PBOG: The sociology of organisational lifeUsing activity theory... naming the dialectic inner connections using PBOG

A working paper by Clive Burgess October 2011Contact email: clive154@live.co.uk

NOTES

Activity Theory: A brief history... basic understanding and use in practice

Introduction to Activity Theory (Andy Brown)The premise of activity theory is that a collective work activity, with the basic purpose shared by others (community), is undertaken by people (subjects) who are motivated by a purpose or towards the solution of a problem (object), which is mediated by tools and/or signs (artefacts or instruments) used in order to achieve the goal (outcome). The activity is constrained by cultural factors including conventions (rules) and social organisation (division of labour) within the immediate context and framed by broader social patterns (of production, consumption, distribution and exchange). http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/ier/glacier/tlrp/qualitative/chat/

Activity theory provides a conceptual framework from which we can understand the inter-relationship between activities, actions, operations and artefacts, subjects’ motives and goals, and aspects of the social, organisational and societal contexts within which these activities are framed.

Vygotsky's mediation triangle

Subjects(individuals, dyads, groups)

Object/Motive ---> Outcome

Mediational Means (tools)(machines, writing, speaking, gestures, architecture, music etc)

Leont'ev – the object of the activity is its true motive

Clive Burgess Copyright October 2011

Activity Theory: Engestrom’s model Artefact Outcome Subject Object Activity Rules Community Division of Effort

http://www.learning-theories.com/activity-theory.html

Engestrom’s model above is useful for understanding how a wide range factors work together to impact an activity. In order to reach an outcome it is necessary to produce certain objects (e.g. experiences, knowledge, and physical products) Human activity is mediated by artefacts (e.g. tools used, documents, recipes, etc.) Activity is also mediated by an organization or community. Also, the community may impose rules that affect activity. The subject works as part of the community to achieve the object. An activity normally also features a division of labour.Three levels of activity:

• Activity towards an objective (goal) carried out by a community. A result of a motive (need) that may not be conscious social and personal meaning of activity (Answers the Why? question)

• Action towards a specific goal (conscious), carried out by an individual or a group possible goals and sub goals, critical goals (Answers the What? question)

• Operation structure of activity typically automated and not conscious concrete way of executing an action in according with the specific conditions surrounding the goal (Answers the How? Question)

Sense

Meaning

Clive Burgess Copyright October 2011

David Russell (1997) Activity System

Donna Kain, East Carolina University 1999Elizabeth Wardle, University of Dayton 1999http://www.public.iastate.edu/~drrussel/at%26genre/at%26genre.html

Rules Laws, codes, conventions, customs, and agreements that people adhere to while engaging in the activity

Community: People and groups whose knowledge, interests, stakes, and goals shape the activity

Division of Labor How the work in the activity is divided among participants in the activity

Subject Person or people engaged in activity who are the focus of a study on activity. The point of view used to focus on the activity.

Tools Physical objects and systems of symbols like language, mathematics that people use to accomplish the activity

Motives Purposes, reasons for the activity Object... Immediate goals of activity Outcome... Long-terms goals of activity

http://core.ecu.edu/engl/kaind/3880/projects/AT.pdf

Community

Divisions of

LabourRules

Object OutcomeSubject

Tools

Motive

Clive Burgess Copyright October 2011

Operationalising Activity Theory:

Mwanza’s (2001) Eight-Step-Model As a means of operationalising Engeström’s Activity System, Mwanza’s (2001) Eight-Step Model incorporates a series of open-ended questions based on the individual components:

Activity What sort of activity am I interested in?

Object - ive Why is this activity taking place?

Subjects [Plan - Input]Who is involved in carrying out this activity?

Tools [Artefacts - Cultural means - PBOG]By what means are the subjects carrying out this activity?

Rules and Regulations [Legal or Other Guidelines]Are there any cultural norms, rules and regulations governing the performance of this activity?

Division of Labour [Rational Organisation – Division of Effort]Who is responsible for what, when carrying out this activity and how are the roles organised? [competence - roles and responsibilities - coordination]

Community – Organisation – Group - Team What is the environment in which activity is carried out? [operations]

Outcome [Object -outcome (goal attainment)- Patterns of Behaviour]What is the desired outcome from this activity?

