Conflicts in Leading and Managing Change : Towards a Reflexive Practice

165 Leading Change in a Complex Wo ld: T ansdisciplina y Pe spec i es Con lic s in Leading and Managing Change: Towa ds a Re lexi e P ac ice CHAPTER 9 Con lic s in Leading and Managing Change: Towa ds a Re lexi e P ac ice PAULA ROSSI Takeaways o Leading Change This chap e con ibu es o he unde s anding o wha is equi ed o oday’s leade s and manage s who ind hemsel es in ol ed in complex change p ocesses wi hin o ganisa ions – whe e coope a ion and con lic s a e bo h p esen a he same ime. Combining insigh s om complexi y sciences, psychology and o ganisa ional s udies, i sugges s leade ship should be iewed as a si ua ed, social, ela ional and dialogic p ac ice in which people and hei expe iences a e o eg ounded. Leading change becomes a e lexi e p ac ice in which he ensions and con lic s di e en people b ing o hei in e ac ions wi h o he s a e explo ed and app ecia ed. Con lic s a e seen as simul aneously a ousing unce ain y and in ense emo ional esponses while os e ing he mo emen o hinking h ough e lexi i y. Being e lexi e, hen, means mo e han linea ly add essing and esol ing p oblems. I makes use o and e eals he ensions, con lic s and mul iple pe spec i es o people engaged in o ganisa ional li e. Th ough mo emen o hinking, he chap e o e s al e na e ways o unde s anding and ac ing and con ibu es o indi idual de elopmen . 166 Leading Change in a Complex Wo ld: T ansdisciplina y Pe spec i es Con lic s in Leading and Managing Change: Towa ds a Re lexi e P ac ice T adi ional o ms o managemen and leade ship, designed o wo k in s able and p edic able condi ions, a e no longe unc ioning in he o ganisa ions o he wen y- i s cen u y. The complex challenges aced by oday’s socie ies and o ganisa ions place inc easing demands on managemen and leade ship. In his chap e , I add ess he issues o how hose in o ganisa ions could be e cope wi h bounda y-spanning, dynamic and open challenges, and wha kind o expe ise and p ac ices hey would need. Today’s leade s mus ake complexi y and unce ain y, a ising om di e en people engaging in e e yday in e ac ions in o ganisa ional li e, mo e se iously in o conside a ion. Ins ead o coming up wi h new, abs ac slogans abou leade ship and change, leade ship should ocus on mic o-p ocesses and complexi ies wi hin o ganisa ions a ising om he di e ences be ween people. Di e ences such as con lic s o alues, belie s, a i udes and p ac ices in o ganisa ional se ings a e an inescapable pa o social ela ions. I is impo an o explo e how o be e cope wi h, and e en make use o , hese di e ences in o ganisa ions. The chap e a gues ha being e lexi e owa ds con lic s in o ganisa ional li e can p omo e he de elopmen o indi iduals; and h ough indi idual de elopmen , p omo e o ganisa ional change. I iews change as embedded in e e yday p ac ices and in e ac ion in o ganisa ions. In explo a ion o he ques ion o how people could be e cope wi h, and e en make use o , he con lic s in o ganisa ions, a mul idisciplina y app oach is p oposed. The app oach highligh s he capaci y and necessi y o hink ac oss adi ional bounda ies. Theo e ically, he app oach d aws s ands o o ganisa ional s udies; psychology, mo e speci ically exis en ial phenomenology (see o example Rauhala, 1983; 1992; 1998); and complexi y sciences, mo e pa icula ly he heo isa ion o complex esponsi e p ocesses o ela ing (see o example Mowles, 2011; S acey, 2011; 2012). The combina ion o hese heo e ical s ands emphasises he impo ance o The chap e a gues ha being e lexi e owa ds con lic s in o ganisa ional li e can p omo e he de elopmen o indi iduals; and h ough indi idual de elopmen , p omo e o ganisa ional change. 