Summary Chapter 15+16.docx
Organizational Structure (EBP670C05)
Rijksuniversiteit Groningen
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Summary of chapter 15 + 16
Group 11. Myrthe Hermans (S2714604) Maxime Kets (S2745771) Jana Holthöwer (S2736934) Timo Kip (S2702525)
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Chapter 15 – Innovation, knowledge management and organisational learning
Organisational innovation is a process by which a new or improved product is introduced. The difference between invention and innovation: Invention is the start of an innovation, it is the first step. Innovation is a more complex process including the development and commercialisation of the new product. There are several means by which organisational innovation can be promoted, such as: Promotion of a supportive culture Implementation of appropriate reward systems Tolerance of ideas which are not implemented Creation of boundary-spanning positions Organisational knowledge is the collective knowledge of all members of a company, which is available for others to use. It improves the opportunities for individuals to contribute and it improves the capabilities of the organisation. Knowledge management focusses on turning individual knowledge into collective knowledge. Therefore, two categories of knowledge are determined: tacit and explicit knowledge. Tacit knowledge might be personal, specific, difficult to formalise and hard to communicate to others, while explicit knowledge is codified and can easily be transmitted. Knowledge management is most effective when a supportive culture is established, an appropriate structure is being introduced and the technology available is used properly. This includes not having a bureaucratic style of management, facilitating good means of communication and information sharing, maybe by hiring a knowledge manager and using the information technology in a productive way and making it available to the whole organisation. One of the tasks of a knowledge manager is selecting appropriate programs to use the existing knowledge. Therefore it is important that it is introduced properly to the group that uses it. This is called data mining.
There are four different kinds of schools of thought to approach organizational learning. Economical school: the organisational learning is a tool to promote the efficiency of the organisation. According to Argryris and Schon this is single loop learning. This means that this type of learning is written down in rules and regulations. It will not change the structure of the company. Developmental school: This school focuses on every step out of the life cycle and has different stages of organisational learning for every step. This school is labelled as double loop learning because the ways in how to achieve organisational learning are way more flexible and less strict then with the single loop. Managerial school: In this school the managers create a condition so that high lever learning is necessary. This is labelled as deuteron-learning because this is both single and double loop learning combined.
Process school: The emphasis here is on individual learning and through that achieves organizational learning. Cycle of organizational learning by March and Olsen Individual beliefs (1) ->Individual action (2) ->Organizational action (3) ->Environmental response (4) ->Individual beliefs (5) Role-constrained learning: A break between 1 and 2 because an employee is constrained by job description. Audience learning: A break between 2 and 3 because the employee is not able to add something to the company anymore. Superstitious learning: A break between 3 and 4. The company has no link with the customers anymore. This can be solved by marketing and advertising. Learning under ambiguity: A break between 4 and 5. The employee does think the company is strong enough and thinks environmental changes will not have an effect.
Chapter 16 – Gender and organisations
Regarding the impact of gender on organisations, statistics show that the higher the managerial position, the fewer women are to be found. Sex refers to whether we are male or female. Gender addresses the various actions and roles of men and woman in organisations and also in society. It includes the different life experiences of male and female on social and political level. Feminism is a promotion of the rights and interest of women.
People should be concerned with gender and organisations. All organisations have a central part they play and they should make sure that no one is excluded from holding positions of influences. However, women have been underrepresented in positions of power. Furthermore, women were seen as primarily mother and keepers of the household while men were seen to be the disposable gender. This has led to the gender segmentation of the workforce.
Barriers for women: - The nature of work; men are stronger - Biological differences; women bear children - Societal attitudes; women are a wife or a mother not workers - Organisational practices: glass ceiling; in the law women are equal but in practise this is not true - Male management and behaviour standards; males exclude females
Management selection processes as barriers: Men also face barriers but not as often as women - Most important assignments go to men - Women mostly work in least important parts of organisation, so no experience in critical areas. - Women must constantly prove themselves - Women must work harder in order to get the same credit as men. New jobs have longer working hours, which women cannot combine with kids.
The food for thoughts for chapter 15 expresses the idea that organisations and the employees working there can always learn more. In a classroom, the organisational knowledge is shared and expanded. By sharing the experience in the ‘organisational classroom’ organisational actions can be improved. By exchanging the knowledge, there is a better understanding of the environment, so there is a learning process in how the organisation should adapt to the environment, but also to individual responses.
Summary Chapter 15+16.docx
Vak: Organizational Structure (EBP670C05)
Universiteit: Rijksuniversiteit Groningen