Clive Burgess Copyright October 2011

PBOG a sociology of organisational life... A brief history... basic understanding and use in practice

Social reality of organisational life is composed of the following.,.

At the management/control level – Management practices in a Managed Societyhttp://www.participedia.net/wiki/International_Organization_of_Citizens_for_the_Sustainable_Management_of_Societies___The human being: The only thing that acts in our social ecosystem is the human being (Plan - Subject – Artefact /Activity - – Object - Outcome – Patterns of Behaviour)Composed of the body and the brain.(Thinking Body)

This gives rise to... (it is difficult to think of a mathematical theory when you are using words... the nearest you get to it is economics)___Uniqueness: The human being ___The collective: All human beings living in a community. (Activity theory)___The in between : What is neither unique nor total___The in between collective majority or minority state___The in between majority or minority state among opposing groups: (conflict)___The collectivities: A network of collectivities... hubs, clustersIs controlled by... cultural norms___Management processes that manage our interrelations. Individual or in group ___Management processes that manage our interactions. Individual or in group ___Management processes that manage our collectivities.(community)___Management processes that manage our societal resources (community)

FeedbackControl and Resistance... Reproduction and Transformation = ConflictWe use our management system to create a process to organise, manage and control developing situations... people within that situation...and the work process...Our social ecosystemSociety = the sum total of or an ensemble of social relationships...How do you define 'social' relationships?A 'relationship' is a quality which can be stated only of two or more entities together where each refers to the other, not of some single thing.

Relationships may be physical, biological, social or cultural.Example Physical: Cup and Saucer... Biological: Bird and an egg... Social: Husband and Wife... or Home and Work... Cultural: A noun and a verb

Clive Burgess Copyright October 2011

http://www.sagepub.com/upm-data/9805_039184ch02.pdf 'Social' relationships are where some entity recognised as being 'social' that is people, organisations or societies, are constantly in interaction with each other at some level or another..Relationships: Relationships when viewed as social relationships....Activities carried on in relationships___Interactions: the operational relationships, one to one, one to many, many to many, that citizens have with each other and with other societal resources, whose actions arising from these relations are aimed at achieving an operational objective. Citizens are then used as a (natural/social) resource. (capital)A relationship is an interaction between two people... a husband and a wife is a home relationship … a boss and a worker is a work relationship... an interrelationship strictly speaking is a relationship between two relationships___Interrelationships: relationships, one to one, one to many, many to many, that people have between themselves within the framework of friendly or family relations.A relationship between two relationships:...eg relationships in the home between husband and wife and relationships at work between a boss and a workerInterrelationships are therefore relationships between relationships... a woman as a worker at work and the woman as a wife at homeBy extension intra-relationships is an activity carried on within a relationship for example the wife having sex with the husband but not with her boss that would be extra-relationships...

Community – Organisation – Group - TeamA network of relationships or a social network of relationships within a definitive time frame and own space...It is this movement I am trying to capture... the movement between control and resistance to reproduction and transformation... this fluctuating conflict and struggle... this complicated network of communicated words, actions and processes that are used in everyday life to control the developing conflicting situations between activities and relationships and make some logical sense out of it all... to conceptualise it...This captured movement I have called 'organisational life'... PBOG

http://www.infed.org/community/sustainable_communities_and_neighbourhoods.htmClive Burgess Copyright October 2011

Plan – Governance – Policies & Procedures – Corporate Social Responsibility(CSR)

Legal or other Guidelines – Rules and Regulations Cultural Norms...our management processes the way we regroup or not - social relationsPatterns of Behaviour – Activities – Actions – Outcomes

Rational Organisation – Division of Effort

Total Quality Management (TQM) Do it All Bristol Clive Burgess 1995http://www.emeraldinsight.com/journals.htm?articleid=841280PBOGhttp://www.wix.com/clive154/pbogThere are four core elements or corner stones that I have used to produce my conceptual model Plan, Patterns of Behaviour, (Rational) Organisation, Guidelines (legal or other) The six main management practices that are seen as important to any enterprise or business venture, these fit neatly around the outer rim of my model and are used to capture any unwanted or perceived threats to the enterprise.

