Patterns of Generative Cultures: How They Can Be Destroyed and the Importance of Trust with Dr. Ron Westrum

In the second part of this two-part episode of The Idealcast, Gene Kim continues his conversation with Dr. Ron Westrum, Emeritus Professor of Sociology at Eastern Michigan University and creator of the Westrum organization typology model. 

In part two of their conversation, Kim and Westrum talk about generative cultures and why Westrum thinks they are more important now than it they were a hundred years ago. Westrum also shares his observations on the increasing number of functional specialities in organizations. He discusses the challenges that arise from having matrixed organizations and the tools to overcome these challenges. 

Finally, Westrum previews the new book he’s working on about information flow within organizations.

ABOUT THE GUEST

Ron Westrum is Emeritus Professor of sociology at Eastern Michigan University. He holds a B.A. (honors) from Harvard University and a Ph.D in Sociology from the University of Chicago.

Dr. Westrum is a specialist in the sociology of science and technology, and on complex organizations. He has written three books, Complex Organizations: Growth, Development and Change; Technologies and Society: The Shaping of People and Things, and Sidewinder: Creative Missile Design at China Lake. He has also written about fifty articles and book chapters. His work on organizational culture has been valuable for the aviation industry and to medical safety, as well as to other areas of endeavor. He has been a consultant to NASA, the National Research Council, and the Resilience Core Group. He is currently at work on a book on information flow cultures.

YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT

• Why Westrum thinks creating generative cultures is more important now than it was 100 years ago
• His observations on the increasing number of functional specialities and how long it’s been going on
• The challenges that arise from having matrix organizations and the tools to overcome these challenges
• The book he’s working on about information flow within organizations, what areas he’s pursuing and what has surprised him as he delves into specific examples

RESOURCES

• The Sociology and Typologies of Organizations, and Technical Maestros with Dr. Ron Westrum
• Sidewinder: Creative Missile Design at China Lake by Ron Westrum
• Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster
• The Citigroup Center (formerly Citicorp Center)
• Latent human error
• Freedom's Forge: How American Business Produced Victory in World War II by Arthur Herman
• Admiral Thomas Moore
• Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson
• Lying to Ourselves: Dishonesty in the Army Profession by Dr. Leonard Wong and Dr. Stephen J. Gerras
• The Generals: American Military Command from World War II to Today by Thomas E. Ricks
• The Inmates Are Running the Asylum: Why High Tech Products Drive Us Crazy and How to Restore the Sanity by Alan Cooper
• Team of Teams: New Rules of Engagement for a Complex World by General Stanley A. McChrystal with Chris Fussell, David Silverman, Tantum Collins
• Hubble Space Telescope
• NOVA - Aircraft Carrier
• 21st Century Jet - Building the Boeing 777
• Boeing to Buy McDonnell Douglas
• Extended-range Twin-engine Operations Performance Standards (ETOPS)
• Alan Mulally
• Technology in Retrospect and Critical Events in Science (TRACES)
• General George C. Marshall
• The Marshall Plan on NPR’s Planet Money
• 2015 State Of DevOps Report
• Westrum organizational culture
• The study of information flow: A personal journey by Ron Westrum
• Stand and Deliver
• Mayo Clinic
• How a Friendly Fire Tragedy in Sicily Transformed Airborne Warfare
• The New Heat On Ford
• Email Ron Westrum

TIMESTAMPS

[00:00] Intro

[02:39] Why generative cultures are more important now

[14:50] Exposing latent pathogens

[19:39] Gene’s thoughts and a few corrections

[28:59] The increase in silos

[34:53] How Westrum would organize the organization

[40:42] Why matrix organizations are fundamentally unstable and how to cope

[44:57] LaunchDarkly and DevOps Enterprise Summit Virtual

[46:47] Matrix organizations and how to help increase likelihood of success

[57:26] Building the Boeing 777

[1:06:24] Where generative characteristics came from

[1:11:10] Bridging the world of R&D to the world of operations

[1:14:58] Team of Teams example

[1:20:09] General George C. Marshall

[1:24:35] Other mechanisms Westrum has seen in high performing teams

[1:32:30] Westrum’s new book

[1:38:53] What DevOps has helped Westrum

[1:39:47] Contacting Admiral Richardson

[1:41:36] Outro