Interorganizational Communication Networks “are the enduring transactions, flows, and linkages that occur among or between organizations.” (265) When I think of interorganizational communications networks, I think of a task force. In the book a task force was described as multi-agencies or corporations working together for the overall good and benefit of something else. The “Hillsborough River Greenways Task Force in Tampa, Florida,” was an example of a collaborative group of agencies consisting of “environmental activists, scientists, land developers, and citizens,” all working together concerning the health of the Hillsborough River. (266) While each member came from a different agency, they were able to work as a group to solve a community problem.
Recently, I developed the Fireworks Response Task Force to address the needs of the community and safety issues regarding the use of fireworks before, during, and after the fourth of July. In light of the tremendous fires Santa Cruz County has suffered the task force has been invaluable. The task force consists of local fire department members, local law enforcement, and State Parks Rangers, patrolling together to educate, enforce, and spread the message about the laws against fireworks and other destructive behavior. The collaboration of the multi-agencies involved have helped to establish goals for the task force, determine key enforcement points, and address how the problem of fireworks should be addressed (no tolerance vs. discretion). Overall, the team has been successful because everybody involved has worked well and is an active participant in insuring safety in the county.
Friday, June 27, 2008
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Ch.8-Team-Based Organizations
Team-based organizations are a familiar function in many companies and government establishments. Team-based organizations are smaller bodies of teams that employees may be involved with in addition to their primary duties. In my organization we call this an auxiliary assignment. The definition of axially team in our organization simply defines another assignment or team that a member of the office belongs to in addition to their primary assignment. For example, I am a team leader for our Peer Support Team at work. The team consists of twenty-four members from all different assignments in the office. We meet together monthly for meetings and trainings to best learn how to address the needs of members of our organization. The Peer Support Team is an additional assignment to my primary responsibility at work. I have a different supervisor on this team than my primary supervisor, but I don’t seem to experience any conflict with having two different supervisors. However, I am a supervisor to others on the team and sometimes the agenda of peer support conflicts with agendas of team member’s supervisors. In this case I have to be sensitive to communicating clearly with the other supervisors outside of this team that are affected and avoid any “stepping on toes,” or miscommunication.
Team-based organizations are the only way we could maintain necessary functions in our office, such as, SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics), CNT (Crisis Negotiation Team), Peer Support, Search and Rescue, etc.. The organization I work for is relatively small and we could not provide full-time staffing for any of these assignments. In order to make these valuable teams work, members of the office need to participate on these specialized teams to provide additional services to the community in addition to their primary job.
Team-based organizations are the only way we could maintain necessary functions in our office, such as, SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics), CNT (Crisis Negotiation Team), Peer Support, Search and Rescue, etc.. The organization I work for is relatively small and we could not provide full-time staffing for any of these assignments. In order to make these valuable teams work, members of the office need to participate on these specialized teams to provide additional services to the community in addition to their primary job.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Ch.7-Gender Differences at Work
In Chapter 7, gender and differences at work are discussed with regards to the differences in communication styles between men and women. When men communicate with one another they are attempting to seek status by “one uping” each other through assertive expression, story-telling (fish story), and knowledge. Women on the other hand tend to communicate with relationship or rapport in mind. Women accomplish this through “matching experiences, providing support and responsiveness, tentativeness, and conversational maintenance.” (204) These differences can sometimes cause confusion, distrust, lack of confidence or value, and miscommunication between the genders when neither gender truly understands what the other is trying to communicate. We have all been there. Just think about the experiences we have had with the opposite sex when trying to explain something.
The workplace adds another element of difficulty because the level of comfort between the genders may not be the same as being at home, with your church group, or other family members. The work environment is generally a professional atmosphere with some sort of hierarchical structure. Employees have their workplace roles (manager, lower management, CEO, etc...), within each of these roles is a set of unspoken rules for communication. Take for example a department meeting. A male supervisor in the department begins to share ideas about new sales strategies for the organization. A female supervisor chimes in and states that she agrees with the male supervisors suggestions but also offers an additional set of strategies. The conversation continues with almost little acknowledgement of what the female supervisor contributed. The meeting continues and another male in the meeting shares his thoughts about building company profits and almost mirrors what the female supervisor had just shared. Additionally, the male adds “his winning moment” (story) to the group, and suddenly his ideas are thought of as great. The female supervisor at this point is feeling under-valued and not appreciated for her contribution. What could have occurred here?
