Nature of organizations dr hab Jerzy Supernat Institute

Nature of organizations dr. hab. Jerzy Supernat Institute of Administrative Studies University of Wrocław

Nature of organizations Why study organizations? Organizations are a dominant component of contemporary society. We have become a society of organizations: Ü organizations surround us Ü we are born in organizations and usually die in them Ü our life space in between is filled with organizations Ü organizations are as inevitable as death and taxes Organizations have absorbed society. dr. hab. Jerzy Supernat

Why study organizations? Organizations have outcomes: Ü for individuals Ü for categories of individuals Ü for communities Ü for society

Nature of organizations Why do we have organizations? c organizations do things that individuals cannot do by themselves c organizations do almost everything that is done in the contemporary society dr. hab. Jerzy Supernat

Nature of organizations To get things done: Ü to make a profit Ü to discover knowledge Ü to defend a country Ü to save souls Ü to fight drunk driving Ü to gain social satisfaction Ü to have fun dr. hab. Jerzy Supernat

Nature of organizations Oliver E. Williamson (b. 1932): Organizations develop to take the place of markets, where people could barter, trade, or purchase goods and services. In this framework, markets and organizations are alternative ways to get things done. dr. hab. Jerzy Supernat

Nature of organizations New forms of organizations Ü Networks (formed by organizations working together in joint ventures in areas in which single organizations do not have resources to proceed on their own). An example: European Competition Network. Ü Virtual organizations (formed when organizational members are in contact with each other via Internet or other media). An example: International Competition Network – ICN. dr. hab. Jerzy Supernat

Nature of organizations Not everything (and it is good!) is organizational Ü our feelings and emotions are our own, even though they are in part shaped by our organizational experiences Ü our family relationships are not organizational as well dr. hab. Jerzy Supernat

Nature of organizations The definition of organizations Ricky W. Griffin: An organization is a group of people working together in a structured and coordinated fashion to achieve a set of goals. All organizations, regardless of whether they are large or small, profit-seeking or not-for-profit, domestic or multinational, use some combination of human, financial, physical and information resources to achieve their goals. These resources are generally obtained from the organization’s environment. dr. hab. Jerzy Supernat

Nature of organizations Richard H. Hall, Pamela S. Tolbert: An organization is a collectivity with a relatively identifiable boundary, a normative order (rules), ranks of authority (hierarchy), communications systems, and membership coordinating systems (procedures); this collectivity exists on a relatively continuous basis, in environments, and engages in activities that are usually related to a set of goals; the activities have outcomes for organizational members, for the organization itself, and for society. dr. hab. Jerzy Supernat

Nature of organizations Tadeusz Kotarbiński, The ABC of Practicality, transl. Adam Szpaderski, Olsztyn 2006: The word 'organisation’ may be used in at least three different ways: either as the name of an object possessing some system, or as the name of this very system of the object itself, id est a system of relations connecting mutually its parts and these parts with a whole, or finally, as the act which consists in giving a similarly understood system to the object, in other words, the name of the act of organising. As a matter of fact, every complex object possesses some system, so it is an organisation in the primary meaning of the word […]. dr. hab. Jerzy Supernat

Nature of organizations Pojęcie organizacji znaczenie czynnościowe (czynność organizowania, czyli organizowanie) znaczenie rzeczowe (rzecz zorganizowana, w szczególności złożona z ludzi, wspólnych celów i zasobów) znaczenie atrybutowe (cecha rzeczy, ale i procesu, polegająca na tym, że składniki rzeczy lub procesu współprzyczyniają się do powodzenia całości) dr. hab. Jerzy Supernat

Nature of organizations Each organization requires management. Organizations and management are as inseparable as Mary and her little lamb. dr. hab. Jerzy Supernat

Nature of organizations Mary Had a Little Lamb by Sarah J. Hale, 1830 Mary had a little lamb, Its fleece was white as snow; And everywhere that Mary went, The lamb was sure to go. He followed her to school one day; That was against the rule; It made the children laugh and play; To see a lamb at school. And so the teacher turned it out, But still it lingered near, And waited patiently about Till Mary did appear. force to leave / send away Sarah J. Hale, 1788 -1879 "Why does the lamb love Mary so? " The eager children cry; "Why, Mary loves the lamb, you know, " The teacher did reply. dr. hab. Jerzy Supernat

Organizations and individuals Ü individual as an employee Ü new forms of employment Ü individual as a customer or a client Ü economic dimensions of employment Ü social dimensions in organizations Ü changes in organizations

Nature of organizations Organizations and individuals 1. Individuals as employees of organizations. People’s reactions to their work result from the individual’s own expectations and the characteristics of the employing organization (work in organizations is not necessarily deadening to the individual). Neither organizations nor individuals can be easily changed to yield consistent positive reactions. 2. New forms of employment in organizations: ü part-time work ü nonpermanent work ü home based work / telecommuting dr. hab. Jerzy Supernat

