insight into organization: a method for inquiry and ethical leadership mpa 8002 the structure and...

Insight into organization:Insight into organization:A method for inquiry and ethical A method for inquiry and ethical leadershipleadership

MPA 8002

The Structure and Theory of Human Organization

Richard M. Jacobs, OSA, Ph.D.

Since the time of Francis Bacon Since the time of Francis Bacon (1561-1626)...(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 Organization is viewed as a product of an objective, scientific method...of an objective, scientific method...

where humans control conditions in order to reproduce existing knowledge and reduce anomalies

…by moving from defective forms of knowledge to more accurate forms

…by working within and replicating a tradition

with the goal of increasing productivity

hypothesis

theory

tradition

a conjecture about

organizationa conceptual schema to be subjected to

further testing

culminating in a body of

knowledge

““To see what one knows”...To see what one knows”...

…and is used to analyze human beings and their conscious activities

an organization is...

…an instrument or tool of the hand

…an objective entity

…an entity serving as a means to productive ends

…a product of science

The word “The word “organizationorganization”...”...

a Greek noun ()...

identifying...

…a mentality or formation of the mind emanating from the human spirit

…evidenced in the various ways human beings structure conscious activities

insight

intelligence

knowledge

a perception about human

existencean

unconditioned grasp of the

nature of realityvarious ways to “look at”

reality

““To know what one sees”...To know what one sees”...

human experience and conscious activities...

is an intellectual endeavor by which human beings attempt to achieve intelligent understanding about the ways human beings structure their conscious activities

Substantively, investigating Substantively, investigating organization...organization...

as this endeavor is fueled by a keen desire to improve the lot of humanity and civilization

to get behind the mediated intelligence, understanding, and knowledge...…so as to gain insight into

organization

…and to develop new intelligence about organization

Substantively, managing and leading Substantively, managing and leading human organizations requires...human organizations requires...

practical intelligence that is generated by the self-correcting process of learning (Lonergan, 1972)

questioning thinking formulating testing judging

evaluating self-evaluation being objectivity

QUESTIONING

researching the data of human experience

comprised of material content and operational content

Is it mere data?

Is it meaningful data?

Is it the truth?

THINKING

to receive the tradition

an invitation to know by “taking a good look at” the concepts bequeathed from the past

FORMULATING

an unconditioned reflective grasp, the constitutive factor in knowing, that precedes and determines truth (i.e., insight)

a subjective achievement of radical intellectual development by which the human being discovers in oneself precisely experienced mental operations and the dynamism that leads from one type of self understanding to another

to develop an appreciation of history by seeing the series of interpretations in a sequential pattern and trying to determine what was going forward

TESTING

to verify what knowledge is (not that knowledge exists)

What may this mean?

What does this mean?

How does this fit?

JUDGING

defining history

Is this first in itself (i.e., truth)?

Is it first for us (i.e., an insight)?

EVALUATING

finding the present by discovering the hidden suppositions at work in the tradition

an awareness that humans are prone to understand data within the limits of their own horizons

engaging in a dialectic between past and present

moving toward the moment of decision by articulating one’s personal stance

SELF-EVALUATION

restlessly seeking fulfillment in the true, the real, and the good (“to be ethical,” Aristotle, 1958)

to do the right thing

to the right person

at the right time

in the right way

by articulating one’s personal stance through four functions:

foundations: the words by which one expresses one’s character and attitudes

theories: transforming foundations into understandable categories (Bolman & Deal, 1997)

systems: engaging others in purposive cooperation (Barnard, 1938)

communications: adapting the purpose to contexts so as to enhance unity in diversity

BEING

the function of managing and leading a diverse group of people to develop insight and creativity in dealing with reality

OBJECTIVITY

apprehending reality for what it truly reveals

acting conversant with reality

gives rise to ideas…

Questioning has consequences...Questioning has consequences...

…but each of which human beings in this generation bear responsibility

…many of which are not intended

…and future generations will pass judgment on

…some of which are intended

conceptualism positivism modernity skepticism

…to avoid:

and responsibilities...and responsibilities...

…the illusion that quoting others’ thoughts demonstrates one’s understanding and capacity to manage and lead an organization

conceptualism

…by integrating a variety of perspectives into a comprehensive understanding of organization.

…the superstition that there exist unitary methods to discern truth infallibly about organization

positivism

…by inculcating openness to multiple perspectives.

…the idolatry that this generation stands at the apex of human civilization

modernity

…by humbly retrieving, examining, and utilizing the genius of insight embedded in past organization.

…the cynical suspicion that there is no truth

skepticism

…by engaging in a restless search for insight that will allow the next generation to complete this generation’s job and make progress beyond this generation’s limitations.

INVESTIGATION ORGANIZATION

Investigating organization is not to study the past. The truly significant investigation is that of the future, leaving the task of interpreting this generation’s insight to future generations.

The organization envisaged today remains to be perfected. Due to this generation’s lack of insight, most questions are very difficult, if not impossible, to answer fully.

There is a sense in which the really tough questions about organization reduce managers and leaders to silence until they can engage in the dialectic of past and present.

In this generation, all managers and leaders can hope to accomplish is to develop an interim organization, one substantively better because they were there and their insight offered a better way.

Or, to put it in another way, that the people in the organization and the organization itself is better off because these managers and leaders were were there.

This module has focused on...This module has focused on...

Insight into organizationInsight into organization as a method for inquiry and ethical leadership...

ReferencesReferences

Aristotle. (1958). The Nicomachean ethics (W. D. Ross, Trans.). In J. D. Kaplan (Ed.), The pocket Aristotle (pp. 158-274). New York: Simon & Schuster.

Lonergan, B. (1972). Method in theology. London: Darton, Longman, & Todd.