Transcript A Realistic Theory of Leadership Practice

Integrating Organization Theory:
A Realistic Theory of Leadership
Practice
MPA 8002
The Structure and Theory of Human
Organization
Richard M. Jacobs, OSA, Ph.D.
Since the time of Francis Bacon
(1561-1626)...

an “organization” has been viewed
as an achievement, a product of
experimentation...
…as people hypothesize about what
constitutes “best practice”
…and devote themselves to improving
organizational functioning
Organization is viewed as a product
of an objective, scientific method...
where humans control conditions in
order to reproduce existing knowledge
and reduce anomalies
 with the goal of increasing productivity
…by moving from defective forms of
knowledge to more accurate forms
…by working within and replicating a
tradition (i.e., functional theory)

“To see what one knows”...
a conjecture
about
organization
a conceptual
schema to be
subjected to
further testing
culminating in
a body of
knowledge
hypothesis
theory
tradition
…and is used to analyze human beings and
their conscious activities
For Kuhn (1986), this paradigm
proves somewhat problematic...

the structure of organization
constrains the ability for people to
think beyond the mediated theories
and tradition
…as extant knowledge is duplicated
and replicated
…and unconstrained inquiry is
stultified by disciplinary canons
Substantively, inquiring into organizational
issues is a more subjective endeavor...

an invitation to participate in
discovering within oneself...
…previously experienced mental
operations and the dynamics
that follow from them
…the movement from one form of
self understanding to another
…the capacity to engage in
intellectual work on one’s own
“To know what one sees”...

achieve insight into the essential
nature of organization
…a matter of science
…a matter of understanding
…a matter of judgment

to understand “organization”...
…one must investigate antecedents
…envision precedents, the content
of the subject (the investigator)
…grapple with novelty in its context
…render a decision about the
“right” thing to do
Substantively, investigating a
human organization...
is an intellectual endeavor by which
human beings attempt to achieve
intelligent understanding about the
ways human beings structure their
conscious activities
 as this endeavor is fueled by a keen
desire to improve the lot of humanity
and civilization


requires critically examining existing
structures and processes
 How do things really work?
 How did things come to be this way?
 Gather factual data that support these matters.
Do not rely on anecdotal information.
 Rather than attempting to “reinvent the wheel,” how
might elements of the present structure be used to
foster organizational change?

requires designing an organizational structure
that takes into account its history, experience,
and preferred future:
 formulate an organizational purpose that responds to
an environmental demand, a perceived need, or an
opportunity to be seized
 mix expertise and generate healthy organizational
tension by cross-fertilizing divisions
 forge a common commitment to making “working”
decisions for which members bear responsibility but,
at the same time, are subject to re-assessment and
change
Substantively, leading human
organizations requires...

developing a comprehensive
conception of the organization
 What is its mission and vision?
 What are its current strategies and goals?
 What does its history say about the organization’s
strengths and weaknesses?
 What opportunities and threats are present?
Conceptualizing organizational
leadership...
VISION
MISSION

a preferred future

the motivation

what ought to be

the opportunities

based upon factual
data

the challenges
VISION
MISSION
PURPOSE
PURPOSE
STRATEGY
 a shared motive
 formulate preferred
scenario
 a “roadmap” that
specifies the
“game plan”
 with explicit values
 explicating why
we do what we do
STRATEGY
 frames subsequent
decisions that will be
made at lower levels
of the organizational
hierarchy
GOALS
 action-oriented,
“smart” outcomes
 which implement the
strategy
 the “what” to be
achieved
 translate the organizational purpose and strategy
into performance goals
S
specific
M
measurable
A
ambitious yet attainable
R
realistic, reflect mission
T
time specific with target
dates
GOALS
 frame subsequent
decision making by the
various groups closest
to the action where
frequent decisions must
be made
PROJECTS
 purposive actions by
groups in practice
episodes
 the “how” we will do it
PROJECTS
 purposive activities
by individuals (or
groups) in practice
episodes
 the who will do and
the what they will be
doing
TOOLS
 actions and routines
used in practice
episodes to achieve
desired outcomes
VISION
GOALS
MISSION
PROJECTS
PURPOSE
TOOLS
STRATEGIES
GOALS
PROJECTS
TOOLS
PROJECTS
ANALYSIS
TOOLS
RESULTS
GOALS
PROJECTS
TOOLS
GOALS
PROJECTS
TOOLS
GOALS
ANALYSIS
PROJECTS
RESULTS
GOALS
PROJECTS
GOALS
PROJECTS
TOOLS
STRATEGIES
GOALS
STRATEGIES
ANALYSIS
GOALS
RESULTS
STRATEGIES
GOALS
VISION
GOALS
MISSION
PROJECTS
PURPOSE
TOOLS
STRATEGIES
All the while, leaders endeavor
to...
 regularize a system for individual and collective
accountability, one that translates the organizational
purpose, goals, and commitments into tangible
achievements
intra-organizational
cohesion
 adopt the “experimental mentality” associated with
practice episodes: to retain what works, to discard
what doesn’t, and to refine the structure as needed
flexibility
 report back what is being learned through practice
honest and
accurate
feedback
To avoid organizational
dysfunction...

