Discussion Topic 2 Assignment Guidelines

Transcription

1 Discussion Topic 2 Assignment Guidelines There are six prompts associated with this discussion topic. Describe your reactions, perceptions and significant insights gained from Part Two of Bolman and Deal s textbook, Reframing Organizations The Structural Frame. Be specific to demonstrate your engagement of the reading. Your responses to the prompts should not be a summary of what you read (as your professor already knows what the readings say) or a simple regurgitation of what you read, but be focused on synthesis and application. Discussion Topic #2 Prompts Prompt #1: What did you learn about organizations, and/or the behavior of individuals within an organization? How do the ideas presented in Part Two (the Structural Frame) of the B&D textbook enrich your understanding of the ways in which organizations and the people working in them function? I was surprised to learn that many workers prefer to labor in more structured environments (Bolman & Deal, 2013, p. 48). Personally that is what I prefer but I am in human resources; rules, policies, regulations that s our thing. I learned the reason why many workers prefer structure. Formal structure enhances morale if it helps us get our work done (Bolman & Deal, 2013, p. 48). I like this because it implies that workers want to be productive which is what I generally believe. Structure helps workers accomplish tasks by reducing ambiguity. When workers know what is expected of them and they successfully accomplish it, they can feel good about their contribution. The authors also make a point regarding the level of rigidity. Structure works well if it provides followers with guardrails but too much can squelch creative thinking, frustrates educated individuals, and diminishes productivity. Bolman & Deal (2013) presented very interesting information about how female executives tended to place themselves at the center of their organizations rather than at the top (Bolman & Deal, 2013, p. 83) which enriched my understanding of female management styles. There exists much research indicating that women are more likely to draw on the expertise of their team then are men thus creating an environment of

2 cooperation and teamwork. Therefore, I agree with Helgeson s argument that a top-down pyramid is reflective of a male orientation and that a web of inclusion better integrates with a woman s natural method of operation (Bolman & Deal, 2013). Prompt #2: How can you apply the concepts that you have learned about in the readings to your personal or organizational life? Be specific. I have daily contact with workers and I could share what I have learned about structure to help them better understand and appreciate their supervisors. Many of them feel that their supervisors are picky or dictatorial. If I were to ask how they would feel if the environment was ambiguous, they might appreciate the structured environment more Additionally, if given the opportunity to lead a team again, I might be inclined to utilize a web of inclusion structure. I like to hire competent people who bring a level of expertise to the group. A web of inclusion facilitates the team s ability to draw on each other s knowledge and strengths. In this scenario, each contributor feels valued; mutual respect and appreciation would result. Isn t that the ideal working environment? Prompt #3: What are the structural imperatives identified by Bolman and Deal? In other words, what is the universal set of internal and external parameters that organizations need to respond to when choosing its structure? How does structure influence what happens in the workplace? Bolman and Deal (2013) make clear that organizations without structure, or with poorly-matched structures, will waste resources and are likely to fail to reach intended goals. There is no ideal structure (Bolman & Deal, 2013, p. 61). They argue that mimicking another organization s structure simply based on a shared industry or product for example is no guarantee of success. Every organization must respond to internal and external parameters such as size, age, core process, environment, strategy, goals, information technology and nature of the workforce in order to select the appropriate structure for the organization (Bolman & Deal, 2013, p. 61). Furthermore, Bolman & Deal (2013) argue that assigning tasks and afterwards coordinating and controlling worker contributions is essential. Similar to organizational