Perhaps when the female supervisor shared her responses the group was not prepared. Perhaps the group was not ready for her answers and the timing was off, or she may have low credibility. A number of reasons could have contributed to the outcome.
Another communication difference I have noticed in my work is the way men and women communicate with the public during certain calls for service (law enforcement). For example, I was called to a loud music complaint at 11 PM on a weekend night. I responded and spoke with the occupants of the home explaining that this was the third time that law enforcement was called to their home that evening. I explained the noise ordinance laws to the occupant and told them I was going to write them a citation. While the occupant did not like the idea of receiving a ticket, they were cooperative. A few minutes into the situation a male officer arrived on scene. Almost immediately the male occupants of the home who I had been speaking with and built a reasonable rapport with became agitated by the presence of the male officer. The male officer, not tolerating the agitation in the occupant’s body language began to order the occupants to follow directions. Almost immediately a physical confrontation ensued between us and the occupants of the home over a measly music complaint that I initially had control of.
Ultimately, a difference in communication style between the male officer’s style and the occupants led to the physical confrontation. The whole situation could have been avoided had there not been an immediate power struggle between the officer and occupants. Had the male officer not shown up at the situation the outcome would have been much different. I had already established defining the problem with the occupant and building a rapport. I would have walked away with a simple ticket and no injuries.
Definitely a difference in communication styles.
The workplace adds another element of difficulty because the level of comfort between the genders may not be the same as being at home, with your church group, or other family members. The work environment is generally a professional atmosphere with some sort of hierarchical structure. Employees have their workplace roles (manager, lower management, CEO, etc...), within each of these roles is a set of unspoken rules for communication. Take for example a department meeting. A male supervisor in the department begins to share ideas about new sales strategies for the organization. A female supervisor chimes in and states that she agrees with the male supervisors suggestions but also offers an additional set of strategies. The conversation continues with almost little acknowledgement of what the female supervisor contributed. The meeting continues and another male in the meeting shares his thoughts about building company profits and almost mirrors what the female supervisor had just shared. Additionally, the male adds “his winning moment” (story) to the group, and suddenly his ideas are thought of as great. The female supervisor at this point is feeling under-valued and not appreciated for her contribution. What could have occurred here?
Perhaps when the female supervisor shared her responses the group was not prepared. Perhaps the group was not ready for her answers and the timing was off, or she may have low credibility. A number of reasons could have contributed to the outcome.
Another communication difference I have noticed in my work is the way men and women communicate with the public during certain calls for service (law enforcement). For example, I was called to a loud music complaint at 11 PM on a weekend night. I responded and spoke with the occupants of the home explaining that this was the third time that law enforcement was called to their home that evening. I explained the noise ordinance laws to the occupant and told them I was going to write them a citation. While the occupant did not like the idea of receiving a ticket, they were cooperative. A few minutes into the situation a male officer arrived on scene. Almost immediately the male occupants of the home who I had been speaking with and built a reasonable rapport with became agitated by the presence of the male officer. The male officer, not tolerating the agitation in the occupant’s body language began to order the occupants to follow directions. Almost immediately a physical confrontation ensued between us and the occupants of the home over a measly music complaint that I initially had control of.
Ultimately, a difference in communication style between the male officer’s style and the occupants led to the physical confrontation. The whole situation could have been avoided had there not been an immediate power struggle between the officer and occupants. Had the male officer not shown up at the situation the outcome would have been much different. I had already established defining the problem with the occupant and building a rapport. I would have walked away with a simple ticket and no injuries.
Definitely a difference in communication styles.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Teams and Technology
The internet, cell phones, “crack” berries, pagers, etc. have all lent to a boost in communicating with our peers, colleagues at work, other students, and often recreationally with friends, with a touch of a button. Overall, the advances in technology have made us more accessible to each other, which can be good and bad. Location is no longer a barrier when working on a school project or preparing a team PowerPoint presentation for work. The internet and other forms of communication allow individuals to share a vast amount of information more easily. However, being accessible and a “slave” to our communication devices have in some ways increased our workload and robbed our attention spans. For example, on the roadways, highways, and residential streets you will never drive too far without observing someone driving while talking on the phone. For commuters this is a great way to catch up on the days work ahead before reaching the office, while for others it Is the need to be social and “in touch” with others. The danger as you can imagine is inattention which leads to horrible driving accidents.
