Discourse of Course
According to Hatch (1997), discourse or dialogue, builds on belief in the powers of collective thought-that human minds in interaction are capable of transcending individual limitations and empowering new ideas. (p. 368)
Simply stated, the voices of many are louder and more effective than a single person who is trying to be their own advocate. In the context of organizational theory, discourse would very likely be taking place in work environment. Employees who collaborate to share thoughts, ideas, and perspective are more effective and creative than a single employee.
Peter Senge, an American systems theorist and management consultant, discusses discourse in his book titled The Fifth Discipline. Senge’s book is on the topic of discourse. In his book, Senge claims that, through discussion, people become observers of their own thinking. This collaborative thinking can lead itself into organizational change.
As I was reflecting on the idea of discourse, and how effective discourse can be, I started thinking of examples of organizations that encourage and rely on discourse as vital component of their mission and core values. A type of organization that functions around the idea of discourse is that of worker unions. Over the course of our second LI 805 weekend, the topic of unions arose, which prompted my reflection on the organizations.
Certainly the structure of unions is a prime example of what Hatch described discourse to be. Collective thought is in action, advocating for individuals through a group. According to the United Steelworkers Union of America website, http://www.uswa.org/uswa/program/content/291.php , unions have evolved through their history. Unions began in the mid 1880’s to battle worker abuse and poverty. Today’s unions are no longer fighting for an end to child labor, vacation pay, and 40-hour workweeks. These are all issues that were successfully resolved through discourse. Current issues are on the table, such as retirement plans, healthcare issues, and respectful treatment.
Unions are just one example discourse at work in an organization. Organizations need discourse in order to grow and thrive. Organizations need discourse in order to collaborate for personal and professional growth. Most organizations are facing the fact that isolation is not beneficial for individuals or organizations. Growth is directly linked to discourse.
-Mary Ann S.
posted by Mary Ann @ 11:04 AM
1 Comments:
“The voices of many are louder and more effective than a single person who is trying to be their own advocate.” As I was reading this sentence from Mary Ann’s posting, I remembered an article I read called “How Can You Be A Manager? You’re A Solo!” by Carol Simon. The Solo Librarians Division web site [ http://www.sla.org/division/dsol/ ]describes a solo librarian as a professional who has no immediate peers within the organization. So do these people manage even though they are “alone”?
Luther Gulick and Lyndall Urwick came up with a management theory called Planning, Organizing, Staffing, Directing, Coordinating, Reporting, and Budgeting or POSD-CORB. They think managers do more than manage other people. They also market, innovate, accomplish change, make decisions, participate in strategic planning, delegate, communicate, motivate, and lead. In addition to these managerial skills, solo librarians carry out all the professional and administrative tasks required to keep their organization functional. The functions that solo librarians perform support the information needs of the organization. However, Simon does not think that solo librarians act completely by themselves. She writes that they are a part of a team consisting of the entire organization and that the team needs to understand its organization’s near- and long-term informational needs. She also believes solo librarians should work with other departments to increase their relevance in the organization. They need to “collaborate to share thoughts, ideas, and perspective” (Mary Ann).
Simon asks, “Is a solo librarian a manager?” She answers, “Yes, because every solo librarian plans, organizes, and delivers a managed product—information—every day” (Simon, 2005, p. 14).
Melissa Doebele
Carol Simon’s article is from Information Outlook, v.9 #3, March 2005
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