5 - 7 - Lecture 7 - Review and Example - Part 1 [4-18]

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    So, we've covered a lot of ground in ashort time.In this lecture we'll briefly review thetheories we've read so far by applyingthem to a new example.Thus Far in this course we've coveredthree theories, rational actor modelorganizational process model and thebureaucratic politics model.And we've applied these theories to caseslike the Adams Avenue school, the CubanMissile Crisis and the Chicago's publicschools reform efforts in the 1990s.If we line up these theories side by side,we can see how they compare.Now in the table next to me, much of thisis review and covers the last twolectures.I'm not going to review all that here butI want to draw to your attention this kindof handout which you will repeatedly seeover the course of this course.In the end hopefully, you'll have a

    summary table that covers all ninetheories and shows them in comparison asack, as a quick reference for your kind ofwork and concerns.For the purposes of this lecture today Iwant to highlight how each theory impliescertain management strategies.So, the first column at the bottom thereshows what you would do as a rationalactor and what you want to do is you wantto consider alternatives and theirconsequences.You'll want to improve the quality of

    information you receive, so you can make awise decision based on the consequencesyou expect each option to have.Now as manager of organizationalprocesses, you'll need to know whatorganizations are involved, what standardoperating procedures they have in place.And then you need to assign those piece,the pieces of the problem to thoseorganizations that they are best suitedfor.So your job is to match pieces of theproblem to organizations capable of

    addressing them.Now as a manager of bureaucratic politics,you're more of a negotiator.You'll identify key players, learn theirinterest, points of leverage, andweaknesses so you can successfully bargainwith them and acquire their support.You'll work relationships and alignmentsto your advantage.So each theory implies a different sort of

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    managerial strategy, and with that inmind, let's consider a new case and use itas a thought experiment for trying outthese managerial styles.With every new example we consider,hopeful we'll form a concrete sense forhow to apply theories to real world cases.In this lecture I want to take the exampleof Hurricane Katrina which hit the City ofNew Orleans in 2005.Hurricane Katrina was the costliestnatural disaster of the United States.It's estimated at $81,000,000,000 indamage, and in it's wake over 1,800 peopledied.80 percent of New Orleans was flooded andlawsuits were filed afterward against theUS Army Corp of Engineer who designed andbuilt the levee systems that failed.And there was an investigation in theresponses of federal, states and localgovernments.And this resulted in the resignation ofthe Federal Emergency Management Agencies

    director, FEMA's director, Michael Brown.And the New Orleans Police Departmentsuperintendent, Eddie Compass.Several agencies performed well and werecommended, such as the US Coast Guard andthe National Hurricane Center.Now I know it's an event that alreadyhappened and there's been a great dealwritten about it online.I also know we have twenty, twenty visionin hindsight But it's often hard torequire adequate amounts of im, materialon a case that reflects the depth of

    knowledge that leaders and analyst mighthave on an organization that they areimmediately involved in.So, the information we can glean onKatrina from reading online materials,begins to approach what I think involvedparticipants or experts might have.But the point isn't perfection here.It's more pedagogical.I want you to get used to applyingtheories as lenses to cases.So, let's role play.Imagine your Mayor Nag, Nagin, right?

    What would you do?After taking this course you might want toput in your tool kit as many theorytechniques as it can hold.Peoples lives are at stake and you wannado the best job possible.So which theory would you use to helpprepare for the crisis, for the hurricanethat's coming.Which would you use to help you manage the

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    situation after it hit.These are the kinds of questions to ask inpreparation as a manager as you confrontthese kinds of crisis.