On Fri, 12 Jan 1996, Michel, Christopher J wrote:
[snipped material]
> Why do cross-functional projects generate conflict in my
> corporation?
>
> How do organizational objectives, seemingly aligned at the Senior
> Management level, become disjointed and conflicting objectives as they
> cascade to down through the org?
>
> How do other companies deal with these struggles; do other companies
> experience the same of similar problems?
>
> What can be done about this seemingly pervasive organizational
> phenomena?
>
> This dialog stimulated for me the following reflection questions: What if
> the reason this has evolved a design problem? Or an incorrect
> interpretation of a design?
>
> MY HYPOTHESIS: THIS PHENOMENA AND ITS RESULTING CONFLICTS IS THE RESULT
> OF THE MENTAL MODELS RESULTING FROM THE INTERPRETATION OF THE ONE
> DIMENSIONAL MATRIX.
>
> Andrew, what the multi-dimensional model "should" look like, I'm not sure.
> I am pursuing John Warfield's book, A SCIENCE OF GENERIC DESIGN: MANAGING
> COMPLEXITY THROUGH SYSTEMS DESIGN, for ideas... other suggestions welcome.
> Let's see where this discussion takes us.
Chris, in reading your post concerning inter-organizational conflict I was
brought to my own little AHA! I would say that the sort of conflict that
you describe comes from the nature of systems themselves--the need for
boundaries, identity, perspective, survival against challenges, threats,
dissolution and chaos, etc. Just as the larger organization has its own
"objectives", which are most often the purvue of Senior Management, in
order to survive and thrive in an environment of challenge and change,
each of the subsystems operate with the same energies and incentives to
distinguish itself from other elements in the organizational environment
and, thus, hopefully, to survive and thrive.
So, in one sense, I am saying I believe the central issue is not the
"one-dimensional matrix" itself, but rather that it is simply a reflection
of what is understood to be the "reality" of typical organizations. That
being said, I do think that as people in organizations can transcend their
notion of "what is" by exploring a multi-dimensional perspective, they may
find it easier to shift their energies away from conflict and toward
collaboration within--and outside of!--their organization, industry, and
community.
It brings to mind some of the ancient teachings about the individual being
one with the whole of creation. That we are all related, one world,
interdependent, etc. I am sure that Barry Mallis can supply the relevent
quatrain from Rumi to demonstrate this notion anew.
In any case, if we can see what is going on at any level--in ourselves
_and_ our organizations--as a reflection of a "natural" and "normal"
process of systems in action, we can enter into and help to transform that
process in ways that are mutually beneficial and rewarding--to include
seeing ourselves as a part _of_ as well as _apart from_ that rich,
multi-dimensional, flow of creative interaction which surrounds us.
Plenty of room here for several "Master's" degree projects!
-- Tobin Quereau Austin Community College quereau@austin.cc.tx.us