Social Dynamics

Work In Progress

Social Dynamics here refer to the exploration of management practices that can be classified as Sociological in nature. The Dynamics part of this word is adopted due to its links with the GroupDynamics term.

A story

I started this page due to interests in positive CulturalChanges, hopefully a SeaChange? without a tsunami. It is a WhatAmiDoingAboutIt project.

I have adopted WikiPedia's characterisation of Studies in Management.(see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Management). The two perspectives are psychological and sociological. Both are extremely hard for me, a person more comfortable with formulae and numbers. But I have to try.

So for now I try to equate those two perspectives with "Microeconomics" and "Macroeconomics".

Then I need a term to draw together patterns of Management behavior within in a organisation. We have CategoryPsychology, we do not have CategorySociology, and I do not want to draw into the controversies of the Sociological.... stuff that existed before. If there is going to be controversy, I'll start my own, thank you.

Study of Psychology in the Workplace is SocialDynamics

Glad I have found support in APA (American Psychology Association). You can win a competition in "Human and Social Dynamics" 2005 entry. See http://www.apa.org/science/workplace.html

Resources to keep you distracted

do a GoogleSearch on "Social Dynamics", you will be surprised by the amount of management related sites you will find
the WikiPedia description of SocialDynamics has been rejected by me. No I do not want to go that path.
A good Management research journal was uncovered while Google-ing. You may like it as much as I do. See http://www.leader-values.com/Themes/detail3.asp?Category=Themes&Section=Innovation&Subject=CBI%20Journal%208:%20Connected%20Innovation

SocialDynamics is affected by the presence/absence of EmotionalIntelligence at critical stages

Scenario: If a company is planning for OutSourcing, it is almost impossible for planning activities to be done quickly, and in complete secrecy. Often the morale of staff impacted would be affected. Anyone want to have a go on whether there needs to be great care exercised in respect to Integrity (process) and Dignity (staff)?

ItsaPeopleProblem story

Rescued from DbasGoneBad is the following observation

This entire exchange, and the page that provoked it (PrevalenceLayer), illustrates a concept called SocialArchitecture that my business partner and I help our clients with. As someone with no dog in this race, the most striking thing about the exchange to me is that we have two technologies and their proponents, each well-grounded and effective in its own right, being used as a hook upon which to hang an argument that has everything to do with human issues and very little to do with technology.

Our clients have found that when we work with them to address the SocialArchitecture issues while we simultaneously work the technical issues, the technical issues become much more clear-cut. Here are some SocialArchitecture issues I see at play in this interaction:

Building trust
Holding common vision, mission and goals
Respecting differences
Commitment
Managing conflict

Also See TheHeartOfChange

WikiPages that touched on SocialDynamics

Many found by tracking DonOlson pages