I'm reviewing the blogs in reverse alphabetical order today. Yu discussed ACITs (also called ICTs for information and communication technologies) in small group work and the frustration members can feel due to inexperience with these technologies. In the workshop I took last week, I found that I like the idea of using something like Elluminate (which is essentially NetMeeting), but some sometimes it seemed slow and ponderous.
Who me? and CGH Talked about McGregor's theories X and Y. Ouchi adds Theory Z organizations, or those which simultaneously promote individual achievement and a sense of community (Chapter 5). Although McGregor provided a useful base for examining the link between management attitudes and behaviors, Ouchi gives a more nuanced view of what motivates organization members.
Victoria Beckham blogged about distributed intelligence and turning points. I especially like the application of turning points to the transition from high school to college. And I'm glad Victoria chose SJSU over Ohio State. Nothing against OSU, but just consider the weather in California v. the weather in Ohio (I taught at Ohio U for a year--I've experienced the difference!). More seriously, my parents were disappointed when I didn't attend their alma mater, but like Victoria, I had to find a place that was the best fit for me.
Tiger's discussion of interdependence illuminates the ways in which the family is a system and an organization. In discussing the human relations approach, Tiger said, "As always, there are exceptions, but a happy worker does not make a productive worker, nor are groups and teams of employees always more productive or better problem solvers than people working individually." And the research supports this. Good insights here, Tiger.
Spartan Girl talked about Maslow's hieararchy of needs, the learning organization, and socialization. Socialization is especially important for the newcomer as well as the organization. What organizations sometimes forget is the impact newcomers have on an organization. My department is hiring two new faculty members and they'll likely influence the department's culture.
SJSUGirl blogged about the web lecture on metaphors and culture. I first learned about organizational culture in graduate school when I took a class on the topic. I still find the idea of culture and the influence of metaphor fascinating.
Shona also blogged about the web lecture, expressing concern about the use of IM and other new media in relationship development, maintenance , and disengagement. Although Shona suggests that such communication isn't "real" consider the impact an IM message might have. And while this class meets online, it's just as "real" as one that meets in person.
Shitentenemusu discussed power and the classical approach to organization, pointing out that "how businesses and organizations are run may not change as much as we think." Although there are many metaphors for organizing, the machine metaphor is still the one used the most often, even if the application is implicit rather than explicit.
San jose org commer made an important point about the role of trainers in socializing organization members into the organization, observing, "espoused values must be intentionally flexible/vague enough to appeal to the greatest number of employees." In developing our department's mission statement, we used language that's intentionally ambiguous, allowing members to develop their own interpretations that they could embrace.
Phil applied particularism to what happens to young people who have a juvenile crime record. It's very difficult for them to get beyond their past because employers are hesitant to hire them.
Mariposa applied the six features of organizational culture to several organizations. Interrogating an organization's culture can help us better understand why we're comfortable in some organizations and not in others. Identifying the values embedded in organizational stories uncovers basic assumptions and sensemaking practices that members take for granted.
Longevity discussed the idea that knowledge is partisan. That is, what we know is always influenced by who we are and who gets to define what constitutes knowledge. Each theory has underlying metatheoretical assumptions that often go unnoticed but must be identified so we can examine the viewpoint from which the theory was developed.
Kaeli blogged about organizational culture and Weick's sensemaking model. I've always like Weick's work; his writing tends to be poetic and innovative. For example, he's compared organizing to jazz in that how we go about organizing if often improvisational, yet some organizing is also highly predictable and scripted.
B Strong gave us some good insights into organizational surveillance. Still, consider who can do the most damage to an organization--lower-level employees (who generally are highly surveilled) or top management, who typically enjoy little or no surveillance. Think of Enron, WorldCom, Adelphis, Xerox, and Tyco to name a few.
That's it for today! Excellent posts on this week's readings!
--Professor Cyborg
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