, Werner Bonefeld, and Antonio Negri. In so doing, Critiquing Capitalism Today serves as both an introduction to each of these radical reinterpretations of Marx's critique of political economy, and a contribution to continuing debates within and between these and other strands of contemporary Marxism. Advancing knowledge in the field by bridging recent scholarship with older material, including the works of Marx himself, Theodor Adorno and Alfred Sohn-Rethel, it relates theoretical disputes with their historical context in capitalist society itself, keeping an empirical focus that clarifies complex conceptual material for readers new to these cutting-edge currents of critical thought.
CRM: The Foundation of Contemporary Marketing Strategy
by Roger J. Baran Robert J. GalkaThis book introduces students to CRM (customer relationship management), a strategic methodology that's being embraced in increasing numbers by organizations looking to gain a competitive advantage. With in-depth coverage of business and consumer markets in various vertical markets, the impact of new technology and more, it helps readers understand how an enhanced customer relationship environment can differentiate an organization in a highly competitive marketplace. Featuring the latest developments in the discipline, a cohesive approach, and pedagogical materials (including chapter exercises that connect theory with action), it is the one-stop-source for a comprehensive CRM course.
CRM For Dummies
by Lars HelgesonSave time, save money, and grow your business with more effective CRM CRM For Dummies is the small business leader's guide to managing customer interactions. Customer relationship management is a critical part of any business, and it encompasses everything from business strategy and HR to sales, marketing, events, and more. Solutions exist for businesses of any size, but how do you know which one is right for you? What features do you need? Do you have the people and processes in place to get the most out of whichever one you choose? This book is designed to help business leaders better understand effective CRM and identify the right solution for their business—but it's about much more than software; effective CRM requires appropriate team structures, intradepartmental collaboration, and process efficiency. Packed with tactics and strategies that will save your company thousands of dollars and man-hours, these chapters answer the most pressing questions that will make the biggest impact on your sales. Building relationships with current and future customers is the critical point of business. This book helps you bring sales, marketing, and operations together to work toward that common goal, and shows you the tools and techniques that make your efforts more effective. Define your market segments, buyer personas, and voice Build an effective internal structure, and choose the right CRM solution Optimize leads and conduct effective email marketing Streamline processes, automate where possible, and employ analytics Your customers are the lifeblood of your company; you need to reach them, engage them, and retain them—without wasting precious time or money. CRM For Dummies gets you up to speed on the latest, most effective CRM tools and techniques to help your business succeed.
CRM goes digital: Digitale Kundenschnittstellen in Marketing, Vertrieb und Service exzellent gestalten und nutzen (Edition Sales Excellence)
by Mario Pufahl Martin Stadelmann David D. LauxWie verändert sich das Customer-Relationship-Management durch die digitale Transformation? Dieses Buch verrät es Ihnen!Das Kundenmanagement hat seit der Digitalisierung vollkommen neue Formen angenommen. Dieses CRM-Buch von Martin Stadelmann, Mario Pufahl und David Laux widmet sich daher den neuen Ansätzen, die Vertrieb, Marketing und Service mittlerweile dominieren:Omnichannel- oder Mobile-CRM-KonzepteBig Data- und Social-Media-InstrumenteCustomer-Experience- oder Customer-Loyalty-AnsätzeKünstliche Intelligenz etc.In diesem zukunftsweisenden, praxisorientierten und konzeptionell fundierten Customer-Relationship-Management-Buch erfahren Sie mehr über folgende Themen:zukünftige Entwicklung im Kundenmanagement mittels eines digitalen CRMs (dCRM)Auswirkungen der Digitalisierung auf die Produkt- und Serviceoptimierung bzw. auf Vertriebssteuerung und KundenbindungVerbesserung der Vertriebsperformance durch eine radikale KundenorientierungDie Antworten auf diese und weitere Fragen geben fachkundige Experten aus Wissenschaft und Praxis. CRM goes digital – In diesem Buch erhalten Sie konkrete Handlungsempfehlungen.CRM-Systeme sind wichtige Instrumente kundenorientierter Unternehmen. Dennoch unterscheiden sich die Anforderungen und Lösungsmöglichkeiten bei jeder Firma. Die hier vorgestellten Handlungsempfehlungen dienen lediglich als Orientierung für Entscheider. Um ein möglichst großes Spektrum zu erfassen, enthält das Buch exemplarisch ausgewählte Branchenbeispiele, die Ihnen nicht nur die Grundlagen vermitteln, sondern ebenfalls den Umgang mit Technologien wie Customer Journey Management oder Cloud-CRM erläutern. Nutzen Sie begleitend zur Lektüre die SN More Media App, um auf das Zusatzmaterial und die Erklärvideos zuzugreifen.
