Social Efficiency Theory -
SAVE SOMETHING TODAY
Social
Efficiency Theory (SET) was conceived as a
conceptual framework to achieve a better functioning world by the gradual
and continuous effort of each person doing something as little as “saving
something today” (according to his/her own capabilites, wishes and
priorities). SET is not a
change at all, but just an improvement of any activity we perform today
(government processes, industrial, commerce or banking activities, family
relationships, personal development, social works, etc.) by doing it more
efficiently. The vehicle to achieve a more
efficient society (one that works exactly the same it does now, but without
any kind of waste) is by the personal commitment of daily saving(s). This
saving is not restricted to only money, time, water or electricity, as our
actual paradigm sets. Anything can be saved (of course the former 4 and
also: ideas, napkins, words, laziness, books, efforts, plastic, garbage,
work, etc.; anything that someone has in excess). Any saving provokes a
direct or indirect benefit either to the same person, to someone else, to
another group of persons or to the natural environment. According to the specific saving there
will be a time condition, so that the benefit will be noticed in either a
short, medium or long term. To explain
how something so simple can incite such a big improvement, there are some
issues that need to be explained: Individual
decision: each individual is encouraged to decide what to save. It is not
important what he saves, it is only important to do it consciously. Each
person is potentially capable to save at least 50 different things, he is
free enough to start saving the easier ones or the ones that give him back
an immediate personal satisfaction. If a person
has the attitude to save something today, eventually he will gain a saving
behavior. If that behavior is repeatedly done and furthered, he will build
a habit in himself. A
habit constitutes a cultural trait. The world is
a complex system in which the actors (enterprises, religions, governments,
NGOs, civil society, etc.) are intensively interrelated among them. But if
we simply set everything in a simple input-transformation-output process,
part of the outcome is: poverty, pollution, lack of time with children,
delinquency, lawsuits, civil & mercantile abuses, corruption, racism,
natural resources destruction, wars, noise, stress, disinformation,
religious fanaticism and a long list of others. Besides, if
we analyze problems thoroughly on a cause-and-effect basis, we would find
loops. And the more problems we add, the more loops we can find. Surely,
we’ll be part of one or more of those loops. Then, how to break a “vicious
circle”? Well, some might argue to break it by the more significant vertex,
but in fact, at any point it can be broken. So if we are part of one, then
let’s start by ourselves saving something we have in excess on a daily
basis. Eventually that complex and inefficient society will improve, and
the more people involved with that personal effort, the faster we’ll live
in the world we all want to live. Conclusion:
society works in an inefficient way, or in other words, resources are not
used wisely. If we would use them
efficiently, we would boost a skyrocketed usage of them. Saving
something today to achieve an efficient
society is suitable to support government strategies and budget controls,
companies’ policies and planning, personal fulfillment, education programs,
etc. Possibilities are infinite and every person’s talent is highly used. For example,
if I work too much and I can save a little bit of that worktime to be with
my sons, that small contribution to world efficiency is enough in one day.
(but this is just one of the million ways of saving something). SET has been
“working” only for some weeks, and is being spread little by little. The
important thing is that even it’s been a short time, there are already
interesting results. This information is only a brief text of many ideas
that are being shaped. Teoría de la Eficiencia Social Szociális Eredményességelmélet Teoria di Efficienza Sociale Théorie d'efficacité Sociale Teoria da Eficiência Social Shakai no nouritsu no riron
Efficiency: capacity to do something with the minimum necessary resources
to make it possible. Saving: accumulation of
surpluses to use them for something in a given moment. Potential saving (surplus): Difference between what
is normally used and what is actually needed. Social efficiency: proper functioning of society without producing waste (or with
trend to produce less and less)
Theorie
der Sozial-Leistungsfähigkeit
Social
Efficiency Theory is
acquainted by some people around the
world. The message of “saving something today” is being spread from mouth
to mouth, because it’s a little bit difficult to comprehend its impact on
oneself and on society. We recommend to try to view yourself
from a third party standpoint, and realize how excesses in your daily
activities happen without realizing them. You’ll find many (good and bad ones),
so try to save the most significant. In that way, you will get a benefit
immediately (but sooner or later someone or something else will do too). Those excesses also happen in
activities of government, family,
companies, society, etc. So you can also tackle those. For further information, please
contact Rodrigo Valades, and
soon... somebody in your city.
Rodrigo Valades is a business
consultant living in the west coast of Mexico. He studied Industrial
Engineering and has working and/or studying experiences in Mexico, Japan, Germany,
US, China, Switzerland and Argentina. Please feel free to contact him for
testimonials, material (Englsh and Spanish at the moment) or for any other
matter related to Social Efficiency Theory.
SAVE SOMETHING TODAY
Last update: 5/22/2003 11:03 AM