Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
sponding to the poster, but also actively using the 'suggestion scheme' tool for
their purposes.
When they recognised that their aim, i.e. gaining from their knowledge, had not
been reached that easily they got in touch with the environmental manager. They
claimed that their ideas should be judged as acceptable and hence serve them in
terms of recognition. In the follow-up to this, several meetings took place to solve
the tensions. These provide a chance to illustrate further dimensions of the prob-
lem.
18.4.1 Crystallised Conflict: The Meetings
The meetings were attended by Kunz, some of his colleagues and the workers.
While the meetings were designed to maintain co-operative stances within the
corporation the conflict was not easily solved. The positions which the two groups
of actors took were laden with contradictions. On the one hand Kunz (representing
the corporate bureaucracy) wanted the workers to be motivated, both in general
and specifically through the 'Programme'. He recognised after a while that this
had not been realised as to his aims. In conflict with this approach was the stance
of him of teaching the workers. This stance makes explicit that he considered their
knowledge (too) poor. On the other hand the workers were positioned within a
contradiction as well. They wanted to 'sell' their ideas to the corporation, i.e.
make them value the ideas and recognise the workers for their contribution. How-
ever, while they could not enforce such a recognitive stance by the organisation
they still tried to move the organisation towards recognising their ideas.
Thus, between and within both groups structural conflicts existed. So, what was
the use of the meetings after all? They took place for (at least) three kinds of rea-
sons. First, Kunz needed them to explain the workers the reasons for declining
their ideas. Second, the workers needed them to contest the decision. And third, to
have meetings to negotiate can be seen as an act of the organisational habitus.
Thus, having meetings satisfies the structural requirements on conflicts within the
organisational field.
The latter points again to the relevancy of the main stake within the field: eco-
nomic profit. The suggestion scheme is aimed at profit and the environmental
manager, as well as his colleagues represent the organisational rationality to en-
sure profits. This interpretation allows the reframing of the position of Kunz and
the workers in terms of their stakes.
The job of Kunz (and his colleagues) included improving the environmental
management at the site. This should be done as efficiently as possible. The 'Pro-
gramme' provided the chance for the environmental manager to gain significant
new ideas which he could then incorporate into managing environmental issues.
However, the 'Program' provided the risk for him as well, that the ideas which
were presented to him which could be wearisome to deal with. This might have
reduced the efficiency of the management tool. Furthermore, not only that he had
to deal with the specific ideas, he was also (co-)responsible for running the 'Pro-
gramme'. Thus, here is another instance of his stake in terms of managing knowl-
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