Chapter 2

Understanding Organizations as Complex

Responsive Processes.
( Prediction, Chaos and Fortune Telling )
2.1 Introduction

1. Organization is a reflection of human identities, where

identity mean what an organization is and who its members
are.

2. Once one understands that any organization is essentially

collective and individual identities, then the ‘organizational’
strategy refers to the manner in which its identity evolves.

3. Strategy is concern with how an organization has become

what it is and how it will become what it becomes, that is,
how it identity evolves.

4. The central argument of the complex responsive

2.2 Organizing Themes, power Relations and Ideology

An organization is not immediately thought of an adaptive-like

system or network but, rather, as a responsive processes.

2.2.1Algorithmic and Human Interaction

Algorithmic is a logical sequence of interaction to the an

event.

People to relate to each other through gestures made by one

body to another that evoke responses in other bodies.
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 The most important form of significant symbol is vocal
language.

2.2.2 Organizing theme ( Subject Matter )

It can take a number of forms:

a) fantasies

b) myths

c) rituals

d) ideology

e) culture

f) gossip

g) rumour

h) dialogues

i) discussion

j) debates

k) presentation.s

2.3 Legitimate and Shadow Themes

It there is one thing that everybody knows about life in

organization is that, it is not possible to talk freely and openly to
just anyone, in any situation, about anything one likes, in any way
one chooses and still survives as a member of the organizations.

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Relationship impose powerful constrains on what it is permissible
to say, to whom and how.

Legitimate themes organize what people feel able to take about

openly and freely.

Shadow theme organize conversation in which people fee able to

give less acceptable accounts of themselves and their actions, as
well as of others and their actions.

2.3.1Examples : Equal Opportunities

A company consist of all men. The group of 30 senior

executive who report to them also consists of entirely of
men.

Virtually everyone in the organization is aware of this official

ideology of equality, for example between mean and women.

However, even the 12 senior women managers in the

company do not feel that it is wide to talk to director about
this matter.

2.3.2Formal and Informal

Formal aspects of an organization is identified in terms of an

organization’s purpose, its mode of fulfilling its purpose, that
is its task, and the individual who are assigned roles in
carrying out the task.

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 The informal organization consists of all relationships not
formally defined by their roles or clearly related to their
tasks.

All personal and social relationships fall within this category.

2.3.3Conscious and Unconscious

Learning organization theory distinguishes between

assumptions people are aware of and those that hey are not
aware of.

2.3.4Legitimate Interactions

2.3.5Covert Politics

2.3.6Unconscious Themes

2.4 The Importance of diversity

2.4.1The Reproduction and Transformation of

Conventional Themes

2.4.2Misunderstanding

2.4.3The Dynamics of Conversation

2.4.4Diversity

2.4.5Anxiety

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 2.4.6Free-Flowing Conversation

2.4.7Rhetoric

2.5 The Social Structure of Organizations

2.5.1The Tools of Communicative Interaction

2.5.2The Local Nature of Communicative Interaction