General
Having consulted to government and industry organisations since 1981 I
have been struck by the contrast between those organisations that get on
with change and those that flounder. My interest in doing a PhD was to
understand and articulate what CEOs need to do to ensure that change
happens in their organisations instead of permitting people to avoid what
needs to be done.
I observed a contemporary issue; how CEOs who were effectively dealing
with sustainability issues were going about leading that change. In other
words, what sort of deliberation takes places in organisations that are
dealing with sustainability issues effectively?
What I discovered has broad implications within all organisations and
for individuals in their private lives. I have applied my learning within
client organisations as reported in my book chapter 'Assessment of Quality
Systems with Positioning Theory', in Harre, R and F Moghaddam 2003, The Self
and Others: Positioning Individuals and Groups in Personal, Political, and
Cultural Contexts, Greenwood Publishers, Westport, Conn. Now in a google book
I am working with Charles Kovess
to develop a program to help people learn about themselves and others so
they can develop themselves and their relationships with others.
My thesis draws on my experience and builds on three distinct areas:
Papers Published So Far
John Elkington's 1998 book has provided a
foundation for my research. A second book, The Chrysalis Economy
has been written to build on this foundation.
I put forth that people, who care about the environment and community
they work in say things like, "I know this is going to cost the company
money, but I think there are other reasons for doing it – environmental
and / or social."
Triple bottom line is an attempt to recognise that if you only consider
things for the dollars they cost, you miss many benefits, because they
just do not fit on the balance sheet. The selective way they account for
things means you do not see the whole enterprise and its affect on things.
A purely financial interpretation would be inappropriate.
RMIT confirmed this
on page 8 of the July
newsletter.
Positioning Theory
Dr Ian Ling suggested that I consider Prof Rom Harre's positioning
theory as a basis for my research. Lings 1998 thesis and Harre's 1999 book have provided a
foundation for my research.
The position a person occupies intellectually defines the way
information is taken in and perceived. This counters the idea that man is
an objective being.
Positioning theory relates to discursive psychology. It attempts to
describe the dynamics of people in action with each other and considers
how they position themselves and each other. Furthermore, it deals with
what happens when people choose not to accept the position assigned to
them or when the positions they are attempting to impose on others are
renegotiated. The tool box of positioning theory includes:
It appears that senior managers may feel it is
appropriate to adopt a certain position, that may blind them to certain
issues, such as those relating to TBL. This is explained by Davies and
Harré:
Michel Foucault
My analysis was assisted with a number of Foucauldian ideas. Gaze and
governmentality were two concepts that sensitised me to develop my concept
of Social Flux. See my discussion of Foucault's ideas in Chapter 3 and my
development of Social Flux in Chapter 7.
A great metaphor
If you think
product design is the glue between marketing & manufacturing that
might explain why parts fall off things you make.
Sound Advice from Napoleon Hill
The moment you commit and
quit holding back, all sorts of unforeseen incidents, meetings and
material assistance will rise up to help you. The simple act of commitment
is a powerful magnet for help!