167 Leading Change in a Complex Wo ld: T ansdisciplina y Pe spec i es Con lic s in Leading and Managing Change: Towa ds a Re lexi e P ac ice concen a ing on he mic o-p ocesses o o ganisa ion and examining he ole o indi idual expe iences and social in e ac ion no only in e e yday o ganisa ional li e bu also as he ounda ion o leading change. A amewo k o e lexi e p ac ice is in oduced. The chap e begins wi h a concep ual and heo e ical explo a ion o con lic s in leading and managing change. When applicable, he ex uses examples om he au ho ’s own esea ch conce ning public se ice de elopmen ini ia i es (Rossi, Rannis o, & S en all, 2016; Rossi, 2016a; 2016b). These ini ia i es ake place in complex con ex s and seek o add ess wicked p oblems (Webe & Khademian, 2008) which a e bounda y spanning, dynamic and open challenges, whe e s akeholde s seek o imp o e se ices om di e en , o en con lic ing pe spec i es. The chap e p oceeds as ollows. Fi s , i explo es con lic s as a ising om human in e ac ion because o he di e si y o people. Second, i challenges he idea ha o ganisa ional change occu s h ough coope a ion and pu ing di e ences aside. Ins ead, i explo es he ine i abili y o coope a ion and con lic s. Thi d, i a gues he expe iences o indi iduals conce ning con lic and change should be add essed in a amewo k o e lexi e p ac ice. The amewo k o e s a way o hinking abou he need o explo e, unde s and, and e ame he unde s anding abou con lic expe iences, hus gi ing ise o indi idual de elopmen . Fou h, a sensemaking p ocess abou expe ienced con lic s h ough s o y elling, whe e people a e e ealing and explo ing hei di e ences, is p oposed. The chap e concludes wi h a discussion o he implica ions o he e lexi e p ac ice amewo k o o ganisa ional con lic s on leading and managing change. Con lic s: The Good, Bad and he Ine i able Con lic is he e concep ualised as he con adic o y ways o o ming unde s anding in social in e ac ion un olding in complex o ganisa ional se ings. D awing om he psychological pe spec i e, con lic s a e seen as an indi idual o a g oup’s subjec i e expe ience and unde s anding o a gi en si ua ion, whe ein he alues, belie s, a i udes and p ac ices a e no iceably di e en om hose o o he s. The complexi y pe spec i e 168 Leading Change in a Complex Wo ld: T ansdisciplina y Pe spec i es Con lic s in Leading and Managing Change: Towa ds a Re lexi e P ac ice highligh s he impo ance o in e ac ing wi h people who o m di e en meanings and ha e di e en expe iences. F om his s andpoin , con lic s a e conside ed an essen ial pa o human in e ac ion and social li e. Con lic s a ise om human in e ac ion. Along wi h complexi y, hey a e a consequence o he undamen al di e si y o human li e: People ha e di e en , e en con adic o y, alues, belie s, a i udes and p ac ices (Mowles, 2015; S acey, 2011). Ye con lic s a e conside ed p oblems needing o be educed, elimina ed, o con olled wi h ools o managemen . Con lic s a wo kplaces a e o be managed o e en a oided (Peh man, 2011). Pu nam (1997, p. 147) has aken his e e yday o ganisa ional iewpoin u he by s a ing ha “o ganisa ional con lic is o en ea ed as a d eaded disease o . . . de ian ac i i y.” Howe e , Debo ah Kolb and Linda Pu nam (1992) sugges ha ins ead o being d ama ic con on a ions o o mally nego ia ed public e en s, mos con lic s a e embedded in he in e ac ion o ac o s doing hei e e yday wo k. They occu in o mally and equen ly ou o sigh . This also applies o he managemen o con lic s (Kolb & Pu nam, 1992). Con lic s a e embedded in o ganisa ional li e and a e p ocesses in which indi iduals and o ganisa ions ha e he po en iali y o de elop (S acey 2011; Wall and Callis e , 1995.) This s ands in con as o he idea o a con lic as some hing des uc i e. Ins ead con olling embedded con lic s and ensions in complex, chao ic, e e yday in e ac ions, S acey (1992) sugges s ha leading change is a way o hinking ha makes use o con lic s. Con lic s a e, as Pondy (1989, p. 96) a gues “no only unc ional o he o ganiza ion, [ hey a e] essen ial o i s e y exis ence.” Howe e , simply no icing he con lic is no enough. In o de o some hing no el o eme ge, he e needs o be an ongoing nego ia ion abou hese di e ences (Mowles, 2015). When e ealed and e lec ed upon, con lic s be ween mul iple pe spec i es o e al e na i e ways o unde s anding and ac ing, and hus d i e change. The po en ial o con lic s o be p oduc i e and gene a e