Nature of organizations 3. Individuals as organizations’ customers or clients. Those who come to organizations for products or services and are not totally satisfied with what they receive create consumer and client-advocacy organizations. 4. Economic aspects of working in organizations. People have an obvious economic stake in the organizations in which they work. Organizations affect the economic well-being of workers and hence also their dependents. 5. Social aspects of working in organizations. Organizations are key actors in the social stratification system. 6. Changes in organizations. Worker-friendly and familyfriendly policies (job-sharing, flextime, and so on). dr. hab. Jerzy Supernat

Nature of organizations Balanced life Nick Halping: A balanced life is one where we spread our energy and effort – emotional, intellectual, imaginative, spiritual and physical – between key areas of importance (see the diagram in the next slide). The neglect of one or more areas, or anchor points, may threaten the vitality of the whole. The term ‘work-life balance’ was first coined in 1986 in reaction to the unhealthy choices that many Americans were making in favor of the work place, as they opted to neglect family, friends and leisure activities in the pursuit of corporate goals. dr. hab. Jerzy Supernat

Nature of organizations Nick Halping: dr. hab. Jerzy Supernat

Nature of organizations Categories of individuals are differentially affected by the organizations in which they work (e. g. organizations can have and have had policies regarding hiring and promotion aimed at specific categories of individuals: „the glass ceiling” or „No Irish Need Apply”). dr. hab. Jerzy Supernat

Nature of organizations Categories of individuals The especially important categories of individuals are: º gender º age º race º ethnicity º disability º religion º education and skills º weight (excessive weight) º addictions º sexual orientation dr. hab. Jerzy Supernat

Nature of organizations Glass ceiling U. S. Department of Labor, 1991: Artificial barriers based on attitudinal or organizational bias that prevent qualified individuals from advancing upward in their organization into management-level positions. dr. hab. Jerzy Supernat

Nature of organizations Non-sexual harassment – mobbing The Labour Code Art. 943 Workplace bullying § 1. The employer is obliged to act against workplace bullying. § 2. Workplace bullying includes acts or behavior in relation to an employee or directed against an employee, with the effect of persistent and long-term harassment or intimidation of an employee, resulting in a decreased evaluation of his professional abilities, or which is aimed at or results in the humiliation or ridicule of the employee, or the isolation or elimination of the employee from the group of co-workers. dr. hab. Jerzy Supernat

Nature of organizations Sexual harassment • unwanted non-verbal attention • offensive language • unwanted physical contact of a sexual nature • socialization or date requests • sexual propositions that did not involve threats or promises • sexual propositions involving promises of positive jobrelated consequences • sexual propositions involving threats of adverse jobrelated consequences • sexual assault dr. hab. Jerzy Supernat

Nature of organizations Sexual harassment Pierwsza sprawa sądowa związana z molestowaniem seksualnym miała miejsce w USA w 1976 r. Wcześniej termin sexual harassment nie pojawiał się nawet w mediach. Prawdziwym przełomem było głośne wydarzenie z 1991 r. , kiedy A. F. Hill oskarżyła nominowanego na stanowisko sędziego Sądu Najwyższego USA C. Thomasa o napastowanie seksualne w latach 80. , kiedy był jej przełożonym w Komisji ds. Równouprawnienia w Zatrudnieniu (The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission): A. F. Hill charged that C. Thomas harassed her with inappropriate discussion of sexual acts and pornographic films after she rebuffed his invitations to date her. Z drugiej strony jeden z pierwszych przypadków molestowania seksualnego został opisany już w Księdze Rodzaju: chodziło o Józefa zarządzającego majątkiem Potyfara i szantażowanego seksualnie przez jego żonę, zob. Pierwsza Księga Mojżeszowa, 39, 1 -20. dr. hab. Jerzy Supernat

Nature of organizations Sexual harassment The Labour Code Art. 183 a Prohibition against discrimination in employment. § 1. Employees should be treated equally in relation to establishing and terminating an employment relationship, employment conditions, promotion conditions, as well as access to training in order to improve professional qualifications, in particular regardless of sex, age, disability, race, religion, nationality, political beliefs, trade union membership, ethnic origin, creed, sexual orientation, as well as regardless of employment for a definite or indefinite period of time or full time or part time employment. § 2. Equal treatment in employment means that there must be no discrimination whatsoever, directly or indirectly, on the grounds referred to in § 1. § 5. Discrimination within the meaning of § 2 is also taken to include: 2) unwanted conduct with the purpose or effect of violating the dignity of an employee and of creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive atmosphere (harassment). § 6. Discrimination on the grounds of sex also includes any form of unwanted conduct of a sexual nature, or in relation to the sex of an employee with the purpose or effect of violating the dignity of an employee, in particular when creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive atmosphere; this conduct may include physical, verbal or non-verbal elements (sexual harassment). dr. hab. Jerzy Supernat

