Feedback in Organisationen

This article examines the need for and the problems of feedback in modern work organizations.The first part describes the way personal and institutional feedback is usually being delivered. It deals with the question why there seems to be an increasing need for feedback in modern organizations. In the second part a case study illustrates the dilemma between anonymity and direct communication. What makes anonymous feedback so disagreeable for the receiver and at the same time so difficult to transform into a more direct message? Finally, consultant malpractice in regard to feedback is being discussed.     

Partizipatives Gesundheitslernen in Organisationen

In workplace health promotion programs, participative learning processes are considered as central. A very popular instrument in German-speaking countries is the so-called health circle, which is often organizationally und financially supported. Learning processes initiated by health circles should be sustainable, which means it is important not to interrupt learning cycles. In order to analyze the learning processes and especially the learning cycles, the present study uses ten problem-centred interviews about workplace health promotion in general, 15 interviews regarding health circles in particular and two multi-data case studies.     

Kooperation zwischen Organisationen

The success of organizations stands very often in direct correlation to other organizations. The more differentiated, the more subtlety organizations and their tasks are the more this applies: and this applies equally for both profit and non-profit organizations. The way an organization behaves and co-operates with other organizations crucially influences the success factor. And must, as such, be taken extremely seriously and placed in the focal point of organizations’ management strategies and their dynamic processes of change.This contribution is the product of the joint reflections of the authors advisory functions in and with organizations, and closely examines the process of helping to build successful co-operative relationships between organizations. They (the authors) will present their opinions upon what makes co-operative relationships work effectively. The authors will refer to the theory of company control and the systemic development of co-operative strategies, as well as a dynamic group understanding of social dynamics. And demonstrate that the coming together of these various standpoints, results in a new and tenable form of productive co-operation between organizations. In consequence, it furthermore exhibits, how innovative possibilities, like the construction of the co-operative relationship, with adequate control instruments, can be appropriately supported: In concrete terms we will present the from the authors developed intermediary balanced scorecard (BSC). The last section of our article is devoted to the discussion of effective success factors, which, from practical experience, can be regarded as relevant in the forming of the processes of co-operation.     

Macht und Gender

What prevents women, who wish to pursue a career, from gaining power???If organizational micro-politics, which means using and developing power, is conceptualized as an acting competence, the acquisition of cognitive competences and also the willingness to act micro-politically will turn into focus, which can be regarded as an indicator for the integration of micro-political acting into a self-concept. According to common models of competences this illustrates self-competence. The interviews conducted with female young executives revealed that the willingness??more than the ??pure motivation to advance a career????represents a key factor to be successful in advancing a career. The willingness seems to be even more marked, the less the self-concept is linked to female gender-stereotype. With regards to this result it is discussed what this means to the development of micro-political competences for women.     

Macht und Gegenmacht

The paper starts with a social discourse on innovation and organizational learning, which seems to be unrelated to the dimension of power. Following Bourdieu, the paper then develops a practice-theoretical perspective of organizational power and countervailing power. Power dynamics in organizational fields and symbolic orders are discussed and described as ??bureaucracy??, ??clan?? and ??market??. The paper finally concludes with an outlook on habitus (and field-) reflexive organizational consultancy.     

Schatten in Organisationen und ihre Integration

The psychological concept of ?shadow“, as it was created by C.G. Jung, can also be applied in the understanding of organizations. A condition for successful development of persons and organizations is the integration of the ?shadow“. The organizational shadow seems to be specific referring to the means and the actual status of development. From this fact you can derive powerful interventions for the consultation and management of organizational development.     

Wie Organisationsmediation mit Macht in Konflikten umgehen kann

The author distinguishes different forms of influence from power and is describing analytical models to be used for diagnosis and for conflict resolution interventions in meso-social systems like corporate organizations, NGOs, public administration, hospitals, schools, associations etc. The given models are useful for external consultants or mediators who are aiming at changing power aspects. During a process of escalation various forms of influence and power are applied which require specific approaches for interventions.     

