Organizational culture and the influence by tools on it
The use of tools has shaped human societies from the very beginning on. We create tools to perform an action to some object and by the use of the tool we are changed and change the community we are a part of. Tools are influenced by rules and their existence changes and creates new rules. Tools change the division of labor within organizations and have an impact on relationships between members of the organization and ...more »
The use of tools has shaped human societies from the very beginning on. We create tools to perform an action to some object and by the use of the tool we are changed and change the community we are a part of. Tools are influenced by rules and their existence changes and creates new rules. Tools change the division of labor within organizations and have an impact on relationships between members of the organization and beyond.
The session goal is to learn about Activity Theory and how change agents can use it to analyze, explain and influence organizational behavior.
I will present Activity Theory as a theoretical framework and also show, as an example, how the choice of tools affects the effectiveness of a team to develop a solution to their organization's problems. Tools in this environment can render a team totally useless and put it at odds with the rest of the organization or enable the team and the organization to collaborate effectively.
The choice of tools and how tools are choosen influences the organizational culture. Tools can make an organization very rigid and hinder communication or allow individuals to flourish and foster transparency.
I'm using the term "tool" in the widest sense possible. A tool may be a card on a wall, a software system or simply mandatory reports that are sent up the chain of command.
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