The purpose of this post is to share something I am working on in the hopes of receiving some feedback from people like you.
Back in April I wrote a post entitled “Hold your breath, it’s going to go deep” about the fact that I was presenting a paper at the World Social Science Forum in October, well the deadline is approaching and I am now trying to write the thing. The paper is to examine the cultural and governance implications of horizontally enabling tools like GCpedia. As part of that I would like to have a culture table that compares the two cultures with a focus on the divergent points of potential conflict.
To provide a frame for analysis of the conflicting cultures I have elected to use Schein’s three levels of organizational culture. The draft comparison follows.
Table 1: Points of Conflict
Levels of Culture |
Gov2.0 |
Gov 1.0 (2007-2010) |
ArtefactsVisible structures and processes Observed Behaviour |
Principle based guidelines
Loosely coupled networks Communication based on need and interest (not hierarchy) Collective learning Constructive debate Habitual knowledge sharing Roles and Histories Respect shown in disagreement |
Prescriptive policy and web of rules
Departmental, Westminster system with legislated silos Vertical communication patterns Some cooperation amongst the willing Territoriality Established methods that have worked for decades Respect shown by unquestioning agreement Generic Job Descriptions |
Espoused Beliefs and ValuesIdeas, Goals, Values Aspirations Ideologies Rationalizations |
Open by default
Trust and respect Wisdom of the crowd Experiment and learn We is stronger than me Authenticity Design to “Fail fast” |
Values and Ethics Code:
Share when ready Non Partisan truth to power Stay off the front page of the news Design for “fail safe” |
Basic Underlying AssumptionsUnconscious beliefs and values that determine behaviour, perception thought and feeling |
Responsible autonomy is best
Deference to the most respected Shared sense of purpose Free information is powerful Mistakes are learning opportunities Beg forgiveness |
Hierarchy is best
Deference to authority of the position Entitlement to my job and benefits What the boss wants Information Is power Mistakes are career limiting moves (that end up in the news) Ask permission Working for Canadians |
This is just a draft and it is based on my perceptions. What do you think, am I being unfair to the Gov 1.0 or too Pollyanna with the Gov 2.0? Maybe something important is missing?
You can comment here, or you can comment on this Google doc version that I will be using as my working copy.
Thank you in advance, I look forward to your input.
Thom
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