3 structure, arranging people into works groups and coordinating how work will get done is vital to the success of the enterprise. This is effectively done by considering vertical and/or lateral methodologies. Mintzberg s approaches, performance control and action planning, have been implemented in various forms throughout most organizations (Bolman and Deal, 2013). Broadly speaking, planning and control systems is how the enterprise measures whether or not they are reaching their intended goals. I recall the first time that I experienced working in a metric-driven work environment (performance control). I was working in the residential housing industry at the time. There existed an online dashboard by which managers could locate statistics on their territory. At any time of the day or night, they could see how many apartments were vacant or rented, how many were in the process of being cleaned and/or repaired, and how many notices to vacate had been submitted by residents. There were targeted occupancy goals and fluctuating rental prices based on occupancy. Insider tip; if you can determine the occupancy of a large apartment community you may be able to rent at a greatly reduced price. Just like the airlines, the more availability, the lower the price. Prompt #4: In Chapter Four, Bolman and Deal describe eight basic structural tensions that organizations face when searching for an appropriate structure. Consider an organization in your life (perhaps your family, or any other organization with which you are familiar). Make some connections / discuss this organization in light of at least a few of these structural tensions. In chapter 4, Bolman & Deal (2013) discuss the classic tension that exists when assigning work and aligning efforts. In 2012 my husband retired however I was not ready to join him therefore I continued to work. These new circumstances caused us to restructure the responsibilities for household management. Since I was the one going to work every day, my husband assumed responsibility for most, if not all, the household duties. This determination was not based on knowledge or skill; I had to teach him how to cook. Also, when he decided to hire a cleaning service I pointed out that I did not have the luxury of Molly Maids when he was working and I was unemployed, however I eventually agreed to the outsourcing. This division of labor has worked well for us although he now tells everyone that it is his kitchen and corrects me whenever I put something away in

4 the wrong place. This example illustrates Bolman & Deal s (2013) concepts of differentiation versus integration, gap versus overlap, as well as underuse versus overload. The assignment of household duties (differentiation), our conflict over where utensils should be placed inside the kitchen drawer (overlap), and my husband s retirement (underuse) is a simple illustration of how our family organization operates successfully. If you are wondering if I am the boss at the top of this organization, I am not. My husband makes most of the decisions for our family and I trust his wisdom. Prompt #5: Throughout your progression in the Organizational Leadership program, you have had a number of courses that include content that could be viewed through the structural frame. Please highlight what you would consider to be two of the most important things (ideas, concepts, theories, models, processes, skills, etc.) that you have learned in previous coursework that you can relate to the structural frame. Briefly discuss each key learning, the course where you learned it, and its connection with the structural frame. Oddly enough, TWC-347 Written Communication for Managers was the first course that came to mind. In this class I learned to communicate ideas and information in the written format in a clear and organized manner so that my reader could obtain the highest level of understanding. If structure represents the organization s best effort to align internal activities with outside pressures and opportunities (Bolman & Deal, 2013), then my written documents must represent my best effort to align my thoughts so that my reader is able to process them clearly given the information overload they likely face on a daily basis. A leader who cannot communicate well is not likely to achieve his or her goals. Secondly, OGL-320 Foundations of Project Management where I learned in greater depth the role of the project manager relates to the structural frame. The duties of a project manager include goal setting, estimating, planning resources, managing risk and expectations, tracking and status reporting, and finally work/life balance. I have found that thinking like a project manager, regardless whether that is my title or not, has been immeasurably helpful at work. Prompt #6: How has structure impacted the culture and outcomes (for customers, employees, stockholders, surrounding community and/or any other stake-holders)

5 in an organization with which you are affiliated? Describe enough of the situation concretely to provide context and use concepts from the readings in your response. If you don t think structure has any influence, think again more carefully and perhaps revisit the readings / Learning Module content to broaden your definition and understanding. In 2016 the company I worked for, Time Warner Cable, was purchased by Charter Communications. Exactly one year later to the date, the call center that I supported in the role of HR Manager was closed down and 200 jobs were lost. This restructuring decision impacted the lives of these employees and their families tremendously. Some moved out of state therefore their children lost touch with close friends and were forced to start again at new schools. However not all of the impact was negative. I completed nine courses at ASU while I was unemployed and moved my graduation date up significantly. Also, I ended up with a new job earning $34,000 more per year than I had been making. I would imagine the employees at the four remaining call centers in Southern California were very concerned that they may be next. If so, their morale is certainly impacted. Reference Bolman, L. G., & Deal, T. E. (2013). Reframing organizations: Artistry, choice, and leadership (5th ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.