PBOG the sociology of organisational life

1. The Definition of the Situation
PBOG:
the sociology of organisational life
Working hypothesis by Clive Burgess©
st
1 October 2012
Global Watching for the mobile generation
Curious... looking beyond the obvious at the
bigger picture
Clive Burgess ©2012

2. The Definition of the Situation
Global Watching for the Mobile Generation
Curious... looking beyond the obvious at the bigger picture
Working hypothesise... ideas from my twitter thread... trying
to pull all of the stuff together so I can see what's going on...
still following the money... in search of gold...
Clive Burgess... A security bloke in search of the truth
1st October 2012
– my view of social reality in organisational life
Although my ideas may not be quite right it is my hope that
some of my stuff may stimulate others to develop new ideas
or thoughts that may be put into practice now or in the future
Clive Burgess ©2012

3. The Definition of the Situation
Global Watching for the Mobile Generation
Curious... looking beyond the obvious at the bigger picture
PBOG: the sociology of organisational life
➔Sustainable Development ~ Simplified model
➔Reframing Organisations ~ Joan V Gallos et al 2003
➔The Hidden Persuaders ~ Vance Packard 1957
➔In Place of Austerity ~ Dexter Whitfield 2012
CONFLICT
Reproduction & Transformation of the Welfare State
➔Control & Resistance ~ The Global fightback
➔PBOG: the sociology of organisational life ~ Four-frame
approach to develop the definition of situation
Clive Burgess ©2012

4. The Definition of the Situation
PBOG: FOUR-FRAME APPROACH
PLAN Patterns of
Governance, Policies & BEHAVIOUR
Procedures, Strategic Act like or Observe &
Plans, Action Plans etc Monitor
GUIDELINES legal Rational
or other ORGANISATION
Directives, Acts, Orders, We want you to do this
Regulations, Rules, with these to produce that
Codes of Practice , Codes
of Conduct etc
Clive Burgess ©2012

5. SD PLAN: Policies & Procedures
Education & Housing &
Health &
Employment Built
Well-being including NI
including payments & Environment
Welfare including Social
Pensions
Benefits & NHS Housing
Economy Transport & Energy
including Infrastructure Security &
Income Tax & including
subsidies
Poverty
VAT
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT – SIMPLIFIED MODEL
Clive Burgess ©2012

6. PBOG: Reframing Organisations
PBOG: FOUR-FRAME APPROACH
Plan ~ Symbols Behaviour ~ Politics
Liberal Democratic Ideology ● Neo-Liberalism
Using the age of Austerity to ● Conservatism
interpret guidelines direct &
implement plan
● Corporate/business interests
Green tree & yellow smiley
Organisation ~ Structure
Guidelines ~ Human ● State-Monopoly Capitalism
Resources ● The Big Society
● People - 99% ● Tax Payer Alliance ~ Big Brother Watch
Who is doing what, where, when, Dispossession, Disinvestment, Destabilisation,
how & WHY? Depoliticisation & Disempowerment
Economic performance
Clive Burgess ©2012

7. Reproduction & Transformation of
Public Services & the Welfare State
Neo-liberal reproduction &
transformation of the welfare state The reproduction & transformation of
consists of four processes public services
● (P) Personalisation
● Extend wealth creation in the public sector
● (B) Financialisation
● To reconfigure the state
● (O) Privatisation
● Reformulate social relations.
● (G) Marketisation The age of Austerity
Financial Crisis ~ Setback for ● Created opportunities to accelerate
neo-liberalism marketisation & privatisation
● Failure of securitisation ● Role back the state centre-stage
● Deregulation ● Bail out of banks & financial institutions as
corporate welfare (the well-being of
● Property market collapse corporations at public expense)
Clive Burgess ©2012

8. PBOG: In Place of Austerity
PBOG: FOUR-FRAME APPROACH
(B) Financialisation
(P) Personalisation
● Capitalisation of income streams & securitisation of assets
● Individual choice mechanism
● Individual budgets, direct payments & vouchers
● Consumerism & market research
● Payment-by-result
● Emphasis on individual participation through
complains & comments ● Community asset ownership
● Social investment bonds/shares
(G) Marketisation ● Private finance of infrastructure
● Commissioning & contract culture ● Asset-based welfare state
Commodifying (commercialising) services
(O) Privatisation
●
● Commodifying (commercialising) labour
● Transfer of public services to arms length trading
● Restructuring the state for competition & market companies & enterprises
mechanisms
● Whole & multi-service PPP contracts
● Restructuring democratic accountability & user involvement
● Sale of assets by flotation or trade sale
● Embedding
● business interests
● Leasing infrastructure via long term concession contracts
Clive Burgess ©2012 ● Social investment market

9. PBOG
Reproduction & Transformation
PLAN BEHAVIOUR
● Implement ● Evaluate, Review
● Direct, Inform, Instruct, Train ● Follow
● Interpretation ● Cooperate
GUIDELINES ORGANISATION
● Conditions ● Competition
● Enforce, Encourage (Nudge) ● Focus & Feed-back
● Competence ● Coordination
Clive Burgess ©2012

10. PBOG
Control & Resistance
PLAN BEHAVIOUR
● Implement ● Evaluate, Review
● Direct, Inform, Instruct, Train ● Follow
● Interpretation ● Cooperate
GUIDELINES ORGANISATION
● Conditions ● Competition
● Enforce, Encourage (Nudge) ● Focus & Feed-back
● Competence ● Coordination
Clive Burgess ©2012

11. PBOG ~ Dialectic Processes
Cultural Process Activities & Relationships
● Paper to People Dialectic process
● Paper to Paper ● Systems Theory
● People to People ● Activity Theory
PEOPLE MANAGEMENT
COOPERATE TEAMWORK
COMPETITION
Dance of the dialectic
Controlled by Roles & Responsibilities
Clive Burgess ©2012

12. PBOG: Dialectic Process
PAPER PEOPLE
● Plan ● Behaviour
● Guidelines ● Organisation
Each process contains control & resistance, reproduction & transformation
as they constantly conflict with each other.
This in turn produces an aspect.
The processes move a bit like a swing-ometer used by the BBC during local or general
election time. Sometimes lesser, sometimes greater – see cultural change
Clive Burgess ©2012

13. Control & Resistance
Resistance
to the cuts
Clive Burgess ©2012