posi i e ou comes is no a new idea (see, o example, Cose , 1956; Deu sch, 1969; Pondy, 1967). Ha g a e and Van de Ven (2017) also discuss con lic as p oduc i e phenomena by sugges ing ha aking in o conside a ion he emo ional ene gy con lic s elease can awaken he expe ience om his 169 Leading Change in a Complex Wo ld: T ansdisciplina y Pe spec i es Con lic s in Leading and Managing Change: Towa ds a Re lexi e P ac ice o he cogni i e and beha iou al apa hy. The emo ional ene gy ansla es in o ans o ma ion. In e e yday o ganisa ional li e, con lic s o en a ouse in ense emo ional esponses o unce ain y, anxie y, us a ion, i esolu ion o e en ang iness and ea . The in ensi y o emo ional esponses o con lic s is why i is so common o y o supp ess di e ences and a oid con lic s. Can one add ess hese emo ions as awakenings, as Ha g a e and Van de Ven (2017) sugges ? Con lic s and Coope a ion Coope a ion is o en seen as a key o un angling he complex challenges o oday’s wo ld, in which mul iple ac o s and s akeholde s a e equi ed o wo k oge he (Du ose, Mangan, Needham, Rees, & Hil on, 2013; Pa ado, Van Ryzin, Bocai d, & Lö le , 2013). This is especially impo an when hinking abou solu ions o complex issues such as po e y o en i onmen al p oblems. Towa ds his end, he chap e examines de elopmen ini ia i es in he public se ices. These aim o mee he needs o ci izens in e ec i e and e icien ways. De elopmen ini ia i es p o ide illus a ions o c oss-sec o al, complex and dynamic p ocesses, en i onmen s and p oblems wi h mul iple (g oups o ) ac o s and adminis a i e le els. Adminis a i e a angemen s in local and egional le els o go e nmen a e going h ough majo changes. In Finland, policymake s ha e iden i ied a g owing need o ind he mos e ec i e and e icien p ocedu es and p ac ices in he heal h and social se ices sec o s. The esponsibili ies o o ganising hese se ices a e being eloca ed om municipali ies o coun ies in Janua y 2019. Se ice p oduce s om he public and p i a e sec o s, non-p o i o ganisa ions, on -line wo ke s, public adminis a o s, poli icians, cus ome s and ci izens a e all in ol ed in his p ocess and come om a ious, o en- con lic ing pe spec i es. P esumably, hey all sha e a common goal: o ha e se ices ha mee he needs o ci izens in an e ec i e and e icien way. Howe e , he p ac ices, assump ions, alues, and belie s o hese di e en s akeholde g oups a y. Fo his eason, he e is a wide ange o pe spec i es on how his change should be implemen ed. 170 Leading Change in a Complex Wo ld: T ansdisciplina y Pe spec i es Con lic s in Leading and Managing Change: Towa ds a Re lexi e P ac ice The mains eam iew in o ganisa ional s udies sugges s ha change in o ganisa ions occu s when people wo king oge he pu hei di e ences aside (Mowles, 2011). Public se ice ac o s ace cons an demands o wo k oge he in o de o cope wi h wicked p oblems (Webe & Khademian, 2008) and e o m p essu es (Du ose e al., 2013; Pa ado e al., 2013). Howe e , he p esence o bo h coope a ion and con lic in o ganisa ional li e is ine i able. Complex challenges can be o e come h ough an unde s anding o bounda y-spanning coope a ion. In addi ion, unde s anding o he limi s, obs acles and d i e s o change in his new o ganisa ional pa adigm is also essen ial. The concep ual and heo e ical a gumen de eloped he e d aws om esea ch on he Monipal elupis e (Mul iple Se ice Poin ) which ope a ed in Jy äskylä, Finland, be ween he yea s 2013 and 2016 (Rossi e al., 2016). The p ojec is ano he example o a public se ice de elopmen ini ia i e aimed a imp o ing he quali y and cos e iciency o se ices. Due o he economic s uggles aced in he public sec o in Jy äskylä, he e was a g owing need o ind new ways, bo h wi hin he ci y’s own o ganisa ion and in collabo a ion wi h he nongo e nmen al sec o , o o ganise social and heal h se ice deli e y. This was o icially pu sued h ough coope a ion be ween di e en se ice sec o s. While he o ganise s o he p ojec emphasised coope a ion hey ne e heless did no make use o he di e si y o he ac o s no did hey pay a en ion o he con lic