These practices are used to control risks, information, legislation, conflict, operations and finance.

Each one in turn has a certain mechanism that allows them to function in everyday work situations and can be demonstrated through observation, monitoring or engaging in any work practice.

These controls are used to maintain collaboration between businesses objectives/goals and the workforce.

These management practices are used to minimise any damage or harm to the bottom line or profitability of the enterprise. And control alienated non-compliant, non-cooperative, non-conformist rebellious and/or deviant employees.

The business objectives/goals originate in the planning process and include such thing as governance, corporate social responsibility, sustainable development, employment contracts, policies and procedures.

For simplification I have called this core element of my conceptual model PLAN. (On a subjective level re activity theory, plan is seen as an internal process)

Clive Burgess Copyright October 2011

The words I have used to show the dialectic movement between the core elements can be found in any of the new legislation produced in the UK since 1992.Each pair of words (which are used in our everyday language) move in a circular motion for and against each other in a feedback loop, when forced together they produce another word that has relevant meaning to the combination of the two.

Each new word/practice in turn is then controlled by another control mechanism, and one of the six management practices is then used to control the workforce and the smooth running of the business enterprise.

PBOG Conceptual model: Action research - Participant Observation Copyright Clive Burgess Sept 2011: Action Science

Sociology of Organisational Life...PBOG... a reflection of a managed societyUsed to observe and monitor work situations... Copyright Clive Burgess Sept 2011P - Plan... the thinking body Governance,Policies, Procedures, Organisation and Arrangements, WI Thomas 'the definition of the situation', Mao Zedong 'On Practice', Action/Strategic planning etcB - Patterns of Behaviour - Activity and Actions... Sequence of processes - outcome Attitude, Aptitude ….this is how it's done round here...O - Rational Organisation - Division of Effort we want you to do this with these to produce that...G- Legal or other Guidelines - Rules, Regulations, Orders, Codes of Conduct, Codes of Practice... this is how it should be done...

PLANPatterns of Behaviour

Rational Organisation Legal or other Guidelines

Implement

Review/Evaluate

Self-Discipline Condition

Focus and Feed-back

Direct, Inform, Instruct, Train

Coordinate

Competence

Competition

Cooperation

RULES Division of Effort

Community

OutcomeInput

Activity Theory

Clive Burgess Copyright October 2011

Community – Our Space – Organisation – Group - TeamAbstract... (key) Two missing arrows from conceptual model

PBOG Keywords: http://www.wix.com/clive154/pbogMCAP: Management practice – Control – Aspect – Processes

Management of1 - Information2 – People - Conflict3 - Risk4 - Operations5 - Legislation6 - Financial-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Social Control1 - Meetings (committee, group, team etc)2 - Roles and responsibilities3 - Supervision/Involvement4 - Measure Performance (KIPs Key Performance Indicators, Targets, Benchmarks) 5 – Sanctions - Corrective Action6 - Audits or self-regulation

Aspects1 - Consultation2 - Teamwork (collaboration)3 - Participation4 - Management5 - Conform6 - Compliance

Micro- Processes1a – Implement 1b – Review/Evaluate2a – Cooperation 2b - Competition3a - Direct, Inform, Instruct or Train 3b - Focus and Feedback4a – Competence 4b - Coordination5a – Enforce/Encourage 5b - Follow6a – Condition 6b – Self-Discipline

Enforce/Encourage

Follow Conform

Sanction or Corrective Action

Management of Legislation5

add

Nudging

Outcome

Law

Clive Burgess Copyright October 2011

Operationalising PBOG with Activity TheoryPulling the three ideas together... Copyright Clive Burgess September 2011 Control and Reproduction A Meso theory with Micro processesActivity Theory: PBOG in Action

Managerial control work to reproduce or transform the pattern of behaviour of the subordinate.