The leader’s challenge is to integrate
vertical coordination with lateral
control
vertical
coordination
lateral control
one focus:
vertical
coordination
...to integrate the various levels
of the organization’s formal
hierarchy
Tactics for vertical coordination...
power
rules and policies
planning
and
control systems
legitimate coercive
referent
expert
reward
specify the
conditions of
work
performance control
action planning
a second focus:
lateral
control
…to balance the need for
autonomy and responsibility at
similar levels in the
organization’s formal hierarchy
Tactics to exercise lateral
control...
meetings
opportunities for
dialogue, feedback
about operations, and
the honest exchange
of facts, insights, and
learning
Meeting agendas should forge structural redesign
that promises to improve organizational
functioning not provide a forum to air personal
grievances and interpersonal conflicts.
task forces
groupings of
stakeholders
representing
diverse
viewpoints
A task force is given a specific charge to
integrate structures not to be mired in endless
debate about current standard operating
procedures.
coordinating roles
engaging in
boundary
spanning
Boundary spanning enables workers to
develop the cross-functional skills needed to
coordinate work in a complex organization.
This liberates both the organization and its
members from co-dependency.
matrix structures
identifying
critical linkages
between
divisions
Matrix structures identify and link otherwise
disassociated divisions in the endeavor to
eliminate inter-divisional conflict, confusion,
and turf protection.
networks
individuals and
groups focusing
on a particular
area of interest
Self-organizing networks provide the much
needed cross-functionality and geographical
diversity to spur creative thinking about
organizational issues. However, networks are
unwieldy, difficult to control, and offer no
guarantees of positive outcomes.
While using these tactics to integrate...
vertical
coordination
lateral control
Leaders need to be realistic...
A realistic theory of leadership...

the central issue confronting
managers and leaders is that change
not stability characterizes human
organizations

Some of the significant changes
impacting organizational functioning
include:
size of organization
environment
age of organization
organizational vision
core process
information technology

However, the single, most significant
change impacting an organization is:
people
Because organizations are
primarily human enterprises...

leaders use “teams” to foster
organizational learning (DiBella &
Nevis, 1998)
 a small number of people possessing complementary
skills
 committed to a common purpose, set of performance
goals, and approach toward achieving them
 for which they hold themselves mutually accountable

change alters the clarity and stability
of roles and relationships, creating
confusion and chaos
This requires leaders to be attentive to
periodically realigning and
renegotiating formal patterns and
policies by resolving the issue.
The leadership challenge...
The organization envisaged today
remains to be perfected. Due to this
generation’s lack of insight, most
questions about organizational issues
are very difficult, if not impossible, to
answer fully.
There is a sense in which the really
tough questions about organizational
issues reduce a leader to silence until
that person can think about the
relationship between the past and
present and envision a pathway of
change that will substantively improve
the organization.
In this generation, then, all a leader can
realistically hope to accomplish is to
develop an interim organization, one
that is substantively better because
one’s insight into organizational issues
offered the promise of a better way to
achieve the organization’s purpose.
Or, to put it in another way, that the
people in the organization and the
organization itself are better off
because the leader was there.
This module has focused on...
a realistic theory of leadership for
utilization in practice episodes
References

Bolman, L. G., & Deal, T. E. (1997). Reframing
organizations: Artistry, choice and leadership (2nd edition).
San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
 DiBella, A. J., & Nevis, E. C. (1998). How organizations
learn. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
 Morgan, G. (1986). Images of organization. Beverly Hills,
CA: Sage Publications, Inc.
 Sergiovanni, T. J. (1989). Informing professional practice in
educational administration. Journal of Educational
Administration, 27(2), p. 186.

Taylor, F. W. (1911/1967). The principles of scientific
management. New York: W. W. Norton.
 Weber, M. (1930/1992). The Protestant ethic and the spirit
of capitalism (A. Giddens, Trans.). New York: Routledge.