Change Management-MBA625
LECTURE #7
A DIALECTICAL APPROACH TO ORGANISATIONAL STRATEGY AND
PLANNING
The dialectical approach can be defined in context of organization as: A system may be
said dialectical if it examines a situation completely and logically from two different points
of view. The dialectical approach begins by identifying the prevailing or recommended
plan and the data which were used to derive it.
The question is posed: “under what view of the world this is the optimal plan to follow” In
order to test the assumption underlying this plan a search is initiated to find another
plausible and believable alternative – the counter plan. The principle theme is management
must learn about the fundamental assumption of its planning problem and observe the
conflict between plan and counter-plan, and their related world-views. Now what happen in
real life is that Expert approach to planning is followed wherein consultants and economist
are employed who are too much concerned with cost-benefit and efficiencies, and by their
way technical view promoted. These experts bury assumption of their plan in trade jargon
and statistics. Hence we see that this kind of traditional approach to planning is devoid of
socio-psychological cultural and political implications. Corporate planners also operate on
assumptions but are hidden assumptions in his organizational data and recommended plan,
and his method of presenting can conceal assumptions behind the plan.
• Devils’ advocate
In this technique (usually internal consultants) managers play a deliberate role of devil’s
advocate while planners present their recommendations like experts. The focus is what is
wrong with the plan and why it should not be accepted? The assumption behind this
activity is that truly good plan will survive the opposition in the form of devil’s advocacy.
Managers (playing Devil Advocate) does not develop a new world view rather just criticize
massively the plan. The role of managers’ behavior is destructive rather than constructive.
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Change Management-MBA625
And this may psychologically demoralize planners’ and may result in planners psyche to
develop safe plan rather than a progressive one.
• Dialectical Inquiry
In this exercise each member/participant has unique information, knowledge, experience or
perspective that may be shared via discussion or interaction. The focus in this activity is
consensus– seeking; therefore unlike of Devil’s Advocates here consensus building
behavior is important by resolving decisional-conflict in the group.
Steps in Dialectical inquiry process:
(a) A decision making group is divided into two-sub groups, each of which will be
involved in the analysis and solution of the problem at hand.
(b) One sub-group develops recommendations and supports them with all key
assumptions, facts and data – all of which are provided to other sub-group
(c) Now in dialectical inquiry – second sub-group develops plausible/alternate
assumptions that negate those of the first, and then uses new assumptions to
construct counter-recommendations.
(d) The debate continues until they agree on a set of assumptions – and then unite to
develop recommendations
This is different from devil’s advocacy as the second group here comes up with a formal
critique, expounding flaws as why these recommendations should not be accepted but
offers no alternative. In Devil Advocacy, the first group revises its assumption and
recommendations to satisfy valid objections of the second group and then presents
recommendation for second round of critique. The process continues until both sub-groups
accept the assumption and planning recommendations. Hence the role of second sub-group
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Change Management-MBA625
differs in each case. Nonetheless whatever type organization proceeds with dialectical
conflict and dialectical inquiry can be used as an effective tool to evolve corporate and
strategic planning.
LIMITATION OF DIALECTICS; DA AND DI
Despite tremendous benefits, there is one such risk organization may run into for employing the
above technique or process. For instance the process may damage group members’ feelings,
feelings of rejection, depression, jealousy and anger, and might even corrode morale and
working relationship. Therefore the dilemma for management is to choose among (trade-off)
quality decision and group harmony. In real life such type of trade off often exists. Hence, in
overall analysis the dialectical design in organization is introduced to have better planning. The
exercise leads to formulation of plan (thesis) – counter plan (anti-thesis) constructed on the
same databank will lead to synthesis, that is the exposing hidden assumptions and new
conceptualization of planning problem which the organization faces. Further there are following
objections by way which the process can prove to be counter-productive:
(a)
Dialectic inquiry does not identify the moving forces and causes behind the dialectical
process and its realization in strategic policy planning.
(b)
Source of thesis (plan) and anti-thesis (counter plan) is not clear
(c)
It is not clear what governs the synthesis process and what determines the interpretation
of various assumptions and strategies. As happens in real life organization meetings are by its
very nature supposed to be dialectic. Likewise the danger is that the process may be politicized.
This may lead to manufacturing of consent or opposition may manifest for the sake of mere
opposition in a narrowed and rigid perspective.
(d)
It is self-purposeful, partial and incomplete: only deals with the decision-making
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Change Management-MBA625
process for strategic planning – and neither with antecedents (past history) of planning nor with
planning outcome
Therefore in order to overcome weakness of the process we ought to know the pre-requisites
the dialectical process.
Conditions for exercising dialectics
All theories and models have advantages and disadvantages and the applicability of theory is
permitted under certain conditions. Therefore certain conditions ought to exist before going for
such kind of activity, and these are:
1.
Management is unaware of assumptions or in doubt or in disagreement) to choose
appropriate assumption and plan.
2.
Multiple and alternative interpretations on the same data bank
3.
In case of uncertainty (constantly changing world) management tend to rely on
synthesized set of assumptions or on synthesized view of reality
4.
The cost of developing plan, counter-plan or management’s involvement in the
development of synthesized world view is less than the cost of advisors' (error in assumption)
Overview of application of dialectics
Primarily this can be utilized as a decision making and environmental assessment technique for
generating alternative and scenarios. For e.g. A decision maker who is provided with
conflicting policy recommendations may be involved in a dialectical process.
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Change Management-MBA625
It is used for the production of systematic knowledge for organization, and as such can have
utility for the following business and corporate functionalities:
•
Inquiry system–dialectical conflict lead dialectical inquiry
•
Business gaming and simulation
•
Dialect Problem-solving technology (DPST)
•
Nominal Group Training
•
Delphi Method & control groups
•
Quality circle
•
Cross-cultural training
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Change Management-MBA625
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