Organisational Analysis: Paradigms, Criticisms, and Practicality

This presentation delves into the different paradigms of information used in system development classification and their criticisms. It also discusses the advantages and disadvantages of workplace surveillance and the essence of functionalism in practicality. The presentation covers topics such as social relativism, functionalism, and the rational research topic of alcohol use and related issues epidemiology. The purpose, epistemology, and shortcomings of each paradigm are also discussed.

Organisational Analysis
Assignment 1
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Classification of paradigms
• Four different paradigms of information are used in
system development classification due to the fusion
of these factors: fundamental change& adjustment
and facilitator & subjectivism Burrell and Morgan
(1982).
• Original change is defined as the fact that the mean
fundamental changes to the standard order on things
conducted on organization considered ought to be,
while control point of view is primarily and
judgmentally less.

Paradigm selection
• Paradigm 1
Radical structuralism
• Paradigm 2
Functionalism

Criterion based on facilitator and subjectivist
point of view
• The subjectivist model as discussed by Klein and
Hirschheim (1989)
• The viewpoint of nominalist philosophers: they state
that there are diverse contexts of values, beliefs, and
experiences together with valid perspectives that are
subjectively constructed via people’s reality
• On an interpretive philosophers epistemology: they
say people need to understand the way in which the
world is interpreted and also consider that relativistic,
questions the existence of “objective” knowledge.

Social Relativism
• Systems Development is seen as sensemaking
• The analyst is deemed as the facilitator
• The knowledge collected and applied here is a
• Development of systems and processes is
subjective and is customarily ordered
• There is also evolutionary social transformation
• Development of methods is process oriented and
a negotiated reality with management and users.

Types of social objectivity
• Descriptive Relativism is based on, comprehensive and deeply
rooted moral disagreements across different societies that
are factually proven. The existence of natural disputes about
accepted procedures is clearly accepted by the descriptive
moral relativism, when the same outcome seems to come
up, and the same information may be realized too.
• Meta-Ethical Relativism holds that acceptance or rejection or
of moral judgments is relative to the beliefs, culture or
practices of a specific society not absolute or universal, It also
holds that many moral contention lack authority and cannot
be resolved rationally .

Assumptions
• Looking for empirical explanations that are casual for social
phenomena is unwise. As such it should be replaced by sense-
making since the existence of epistemology that anti-positivism
reflects the wrong.
• The ontology which in reality is a product of human mind is that
of nominal's in that reality is not a given perpetual “out there,” is
constructed socially.
• Social relativism is primarily involved in explaining the social
world from the viewpoint of the organizational agents. These
agents directly take part in the social process of coming up with
reality and is adopted for understanding social phenomena.

relations
• Reality; its subjective and is constructed by
actors and lived through a shared
understanding which can be interpreted and
not discovered.
• Meaning and intentionality are of paramount
importance for they constitute behaviors.

epistemology
• The researcher is not neutral but involved in
the phenomenon.
• The social processes cannot be captured by
hypothetical deductions.
• The primacy of experience is key
• The description of events is from the
participants’ perspectives.
• Qualitative methods are used here.

Purpose
• Discover a version or various versions of the
physical world
• By approximation and not precision
• Prove relativism

Disadvantages
• Its too concentrated on the micro-context of
interaction.
• It does not look at unintended consequences of
action.
• It does not address structural and historical
conflicts within society and ignores
contradictions.

The rational research topic
• Alcohol Use and related issues epidemiology
• Monitoring future projects on alcohol use and its associated issues are limited
by the exclusion of students not attending school
• and the age range it covers though it remains the best source of
epidemiological data.
• The residents of families, noninstitutional group quarters and civilians living
on bases meant for soldiers ages 12 and over was used as the information
source.
• Military personnel on active duty, homeless persons who do not use shelters
and those living in organized community quarters, such as healthcare
facilities were those persons who were excluded from the research
• drinking patterns different of groups like the religious, those in given age
groups and also those differing on race or ethnicity and longitudinal trends
display very different designs.

Criticisms relativism
• The deviant ,little or no emotions won't lead to deficits in
judgment of accepted standards if the honest reason is enough
for the moral sense
• Is morality Objective?
• The possibility that a rational agent with the same information,
and corresponding discernment as you, come to believe in a
morality contrary to your honesty, therefore this is sufficient to
undermine the existence of objective moral knowledge
• The uncertainty on morality objectively truth because of its
empirically confirmed genealogy from emotional, evolutionary,
historical and cultural context?

Continuation of criticisms
• What is the morality for? The need to coordinate on a common
point of view is the essential core of morality in a community.
• It seems as intuitively plausible to maintain that killing a little
girl merely for fun is always objectively immoral.
• Objectivists do admit that we have to give priority to our
present moral point of view. But they think that they alone can
explain which of our current moral beliefs are mistaken.
• The question of if moral rationality strongly favor the
moral objectivism?

Functionalism
• Instrumental Reasoning point of view of system
development
• The system development analyst is seen as
Platonic philosopher king or system expert.
• Meeting specific objectives is what the
information system is structured to achieve
• Information system development is both objective
and ordered.
• The management is viewed as IS leaders.

Continuation
• Functionalism is located in the bottom right corner of the quadrant. Its
primary concern is with “resources researchers-like” or a more rational
perspective to explain to suggest some recommendations for
nonfundamental changes. Like “ customer complaints have reduced by
33% last year and it is due to the recommendable improvement in the
client services.”
• Another scenario would be that resource utilization techniques introduced
has resulted in the reduced expenditure by 18 percent and the rise in the
profit margin.
• A dysfunctional or broken down entity in a system impacts the entire
system and creates a problem that results in distortion in the order and
even to those involved in the system.

