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Managementtriumvirateinprocessesofcorporaterenewal
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largerandmoredifficulttransformationlateron.Unfortunately,suchcontinuous
renewalveryoftengivesspaceformoreradicaltransformations.Itsupportstheidea
ofnecessarybreakthroughs,supportingtheaforementionedconceptofpunctuated
equilibrium.AgarwalandHelfat[2009]pointouttwomainreasonsforthat.First,
somechangesintheexternalenvironmentaredifficulttoanticipate.Second,continual
adaptationmaybehardfororganizationstomanageeffectively.Considering
whysuchdynamiccapabilitiesaredifficulttodevelopandsustain,Agarwaland
Helfat[2009,p.284]explainthatsuchcapabilitiesmayconflictwithroutinesthat
enablecompaniestoperformcurrenttaskswell.AccordingtoBarr,Stimpertand
Huff[1992,p.36],manywritersarevagueaboutexactlyhowfirmleadershavean
impactonperformance,andtheypointoutthreekeymanagerialactivitiesasvery
importantandnecessaryforrenewalandorganizationalgrowthwithsuccess.They
include:(1)attentiontoenvironmentalchanges,(2)theinterpretationofstimuli,
and(3)thematchingofperceivedproblemswithsolution.Eachofthesetasks
reliesonmanagerialbeliefsaboutcausality.Inaddition,webelievethatpersonality
ofsuperiors,especiallycopeswithdifficulties,emotions,defencemechanisms,
transferenceinrelationshipssuperior-subordinates,whichplaysacriticalroleand
haveastronginfluenceontheprocessesofgrowthandrenewal.
Andhereitcomestofocusonthepeoplesideofrenewalpotentialofany
organization.Forabetterunderstandingoftheaforementioneddifficultieswith
dynamiccapabilities,itisusefultorecalltheconceptofmentalmodeldefined
byO’KeefeandNadel[1978]asanaggregateofinterrelatedinformation.Mental
modelsprovideaconvenientshorthandtodescribethelenseswhichfilterdataand
meansbywhichdataareinterpreted.Inthisview,decision-makerscanbeviewedas
activeselectorsandinterpretersofdata[NarayananandFahey1990,p.110].
Aspeopleareimperfectasinformationprocessors,mentalmodelsallowthemand
theirorganizationstomakesenseoftheirenvironmentandactwithinit.Theproblem
isthatmentalmodelsmaybecomeinaccurate.Inotherwords,givencognitive
limitations,mentalmapswillalwaysbeincomplete.Thisinaccuracymayhowever
strengthentheresultofchanges,concerningtheirenvironmentsandcomplexity
ofinternalsystems.Fromtheperspectiveofourresearch,itisimportanttorecall
twoimportantissuesraisedbyBarr,StimpertandHuff[1992]:(1)renewalrequires
achangeinmentalmodels,and(2)delaysinthesuccessionofmentalmodelsmay
beduetothetimerequiredforlearning.
Thesetwoissuesemphasizetheimportanceofcognitiveprocessesofkey
organizationalindividualsandtheirlearningability.Fromourperspective,they
alsosignaltheimportanceofindividualmentalcharacteristics,whichinfluencethe
structureofsomeone’sspecificareasofsearchingandunderstandingofdataaswell
ashisorherpotentialtochangetheirownmentalmodel.Thesecondisconnected
withthepotentialforanindividualchange,andthefirstwithindividualattitudesand
personalitytypes,whichmayhelpinterpretgivenmanagementteampotentialfor
initiatingandforcingcorporaterenewal.