CRM in der Public Cloud: Praxisorientierte Grundlagen und Entscheidungsunterstützung (essentials)
by Rainer Schmidt Michael Möhring Barbara KellerDieses essential stellt fundiert und praxisorientiert die Grundlagen von CRM in der Public Cloud dar. Das Autoren-Team gibt einen grundlegenden Einblick in das Cloud-Computing basierte Customer Relation Management und zeigt auf, welche Faktoren die Kombination der beiden beeinflussen. Sie erfahren, wie ein Public-Cloud-CRM-System eingef#65533;hrt werden kann, worauf dabei zu achten ist und welche Systeme schon existieren.
CRM Systems in Industrial Companies
by Andrea Perna Enrico BaraldiCRM Systems in Industrial Companies contributes new knowledge on Customer Relationship Management (CRM) in the field of industrial marketing. Based on an in-depth case study, this book highlights the complexity and challenges in the development, implementation and use of CRM. This book proposes an alternative conceptualization of CRM: relying on the industrial marketing and purchasing (IMP) perspective, CRM becomes a socio-technical "resource" which needs to be connected to the other resources before it can create effects on customer relationships. Featuring an extensive case study of an internally developed CRM system, the book unveils the non-linear and unpredictable nature of implementing and using CRM. Having installed the CRM system is no guarantee that it will be utilized and create effects on customer relationships. As this book demonstrates, CRM can contribute value only if it becomes interfaced with individual users, and with intra- and inter- organizational context of use. More precisely, in order to produce positive effects, CRM has to match the individual user's specific information needs and attitude toward IT; it has to be supported by high internal coordination between organizational units; and it has to match the history and logic of the external relationships to which it is applied. By highlighting these demanding conditions, this book reveals how truly challenging it is to extract value from CRM systems.
Croatia - Culture Smart!: The Essential Guide to Customs & Culture
by Irina BanDon't pack anxiety in your suitcase! By reading Culture Smart! Croatia before you go, will ease your travel, help you to make friends and avoid confusion. Culture Smart! Croatia will help you to understand local manners, customs and laws. Culture Smart! Croatia goes the extra mile to help you brush up on your cultural small talk and will make you confident in leaving your comfort zone far behind. Walk hand in hand with a Culture Smart! guide and avoid misunderstandings that could cost you valuable time, money and enjoyment. . . With Culture Smart! Croatia you will learn about daily living, historical perspectives, taboos, business etiquette, eating and drinking and much more, allowing you to experience the country like a native. Be responsible, be Culture Smart!
Croce, the King and the Allies: Extracts from a diary by Benedetto Croce, July 1943 - June 1944 (Collected Works)
by Benedetto CroceOriginally published in English in 1950 this is one of the most revealing works by one of Italy’s foremost philosophers of the 20th century, who was also a courageous and effective opponent of Fascism. Following the Allied landing at Salerno, Croce was called upon by kings, princes, generals and politicians and asked to decide question of vital importance to Italy. This book records the notes Croce made on political matters in 1943 and 1944 and includes some of the many documents Croce possessed which referred to the attempt in Naples (noted in the Autumn of 1943) to form a Corps of Italian volunteers.