The transformation is brought about by the activities of the subject on the object through the artefact, and the outcome is the reproduction or the transformation of the patterns of behaviour in the culture.

This affects the rational organisation and this renews or changes the guidelines allowing the subject to confirm or change the plans.

The transformation is mediated by the artefact...The outcome of the transformation goes from the object to the patterns of behaviour...

In other words the purpose of the transformation is the control of the object and the reproduction of the patterns of behaviour which in its turn reproduces the rational organisation, which goes through work environment (community) to guidelines enabling the subject to create new plans.

Activities are at the micro level and culture is at the meso level...“Information does not necessarily lead to increased awareness, and increased awareness does not necessarily lead to action. Information provision, whether through advertisements, leaflets or labelling, must be backed up by other approaches.” Demos & Green Alliance, 2003

Guidelines Work Environment Rational Organisation

Artefact

Meso Level

Culture

Activities Subject

InputPlan

ObjectOutcomePatterns

of Behaviour

InputInput

Clive Burgess Copyright October 2011

Activity Theory: PBOG in Action

Managerial control work to reproduce or transform the pattern of behaviour of the subordinate.

Change in patterns of Behaviour

1 – Internalised Plan input Active Subject – Manager - Trainer – Coach – Mentor

2 – Externalised Plan 'introduce a 'behavioural safety programme'

3 – There are three levels of relationships which influence the change in patterns of behaviour

i – Macro level – Guidelines (Law – Rules and regulation produced by the community)ii – Meso level – Organisation (Controllers, Producers – The workforce as a collectivity)iii – Micro level – Object – Motive 'Getting the subordinate to work safely'

4 - Subordinate – Outcome 'Accept the safety culture as part of their own practice... they can then be compliant with the situation they are in...

Guidelines Work Environment Organisation

Artefact

Meso Level

Culture

Activities Subject

InputPlan

ObjectOutcomePatterns

of Behaviour

InputInput

Manager/Trainer

Subordinate

Situation

Implement

Behavioural Safety Contract'Charter'

DirectSelf- Discipline

Clive Burgess Copyright October 2011

Activity Theory: PBOG in Action

Guidelines (Law – Rules Regulation produced by community)Micro process – Macro level of relationship

Conditions the internalised plan

Enforces/Encourages a transformation in patterns of behaviour

Competence raises level of competence over - time, skills, knowledge & certification

Guidelines Work Environment

Organisation

Artefact

Meso Level

Culture

Activities Subject

InputPlan

ObjectOutcomePatterns

of Behaviour

InputInput

Manager/Trainer

Subordinate

Situation

Behavioural Safety Contract'Charter'

Competence

Enforce/EncourageCondition

Clive Burgess Copyright October 2011

Activity Theory: PBOG in Action

Organisation Micro processes – Meso Level

Coordination – we want you to do this to produce that 'safely' and on time

Focus & Feedback – to the Manager/Trainer – cultural norm

Competition – this is needed in an organisation as a motivational factor for leadership - it is also need between organisation and organisation to produce competitiveness...

Guidelines Work Environment

Organisation

Artefact

Meso Level

Culture

Activities Subject

InputPlan

ObjectOutcomePatterns

of Behaviour

InputInput

Manager/Trainer

Subordinate

Situation

Behavioural Safety Contract'Charter'

Coordination

Focus & Feedback

Competition

Clive Burgess Copyright October 2011

Activity Theory: PBOG in Action

Subordinates Patterns of Behaviour … Micro level Micro Processes

Cooperation... Cultural norm re Health & Safety at Work etc Act 1974

Follow... Cultural norm re disciplinary action in workplace settings

Review/evaluate... one's own internalised plan in relation to the artefact and in turn review and evaluate the plan 'for the introduction of a behavioural safety programme'

Guidelines Work Environment Organisation

Artefact

Meso Level

Culture

Activities Subject

InputPlan

ObjectOutcomePatterns

of Behaviour

InputInput

Manager/Trainer

Subordinate

Situation

Behavioural Safety Contract'Charter'

Review/Evaluate

Follow Cooperate

Clive Burgess Copyright October 2011