Re: "Just" organizations LO1916

Laural Adams (ladams@lib.nmsu.edu)
Mon, 3 Jul 1995 09:16:30 -0600 (MDT)

replying to LO1907

On Sat, 1 Jul 1995, Michael McMaster wrote:

> Replying to LO1870 --
>
> Great question "Who decides?" from the perspective of who *does*
> decide and who *should* decide. This dialogue around it will go
> badly wrong if we then begin to explore which individuals decide -
> escpecially at the *should* end of the inquiry.
>
> If I can consider that I am a sort of node in a network of
> conversations (an idea proposed by me earlier and someone else
> recently) then I can consider an organisation to be the same sort of
> phenomenon. And I do consider it that way.
>
> Then who decides is those people who are engaged in the (many)
> conversations that consitute the answer. It certainly isn't a single
> person or even a small group of powerful people. Ask John Akers.
>
> Who does decide are those who engage in the appropriate
> conversations. This is aso the pragmatic response to who *should*
> decide. That is, the system works this way.

Isn't this advocating a "market system" for values? Is the "market"
knowledgable enough to know what it ought to want? I would love to believe
it is, but I don't. I do retain a thread of optimism in that I see us
moving in the direction of socially responsible orgs, but it's been
suggested that this too is purely market driven.

And these "conversations," what factors regulate WHO engages in them?
Those who already posses some degree of power within the social system, be
it an org or a community.

>
> What is apparent and must be taken into account is that you, I, those
> without power cannot individually decide. We will gain power and
> effectiveness when we realise that the way things work is through
> processes and organisation and not through individual or even small
> group control. If we give up the idea that anyone has the say, then
> we can become more effective in influencing what occurs. (And less
> victims of the way we think it is.)

Is "giving up the idea that anyone has the say" idealistic? Does it ignore
the real power stockholders have in decision making, for instance? Or
management?

Laural

--
Laural Adams
Business Reference Librarian
New Mexico State University Library
Box 30006 Dept 3475
Las Cruces, NM 88003-8006

ladams@lib.nmsu.edu 505-646-7482