Organizational Theory For Post Modernist And Critical Theory

BUSM3194 Organisational Theory

Modern, Symbolic-interpretive, and Post-modern Theory

Discuss about the Organizational Theory for Post Modernist and Critical Theory.

Organizational theories are based on three perspectives which are modern, symbolic-interpretive and the post modern theory. All these theories have a different perspective as per the given situation when it is about managing an organization.  A company makes huge profit that is based on the ability of the CEO. Investment decisions are taken by the CEO which is measured in terms of profit and loss.  The data recognized by post- modernist in case of gender equity helps in understanding the amount of difference in the sector. Post –Modernist approach makes those set of rules and guidelines that can be followed by the people working in the organization Post-Modernist does focus on the rationalization of organizational practices. They are more concerned for attaining efficiency and effectiveness. The modern mind is trained for progress both scientifically and productively According to them the behavior of an individual at work depends upon his value, attitude and belief.  Hence behavior of the work force can be changed to managerial end by focusing upon shared attitude (Hatch and Cunliffe,2013).  There is a positive correlation between the organizational performance and the strength of the corporate culture.  It highly influences individual behavior when they share similar goals. Whereas the critical theory focuses on analyzing the HRD policy challenges the suppression of human knowledge to gain justice, equality, and fairness. This also improves the performance o each and every individual working in an organization. Workers need to have a structure in order to accomplish the pre-determined goals (Delgado and Stefancic, 2012).  The essay is reflects the contrast in between the two perspective. Firstly it describes the role of gender equity at workplace according to the post-modernist perspective. Secondly it critically analyzes the role of Deconstructing the Privilege and Power of Employee Engagement at workplace. The critical theory focuses on the changing society and the role played by different social background in managing it. In context of the privilege and position it describes the role played by an employee and an organization in attaining significant position. Critical theory analyzes the behavior of an individual towards the organization in building a suitable position (Lenski, 2013).

According to (Shuck. et al.2016) the aspect of critical management studies and critical pedagogy the rising critical human resource development is one of the important aspects against the well defined theories and practices. A significant HRD policy challenges the suppression of human knowledge to gain justice, equality, and fairness.  A critical HRD is based on decisive viewpoint that help in formulating diversity of theoretical improvement which includes discursive, gendered, materialist, and anti-racist.

Gender Equity from Post-Modernist Perspective

An imaginary ideological contradicts in between the radical course of action and critical theory. The managerialist or performative frames activities in synchronization while coordinating in between the other departments. In a given scenario Human Resource Practice are in full coordination with other area. Probable configurations of a HRD plays an important role  in meeting the ongoing needs. This organizational theory provides a clear job description in order to set genuine objectives.  All these Functions are important in setting the rules for attaining organizational objectives. This theory helps in attaining goals in an effortless manner. The Post-modernist diverges from the other perspective on the basis of unwillingness to make ontological and epistemological changes. They undertake a very critical approach to an issue and their approaches are challenging under the social domain (Mahoney and Thelen, 2009).

Critical theory has a different approach when compared with the post modernist theory. In case of inequality at workplace the theory focuses on the changes taking place in the society. According to Deconstructing the Privilege and Power of Employee Engagement – Critical Theorist Perspective it is focused on the change in status of characteristics that unearned privilege are easy but more powerful. (Why Critical theory got introduction on article but not post modernist?, please add in same for post modernist article) The higher a person’s designation at workplace, the more likely is the chances to be rewarded within the organizational hierarchy. This perspective discusses an open intervention related to the unearned experience.  It is however related with Critical theory however put a challenge on the traditional way of doing work. They are using those methods which are necessary for responding to the ongoing situation. According to them there is a distinction in the market situation that will either provide privilege in accordance to the changing needs. the result on ongoing distinction in between the employees has become more complex. Weber has described that the society is split into distinct sub parts. Within the class there is also a distinction in terms of the sub-class in the society. Feminisms lean to dispute that empirical, scientific approaches to research are masculine in procedure. Women have faced inequality in the society since very beginning. Women still do not have full rights at the workplace. Society is more inclined towards the patriarchal society. Gender inequality arises due to inequality arising out of capitalism. The arrival of the feminist theory arrived due to breakdown of the capitalist economy. Women are often seen as choosing part time work instead of the full time work. The two most important context related to the critical perspective is the power of the organization and the power over the organization. Callahan focus on the third kind of transformational power related to the critical perspective. Engagement into the business activity is more important to attain support from each and every activity (Dutton and Ragins, 2007; Putnam and Mumby, 2013).

