2+-+Daft+&+Weick

=Daft and Weick (1984) =

Key Concepts

§ Viewed organizations as interpretation systems § Researched how organizations viewed their environment o Organizations investigated issue (collected data) o Organization gave the data meaning (interpreted data) o Organizations acted on new meaning (learning) o Organizations used feedback to understand (applied learning) § Learning can be new decisions and also new processes

Example At one school they are trying to deal with the problem of bullying. The community is surveyed (teachers, students, parents). A committee is formed to look at the issue and the needs of the community. The school decides to implement a new character education program to use at the school. The staff, students and parents are trained to use the new program. Surveys are given and assessed after a certain time to see if program has had an effect on problem. Further revision is made to enhance the program.

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The 1986 Clint Eastwood movie, //Heartbreak Ridge// depicts an aging US Marine Corps gunnery sergeant that is put in charge of a platoon of misfits shortly before the Grenada incident. The crafty sergeant uses a variety of different ploys to convert a brash bunch of cocky marines into a an exceptional battlefield unit. Throughout the training the sergeant is constantly changing routines, leaving out information, and surprising the platoon. The scene hear is shortly after the final battle scene when the sergeant is confronted by a superior officer that is focused on whether the plan was followed rather than on if the mission was a success. Daft and Weick base much of their theory on a simple process: collect data, interpret data, learn and apply learning. The gunnery sergeant's training practices, with all of its tricks is designed to do the same thing. Of course the Marine Corps uses different terminology: adapt, improvise and overcome.

Similarities and Differences to other Theories

Like Levitt and March, Daft and Weick take into account how the history of an organization influences the organization. Levitt and March believe that history plays a stronger role than Daft and Weick. Daft and Weick research points to the interpreting and the sharing of data that leads an organization’s interpretations.

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