Dugga 3 Flashcards
Q1 Step 1 A friend of yours, Kim, has successfully applied for both positions and is now asking you for advice. Which position would you argue for, and why?
Depends on Kim’s criteria for a job
Kim has several ways of tackling the problem. Do they want an easier job where there is larger room for improvement within the company or do they want a company where they have a more safe position considering potential downsizing?
Q1 Step 2 A friend of yours, Kim, has successfully applied for both positions and is now asking you for advice. Which position would you argue for, and why?
Both companies can improve
In terms of better job, both companies has some arguments going for it:
- Both have professionals, harder to learn (Argyris) but MedicCorp is world leading.
- WebComp can easily blame their clients. MedicComp is more used to failure, which can be important for double loop learning.
- At WebComp, knowledge transferring is more integral.
- At medicorp one could argue that knowledge transfer is not as important when developing drug molecules.
Q1 Step 3 A friend of yours, Kim, has successfully applied for both positions and is now asking you for advice. Which position would you argue for, and why?
At Webcomp knowledge transfer is more core
Considering the potential risk of downsizing mentioned for both companies, choosing WebComp where the knowledge transfer is more core would be advantageous. Safer for keeping their job.
Q2 Step 1 Write a text on the challenges in estimation caused by covert politics, what kind of doom loop actors could be stuck in and what management can do about it.
Challenges in estimation.
- Hard to make accurate estimations when missing information. If people do not share information or manipulate it, estimations will be distorted.
- People can make estimations which promote their own agenda instead of benefiting the team.
- Hiding information (Buchanan, D., & Badham, R. (1999).) → Hard with estimation (Our conclusion)
Q2 Step 2 Write a text on the challenges in estimation caused by covert politics, what kind of doom loop actors could be stuck in and what management can do about it.
Doom loops
- Doom loop: Defensive reasoning leads to more defensive reasoning.
- Bad estimations lead to failure to meet goals, failure to meet goals lead to despair. This, in turn, fuels further political maneuvering, blame shifting, and potential project failure.
- Because of brittle personalities (professionals)
Q2 Step 3 Write a text on the challenges in estimation caused by covert politics, what kind of doom loop actors could be stuck in and what management can do about it.
What to do
- Reduce according to Argyris. Increase honesty and openness → Less brittle personalities.
- Start from the top. “When managers are trained in new reasoning skills, they can have a big impact on the performance of the entire organization.”
- Carefully consider how to use performance evaluation, not only negative and competitive, also positive and constructive
Q3 Step 1 How would you expect a transformation in a company towards autonomous project teams to influence open disagreement and covert politics in the organization?
Autonomous teams
- In autonomous teams the team is separated from the rest of the organization.
- The team is smaller and self organized.
Q3 Step 2 How would you expect a transformation in a company towards autonomous project teams to influence open disagreement and covert politics in the organization?
Small group
- Nowhere to hide
- Actions become apparent.
Q3 Step 3 How would you expect a transformation in a company towards autonomous project teams to influence open disagreement and covert politics in the organization?
No manager
- No manager in autonomous teams makes it harder to blame management. (Argyris)
Q3 Step 4 How would you expect a transformation in a company towards autonomous project teams to influence open disagreement and covert politics in the organization?
More responsibility
Since team members have more autonomy and responsibility, they are likely to express their opinions and ideas more freely. Open disagreements become more common.
Q3 Step 5 How would you expect a transformation in a company towards autonomous project teams to influence open disagreement and covert politics in the organization?
Lager impact
Team members have a larger impact on the project without needing to resort to covert politics and tactics.
Q4 Step 1 Use the literature of Module 5 to discuss and motivate how, in the context of inter-organisational projects, different levels of project complexity and uncertainty can influence the preferred form of organizational coupling.
Complexity requires semi-coupling
All inter-organisational projects of some complexity should be at least semi-coupled (Olausson) or what Brusoni et al. (2001) calls loosely coupled, meaning coordination via systems integration.
Q4 Step 2 Use the literature of Module 5 to discuss and motivate how, in the context of inter-organisational projects, different levels of project complexity and uncertainty can influence the preferred form of organizational coupling.
Inter-organisational projects cannot be tightly coupled
Since we are looking at inter-organisational projects, they cannot be tightly coupled since they would mean that the project was vertically integrated (in one organization).
Q4 Step 3 Use the literature of Module 5 to discuss and motivate how, in the context of inter-organisational projects, different levels of project complexity and uncertainty can influence the preferred form of organizational coupling.
Specialization necessary
Since specialization is necessary for complex products, vertical integration is not preferable. (Brusoni)
Q4 Step 4 Use the literature of Module 5 to discuss and motivate how, in the context of inter-organisational projects, different levels of project complexity and uncertainty can influence the preferred form of organizational coupling.
- Brusoni uses PC industry as example of decoupled organizations, while computer count as scope level 2 (Shenhar). A product can be decoupled even with some complexity as long as the interdependencies are predictable and rate of change is even. As well as some uncertainty, computers are medium-tech.
- One could question if outsourcing of work counts as an inter-organisational project.