Likewise, we can all probably relate to checking our email and panicking when the email account crashes for some reason. Most of us rely on our email for work and currently, school. Without our email and available communication at our fingertips we almost feel naked, or at least helpless. At times I think this could be liberating because the electronic leash is finally removed, but in the end even I heavily rely on it to do a bulk of my communication.
Overall, technology and teams work well together. I have used this concept several times for class work on campus and in my own work environment. However, I don’t think it should ever replace the need to meet face-to-face occasionally either.
Likewise, we can all probably relate to checking our email and panicking when the email account crashes for some reason. Most of us rely on our email for work and currently, school. Without our email and available communication at our fingertips we almost feel naked, or at least helpless. At times I think this could be liberating because the electronic leash is finally removed, but in the end even I heavily rely on it to do a bulk of my communication.
Overall, technology and teams work well together. I have used this concept several times for class work on campus and in my own work environment. However, I don’t think it should ever replace the need to meet face-to-face occasionally either.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Ch.6-Resistance: Challenging Organizational Power & Control
Organizational power, control and domination “foregrounds the many ways that individuals are controlled by modern-day organizational forms and practices.”(184). In other words, organizational power has influenced our personal lives in several different ways. Consider grooming standards for example. Some companies and government agencies require that their employees dress, groom their hair, wear their make-up and jewelry according to specific standards of the organization. Many employees are beginning to challenge organizational grooming standards as a violation of their constitutional rights to freedom of speech and privacy. Depending on the circumstances surrounding certain grooming standards, employees have challenged that the organizations policies infringe on their religious beliefs. The Supreme Court has intervened in some of these cases attempting to draw the line between personal privacy and religion vs. organizational policies.
Another example of organizational power is the restriction of visible tattoos in the workplace. Some government agencies such as police and fire departments restrict the visible display of any tattoos while on duty. Public safety employees have resisted and challenged this grooming standard on the grounds of freedom of speech and privacy. However, the courts have not always remained so liberal depending on the circumstances of the tattoo. Some employees have claimed religious affiliation, while others believe it is a personal expression. The court has upheld in the past that government agencies involved in public safety have an expectation to remain professional, impartial, and maintain an integral sense of “esprit de corps” for the organization and the community. The court has not made a firm ruling either way on whether visible tattoos at work are a constitutional matter, each situation brought before the court is treated on a case by case basis.
The overall theme of this article is that organizations do practice some power and influence in our personal lives. Right or wrong, my belief is that most of us know what we are getting into when we are hired by an organization, or at least we should. In knowing what the expectations of an organization are beforehand, people can make better decisions as to whether they want to work for the organization or not. This may reduce some resistance in the workplace. While the workplace can be dynamic and ever changing, employees need to know when the right time to practice resistance is in order to avoid accepting a dominant practice that may not be beneficial to the employee or the organization.
Another example of organizational power is the restriction of visible tattoos in the workplace. Some government agencies such as police and fire departments restrict the visible display of any tattoos while on duty. Public safety employees have resisted and challenged this grooming standard on the grounds of freedom of speech and privacy. However, the courts have not always remained so liberal depending on the circumstances of the tattoo. Some employees have claimed religious affiliation, while others believe it is a personal expression. The court has upheld in the past that government agencies involved in public safety have an expectation to remain professional, impartial, and maintain an integral sense of “esprit de corps” for the organization and the community. The court has not made a firm ruling either way on whether visible tattoos at work are a constitutional matter, each situation brought before the court is treated on a case by case basis.
The overall theme of this article is that organizations do practice some power and influence in our personal lives. Right or wrong, my belief is that most of us know what we are getting into when we are hired by an organization, or at least we should. In knowing what the expectations of an organization are beforehand, people can make better decisions as to whether they want to work for the organization or not. This may reduce some resistance in the workplace. While the workplace can be dynamic and ever changing, employees need to know when the right time to practice resistance is in order to avoid accepting a dominant practice that may not be beneficial to the employee or the organization.
Ch. 5-Practical View (Pike Place Fish Market
The Practical View describes “managers’ desires for practical advice and specific communication strategies for enhanced competitiveness and increased employee satisfaction.” (137) Culture is an essential part of this type of organization because managers can influence employee’s commitment, organizational outcomes, and other cultural elements in the organization such as rituals and stories. According to Terrence Deal and Allan Kennedy’s “Corporate Cultures: The Rites and Rituals of Corporate Life, strong cultures have the following elements: supportive business environment, dedication to shared vision and values, corporate heroes, effective rites and rituals, and formal and informal communication networks.”(137) When I think about these elements in a successful corporation, I think of Pike’s Place Fish Market in downtown Seattle.
