Client Articles: Beyond Teams
Summary And Implications by: Max Elden
The main focus of this exploration has been to explain the dynamics behind Magma's remarkable and continuing organizational transformation, so that people at Magma and elsewhere interested in transformation could do it more effectively. In short, the purpose has been to begin to sketch a practice theory of organizational transformation. The prime discovery in this exploration is that change at Magma does not follow the conventional, linear notion of rational commitment that is typical in the literature of planned change. But the unreasonableness here is not irrational.
The key to Magma's practice theory for organizational transformation lies in its vision/commitment/invention approach to change. Change at Magma has relied on a variety of ideas such as work design, team-based organization, and gain sharing, but the main vehicle is a new way of thinking about change that contrasts to the conventional dictates of rational commitment and linear progress in organization development. This nonlinear, "extrarational" approach found at Magma is consistent with new ideas in organization change, such as the role of "unreasonable commitment" in culture-transforming strategic intent" (Hamel & Prahalad, 1989); participant-managed action research (Elden & Chisholm, 1993); "appreciative" inquiry (Cooperrider & Srivastava, 1987); non-linear, emergent models of change (Beer, Eisenstat, & Spector, 1990; Smith, 1991). These are innovative but still emerging ideas on the "extrarational" nature of change in innovative forms of organization development. How they compare and could add to the organization transformation at Magma should be explored.
Magma is an example of an organization in which the idea of self- management has not been limited to a specific organizational structure in the production process such as self-managing work teams. Team-based organization structure is important at Magma, of course. The whole new structure of the Magma Metals subsidiary is based on the idea of self-managing systems writ large. But the central dynamic behind Magma's impressive breakthroughs, especially in labor-management relations, is the shift in focus from a particular organizational form such as self-managing production work teams to people inventing their own new ways of working and being in achieving a collective strategic intent. Magma is beyond teams in the sense that self-managing structures are not simply the product of change but, more importantly, the means of producing it.
Introduction
Magma-A: Part I
Magma-A: Part II
Research Issues & Designs
Findings: Generating A Culture of Invention
Invention As A Practice Theory For Organizational Transformation
Contrasting Organization Development And Transformation
Summary, Acknowlegements And References
The key to Magma's practice theory for organizational transformation lies in its vision/commitment/invention approach to change. Change at Magma has relied on a variety of ideas such as work design, team-based organization, and gain sharing, but the main vehicle is a new way of thinking about change that contrasts to the conventional dictates of rational commitment and linear progress in organization development. This nonlinear, "extrarational" approach found at Magma is consistent with new ideas in organization change, such as the role of "unreasonable commitment" in culture-transforming strategic intent" (Hamel & Prahalad, 1989); participant-managed action research (Elden & Chisholm, 1993); "appreciative" inquiry (Cooperrider & Srivastava, 1987); non-linear, emergent models of change (Beer, Eisenstat, & Spector, 1990; Smith, 1991). These are innovative but still emerging ideas on the "extrarational" nature of change in innovative forms of organization development. How they compare and could add to the organization transformation at Magma should be explored.
- Smith (1991), for example, describes a process similar to Magma's practice theory. Based on dialogs with five CEOs who dramatically turned around their organizations, Smith found what he terms the "Merlin Factor." Like the legendary wizard, these leaders lived in the future and brought new possibilities into the present. "They treated the future as something which they could create through language, calling it into being by speaking about it as attainable. They gained widespread support for attaining this visionary future by getting other people engaged in committed conversations about it" (Smith, 1991, p. 4). Smith's model includes invention where one challenges the limits of what is considered possible by taking a stand. He finds that leaders of transformation "enroll others as co-creators," and concludes with the metaphor of a quest pursuing strategic intent that must "allow for magic."
- Our model of ?extrarationality" is also consistent with participant managed inquiry (Cooperrider & Srivastava, 1987; Elden & Chisholm, 1993), where people create new meaning by reflecting on their experience in terms of what could be possible. They appreciate new possibilities or, from a constructionist perspective, they create new social constructions of reality. Thus language plays a critical role in bringing new ideas into practice. One of the key tasks for a consultant who would forward transformation seems to be to intervene with a "metalanguage" which provides an arena or new playing field for people to create a different future than one to be expected from historical trends. Another role is to design and manage Teaming arenas where participants learn from each other, as well as from the workshop leader. The key seems to be consultant intervention for client invention.
Magma is an example of an organization in which the idea of self- management has not been limited to a specific organizational structure in the production process such as self-managing work teams. Team-based organization structure is important at Magma, of course. The whole new structure of the Magma Metals subsidiary is based on the idea of self-managing systems writ large. But the central dynamic behind Magma's impressive breakthroughs, especially in labor-management relations, is the shift in focus from a particular organizational form such as self-managing production work teams to people inventing their own new ways of working and being in achieving a collective strategic intent. Magma is beyond teams in the sense that self-managing structures are not simply the product of change but, more importantly, the means of producing it.
Introduction
Magma-A: Part I
Magma-A: Part II
Research Issues & Designs
Findings: Generating A Culture of Invention
Invention As A Practice Theory For Organizational Transformation
Contrasting Organization Development And Transformation
Summary, Acknowlegements And References