Deconstructing the Privilege and Power of Employee Engagement

Postmodern theory diverges from the rest of the perspective on the basis of its unwillingness to understand the truth or to make permanent commitments. Therefore it is necessary to understand the implication of equality at workplace under the post modernist approach. The article ‘Trapped’ by metaphors for organizations: Thinking and seeing women’s equality and inequality – Post Modernist Perspective showcases the privilege given to women at workplace. Post modern theory tries to fit in between the philosophical positions.  They refuse to take a temporary philosophical stand because doing those privileges would forms awareness over others and this disobeys postmodern ethics. Post modernism is associated with the introduction into the organizational culture while dealing with the organizational and cultural issues (Manning, 2012). Organizational culture is considered to be one of the important parts while dealing with the post-modern approach. The theory related to Attention to discourse suggests that, those researchers who are interested in the post-modern theory give more importance to ‘culture’ than others. It does not have very much in common as organizational culture can be considered as a part of the discursive formation. The major influences on post-modernism have been White and Foucault. Post-modernism has shifted their emphasis away. They have shifted their interest from seeing archival research towards a view that is the conference and traditions of writing However organizations are taking all possible efforts to understand the possible outcome and taking possible efforts to strengthen authority with their acquaintance(March, 2013). The relationship between concepts is changing due to undefined word or concepts. These theories are developed on the basis of decisively examining the postulations of major theories. These theories are making an attempt to establish the totality of human survival. Post-modernism consider the notion that the past repeats itself in a consistent form.  

Inequality at work on the basis of gender is a common issue.  All the three perspective can be compared by using the organizational structure that is social and physical in nature. The social structure is defined as a connection in between the individuals working at different department. The social structure concept was developed by Max Webber which is called as a systematic study of bureaucracy (Hatch and Cunliffe, 2013).  Michel Foucault was the greatest French philosopher contributing towards the postmodern perspective. It helps in defining the role and responsibilities of each and every individual working in an organization and setting their role as per the hierarchy. Flat organizational structure has more division as compared to the hierarchy structure. Their focus is to carry out the work in an effective and efficient manner by primarily focusing on each and every aspect attached with the organization (Mendenhall, 2012).

Critical Theory on Workplace Inequality

Different people have different type of feelings and experiences. It can be noticed that the routine remain the same but they are applied in a different manner by different individual. An unpredicted incidence can cause improvisation in routine activities. They see an organization as a community and act accordingly (Chia, 1995). The power theory therefore belongs to the post modernist perspective is more critical in their approach towards power (Clarke, 2005; Hatch and Schultz, 2010).The deconstruction of the privilege and power is focused on exploring four principles that are based on one who controls the context of work, secondly on one who determines the experience of engagement, Thirdly on the value of engagement and lastly on the benefits derived from high levels of engagement.  The organizations and employees are both benefitted from the result associated with the knowledge of employee commitment. The organization is exclusively located to control all the system of power and privilege. Organizations can attain desired level of engagement through an obligation while manifestation of privilege in unequal states of power, credibility and access.

According to the post-modernist there is no proper structure in an organization because they believe that there are no boundaries. They apply approaches like de-differentiation, de-centralization and de-constructing in achieving organizational goals. Post- Modernist does follow an actual method which is recognized by majority of people working in an organization. They have a restriction on surpassing the hierarchy level but the post-modern provide with recourses and technology where people have to set their own ideology. They have their own mindset which is concerned with doing things in a different manner. According to them each individual has a different method to get their work done. Post modernist organizations are moreover considered as a feminist organization as they believe that every individual has equal rights (Tsoukas and Knudsen, 2005).

