Think about the distinction between seeing the discipline of organizational leadership as a 'system of thinking' versus seeing organizational leadership as a 'body of information.' What would you say are the key differences between the two?
According to Business Dictionary (2017), the term 'organizational leadership' is defined as 'management staff that typically provides inspiration, objectives, operational oversight, and other administrative services to a business.' This definition signifies that this particular component is in upper management. These people are involved with making strategic decisions based on the mission and vision of the organization to be disseminated to the employees. This basis in understanding organizational leadership will lay the foundation for this reflection.
Viewing organizational leadership as a 'body of information' can be compared to the 'textbook description' or 'best practices' that are derived from various disciplines such as business/management, psychology, or other fields. They are hypotheses or theories in leadership that are meant to be applied and can be based on case studies or some form of experimentation. Thus, it can be more abstract and may work in theory, but can be slightly different when applied to a real-world situation. The concepts can be good and lay a decent foundation of tools to be used.
For example, a prominent management professor, Dr. Douglas McGregor (from the MIT Sloan School of Management), developed some theories in management known as 'Theory X and Y.' This concept stems from a distinction in management style as being either authoritarian (Theory X) or participative (Theory Y) (Hindle, 2008). Theory X emphasizes productivity whereas Theory Y emphasizes commitment. In terms of motivation for employees, Theory X says there is a constant push from management to employees to do work. In Theory Y, the work itself is self-driven by the employee on their own accord. A reason for doing so is that it fulfills a higher level of intrinsic reward and satisfaction. Compared to Theory X, there is a lower level of achievement which gives lesser motivation. When this is applied to organizational leadership as a 'body of information,' it provides a general method to be applied and answers the possibly 'why.' In this example, that can be linked to Maslow's hierarchy of needs.
Photo: Diagram example of the management theory developed by Douglas McGregor known as 'Theory X and Theory Y' (Chapman, 2002).
When organizational leadership is analyzed as a 'system of thinking,' it is akin to a trouble-shooting methodology to figure out issues and problems that may arise or proactively improving the organization for the better in real-time. This is a more practical approach for the type of business in real-world applications. It takes key points from the 'body of information' in organizational management and applies it. Organizational leadership through a 'system of thinking' assesses the problem critically and looks at solving it in the best way possible by using these concepts. Some issues needing to be resolved may not have been encountered before and there may not be a case study to refer to. Therefore, a 'system of thinking' can help to resolve issues that are new or not well documented in the 'body of information' for organizational leadership. Thus, according to Nosich (2012, p. 94), fields like these are dynamic by ever changing, growing, and evolving based on information.
For example, the company TDK Technology (2017) uses the concept of organizational leadership and applies it in their company to best meet their needs. They select key points in this discipline that are then taught to their employees so that they have a better understanding of how the company is aiming to operate. This knowledge gives the supervisors and subordinates a basis to work on when dealing with issues. This company also has other forms of learning through 'Tech Talks' that furthers the employee's knowledge base. This method of communication works for this company and allows their employees to have the ability to work though issues through a 'system of thinking.' However, this may not work for all companies and other similar companies may approach organizational leadership in a different way.
The key differences between 'body of information' and 'system of thinking' for organizational leadership can come down to how it functions. Organizational leadership as a 'body of information' acts as knowledge to be learned in the discipline. When compared to a 'system of thinking' for organizational leadership, it acts as conceptual tools to be used and applied in various scenarios.
How will this understanding change the way you approach your course work?
Understanding the differences in the system of a discipline as either a 'body of knowledge' or a 'system of thinking' helps to realize between learning information and applying information. The body of knowledge of a field can be used to gain a fundamental understanding, but it is then synthesized and utilized in new cases through system of thinking. As a person becomes more proficient in a field, it can help lead to better critical thinking in order to test various truths in a field. Hence the reason why a Ph.D. is known as a 'Doctor of Philosophy' in a given discipline--they are able to push the boundaries and expand on the existing body of knowledge.
Personally for me, understanding this in the course work that I am taking now will alter how I interpret all information--within this class, my professional life, and personal life. The information in this class is valuable, but it has to be believed by me through critical thinking to accept it. In a sense, it is taking claims and even some 'facts' with a skeptical eye to find that 'truth' to believe. This may vary from a theoretical to a practical level, but it always reflective and aims to find the best answer that I am willing to stand behind.
On that note, even with these blog reflections, my opinions and thinking may change as I understand the concept of critical thinking better. Nonetheless, hope you enjoyed reading and seeing my progress as I continue to evaluate leadership! Until next time. 😎
References
Business Dictionary. (2017). Organizational leadership. WebFinance Inc. Retrieved from http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/organizational-leadership.html
Chapman, A. (2002). Douglas McGregor's XY-Theory. Business Balls. Retrieved from https://image.slidesharecdn.com/mcgregorxytheorydiagram-111024204119-phpapp01/95/x-y-theory-diagram-1-728.jpg?cb=1319488956
Hindle, T. (2008, October 6). Theories x and y. The Economist Newspaper Limited. Retrieved from http://www.economist.com/node/12370445
Nosich, G. M. (2012). Learning to think things through: Critical thinking across the curriculum (4th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.
TDK Technologies. (2017). Key components of organizational leadership. TDK Technologies. Retrieved from https://www.tdktech.com/tech-talks/key-components-of-organizational-leadership
No comments:
Post a Comment