change, jaworski, organization, regrowth, theory of learning
In Book Reviews, Pseudo-Academic on April 2, 2009 at 8:57 am
Senge, P., Scharmer, O.,C., Jaworski, J., Flowers, B.,S. (2005). Presence: An exploration of profound change in people, organizations and society. Double Day, New York, NY.
ISBN: 0-385-51624-x $27.95
In their text, Presence, Senge, Scharmer, Jaworski, and Flowers present an incredibly thorough and thought provoking theory of change based on awareness and understanding of relationships in living systems. The theory is supported by and illustrated through robust and rich qualitative data comprised of the experiences and events in the lives of the authors, influential, business, spiritual and political leaders globally. Read the rest of this entry »
collectivism, cultural differences, cultures, Hofstede, individualism, organization, power distance
In Book Reviews, Pseudo-Academic on April 2, 2009 at 8:53 am
Brandon Ching
3/17/09
Hofstede, G., Hofstede, G. J., & Hofstede, G. (2004). Cultures and Organizations: Software of
the Mind. McGraw-Hill.
Geert and Gert Hofstedeʼs book, Cultures and Organization: Software of the Mind, is an incredibly thorough and thought provoking analysis of cultural differences
and behavior within the contexts of organizations and groups. Based on original and associated research in a number of countries around the world, the Hofstedeʼs
addresses the impact of five core measures of cultural dimensions and uses them as explanatory means of national behavior and relations. Read the rest of this entry »
Argyris, defensive reasoning, organization, rationalization, transparency
In Book Reviews, Pseudo-Academic on April 2, 2009 at 8:43 am
Margaretha Warnicke
PAF 603 (Spring 2009)
Argyris, C. (2004). Reasons and rationalizations: The limits to organizational knowledge. Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press.
Chris Argyris’ (2004) most recent book builds on his prior scholarship in organizational learning and change. He unites several different theories with which he has worked over the years in this concise volume to explain two key issues: why individuals in organizations do not learn effectively and why scholars have not been very successful at helping organizations reverse this trend. He identifies defensive reasoning as the chief factor that prohibits individuals and groups within organizations from learning because they: protect one another from embarrassment or harm; employ self-referential logic; avoid transparency in order to ensure self-protection; deny and cover up their self-protective efforts; and then deny the cover up. In order to escape the cycle of defensive reasoning, Argyris proposes that organizations employ double-loop learning and action theory. Read the rest of this entry »
2010 Budget, charitable giving, health, nonprofits, President Obama, tax breaks
In Budgeting, General, Nonprofit, Opinions, Policy on March 10, 2009 at 7:40 am
What are the pros and cons of President Obama’s proposed 2010 budget plan for the philanthropic and nonprofit community and society more generally? It appears that when we weigh the costs and benefits, nonprofits and citizens generally will come out ahead. Unfortunately, most of the organized philanthropic community (not necessarily representing most nonprofits) and several politicians have come out against the changes, narrowly framing the issue around what impact the proposed tax changes will have on the wealthiest donors. Read the rest of this entry »
education, funding, inequality, lottery, Policy
In General, Opinions, Policy on February 23, 2009 at 4:19 pm
Every once in a while, I come up with an idea to solve a problem that I’m often not an expert in, but that seems to make sense. I like to run these ideas by others to get their input and hopefully come up with an even better idea. I recently started re-reading Jonathan Kozol’s Savage Inequalities. I first read this excellent book on the inequalities in the American education system when I was a sophomore in college eight years ago. At that point, I was too overwhelmed byKozol’s description of the state of schools in East St. Louis and Chicago to respond with ideas on how to change the situation. This time I approached the text with the eye of a policy analyst and I had an idea… Read the rest of this entry »
1920, Introduction, Mary Parker Follett, progressivism, the new state
In General, Pseudo-Academic on February 19, 2009 at 11:17 am
INTRODUCTION
to the 1920 edition of The New State by Mary Parker Follett
BY
VISCOUNT HALDANE
I HAVE ventured to ask the authoress of what Professor Bosanquet has recently called “the most sane and brilliant of recent works on political theory,” to let me write a few pages introductory to the next issue of her book. Read the rest of this entry »
defense mechanisims, Motivation, rationalization
In General, Opinions on February 9, 2009 at 1:18 pm
Many people who are struggling with the current financial times take some solace in the notion that as bad as things are, they could be worse. A recent feature by cnn.com collected personal stories of difficulty during this downturn. Repeatedly, and even when the situations were very dire, some version emerged of, “we are fortunate for what we have because it could be worse”. Even locally when we here news of furloughs, cutbacks, and layoffs, they are often accompanied with this notion that it could be worse. Read the rest of this entry »
citizen involvement, Information Technology, open source, profit motive, transparency
In Information Technology, Opinions on February 5, 2009 at 9:21 am
With our new Executive administration settling in at the White House, I thought I might pass an idea by all you intelligent readers out there. Obama’s election platform was based on change and one these much touted changes was transforming the federal government from eight years of Orwell’s Ministry of Truth to a transparent distributor of information. In the spirit of that push for transparency, I would like to present my idea for transforming information technology (specifically application adoption and development) in government. I have decided to do this in three parts: (1) briefly argue that the mainstream methodology of software procurement and development is incompatible with the philosophy of a transparent and democratic government, (2) present my solution to solve this problem, and (3) counter some concerns and issues that might arise from implementing my idea. Read the rest of this entry »
efficiency, health, Policy
In Opinions, Policy on February 3, 2009 at 11:13 am
Within the current world of policy and administration, efficiency has become an important if not overarching goal. Arguments for privatization and program elimination have been based almost solely on whether or not a program is efficient. The PART program under the administration of George W. Bush rated programs at various levels of efficiency and then based their budget recommendations on these ratings (whether or not these ratings were based more on ideology than actual science will be addressed in another, future post). There seems to be one area, in which, the concern for efficiency has been ignored; healthcare. Read the rest of this entry »
citizen involvement, inauguration, mobilization, President Obama
In General, News & Events on February 3, 2009 at 11:11 am
Today, approximately 2 million people covered the national mall to attend the inauguration of this nation’s 44th president, Barack Obama. There is so much to be proud of today and so much to inspire. Whether the crowds were there to view a scene of new hope, the making of history, a portion of MLK’s dream finally fulfilled, or the exit of perhaps the most unpopular president in the nation’s history; 1.4 million people braved the cold and the crowd for the chance at a glimpse at this historic moment. Read the rest of this entry »
diversity, future, neoliberal, public administration
In Opinions, Theory on January 22, 2009 at 9:05 am
Why the new state? We have entered into a new American epoch. Economic, technological, and political structures that have been the framework of the study and practice of public administration have radically changed. In the ever so close past, the ends that governing sought were limited to economic development. Safety, housing, the environment, and education had all become commodities and have been used as means to generate economic development. Privatization, outsourcing, de-regulation, and “creative” finance are just a few of the tools that public administrators have used to generate economic development. But now with the collapse of our economy we have realized that the focus on economic development has left us with crumbling infrastructure, substandard education and environmental policy, over-crowded jails, a food production industry dependent on environmentally devastating practices, massive corruption, a socially stagnant classes with little mobility, and greater wealth accumulation in a ridiculously few. A self interested society, it turns out, is not sustainable. Read the rest of this entry »
