Power, Emergent Change, & Paradox

Question 1

Complexifying Transformation

Answer 1

• Power ≠ Resistance
• Emergent Change ≠ Need for Inertia

Question 2

Matrix of Power

Answer 2

• Agentic / Episodic ≠ Systemic / Discursive
• Visible / Explicit ≠ Invisible / Implicit

Question 3

Types of Power

Answer 3

• Coercion (Agentic, Visible)
• Manipulation (Agentic, Invisible)
• Domination (Systemic, Visible)
• Subjectification (Agentic, Invisible)

Question 4

Resistance

Answer 4

Where this is power, there is resistance.
- Hidden ≠ Public
- Individual ≠ Collective

Question 5

Inertia

Answer 5

A tendency to do nothing or to remain unchanged

Winning resistance = Overcoming Inertia

Question 6

Inertia: Pros & Cons

Answer 6

Pros:
- Reproducibility of structures and internal consistency
- Stability
- Inertia as momentum

Cons:
- Simplicity trap
- Failure to adapt to change
- Overconfidence (Dunning Kruger)

Question 7

Sources of Crisis

Answer 7

• Internal ≠ External
• Micro ≠ Macro

Question 8

High-reliability organizations (HROs)

Answer 8

Organizations that have succeeded in avoiding catastrophes in an environment where normal accidents can be expected due to risk factors and complexity.

Question 9

Responding and Building Readiness

Answer 9

1. Cultivate a preoccupation with failure: Encourage a culture that openly discusses and learns from near misses and past failures.
2. Embrace complexity: Recognize the interconnectedness of systems and processes, and avoid oversimplifying solutions.
3. Foster sensitivity to operations: Develop a keen awareness of the organization’s current state and potential problems.
4. Value expertise: Empower frontline workers to share their knowledge and insights, and defer to their expertise in critical situations.
5. Nurture resilience: Build an adaptive mindset that can withstand unexpected events and recover quickly from setbacks.

Question 10

Sensemaking

Answer 10

Process by which people seek plausibility in an attempt to understand complex or ambiguous situations => Turning circumstances into a comprehensible situation.

Question 11

Sensemaking Steps

Answer 11

• Enactment
• Selection
• Retention
• Retrospective

Question 12

Organizational Paradoxes

Answer 12

Contradictions that are interdependent and persistent; and that create undecidability

Question 13

Types of Organization Paradoxes

Answer 13

• Performing: Striking a balance between achieving short-term goals and pursuing long-term sustainability.
• Organizing: Balancing structure and flexibility to accommodate both stability and adaptability.
• Belonging: Fostering a sense of inclusion while maintaining individual autonomy.
• Learning: Encouraging experimentation and innovation while preserving institutional knowledge.