Organizational culture is important for developing a cohesive environment at workplace. It needs to ensure that the degree of participation is well-defined to create more awareness among the participants. There are three level of culture defined in an organization hierarchy which is as follows:  artifacts, values, and assumptions (Fleetwood, 2005).

These are the different set of norms as established by the organization in order to accomplish mission and vision as mentioned to employees. As per the post modernist Approach there is a huge impact of the corporate culture in an organization. Employees share similar goals in a modern organization and argue that the external factors have a huge influence in order to improve the performance. The external changes according to them help in catching up with the changing environment. Quantitative method is used to analyze the degree of change occurring in an organization which is used to relate with the performance and adaptation. Various different tools are used by the researchers in order to understand the relationship in between the organizational structure and culture (Hosking and McNamee, 2006).

Post-Modernist Perspective on Workplace Equality

It is important to understand that the organization exist in terms of different perspective. They focus on different theories and procedures in order to explore organizational culture. In term of both the theories it is important to understand the theory related to the privilege at work as a critical approach. It is evident that the concept of privilege is evident at work. It is important to be understood at this situation that it is at this intersection of privilege and meaningful work. This makes engagement a potentially privileged state for an employee at work. Both the individual and the workplace has a benefit from engagement but organization has more power than employee.

Equality at work place is in according to the post-modernist approach depending upon the Feminist standpoint theory.  The theory aims on an epistemic privilege over the character of gender relations. The gender as per the theory describes the viewpoint of feminist at work. It describes it on the basis of the post-modernist perspective. The post modernist theory therefore emerged as an obscure jargon. They describe themselves as the system of the thoughts that are important to manage equality at workplace.

References

Chia, R., 1995. From modern to postmodern organizational analysis. Organization studies, 16(4), pp.579-604.

Clarke, A., 2005. Situational analysis: Grounded theory after the postmodern turn. Sage.

Delgado, R. and Stefancic, J., 2012. Critical race theory: An introduction. NYU Press.

Dutton, J.E. and Ragins, B.R.E., 2007. Exploring positive relationships at work: Building a theoretical and research foundation. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Publishers.

Fleetwood, S., 2005. Ontology in organization and management studies: A critical realist perspective. Organization, 12(2), pp.197-222.

Hatch, M.J. and Cunliffe, A.L., 2013. Organization theory: modern, symbolic and postmodern perspectives. Oxford university press.

Hatch, M.J. and Schultz, M., 2010. Toward a theory of brand co-creation with implications for brand governance1. Journal of Brand Management, 17(8), pp.590-604.

Hosking, D.M. and McNamee, S. eds., 2006. The social construction of organization. Oslo: Liber.

King, B.G., Felin, T. and Whetten, D.A., 2010. Perspective—Finding the organization in organizational theory: A meta-theory of the organization as a social actor. Organization Science, 21(1), pp.290-305.

Lenski, G.E., 2013. Power and privilege: A theory of social stratification. UNC Press Books.

Mahoney, J. and Thelen, K. eds., 2009. Explaining institutional change: ambiguity, agency, and power. Cambridge University Press.

Manning, K., 2012. Organizational theory in higher education. Routledge.

March, J.G., 2013. Handbook of Organizations (RLE: Organizations) (Vol. 20). Routledge.

McKinley, W., 2010. Organizational theory development: Displacement of ends?. Organization Studies, 31(1), pp.47-68.

Mendenhall, M.E., 2012. Global leadership: Research, practice, and development. Routledge.

Putnam, L.L. and Mumby, D.K. eds., 2013. The SAGE handbook of organizational communication: Advances in theory, research, and methods. Sage Publications.

Shafritz, J.M., Ott, J.S. and Jang, Y.S., 2015. Classics of organization theory. Cengage Learning.

Tsoukas, H. and Knudsen, C., 2005. The Oxford handbook of organization theory. Oxford Handbooks.