s in hei e o s o imp o e public se ices. In con as o he idea ha change occu s by people collabo a ing and se ing hei di e ences aside (Mowles, 2015), he s ands om complexi y science unde s ands change di e en ly. F om his pe spec i e, change occu s no by concen a ing on coope a ion and se ing di e ences aside bu by nego ia ing di e ences in in e ac ions wi h o he s (Mowles, 2015; S acey, 2011). Ins ead o ocusing exclusi ely on coope a ion in he o ganisa ional con ex , complexi y pe spec i e sees alue in bo h coope a ion and con lic . As Cooley (1918, p. 39) a gued one hund ed yea s ago, “…con lic s and coope a ion a e no sepa able hings, bu phases o one p ocess which always in ol es some hing o bo h.” This is especially ele an because s akeholde s posi ioned a di e en poin s in o ganisa ional s uc u es in a iably ha e di e en in e es s. 171 Leading Change in a Complex Wo ld: T ansdisciplina y Pe spec i es Con lic s in Leading and Managing Change: Towa ds a Re lexi e P ac ice Con lic s and Change: A Re lexi e P ac ice This chap e makes use o a se o heo e ical s ands om o ganisa ional s udies, psychology and complexi y sciences. Th ough hese s ands, con lic s and change in complex o ganisa ional se ings, a e unde s ood using he amewo k o e lexi e p ac ice. Re lexi e p ac ice e e s o he need o explo e, unde s and, and e ame unde s anding o con lic expe iences, so ha hey would gi e ise o indi idual de elopmen . The amewo k consis s o he ollowing unde lying assump ions (see Figu e 1): subjec i e expe ience, ela ional li e con ex , sensemaking, and s o y elling. Re lexi e leade ship p ac ices emphasise he expe iences o indi idual ac o s and pays a en ion o e e yday in e ac ion in an o ganisa ional con ex . FIGURE 1. The unde lying assump ions o e lexi e p ac ice 1 UNCERTAINTY ARISES when people wi h con lic ing alues, belie s, a i udes and p ac ices in complex o ganisa ional se ings a e coope a ing while ying o ge hings done, con lic is ine i able. 2 SUBJECTIVE EXPERIENCE Con lic s in o ganisa ional se ings a e happening in mul iple le els bu always expe ienced by an indi idual. This calls o emphasis on mic o-le el analysis – people and hei subjec i e expe iences. 3 RELATIONAL LIFE CONTEXT Who we a e as humans, and how an indi idual expe iences he wo ld, is cen al, bu i always ela es o he li e con ex o he one expe iencing. 4 SENSE-MAKING THROUGH STORYTELLING Making sense o hei expe iences, people ell s o ies. In hese sense-making p ocesses, he ans o ma ion o meanings and ac ion has he po en iali y o eme ge. 172 Leading Change in a Complex Wo ld: T ansdisciplina y Pe spec i es Con lic s in Leading and Managing Change: Towa ds a Re lexi e P ac ice Fi s , con lic s o di e ing alues, belie s, a i udes and p ac ices o people in in e ac ion a e ine i able and hus a ouse unce ain y whils people a e compe ing and coope a ing in ying o ge hings done (S acey, 2011). Second, con lic s occu on di e en le els: be ween he alues o indi iduals and o ganisa ional demands, be ween indi iduals wo king in he same o ganisa ion (pe haps a leade and an employee), o be ween he p ac ices and alues o o ganisa ions equi ed o collabo a e. Two p ac ical examples o di e en con lic le els eme ge om esea ch conce ning Finnish public se ice de elopmen ini ia i es. Fi s , con lic ook place be ween he se ice p ac ices o a non-p o i o ganisa ion and he public se ice sys em (see Rossi, 2016a). Second, ano he le el o con lic was be ween g oups o ac o s – ci izens, se ice p oduce s, and public se an s – wi h di e en alues and belie s (Rossi, 2016b; Rossi e al., 2016). Rega dless o he le el o con lic , con lic is always expe ienced subjec i ely a he indi idual le el. Thi d, he ela ional li e con ex o e s ing edien s o he indi idual o expe ience. Who we a e and wha we expe ience a e in ela ion o social li e and he li e con ex . Ou imp essions abou he sel and he wo ld a e cons an ly o ming and changing as we in e ac wi h o he s (Rauhala, 1983; 1992; 1998; S acey, 2011). This sugges ion elies pa icula ly on No be Elias’s (1978, 1991, 