A Functional-Perspectivist Approach to Organizational

Inquiry

Steven F. CronshawSteven F. Cronshaw

What Is Functional-Perspectivism?

Function: An activity that is natural to or the purpose of a person or thing

Perspective: A particular way of seeing something

Epistemic Commitments of Functional-Perspectivism In the workplace people and things are In the workplace people and things are

perceived, categorized, and organized perceived, categorized, and organized according to their function (e.g., uses for according to their function (e.g., uses for and of technology; work roles for people)and of technology; work roles for people)

Emphasis is on the pre-predicative sphere (Husserl)Emphasis is on the pre-predicative sphere (Husserl)

of raw experienceof raw experience

Theorizing in terms of shared perspectivalTheorizing in terms of shared perspectival

differences opens up creative potential and newdifferences opens up creative potential and new

possibilities for science and practice possibilities for science and practice

FP relies on dialectics but not of the Hegelian sort, i.e., antimony of thesis and anti-thesis which is then resolved through synthesis

At the level of dynamics in extended time FP relies on principles of equilibrium (dynamics)

At the experiential level with the system in homeostasis and in immediate, i.e., fixed, time relies on FP dialectics as elision of ecological complexes that naturally occur in the workplace (statics)

An observation on the creative potential of perspectivism

“ A shared perspective is the means by which questions take form; cross-perspectives are the means by which answers are developed. … Difference of perspective saves query from sterility and inanity.”

Justus Buchler, Toward a General Theory of Human Judgement (1979)

Buchler referred inter-personal differences in perspective; FP relies on intra-personal shifting and juxaposition of perspective as a means of enriching thought in organization science

An Illustration of Intra-Personal Perspectival Shift -The Duck-Rabbit

From Ludwig Wittgenstein’s (1958) Philosophical Investigations

The primary unit in FP is the concatenated ecological concept or CEC; for example, the worker-in-context)

The CEC is subject to two existential operations

(1) Direction of perspectiveBy employing the Gestalt principles of figure-ground and reversability of perspective to bring different sides of the CEC into focus

(2) Specificity of perspectiveBy narrowing and broadening the details in the CEC to (1) bring out or submerge features of the work ecology and/or (2) move with the work system to qualitatively different levels of aggregation and gestalt organization

The operations of perspectival direction and The operations of perspectival direction and specificity specificity allowed epistemological existence and latitude within the space-time manifold by functional-perspectivism are defined by the

(1) Existential operator of Concatenation(1) Existential operator of Concatenation

representing the distinction between and representing the distinction between and elisionelision

of two ecological entities within a CECof two ecological entities within a CEC

so enabling shift of perspectival directionso enabling shift of perspectival direction

(Spencer-Brown, 1994)(Spencer-Brown, 1994) (2) Existential operator of Granulation

representing the granularity shift (Granulation)

within a CEC so enabling shift of perspectival

specificity (Zadeh, 1979)

A Single-Cross Framework Using Functional-Perspectivism

Adaptability Adaptation ResultsConsequencesFunctionality Function

Affordances Resourcing Performance

Potential Agency Impact

p cp

cp p

Work System Forms

The single-cross framework illustrates perspectival direction. Take adaptation and illustrate perspectival specificty. FP algebraic expression is p w d c .

Adaptive Capability

Adaptive Skill

Adaptive Skill

Adaptive Skill

PF PF PF PF PF PF PFPF

PF = Performance Feature

A Theory of Human Adaptation in the Workplace

Dynamics –With dynamics one must introduce the concept of time . Time in its extended meaning is an essential consideration when it comes to studying FP dynamics. Some basic terms follow.

Locus is the movement of the worker across and between their involvements in Things, Data, and People (TDP).

Focus is the inward vs. outward-directed movement of the self during the process of workplace adaptation.

Purpose is the directing of effort toward the achievement of instrumental personal or organizational goals (agency) or toward the safety, welfare, and comfort of others and improvement of workplace conditions as a whole (accommodation).

Some of My Research Co-investigators and Others Who Have Contributed to the Development of FP Ideas and Applications

Perng Yih Ong Damien O’Keefe

Dara Chappell Rebecca Slan

Greg Chung-Yan Melissa Warner

Tammy Knodratuk Allyson McElwain

Shefali Jethmalani Evelina Rog

Amanda Matejicek Jessica Sherin

Ashley McCulloch Anuradha Chawla

Betty Onyura Sebastian Houde

      

   

 

 

 

T O A c

T O A g

O u t w a r d - D i r e c t e d F o c u s

T O A c

D O A g

D O A c

P O A g

P O A c

2 1 - 3 0 a g e c o h o r t

T I A g

T I A c

D I A g

D I A c

P I A g

P I A c

I n w a r d - D i r e c t e d F o c u s

Pattern chart showing skills coalescence in 21-30 worker age cohort

Pattern chart showing skills coalescence in 31-40 worker age cohort

T O A c

T O A g

O u t w a r d - D i r e c t e d F o c u s

T O A c

D O A g

D O A c

P O A g

P O A c

3 1 - 4 0 a g e c o h o r t

T I A g

T I A c

D I A g

D I A c

P I A g

P I A c

I n w a r d - D i r e c t e d F o c u s

Statics – Some basic terms

Constructive assertion (Wapner et al., 2000) is an integrated cognitive, affective, and behavioral response typified by worker efforts to proactively plan and assert the self into the environment to modify, control, and master environmental circumstances.

Reactive engagement is a more passive and reactive style whereby the person largely accepts and works within the existing environmental arrangements.

