New Paradigm in Management
Written by Carter McNamara, MBA, PhD, Authenticity Consulting, LLC. Copyright 1997-2008.Sections of This Topic Include:
Driving Forces of ChangeTraits of the New Paradigm
Additional Online Readings
Driving Forces of Change
Around the 1960s and on to today, the environment of today’s organizations has changed a great deal. A variety of driving forces provoke this change. Increasing telecommunications has “shrunk” the world substantially. Increasing diversity of workers has brought in a wide array of differing values, perspectives and expectations among workers. Public consciousness has become much more sensitive and demanding that organizations be more socially responsible. Much of the third-world countries has joined the global marketplace, creating a wider arena for sales and services. Organizations became responsible not only to stockholders (those who owned stock) but to a wider community of “stakeholders.”As a result of the above driving forces, organizations were required to adopt a “new paradigm,” or view on the world, to be more sensitive, flexible and adaptable to the demands and expectations of stakeholder demands. Many organizations have abandoned or are abandoning the traditional top-down, rigid and hierarchical structures to more “organic” and fluid forms.
Today’s leaders and/or managers must deal with continual, rapid change. Managers faced with a major decision can no longer refer back to an earlier developed plan for direction. Management techniques must continually notice changes in the environment and organization, assess this change and manage change. Managing change does not mean controlling it, rather understanding it, adapting to it where necessary and guiding it when possible.
Managers can’t know it all or reference resources for every situation. Managers must count on and listen more to their employees. Consequently, new forms of organizations are becoming more common, e.g., worker-centered teams, self-organizing and self-designing teams, etc.
Traits of the New Paradigm
Marilyn Ferguson, in The New Paradigm: Emerging Strategic for Leadership and Organizational Change (Michael Ray and Alan Rinzler, Eds., 1993, New Consciousness Reader), provides a very concise overview of the differences between the old and new paradigm. (The following is summarized.)|
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| promote consumption at all costs | appropriate consumption |
| people to fit jobs | jobs to fit people |
| imposed goals, top-down decision making | autonomy encouraged, worker participation |
| fragmentation in work and roles | cross-fertilization by specialists seeing wide relevance |
| identification with job | identity transcends job description |
| clock model of company | recognition of uncertainty |
| aggression, competition | cooperation |
| work and play separate | blurring of work and play |
| manipulation and dominance | cooperation with nature |
| struggle for stability | sense of change, of becoming |
| quantitative | qualitative as well as quantitative |
| strictly economic motives | spiritual values transcend material gain |
| polarized | transcends polarities |
| short-sighted | ecologically sensitive |
| rational | rational and intuitive |
| emphasis on short-term solutions | recognition that long-range efficiency must take in to account harmonious work environment |
| centralized operations | decentralized operations when possible |
| runaway, unbridled technology | appropriate technology |
| allopathic treatment of symptoms | attempt to understand the whole, locate deep underlying causes of disharmony |
Additional Online Readings
Devising a Paradigm-shifting DeviceManagement Styles
also see "Future of Management Development"
For the Category of Management:
Related Library Topics
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General (For-Profit and Nonprofit)
General (For-Profit and Nonprofit)
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Nonprofit-Specific
The following books are recommended because of their highly practical nature and often because they include a wide range of information about this Library topic. To get more information about each book, just hover your cursor over the image of the book. A "bubble" of information will be displayed. You can click on the title of the book in that bubble to get more information, too.