1939/2000) a gumen ha he indi idual and he social a e wo sides o he same coin. People o m he social, and he social o ms people. The indi idual li e con ex also consis s o conc e e condi ions – place, cul u e, language, his o y, communi y, socie y and human ela ions – o which an indi idual is in ela ion wi h (Backman, 2016, 74; Rauhala, 1983; 1992). The psychological pe spec i e, hen, d aws he a en ion o one’s li e con ex , emphasising indi iduali y, subjec i i y and he expe iences o indi iduals (Rauhala 1983; 1992; 1998). Whe e Mead a gues: “we become a sel in e subjec i ely” (as ci ed in Mowles, 2015, p. 22), Rauhala (1983; 1992; 1998) e e s o his as exis ence in ela ion o eali y. Fou h, he p o ound aspec o one’s li e con ex is in ela ionali y and p ocesses o sensemaking. People a e in ela ion o and c ea e meaning ul ela ionships wi h all ac o s p esen in hei pe sonal li e con ex . I is in he indi idual sensemaking p ocesses whe e expe iences conce ning li e con ex and i s aspec s become meaning ul. The sensemaking p ocess 173 Leading Change in a Complex Wo ld: T ansdisciplina y Pe spec i es Con lic s in Leading and Managing Change: Towa ds a Re lexi e P ac ice is a con inuous, dialogical and e lexi e ans o ma ion; i changes he pe son’s meaning ela ionship wi h he indi idual li e con ex , hus shaping he ac ions and/o he meanings gi en o ac ions (Rauhala, 1992). When indi idual sensemaking p ocesses mani es in ela ions wi h o he people, con lic s a ise and ans o m. Making sense abou con lic s expe ienced in e e yday o ganisa ional li e is a back-and- o h dialec ic whe e explo ing one poin o iew calls ou an al e na i e, possibly con lic ing poin o iew ha can po en ially modi y he o me . This dialec ic demons a es he mo emen o hinking ha gene a es mo e han one pe spec i e abou he si ua ion a hand (Mowles, 2015.) To summa ise, he de elopmen o new indi idual meanings and pe spec i es occu ing in sensemaking p ocesses o e lexi e p ac ice can po en ially os e he de elopmen o indi iduals and o ganisa ions. The amewo k o e lexi e p ac ice sugges s he need o explo e he di e ences in indi idual li e con ex s, which we b ing o ou ela ions wi h each o he while ying o ge hings done in daily o ganisa ional p ac ices. This e lexi i y o con adic ions is a highly indi idual and subjec i e ac o explo ing and ecognising he ensions in ou own hinking. Ye , i is also happening in social and ela ional en i onmen s. I gene a es mo e han one pe spec i e h ough he mo emen o hinking, os e ing he possibili y o ans o ma ion. Con lic s: Sensemaking in Resea ch The sensemaking p ocess o explo ing di e ences in hinking and in one’s li e con ex can occu h ough s o y elling. S o y elling is a way o p ac ice he e lexi e p ac ice – o s op, hink and make sense upon he con lic s and complexi y. As Tsoukas (2011) a gues, new knowledge can eme ge when un e lec i e p ac ices a e u ned in o e lec i e ones in e lexi e social in e ac ions. S o y elling and na a i es a e windows o he meanings ac o s asc ibe o con lic s and hei expe iences. One’s imp essions abou he sel and he wo ld can be seen as a con ex ual, cons an ly o ming na a i e. The “ u h” abou con lic s is cons uc ed con inuously in people’s minds. This sensemaking also akes place 180 Leading Change in a Complex Wo ld: T ansdisciplina y Pe spec i es Con lic s in Leading and Managing Change: Towa ds a Re lexi e P ac ice Pu nam, L. L. (1997). P oduc i e con lic : nego ia ion as implici coo dina ion. In C. De D eu, & E. Van De Vlie (Eds.), Using con lic in o ganiza ions (pp. 147–160). London, England: Sage. Pu nam, L. L. (2010). Communica ion as changing he nego ia ion game. 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Public Adminis a ion Re iew, 68(2), 334–349. h ps://doi.o g/10.1111/j.1540-6210.2007.00866 Leading Change in a Complex Wo ld: T ansdisciplina y Pe spec i es Copy igh © 2019 Tampe e Uni e si y P ess and he au ho s Edi ed by Anni Kangas, Johanna Kujala, Anna Heikkinen, An i Lönnq is , Ha i Laihonen and Julia Be hwai e Tampe e: Tampe e Uni e si y P ess