Nature of organizations No Irish Need Apply by John F. Poole, 1862 I'm a decent boy just landed From the town of Ballyfad; I want a situation, yes, And want it very bad. I have seen employment advertised, "It's just the thing, " says I, "But the dirty spalpeen ended with 'No Irish Need Apply. ' „ "Whoa, " says I, "that's an insult, But to get the place I'll try, " So I went to see the blackguard With his "No Irish Need Apply. " Some do count it a misfortune To be christened Pat or Dan, But to me it is an honor To be born an Irishman. I started out to find the house, I got it mighty soon; There I found the old chap seated, He was reading the Tribune. I told him what I came for, When he in a rage did fly, "No!" he says, "You are a Paddy, And no Irish need apply. " (…) old-fash a job; position in work old-fash a man of completely dishonorable character infml an Irishman (often considered offensive) dr. hab. Jerzy Supernat

Nature of organizations Organizations and the community Organizations have outcomes not only for individuals and categories of individuals but also for the communities or localities in which they operate. In the case of powerful organizations (organizational inhabitants) the impact on the local community can be great and… dramatic. They may literally, for example moving to other areas, destroy the community.

Nature of organizations What is important under these circumstances is the degree to which organizations encourage their managers to participate in community affairs. Mission of GKN Automotive Driveline Division, August 1997: Our mission is to (…) contribute positively to the communities in which we operate. dr. hab. Jerzy Supernat

Nature of organizations Biedniejsze rynki nie chcą małych aut. Carlos Ghosn. Z prezesem Nissan/Renault rozmawia Danuta Walewska, „Rzeczpospolita”, nr 59 z 10 marca 2008 r. DW: Renault zainwestował miliard dolarów w Rosji. Jakie ma pan plany związane z tym krajem? CG: Mamy fabrykę pod Moskwą, drugą teraz budujemy pod Sankt Petersburgiem. Kupiliśmy także 25 proc. plus jedną akcję zakładu Togliatti, gdzie będą produkowane na początku wyłacznie Łady […] DW: Togliatti to fabryka-miasto, jedyny pracodawca. Czy zdaje pan sobie sprawę, że kupił pan fabrykę razem z drużyną hokejową, zorganizowaną przestępczością, całym bagażem problemów społecznych? Czy ma pan już program rewitalizacji tego miasta? CG: Kupiliśmy tylko jedną czwartą fabryki i mam nadzieję, że nie wiążą się z tym zobowiązania dotyczące zarządzania miastem. Jesteśmy gotowi pomóc w unowocześnieniu produkcji platform, skrzyni biegów, w rozwiązywaniu kłopotów z jakością, ale odpowiedzialność za miasto pozostawiamy władzom. dr. hab. Jerzy Supernat

Nature of organizations Organizations and the society If organizations have important outcomes for individuals and communities, it is obvious that they also have important outcomes for the wider society or environment in which they are embedded. It must be recognized that there is reciprocal relationship between organizations and their environment. The dominant contemporary theories regarding management stress the central role of environments for the operations of organizations: the environments of organizations are viewed as a major determinant of the structure and processes of organizations. But one can turn this line of reasoning around and consider the impacts of organizations on their environment. dr. hab. Jerzy Supernat

Nature of organizations Ü lobbying (organizations are active participants in the development and implementation of governmental policy) Ü harmful impacts of organizations Ü organizations as change agents Ü organizations as resisters of change

Harmful organizational impacts A normal accidents A criminal acts A coercing to crimes A facilitating crimes A use of cheap labor in the third world countries A contributing to obesity in society A harmful outcomes produced by public organizations

Nature of organizations Disasters experienced by organizations (corporate tragedies) L Johnson & Johnson and product tampering in 1982 L Procter & Gamble ( ) and accusations (in 1994 and 1999) of financing the Church of Satan L Mc. Donald’s and accusations of cutting down rain forests in the Amazon river basin dr. hab. Jerzy Supernat

Revelation of Saint John; 13: 18. His number is 666.

Nature of organizations Organizations and social change þ internal change and the social change þ the organization as a change agent þ organizations as resisters to change dr. hab. Jerzy Supernat

Nature of organizations The case of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union – WCTU dr. hab. Jerzy Supernat

debauchery – rozpusta ruin – ruina misery – nędza despair – rozpacz death – śmierć poverty – ubóstwo disgrace – hańba madness – szaleństwo disease – choroba damnation – potępienie

Not only daddy is in there… Please pay your attention to the text at the bottom of the poster.

American federal agents pour out alcoholic beverages („intoxicating liquor”) during prohibition (1920 -1933). No person […] shall manufacture, sell, barter, transport, import, export, deliver, furnish or possess any intoxicating liquor [. . . ].

Poster calling to vote YES in national referendum for prohibition of intoxicating beverages in Sweden held on the 27 th of August 1922.

Concluding remark Organization can never be a substitute for initiative and for judgment. Louis D. Brandeis (1856 -1941) dr. hab. Jerzy Supernat