Re: Organisational thinking LO3727

Jan Lelie (100730.1213@compuserve.com)
15 Nov 95 17:33:32 EST

Replying to LO3518 --

Responding to Re: Organisational thinking LO3518

Dear Ivan,

Adding to the discusion on whether organizations think or not (they are,
therefore they think) you wrote:

" I think that "exploring the mentall model that organizations are living
organisms" may help us understand the feelings created by large layoffs,
for instance. In this case, the organization can learn to cope with the
separation of many of the members. We may even learn to find alternatives
to layoffs!

I have experienced big losses in organizations. For instance,
getting a member killed. Then we realize how an organization "feels," and
how it finds ways to cope with those losses. .... . "

Could you please tell me how this mental model helps? I only hear you say
that people (underscore) think, feel, love, share, work, kill, help and
cope, not always in that order, to which I agree. In my experience people
tend to consider organisations as "mechanical", "without feeling or
consideration". Now here in Holland people with jobs in organisation start
to act as "in group", demanding pay-rises in stead of investements for
more jobs for the job-less "out group". Etcetera. All these things are
things people do, in an organized way. Isn't it rather paternalistic that
organisations "think" and "care".?

I've been strongly influenced by Max DePree's "Leadership Is An Art", (it
has been posted to the Reading List, although it took some time). Thanks
to your comment I started to browse again and I would like to quote from
page 9:

"(to understand corporate life) ... it is fundamental that leaders endorse
a concept of persons. This begins with an understanding of the diversity
of people's gifts and talents and skills."

Perhaps there lies the key to my objection to the concept of thinking
organisations.

--
Jan Lelie
100730.1213@Compuserve.com