Talking About Organizations Podcast

We conclude our discussion of Joan Acker’s article “Hierarchies, Jobs, Bodies: A Theory of Gendered Organizations,” from 1990 and bring the ideas of feminist theories of organization to contemporary times. From economic difficulties to the effects of the pandemic, workers are increasingly having to balance work with the need to provide care to their families, but global competitive pressures are causing companies to pursue even greater efficiencies. How do Acker’s ideas help us navigate these challenging times?

Joan Acker’s 1990 article “Hierarchies, Jobs, Bodies: A Theory of Gendered Organizations” was a significant work in feminist theories of organizations. She charged that prior feminist research had wrongly assumed that organizational structures were gender neutral. Instead, everything about organizations from structures to symbols are inherently gendered, and until that was acknowledged and studied, organizations would continue to reinforce long-standing gender inequalities. The article is significant for its synthesis of a growing body of research that questioned the claims of gender neutrality in organizational practices that creates and sustains barriers to women’s equality in the workplace.

We will discuss Joan Acker’s article “Hierarchies, Jobs, Bodies: A Theory of Gendered Organizations,” from 1990. This article signaled a clarion call to change the direction of organizational research to acknowledge the inherent gendering built into processes and structures in the workplace. This would allow for the development of organizations that would be more democratic and humane.

The conversation delves into the myths surrounding innovation, like the misconception that it can be outsourced to startups. It emphasizes the vital role of CEOs in steering innovation and the political dynamics in managerial relationships that can stifle creativity. The podcast also tackles the importance of direct communication between top management and lower-level employees, which enhances decision-making. Additionally, it discusses the need for collaboration across departments to foster organizational innovation and adapt to evolving work dynamics.

Pedro Monteiro, a speaker based in Copenhagen, dives into the fascinating world of innovation management. He discusses the insights from Tom Burns and G. M. Stalker's classic work, revealing why organizations struggle to turn ideas into products. The conversation touches on the complexities of power dynamics and common misunderstandings about bureaucratic structures. Monteiro highlights the shift toward collaborative innovation post-World War II, emphasizing the importance of adaptive management systems and effective communication for successful innovation.

Coming soon! We will discuss The Management of Innovation from Tom Burns and G. M. Stalker, a classic of innovation theory and the source of an important theoretical construct – the mechanistic and organic systems of management. Their aim was to understand the fit of these systems with different conditions and the conflict and barriers that organizations face as they attempt to change how they operate.

We conclude our discussion of Invictus by looking through an organizational perspective at sports, social change, and the ways leaders manage organizations to build inclusive cultures. While sports can unite people, we also discuss how sports can also create or exacerbate tensions. How does one reap the possible benefits of sport and connect it to social change for higher purposes?

The 2009 film Invictus tells the story of how the first post-Apartheid President of South Africa, Nelson Mandela, used sports as a unifying force to overcome lingering and bitter racial divides in the nation. The movie and the real-life events that inspired it are powerful. We will look at it through an organizational lens and discuss insights related to leadership, team building, change and other management topics.

We go to the movies – looking at the 2009 film Invictus through an organizational lens. It tells the story of Nelson Mandela from the time of assuming the Presidency of South Africa to the nation’s hosting of the 1995 Rugby World Cup. How did Mandela use sport to unite a bitterly divided nation and what insights does this story provide for management theory and practice?

We conclude our discussion of Zuboff’s "In the Age of the Smart Machine: The Future of Work and Power" by projecting her conclusions to the present day. On the one hand, many of her findings about the creative ways that management reasserts its authority are still relevant today, but she had also offered strategies for integrating new technologies in ways that would improve both work performance and worker commitment and satisfaction. Would such strategies work today?