Pike’s “World Famous” Fish Market began as a small company that sold fish. In 1965 it was purchased by one of the employees who worked at the fish market for several years. The new owner, John Yokoyama, wanted to make Pike Place Fish Market a special place for employees and customers. His vision, along with the assistance of his employees was to figure out what they wanted the business to be. Te employees participated in the process of deciding where to take Pike Market. They collaboratively decided that they wanted to be “World Famous.” From this point on the company has worked on goals to meet the expectations of their new reputation as “World Famous.” To the Pike Market organization, “World Famous” meant stepping out of the box and working directly with the customer in a fun, enthusiastic, customer service way. The business and the goal of the company are all about the customer. The employees have most of the influence in deciding the direction of the company. From this participation the employees have personal “buy in” and stake in the organization.
Pike Market Fish employees love their job. They sing, they chant, they play pranks on their customers with fish, and they toss fish all over the place in a show like fashion. People buy the fish just to see the show! Pike Market employees and owner, Yokoyama, continue to strive to be the very best organization they can possibly be. They continue to have workshops, brainstorming sessions, and team exercises to continue to build the organization and each other.
Pike’s “World Famous” Fish Market began as a small company that sold fish. In 1965 it was purchased by one of the employees who worked at the fish market for several years. The new owner, John Yokoyama, wanted to make Pike Place Fish Market a special place for employees and customers. His vision, along with the assistance of his employees was to figure out what they wanted the business to be. Te employees participated in the process of deciding where to take Pike Market. They collaboratively decided that they wanted to be “World Famous.” From this point on the company has worked on goals to meet the expectations of their new reputation as “World Famous.” To the Pike Market organization, “World Famous” meant stepping out of the box and working directly with the customer in a fun, enthusiastic, customer service way. The business and the goal of the company are all about the customer. The employees have most of the influence in deciding the direction of the company. From this participation the employees have personal “buy in” and stake in the organization.
Pike Market Fish employees love their job. They sing, they chant, they play pranks on their customers with fish, and they toss fish all over the place in a show like fashion. People buy the fish just to see the show! Pike Market employees and owner, Yokoyama, continue to strive to be the very best organization they can possibly be. They continue to have workshops, brainstorming sessions, and team exercises to continue to build the organization and each other.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Metaphors & Culture-Part 2 (Fragmentation)
Martin presents a perspective on "fragmentation" in the organizational culture as one that contains "multiplicity and flux." When fragmentation occurs in organizations, multiple interpretations, meanings, symbols, and ambiguity exist. While fragmentation may sound like a negative term when relating to organizations, this perspective allows for an organization to operate in a dynamic state of unknown rather then being stagnant. I believe this is good because it forces the organization to evolve and adapt to change and challenges.
Recently, my office created a media campaign for recruiting new applicants into a career in law enforcement. The vision behind the media campaign was to draw a diverse group of applicants from all races and genders into an exciting career as a deputy sheriff. The media campaign was innovative and different than any type of recruiting we had done before. The first few media releases into the local paper were full size color photos with a caption that stated "What did you do at work today?" In the background were three deputies with rifles running in the middle of a street during a serious incident. The controversy over this recruitment photo was relentless. Several members of the public felt that our agency was glorifying violence and guns as a career. The recruitment teams perspective was that law enforcement is both dangerous and challenging at the same time, it is not your typical day at the office. The recruitment team had their own meanings as to what law enforcement meant to them and capitalized on that meaning. Members of the public viewed this photo with different meaning. Ultimately, there was a lot of ambiguity presented by the recruitment team. Within a law enforcement culture, most of us did not think twice about the recruitment photos because this is a common perspective that most of us have about our job. However, if I were to ask a records clerk about ways to recruit new applicants into the sheriff's office they would have a different perspective on how to recruit members in our community.