Cronistas bohemios: La rebeldía de la Gente Nueva en 1900
by Miguel Angel del ArcoEl retrato de una época legendaria para la esfera intelectual española y el sector del periodismo, a través de cinco de sus protagonistas. Alrededor de 1900 las redacciones de los periódicos estaban repletas de bohemios que acudían allí para calentarse o para demandar una colaboración. Pero no todos eran hampones y pedigüeños. Entre ellos había literatos de altura que pasaron a la historia como la Gente Nueva y fueron coetáneos, compañeros de café y colegas de modernistas y noventayochistas. Algunos de ellos fueron auténticos pioneros, los primeros corresponsales, cronistas y reporteros, y conformaron los inicios del periodismo moderno. Además de una magnífica contextualización histórica y la descripción de las relaciones entre el periodismo y bohemia de aquel tiempo, Cronistas bohemios reúne algunos de los mejores textos -precedidos de un perfil de cada autor-, excelente muestra de las grandes aportaciones de esta bohemia a la historia del periodismo, esencialmente en el lenguaje (basado en la paradoja y el uso de la palabra como explosivo), el contenido (de calado social) y el humor(a menudo ácido, incluso negro). Los cinco autores aquí reunidos son Antonio Palomero, Alejandro Sawa, Pedro Barrantes, Joaquín Dicenta y Luis Bonafoux, nombres que hoy no representan gran cosa. Sin embargo, estos textos tienen muy poco que envidiar, en calidad, en estilo, en atrevimiento y en novedoso enfoque, a lo que muchos años después conoceríamos como nuevo periodismo. Se pueden leer, hoy mismo, con gusto y asombro. Reseñas:«Además de una magnífica contextualización histórica y la descripción de las relaciones entre periodismo y bohemia de aquel tiempo, Cronistas bohemios reúne algunos de los mejores textos, precedidos de un perfil de cada autor, excelente muestra de las grandes aportaciones de esta bohemia a la historia del periodismo, esencialmente en el lenguaje (basado en la paradoja y el uso de la palabra como explosivo), el contenido (de calado social) y el humor (a menudo ácido, incluso negro).»Todo Literatura «No dejaron huella aparente en el oficio. La Guerra Civil partió en dos el rastro de aquellos hombres en beneficio de una amnesia triunfal que borró su estela. Pero de esos días delirantes quedan sus crónicas y el peso de leyenda que los enclavijó en la bohemia cuando en verdad fueron algo más. En un entorno de sacamantecas, feriantes de café y colmeneros del hambre y la cazalla, dibujaron un periodismo de buen paño que se levantó en los periódicos, en las redacciones de vinagre y ruido, en el fervor de un Madrid sacudido de miseria y sediento de honor, síntomas de una época tremenda y feliz. De una forma de hacer periódicos con el ideal puesto en el último café que cierra más allá de la madrugada.»Antonio Lucas, El Mundo
Crony Capitalism: Corruption and Development in South Korea and the Philippines (Cambridge Studies in Comparative Politics)
by David C. Kang Robert H. Bates Ellen Comisso Peter Lange Joel Migdal Helen MilnerWhy has the literature on Asian development not addressed the issue of money politics in Korea? How can we reconcile the view of an efficient developmental state in Korea before 1997 with reports of massive corruption and inefficiency in that same country in 1998 and 1999? Politics is central to the answer. <p><p>In this book the author makes two arguments. First, both Korea and the Philippines experienced significant corruption throughout the post-independence era. Second, political - not economic - considerations dominated policy making in both countries. Focusing on the exchange of favors for bribes between state and business, the author argues that politics drove policy choices, that bureaucrats were not autonomous from political interference in setting policy, and that business and political elites wrestled with each other over who would reap the rents to be had. Even in Korea, corruption was far greater than the conventional wisdom allows.
Crony Capitalism and Economic Growth in Latin America: Theory and Evidence
by Stephen HaberCrony capitalism systems—in which those close to political policymakers receive favors allowing them to earn returns far above market value—are a fundamental feature of the economies of Latin America. Haber and his expert contributors draw from case studies in Mexico, Brazil, and other countries around the world to examine the causes and consequences of cronyism.
Crony Capitalism in India: Establishing Robust Counteractive Institutional Frameworks (Palgrave Studies in Indian Management)
by Naresh Khatri Abhoy OjhaCrony Capitalism in India provides a comprehensive and scholarly examination of the important topic of crony capitalism, filling an important gap in the market. Bringing together experts from various backgrounds, it addresses the key underpinnings of this complex and multifarious issue. Given the emergent nature of the Indian economy, this book provides important information for decision makers in both government and business to help establish a robust institutional framework that is so desperately needed both in India and globally.
Crony Capitalism in US Health Care: Anatomy of a Dysfunctional System (Routledge Focus on Business and Management)
by Naresh KhatriThe US political system has come to depend upon money too much. The US health care industry spends the most on political lobbying among all the 13 industrial sectors in the US economy. The government regulatory agencies at both federal and state levels have been "captured" by the health industry interest groups meaning that the regulatory agencies respond to the interests of the industry but not those of citizens. This book employs a broad theoretical framework of crony capitalism to understand US health care system dysfunction. This framework has not been applied before in any serious manner to understand the shortcomings in the US health care system. Specifically, the book examines the role of seven key players using this framework - politicians/interest groups, pharmaceutical companies, private health insurers, hospitals/hospital networks, physicians, medical device manufacturers, and the American public. Crony capitalism is a destructive force and is rampant in US health care system, causing much waste, inefficiencies, and malaise in the system. Current efforts and initiatives, such as patient-centered medical homes and precision medicine, for improving/reforming the system are of mere academic interest and tantamount to taking aspirin to treat cancer. They do not even pretend to address the root cause of the problem, namely, crony capitalism. Offering prescriptions to fix the U.S. health care system based on a comprehensive diagnosis of the dysfunction, this book will be of interest to researchers, academics, policymakers, and students in the fields of health care management, public and non-profit management, health policy, administration, and economics, and political science.
