PART 1: Managing people in
organization
LESSON 1 & 2: Managing and organizing
(CHAPTER 1)
Managing & managerialism
= making sense of managing (as: set of assumptions, concepts,
practices way of viewing reality)
Managerialism = justifies application of one-dimensional
managerial techniques necessary to run public institutions
and society as corporations
Making sense of managing
Management = process of communicating, coordinating and
accomplishing action in pursuit of organizational objectives
- Managing collaborative relationships w/ stakeholders,
technologies, … (in and between organizations)
- Managing relationships with employees, suppliers,
customers, …
Management =/= neutral activity
- Not just considered of its capacity to deliver objective
gains in efficiency
- Not just the goals
- Not just a capacity you can learn
<-> also socio-political activity (adhere to societal, political and
ethical responsibilities)
Sensemaking
= process individuals and groups give meaning to smth,
explain confusing/unexpected events
,how organization should be = modelled
top management teams set a common frame, so that
other members can make common sense of the
organization
We are constantly making sense (rationalizing new info,
knowledge, events)
past experiences inform the present
BE CRITICAL: e.g. leaders abuse power to convert incorrect
messages they get a lot of people into their story (bc of
their power)
Managing in a complex world
one size fits all management does not work
no longer rely on hierarchy and nominal roles
managing became more difficult, political, challenging endeavor
people work in complex organizations
managers: understand human complexity
Sensemaking and framing
Managerial process: sense-making, -giving, -breaking
manager role: frame the sense that others have of the roles
in organization (framing is must bc organizations change)
l-> managing is discursive (issuing orders, making
suggestions, framing, …
Managing and framing
Sensemaking is made through
- Language and concepts you use
- Cues that prompt you to make sense
, different people can make different sense from same cues
Framing
a frame defines what is relevant managing = differentiate
between relevant and irrelevant
= creations of devices that assign meaning to organizational
situations
= use of metaphors, repetition of story, articulation of slogans,
material creation of artefacts highlight particular
organizational issues
occurs through sense-making, -giving, -breaking
Managerial rationality
Managerialism
= portrays management for solution for everything (one size
fits all), management has the answer for all our problems
= combines management tools and knowledge to establish
itself in organization deprive everyone from all decision-
making power (exclusion of different perspectives)
= justifies application of one-dimensional managerial
techniques to run public institutions and society as corporations
Managerialism = managers arguing that they can make
decisions based on their managerial competence
NO: management goes beyond managing financial capital
Managerial rationality = managerialism as an ideology (rational
approach to management)
= rationality is always contextually and cognitively limited
(bounded rationality)
, - managing and organizations are constantly changing
resistance of change in managerialism
- rational manager never has Sperfect knowledge of
situations
- using reasoning and data to find best solution
- focus on optimizing resources, processes and outcomes
- seeking to achieve efficiency, consistency and
predictability
Digital organization
The digital age
Digital tech and growing international increasing
globalization
<-> also pressure deglobalization (trade wars, pandemics, …)
Contemporary competition = less traditional comparative
advantages, as a result of:
factor endowment = competitive advantages form e.g. being
close to raw materials, innovation
Fourth industrial revolution: algorithmic innovation, gig
economy, digital nomads, working from home
Managing technological change
- Responsive organization: employees w/ great problem
solving instead of referring to higher authority
- New tech: premium to flexible, timely approach to
customer requirements
- Hardware software
Digitalization (of organization)
