Module 8 - SSC 1 - Network Manager (2012)

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Organizational Analysis

415 classificações

Stanford University

Organizational Analysis

415 classificações

In this introductory, self-paced course, you will learn multiple theories of organizational behavior and apply them to actual cases of organizational change. Organizations are groups whose members coordinate their behaviors in order to accomplish a shared goal. They can be found nearly everywhere in today’s society: universities, start-ups, classrooms, hospitals, non-profits, government bureaus, corporations, restaurants, grocery stores, and professional associations are some of many examples of organizations. Organizations are as varied and complex as they are ubiquitous: they differ in size and internal structure; they can entail a multiplicity of goals and tasks (some of which are planned and others unplanned!); they are made up of individuals whose goals and motivations may differ from those of the group; and they must interact with other organizations and deal with environmental constraints in order to be successful. This complexity frequently results in a myriad of problems for organizational participants and the organization’s survival. In this course, we will use organizational theories to systematically analyze how an organization operates and can best be managed. Organizational theories highlight certain features of an organization’s structure and environment, as well as its processes of negotiation, production, and change. Each provides a lens for interpreting novel organizational situations and developing a sense for how individual and group behaviors are organized. Theories are valuable for the analyst and manager because most organizational problems are unique to the circumstances and cannot be solved by simple rules of thumb. Armed with a toolset of organizational theories, you will be able to systematically identify important features of an organization and the events transforming it; choose a theoretical framework most applicable to the observed mode of organizing; and use that theory to determine which actions will best redirect the organization in desired directions. In sum, the course has three goals: to become familiar with a series of real-world organizational phenomena; to learn different theoretical perspectives that can elucidate these phenomena; and to apply these different ways of “seeing” and managing organizations to cases. In such a fashion, the course is designed to actively bridge theory and practice, exposing students to a variety of conceptual tools and ways to negotiate novel situations.

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Module 8 - Networks

In this module, we will describe how organization’s researchers look at social networks within organizations. In addition, we will describe how some theorists contend there is a network form of organization that is distinct from hierarchical organizations and markets. So we will relate two perspectives: a purely analytic one that describes networks within organizations, and a theoretical one concerning a prescribed form of inter- organizational association that can result in better outputs.

Module 8 - SSC 1 - Managing Network Forms of Organization (2013)9:29

Module 8 - SSC 2 - Culture and Networks (2013)8:30

Module 8 - SSC 3 - Multiple Theories to One Case (2013)8:47

Module 8 - SSC 1 - Network Manager (2012)6:59

Module 8 - SSC 2 - Technological Proximity and Work at Home (2012)10:40

Module 8 - SSC 3 - Grapevine and Personal Relations in Work (2012)10:46

Module 8 - SSC 4 - Examples and Suited to Small Non-Profit (2012)7:04

Conheça os instrutores

Daniel A. McFarland
Professor
Education, Sociology, and Organizational Behavior

Hi everyone, welcome to week eight and the screen side chat for

the network forums of organizing as well as network analysis of organizations.

The first question I want to answer this week was posted by Lade and

she ask what sort of person makes a good network manager?

She says networking seems to involve many and varied intricate social interactions

between individuals, sections within organization and between organizations.

What do you think are the most useful attributes for

person charge with managing such networks.

Now, if we only went on the readings.

They characterize a lot of the behavioral and the social interaction qualities.

And so that we talked about things like being prominent, being a bridge,

that that brings social capital or interpersonal resources.

And then even in the case of Smith and Wallsteader, that discussed things like

how a leader of a network facilitates and acts as both an architect of.

Visioning integrative partnerships

as well as boundary standards to negotiate and form alliances.

And then even brokers who have a knack or a skill for

taking information enhancing it, and distributing it across relationships.

So those are all in the readings, but

I don't think its as extensive as a lot of you were looking for.

So a variety of you listed tons of different qualities from someone who

listens and understands, is empathic, who communicates in a way that is confident,

shows integrity, meaning your words align with your action.

They're clear about the mission, assertive communication.

That they're balanced and reasonable.

And viewing challenges as something positive to deal with.

So I think Lottie actually does a nice

job of summing up all the responses to her question.

And it's a long list.

And I have to agree with her comment, which is wow, that's asking a lot.

There is other ways to think of it too, in terms of personality.

It's not just the behavioral or the interaction someone takes.

So there are some people that talk about how network managers have to be extroverts

or at least charismatic.

And then there are others that actually, there is some research suggesting that

neurotics may not start out the most prominent people but

over time climb through the ranks.

So because they're concerned with it for obvious reasons, right?

There are other things like managing emotional intelligence, but

I think maybe those are qualities, I think Keith's right.

Alverson, and saying that are these qualities of any manager that we'd like?

And what is it that distinguishes a network manager from a typical manager?

And I think there's two things that I would highlight.

The first is that a network manager needs to have

what Satya called network mentality and understanding.

And the way I think of it is a network manager needs a sense of

the social structure in which they belong.

And by that, people have done studies where they ask everybody in a workplace,

who are your friends.

And then they ask that person to report on who they think other people's friends are.

And it turns out that the better managers have a better sense of how

other people see the network and how they're situated.

Meaning that they have a sense of the social space and

the social relations in it.

Now, a nice reading on network mentality and understanding I recall

was someone like George Herbert Mead Who was a social psychologist and

a pragmatist at the University of Chicago in the 30s.

And he wrote about the social self and how people develop a social self.

And I always remember when he wrote about how children learn to have social selves,

and he talked about how they first learn that at role play.

So you pretend to be a parent, you wear dad shoes and mom shoes and whatever.

And that's an enactment of a particular role,

without any awareness of a larger social structure.

And then he talks about later, that as we get more sophisticated and socially aware,

that we learn how to play social games where we have a distribution of roles.

Like, take for example baseball, or even soccer, whatever sport you prefer.

Where there's multiple positions and

you just learn how to play one position in isolation.

What you learn is how to play those positions in a relationship.

And a good player, or

a good team even, is one where that awareness is almost a second sense.

That knowing the pitcher knows how the catcher will respond and

the first baseman.

And in their actions they can predict those kinds of relationships and

how they will transpire.

And by having that kind of mentality or understanding of a generalized social

structure, they're able to kind of manage it better.

And I think that awareness or that mentality of an idealized one

that would be a network organization, is probably something very useful.

The second thing to highlight I think is.

A lot of the qualities that people remark on are partnering and

developing relationships.

And this is an echo of resource dependents theory in some ways.

I wonder if a network manager has to think more broadly.

They have to think not only about the reciprocal returns between partners,

like what the shared interests are, but also how the system,

the network as a whole is greater than the sum of those partnerships.

So they always have to focus on how the provision of complementary services

will enhance everybody, not just in one particular relationship.

But by promoting that network the whole set of actors in this

network organization will have a return beyond that.

So there's this joint interdependence of returns.

So I think those are the two things.

So if I had to say that the network managers were facultative and

that they're concerned with that network hole in some ways beyond just

any particular partnership.

But finding that combination of complementarities, and promoting that for

this kind of network organization is most of what you'd like.

And sustaining it in a trusting way, so that it reaches its goals.

So this is just an extension on everything you said, I don't think I'm

adding that much, but hopefully just drawing attention to those two qualities.

Network mentally understanding, and perhaps this focus on

the whole network as having benefits and drawing people's attention to that,

and finding ways to construct it so that's sustained.

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