Recently, my office created a media campaign for recruiting new applicants into a career in law enforcement. The vision behind the media campaign was to draw a diverse group of applicants from all races and genders into an exciting career as a deputy sheriff. The media campaign was innovative and different than any type of recruiting we had done before. The first few media releases into the local paper were full size color photos with a caption that stated "What did you do at work today?" In the background were three deputies with rifles running in the middle of a street during a serious incident. The controversy over this recruitment photo was relentless. Several members of the public felt that our agency was glorifying violence and guns as a career. The recruitment teams perspective was that law enforcement is both dangerous and challenging at the same time, it is not your typical day at the office. The recruitment team had their own meanings as to what law enforcement meant to them and capitalized on that meaning. Members of the public viewed this photo with different meaning. Ultimately, there was a lot of ambiguity presented by the recruitment team. Within a law enforcement culture, most of us did not think twice about the recruitment photos because this is a common perspective that most of us have about our job. However, if I were to ask a records clerk about ways to recruit new applicants into the sheriff's office they would have a different perspective on how to recruit members in our community.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Metaphors & Culture-Part 1(Domination Metaphor)
In Metaphors and Culture the term "domination metaphor" was discussed in regards to "employee exploitation, damaging employees' health and intruding on their personal lives." The domination metaphor demonstrates how employers take advantage of their employees because they have more power and authority over the employee group. For example, agricultural labor workers have often been mistreated and taken advantage of while employed seasonally by farmers and larger corporate agricultural industries. The work place abuses that occurs are working people beyond the allowed hours, not providing safety equipment or precautionary education on chemicals and fertilizer dangers, bathroom facilities, or health care coverage. Additionally, many of the farm laborers rely on housing while working for the fields seasonally. The farm labor housing is often poorly equipped, with minimal needs and adequate shelter being met. Many of the "labor camps" are on or near the farms where the employees work and employees have the ability to check on their employees any time. Most farm workers do not mention anything about negative treatment by their employee because it is the only income they have. Many of the workers are providing for their family in the U.S. and in Mexico, and most need the steady income to survive. Additionally, farm labor work takes skill and speed. Most farmers will not hire someone who doesn't have experience because they want skill and productivity. Therefore, a laborer does not want to lose their job because it is difficult to find new work without the "word of mouth" connections that may have to rely on from another reputable laborer.
Equally, the farmer or corporation involved makes decisions based on the belief that the laborers will not report them for what they may consider small infractions towards the laborers. Therefore, their decisions and policies are made on profit, not treatment of their employees. This example does not apply to all Farmers and farm laborers, but there have been cases of employee mistreatment in the Watsonville area.
Equally, the farmer or corporation involved makes decisions based on the belief that the laborers will not report them for what they may consider small infractions towards the laborers. Therefore, their decisions and policies are made on profit, not treatment of their employees. This example does not apply to all Farmers and farm laborers, but there have been cases of employee mistreatment in the Watsonville area.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Ch. 4 Retrospective Sense Making
Karl Weick's model on Retrospective Sense Making was interesting to me and complex at the same time. I always believed that many of my outcomes were from careful planning and organization, but after reading the short caption on "Making Sense of Your Equivocal Past," I began to understand that perhaps my actions later explained their meaning or result. Humans are the only living beings, as far as I can tell, that reflect back on their actions to gather meaning. I have yet to see my cat act and then ponder on her actions after knocking over her food dish. I believe Steve Jobs says it best, "You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect your future." (117)
In reflecting back on my life's journey I can see where my actions have taken me. Originally, I wanted to be a film major. However, my passion for helping people and my desire to promote positive change has lead me to a career in public service, and an education in Public Administration. Where has your journey taken you? Do the dots connect?
In reflecting back on my life's journey I can see where my actions have taken me. Originally, I wanted to be a film major. However, my passion for helping people and my desire to promote positive change has lead me to a career in public service, and an education in Public Administration. Where has your journey taken you? Do the dots connect?
Friday, June 13, 2008
Ch. 4 Interdependence (pg.107)
Interdependence is an important part of systems theory because it includes the working relationship of individuals coupled with a system. Interdependence discourages looking out for the individual, rather it considers the "whole" picture of a situation. However, an individuals actions may impact the system both positively and negatively. In the book, marriage was used as an example of interdependent relationships where if one individual in the marriage decided to leave, the relationship would be at risk. This is no different then working on a team to develop a new budget for the fiscal year, or playing on a baseball team that is in the play-offs for the World Series. Each aspect of these interdependent parts rely on the other to complete the task or goal of the organization. Without all the necessary working parts, or people, in the organized system or structure the system would fail.