?rgerberatung in Organisationen — systemische und strukturationstheoretische Implikationen

Zusammenfassung  Vor dem Hintergrund einer strukturationstheoreitschen Perspektive auf ?rger in Organisationen werden unter Bezugnahme auf den systemischen Ansatz praxeologische Implikationen für Berater aufgezeigt. Das Ziel dieses Aufsatzes ist, theoretische überlegungen für die konkrete Beratungspraxis nutzbar zu machen. In einem ersten Schritt geht es um die zentrale Frage: Wozu ben?tigen Berater überhaupt eine Theorie? Der Schwerpunkt des Aufsatzes besch?ftigt sich mit den Chancen und Grenzen eines ?rgertrainings, das dem systemischen Ansatz verpflichtet ist und die Strukturationstheorie als Orientierungshilfe nutzt. Abschlie?end wird eine Diagnose- und Interventionsmethode vorgestellt, die neue Hinsichten auf ?rgerepisoden erm?glichen soll.

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This essay presents, based on theoretical-structural perspectives and on the usage of a systemic approach, practical methods and implications for consultants dealing with anger in organisations. The goal of this essay is to make theoretical debates useful for the concrete consultancy practice. The topic of the first step deals with the following central question: Why do consultants need a theory anyway?! The heart of this essay deals with the chances and limits of a conflict resolution training based on the systemic approach using the structural theory as a baseline. Finally, the author presents a diagnostic and intervention method which shall enable new perspectives on anger episodes.

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Dr. Andreas Bergknapp ist Assistent am Lehrstuhl Psychologie I (Personalwesen) von Prof. Neuberger an der Universit?t Augsburg.     

Ärgerberatung in Organisationen — systemische und strukturationstheoretische Implikationen

This essay presents, based on theoretical-structural perspectives and on the usage of a systemic approach, practical methods and implications for consultants dealing with anger in organisations. The goal of this essay is to make theoretical debates useful for the concrete consultancy practice. The topic of the first step deals with the following central question: Why do consultants need a theory anyway?! The heart of this essay deals with the chances and limits of a conflict resolution training based on the systemic approach using the structural theory as a baseline. Finally, the author presents a diagnostic and intervention method which shall enable new perspectives on anger episodes.     

Die „ökologische Dynamik“ der Sozialstruktur in Organisationen

The article is dealing with the association of labor market mobility and the dissolution rate of the employing organization. Several hypotheses concerning the impact of age, size, distribution of educational credentials and ecological dynamics on the organizational dissolution rate are derived from organizational ecology theory. But the theoretical discussion shows that a more sophisticated argumentation is needed. In the first step a dynamic multilevel model supplies evidence that the impact of size and age on the organizational dissolution rate varies between the contexts in which organizations are embedded. In the second step evidence of a positive association of the organizational dissolution rate and the rate of internal mobility in almost each direction is provided. Simulations clarify that ecological conditions of organizations have a momentous impact upon mobility and for this reason the theory of labor market mobility should be systematically enhanced with propositions about the ecology of organizations.     

Ein theoretisches Modell zur Integration von Arbeitsmigranten in Organisationen

This article in the journal “Gruppe. Organisation. Interaktion. (GIO)” portraits a model of organizational acculturation that describes the emergence of acculturative and socialization stressors upon the encounter of different cultures when migrant workers enter organizations, while taking into account the perspective of persons already employed in those organizations. This model combines approaches of acculturation and socialization research. Intrapersonal (cyclic interplay of information, uncertainty reduction and learning) and interpersonal (voice, participation, empowerment and social support) coping-processes lead to successful adaptation of work migrants. In turn, successful adaptation has positive effects on further work-related outcomes. The model takes account of the fact that due to the additional challenge of having to adapt to a new culture, organizational socialization of work migrants proceeds in a more complex fashion. The model provides starting points for future research and practical applications.     

Was Achtsamkeitstrainings bewirken und wie sie in Organisationen wirksamer werden

In this article in the journal Gruppe. Interaktion. Organisation (GIO) we discuss the impact of individual mindfulness trainings on organizations. Therefore, we combine research on high reliability organizations with aspects of the newer sociologist system theory. First we seek to define the construct of mindfulness and we distinguish between individual and collective mindfulness as two different qualities of mindfulness. Using an example from the banking sector we discuss the challenges developing mindfulness in organizations and what intervention strategies could work. We distinguish between the three system levels psyche, interaction and organization. Doing this it becomes clear that interventions have to consider the coupling of the three different levels: How interventions have to be designed to effect all three levels?     

Wie Organisationen den Kontakt zu ihrer Umwelt gestalten

This article focusses on the many forms in which organizations design the contact with their environment. By enriching the Gestalt-therapeutical concept of contact with the Systems Theory, the article establishes four fundamental and distinct contact patterns, which offer a new approach to the understanding the interaction of organizations with their environment. The subsequent research part presents new empiric insights to the different ways of the contact design of organizations.