Continuation on functionalism..
• An institution serving an important part in the functioning of community is the only
reason it stands according to functionalism. An institution will die away if its purpose
of helping stops. New institutions will be created to meet emergence of new needs
or demands.
• The federal institution, or state, offers learning opportunity for the people residing
in the society in most parts of the world. The community, in turn, is taxed by the
state or local authority on which the federal government looks up to to keep the
services and remain in power. A given society relies upon the learning institution to
help the community raise its young generation and get well-paying jobs so as to be in
a position to support the people that rely on them. In so doing, the children
educated by the government become responsible, taxpayers, who in then support
the authorities by offering workforce and its smooth running.
• Functionalism as such emphasizes the peaceful coexistence and organisatio enjoyed
in society, focusing on stability of the community and values accepted by the public.
Activities that are abnormal results into change because mechanisms of the society
must adjust to achieve balance as seen from the functionalist point of view.

Relations
• Objective reality and the social world exist
independent of humans, and it can be
discovered.
• *Human action is intentional and rational (or
bounded rational).
• *Conflict and contradiction are not endemic to
social relations and must be corrected

Epistemology
• The researcher is based on neutrality; not biased.
• The research is based on verification and
falsification (theory testing).
• The main aim is searching for laws and principles
accepted by all across the world.
• Among explanation, prediction, and control there
is the apparent use of strict categorization and
tight coupling
• data collections method is mainly quantitative.

Purpose
• Discover the objective physical world by
precisely measuring and predicting the future
you can discover the world
• Create a technical link between theory and
practice.
• Manipulation and control of the world.

Shortcomings
• It is close-minded regarding alternative approaches.
• it is known to disregard for historical and contextual factors.
• It is deterministic in focusing on only one aspect of a phenomenon.
• The uncertainty about the existence of a ‘structure’ that exists independently
of individuals?
• The possibility of difficulty in assessing the effects of institutions. Measuring
the effects comprehensively that an institution had on every society member
and the related institutions which most of the times proof difficult to do
because it is impossible to separate the results of an institution on other
things is the processes procedure one would take to establish whether an
institution posses positive roles
• the extent of Value consensus and Social Order is exaggerated by
functionalism –value consensus assumption exists by Parsons instead of
proving it is criticized

Continuation of criticisms of functionalists
• The fact that social stability could have been caused by lack of consensus rather
than because of the institution. The impossibility of not getting everyone get the
highest order may result in disorder. The likelihood of everyone believing in the
value of achievement which is not the case.
• Functionalism in a point of view of a deterministic theory – sees human behavior
portrayal as being guided by the social system, as though the community is
programmed by social institutions would rally with the assumption.
• conflict and coercion are ignored by functionalists –this is revealed in pattern
conditions, that mainstream social values of aristocratic groups, and thus social
order is given to the majority by a relatively small group of noble members of the
community which differs to what Marxists say.
• The idea that functionalism is Ideological – By focusing on positive functions and
suggesting that individual institutions are necessary they are actually proving the
existence of the social order as enjoyded by the society . Functionalism is also a
conservative social theory.

Surveillance in workplace
• More of modern medium and prominent
organizations have installed some form of employee
surveillance equipment. A study carried out on
workplace surveillance reveals that a whooping 45
percent of businesses around the world monitor
employee electronic use; system and process use.
Also, a survey carried out on 64 percent of
employers with small, and mediums shops reported
the use of surveillance cameras installed at their
business premises.

Advantages of workplace surveillance
• Documented evidence-use of surveillance cameras on the employees
means that there is evidence in records should there be a suspicious
incident. Should there be theft by an employee who will try to blame
it on a fellow workmate, burglary or even a client, the surveillance
system will reveal otherwise.
• Training- training can be practical on almost all jobs. Training of
prospective employee could be uneconomical and also risky during
working hours depending on the job duties. Use of recorded and
well-documented videos from actual employees performing the jobs
has proved to be a better way to getting new employees grasp the
idea of practical applications of job training. It becomes handy to
prospective employees to know what to engage in and avoid, as
compared to real incidents.

Essence of Functionalism and its practicality
• Functionalism should not be rejected at all despite the flaws
mentioned above.
• An assumption relating the authority investing in education or welfare
for development purposes and which is working pretty well borrows
the perspective that we can look at the society as a system and that
the parts are interdependent.
• Also the fact that many in the developing countries desiring to become
like developed countries . Because of the idea that we can help
countries develop by giving aid is still a widespread idea should be
considered.
• Lastly, interesting correlations between a given position in the social
setting and the probability of something distorting them as statistics
reveal is insightful of functionalism.

References
• Abdollahi, B. And Shahriari, B., 2017. Critique Of Anti-organization Theory
Based On Its Philosophical Foundations (Fundamental Humanist Paradigm).
European Journal Of Management And Marketing Studies.
• Ardalan, K., 2017. Capital structure theory: reconsidered. Research in
International Business and Finance, 39, pp.696-710.
• Burrell, G. and Morgan, G., 2017. Sociological paradigms and organisational
analysis: Elements of the sociology of corporate life. Routledge.
• Iofrida, N., De Luca, A.I., Strano, A. and Gulisano, G., 2018. Can social
research paradigms justify the diversity of approaches to social life cycle
assessment?. The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, 23(3),
pp.464-480.

THE END
• THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.