Interdependence equally brings out the values, strengths, and character that contribute to the organization. Each part of the system relies on the other to get the job done. As an example, I just had the experience of working at a fire in the Santa Cruz Mountains. I quickly became part of a command structure known as the Incident Command System. In this organizational command structure a team is created to handle specific parts of the operation in order to keep the event running smoothly. Without the interdependent relationships in this structure working together, the system would fail because each part relies on the other to succeed. Without the interdependent realtionship there would be no system.
Interdependence equally brings out the values, strengths, and character that contribute to the organization. Each part of the system relies on the other to get the job done. As an example, I just had the experience of working at a fire in the Santa Cruz Mountains. I quickly became part of a command structure known as the Incident Command System. In this organizational command structure a team is created to handle specific parts of the operation in order to keep the event running smoothly. Without the interdependent relationships in this structure working together, the system would fail because each part relies on the other to succeed. Without the interdependent realtionship there would be no system.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Ch. 3-The Hawthorne Studies
In the study of human behavior individuals thrive on the the ability to be recognized and accepted by their peers. The work place is no different. When a supervisor praises their subordinate for a job well done the employee feels good. These feelings can lead to confidence, motivation to succeed, and the sense of acceptance. According to the Hawthorne Studies, research revealed that employees who received "increased attention," which I imagine was positive attention, seemed to thrive and productivity increased. The finding in this study, known as the Hawthorne effect, revealed that "increased attention raises productivity." The study also demonstrated that regardless of the working conditions, if the group norm included positive group energy and values; productivity would increase.
I look at this example of times when I have been at work and the day has not been good. However, the camaraderie and energy of my immediate co-workers alone, may change the event from bad to good all by positive perspective. While I don't believe that personal relationships should take over the job, relationships in the work place are important for survival and social well-being. Furthermore, our need to feel accepted and recognized in the workplace satisfies the human need to feel important and needed. After all, we spend most of our adult lives working, it is important then to feel good about what we do each day. Our experiences at work can often shape what motivates us, establishes our "culture" within the job, and provides for some sort of meaning to the purpose we are serving.
I look at this example of times when I have been at work and the day has not been good. However, the camaraderie and energy of my immediate co-workers alone, may change the event from bad to good all by positive perspective. While I don't believe that personal relationships should take over the job, relationships in the work place are important for survival and social well-being. Furthermore, our need to feel accepted and recognized in the workplace satisfies the human need to feel important and needed. After all, we spend most of our adult lives working, it is important then to feel good about what we do each day. Our experiences at work can often shape what motivates us, establishes our "culture" within the job, and provides for some sort of meaning to the purpose we are serving.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Comm 144-Scientific Management (Ch. 3)
The development and basics of scientific management is a concept that is still used in some aspects of employment today. Consider law enforcement for example, there is a clear distinction between the division of labor of management and employees. However, according to Frederick Taylor, "some employees are better suited to "thinking" work and some to "doing" work." (73)
From this example, a class distinction is assumed between "white-collar" workers and "blue collar" workers. In society the assumption then is the smart people (white collars) have the good jobs, and the nice places to live, while the worker bees are less intelligent (blue collar) have labor type jobs and live near factories. I don't believe this is true today since the opportunity to choose from thousands of careers is plentiful and open to everyone, including women, and people of all abilities and skill levels.
Frederick Taylor also mentioned that women were not included in his theory on scientific management because they were seen as "less logical" and "more emotional" then men. However, he later applied women into his theory with regard to maintaining the household, also known as the "cult of domesticity." Initially I laughed at this statement, but as I read further I realized that women have more power in the implementation and organization of scientific management today then Taylor could have ever imagined. Women today are taking care of the home, raising children, and managing full-time careers!
From this example, a class distinction is assumed between "white-collar" workers and "blue collar" workers. In society the assumption then is the smart people (white collars) have the good jobs, and the nice places to live, while the worker bees are less intelligent (blue collar) have labor type jobs and live near factories. I don't believe this is true today since the opportunity to choose from thousands of careers is plentiful and open to everyone, including women, and people of all abilities and skill levels.
Frederick Taylor also mentioned that women were not included in his theory on scientific management because they were seen as "less logical" and "more emotional" then men. However, he later applied women into his theory with regard to maintaining the household, also known as the "cult of domesticity." Initially I laughed at this statement, but as I read further I realized that women have more power in the implementation and organization of scientific management today then Taylor could have ever imagined. Women today are taking care of the home, raising children, and managing full-time careers!
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
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