Disintegrative disengagement is a style whereby the person has major difficulties in coming to terms with the prevailing workplace arrangements and demands. The worker may flee from the situation physically or psychologically (avoidance), become angry, disruptive, and aggressive against others (reactance), or perseverate in repeated but unsuccessful attempts at an overly simplified, unrealistic, and inflexible solution to the adaptive problem at hand (perseverance).

Modal Adaptive Skills As Assessed By The POI For A General Workforce Sample     

In order of appearance in the profile going from left to right, the complete LFP structuple assignments for the adaptive skills graphically represented in this figure are:

Things, Inward-directed, AgenticThings, Inward-directed, AccommodativeThings, Outward-Directed, AgenticThings, Outward-directed, AccommodativeData, Inward-directed, AgenticData, Inward-directed, AccommodativeData, Outward-Directed, AgenticData, Outward-directed, AccommodativePeople, Inward-directed, AgenticPeople, Inward-directed, AccommodativePeople, Outward-Directed, AgenticPeople, Outward-directed, Accommodative

0

1

2

3

4

5

T T T T D D D D P P P P

Adaptation Enables Function in the Workplace

Proposition: Adaptation enables function

Measurements of: Adaptation – Performance-Oriented Interview Function – Application of TDP complexity scales to data

from the Job Descriptive Interview

Sample: Workers from general labour force

Hierarchy of Work Functional Complexity

igure

4a. Precision Working b. Setting Up c. Operating-Controlling II

3a. Manipulating b. Operating-Controlling I c. Driving-Controlling d. Starting Up

High complexity

Medium complexity

Low complexity

2a. Machine Tending I b. Machine Tending II 1a. Handling b. Feeding-Offbearing

6. Synthesizing 5a. Innovating b. Coordinating

4. Analyzing 3a. Computing b. Compiling

2. Copying 1. Comparing

8. Leading 7. Mentoring 6. Negotiating 5. Super vising

4a. Consulting b. Instructing c. Treating 3a. Sourcing Information b. Persuading c. Coaching d. Diverting

2. Exchanging Information 1a. Taking Instructions-Helping b. Serving

Things Data People

Predicted Pattern of Frequency Tabulations for Adaptive Capability and Substantive Complexity

for Study Participants

Predicted pattern:

____________________________________________________________________

Substantive Complexity

_____________________________________________

Adaptive Capability Low Medium High

______________________________________________________________________

Low X - -

Medium X X -

High X X X

________________________________________________________________________

Notes: An “X” in the upper half of the table indicates that, if the theory is supported, one or more participants should fall into this cell of the table; a dash (-) mean that if one or more participants fall into this cell, the theory is not supported.

Obtained Pattern of Frequency Tabulations for Adaptive Capability and Substantive

Complexity for Study Participants

____________________________________________________________________

Substantive Complexity

_____________________________________________

Adaptive Capability Low Medium High

______________________________________________________________________

Low 3 0 0

Medium 11 1 0

High 5 8 1

________________________________________________________________________

Entries in the table are the number of study participants falling into the respective cells.

Affordances as Potential in the Proximal Workplace Context

Dynamics – Some basic terms

1. Locus represents the changing availability of physical, informational, and social resources to the worker within the proximal context

2. Focus is the movement of the proximal work system either toward its own functioning , i.e., internalizing, or toward the demands of the distal context, i.e., externalizing.

3. Purpose is the movement of the proximal work system toward either productive or accommodative goals.

Statics – Some basic terms

Facilitating Affordances Features of the proximal context that enable the whole person to constructively engage his or her skill potential to achieve the most positive performance contribution from both worker and management perspectives

Constraining Affordances Features of the proximal context that allow the person to incompletely engage his or her skills and effort/control within the given context, thereby decreasing performance contribution (in terms of timeliness, quality, quantity, and/or learning) but permitting eventual task completion

Blocking Affordances Features of the proximal context that bring the person to a standstill or stalemate (in terms of task completion) in the pursuit of organizationally-sanctioned goals and thereby prevent even minimal engagement of worker skills

Conditions as Potential in the Distal Workplace Context

Dynamics – Some basic terms

1. Locus represents the changing availability of physical, informational, and social resources to the work-doing system within the distal context

2. Focus is the movement of the distal work-doing system either toward its own functioning , i.e., internalizing, or toward the demands of the supra-distal context, i.e., externalizing.

3. Purpose is the movement of the distal work-doing system toward either productive or accommodative goals.

Statics – Some basic terms

Facilitating Conditions Those resource availabilities, strategic opportunities, and facilitating affordances, both internal and external, that when present and engaged evolve the working-doing system away from homeostasis and toward an alternate desired state

Constraining Conditions Those resource restrictions, structural and process limitations, and constraining affordances, both internal and external, that when present and engaged can constrain but do not prevent evolution of the work-doing system away from homeostasis and toward an alternate desired state

Blocking Conditions Those structures, processes, habits, resistances, and blocking affordances, both internal and external, that hold the work-doing system in homeostasis and thereby prevent evolution toward an alternate desired state

A Single-Cross Framework Using Functional-Perspectivism

Work System Forms

Potential Agency Impact

Affordances Resourcing Performance

Conditions Development

cp cd

cd cp

EfficiencyEffectivenessProductivity

Conclusion

Functional-perspectivism is a thought system that offers many possibilities for innovation in research and practice, but much additional work must be done to further adumbrate its varied aspects on the paradigmatic, theoretical, methodological, measurement and practical levels.