Crony Comprador Capitalism: The Institutional Origins of China’s Rise and Decline
by Jianyong YueThis book offers a multidisciplinary redefinition of China's model of crony comprador capitalism. The author argues that this model emerged through the fusion of market Leninism and global capitalism in the early 1990s within the post-Cold War and post-Communist global context. While driving robust export-led growth, this approach hindered China's structural transformation and limited its ascent, ironically leading to the regime's accelerating totalitarian turn and the onset of a new Cold War. In line with the call for ‘Capitalism 3.0,’ the book advocates Western decoupling from China and promoting the country's transition to a democratic developmental state, fostering a safer world for democracy over autocracy. It will be of interest to academics and policy-makers in a wide range of fields, including political economy, political studies, international relations, and economic history.
Cronyism and Elite Capture in Egypt: From Businessmen Cabinet to Military Inc. (Routledge Studies in Middle Eastern Politics)
by Sarah SmierciakExamining business-state networks in Egypt (1991-2020), this book highlights the complicity of international actors in facilitating inequality and elite capture. The interdisciplinary methodology argues that Western actors promoting market liberalization have served as central partners in enabling elites to capture the fruits of Egypt’s economic reforms. In the years leading up to the 2011 Revolution, Egypt’s crony capitalism reached new levels of visibility with the appointment of a "Businessmen Cabinet." The businessmen-turned-state representatives ushered in a wave of "market liberalizing" reforms, expanding avenues for the abuse of power. Providing a detailed look at some of this period’s chief beneficiaries, including a number of Egypt’s wealthiest oligarchs, the volume follows their ascent from former President Hosni Mubarak’s first round of neoliberal reforms in 1991 through his last wave of reforms beginning in 2004 and ending in regime overthrow. The final chapter examines the fate of these elites under the brief rule of Muslim Brotherhood President, Mohammed Morsi, and of Abdel Fattah el Sisi’s current military-backed regime. Based on five years of fieldwork and dozens of interviews with businessmen and state representatives, this book offers a unique look into the politics of policy, and inequality, in Egypt. It will be of interest to scholars reading political economy, international development, and the Middle East studies.
Crook County: Racism and Injustice in America's Largest Criminal Court
by Nicole Gonzalez Van CleveAmericans are slowly waking up to the dire effects of racial profiling, police brutality, and mass incarceration, especially in disadvantaged neighborhoods and communities of color. The criminal courts are the crucial gateway between police action on the street and the processing of primarily black and Latino defendants into jails and prisons. And yet the courts, often portrayed as sacred, impartial institutions, have remained shrouded in secrecy, with the majority of Americans kept in the dark about how they function internally. Crook County bursts open the courthouse doors and enters the hallways, courtrooms, judges' chambers, and attorneys' offices to reveal a world of punishment determined by race, not offense. Nicole Gonzalez Van Cleve spent ten years working in and investigating the largest criminal courthouse in the country, Chicago-Cook County, and based on over 1,000 hours of observation, she takes readers inside our so-called halls of justice to witness the types of everyday racial abuses that fester within the courts, often in plain sight. We watch white courtroom professionals classify and deliberate on the fates of mostly black and Latino defendants while racial abuse and due process violations are encouraged and even seen as justified. Judges fall asleep on the bench. Prosecutors hang out like frat boys in the judges' chambers while the fates of defendants hang in the balance. Public defenders make choices about which defendants they will try to "save" and which they will sacrifice. Sheriff's officers cruelly mock and abuse defendants' family members. Crook County's powerful and at times devastating narratives reveal startling truths about a legal culture steeped in racial abuse. Defendants find themselves thrust into a pernicious legal world where courtroom actors live and breathe racism while simultaneously committing themselves to a colorblind ideal. Van Cleve urges all citizens to take a closer look at the way we do justice in America and to hold our arbiters of justice accountable to the highest standards of equality.
Crosley
by David Chen Tom NicholasIn October 1941, a top secret envoy from the U.S. military was sent to Crosley Corporation in Cincinnati, Ohio to request their assistance to construct a weapon that would drastically strengthen the defenses of U.S. troops: the proximity fuze. Such a fuze would allow enemy aircraft to be shot down with a rate of accuracy well above that of previous weaponry. The task would be a challenging one, as conventional wisdom held that it took at least four years for a weapon to go from concept to production, whereas the proximity fuze was needed on a shorter time frame. Moreover, the production process would be complex, requiring hundreds of components produced by dozens of manufacturers, all of which Crosley would have to assemble to produce the finished product. Would Crosley accept the assignment?