Social media networking and its affect on organizations

Youth ranging from 18 to 35 in corporate spaces, universities, high schools, and religious or faith organizations are influenced by social media networking as it relates to their assertiveness and confidence, and their insistence on having the freedom to express their ideas and share their voice!

Organisations committed to being transformational will have to balance the tension that hierarchy presents in and amongst a workforce liberated by social media influences. The two structure reality of hierarchy and social media network will create organisational ruckus and there is greater potential for a disillusioned, and conflicted workforce.

People immersed in social media technology are informed by the culture that the network informs. The social media network cultivates confidence assertiveness and will lead to people insisting on a workplace culture that affords freedom of ideas, and implementation of solutions inspired by those ideas.

Hierarchical organisational leadership structures are advised to strategically establish a revolutionary way of managing the business, in order to maximise the opportunities presented through social media networks, and to engage the future with inspired openness and a maximum benefit for the business and the people.

Sick organizations in need of overhaul

The occurrence of ‘Wally’s open heart surgery’ in August 2008 provided the world insight and eye witness to the complexities of such medical procedures. People who had no idea about the mechanics and detail of such an operation came face to face with the negative effects of unhealthy living and the required medical intervention. A heart overhaul is required when a heart has become dysfunctional.
While people’s hearts require overhaul, so do organizations. There is a need for an organizational overhaul that brings serious positive change. Organizations ranging from corporate, nonprofit, youth development, to religious have an impact on the lives of people and society. There are many Organizations these days which have struggles that bring them to a breaking point. Everything looks good on the outside but within they are perishing. Such organizations have an undeniable negative effect on its’ people and inevitably it ripples out into a greater negative societal effect. Organizations are required to take stock of their practices and organizational cultures, and pursue organizational development. The kind which has lasting impact on organizational ethics and morals, as well as the lives of their employees.
Consider people who work in the field of human resources. People in the supposed business of aiding the rights of employees in corporate companies. Unfortunately these human resource agents have expressed the soul killing process of becoming death tools of their executive boards’. Human resources are implicated in building cases that result in employees’ termination of contracts. Corporate organizations are frequently plagued with a working culture that operates like the mafia.
Such shrewd operations have also been noted in the nonprofit sector. There are many organizations that have undergone (major) magnanimous change. In some cases new leadership have not had the time to track the changes and keep up with the demands of new found leadership positions. In South Africa for example, the occurrence of black leadership coming into the influence of previously white lead organizations. Political and racial complexities are present and must be noted.
There are many leaders, managers and supervisors who are consumed by taking their own back. Selfish pursuit of personal luxury and comfort, have taken precedent over and above focus on people and their development. It has naturally led to several levels of misconduct, and abuse of people as well as further corruptions. In social critique and race constructs we speak of the Black elite who have risen to top ranks of leadership but are equally or even more disconnected from the plight of people in so called lower ranks of work, than their previous white predecessors.
While some industries and organizations have seen the rise of black leadership. There are many organizations that remained white and male, dominated in their staff compliment and their top level management structures - even after a fifteen year democratic South Africa. Organizations and workplaces that model inclusion within the workplace culture is quite frankly ignored. Drawing from the vast array of race, class and gender diversity in South Africa is not common practice. Leaders and influencers within organizations do not have an underpinning ideology or consciousness to pursue and develop diverse teams.
There is a call for people to take leadership in making a stand against the corruption, in the midst of organizations that are struggling to ensure that people are not diminished and disregarded. Furthermore we must ensure that we have a reforming of our societies, which are plagued by stressed and depressed people, and societies that are rife with unemployment, stark poverty, broken families and desperation.
Sick organizations; bring about troubled people, which further encourages a struggling society. In the study of organizations we learn of organizations who wield the power to control economic development, and the affect that economic development bears on the development of society. Today we live in a world where the disparity and gap between the rich and the poor is ever increasing. For example, Developed countries thrive off the primary resources of developing countries, while these developing countries try to reduce their Third World Debt.
According to Smith and Todaro , “For developing nations that possess greater resources and relatively more bargaining power, the phenomenon of dominance becomes manifested more in the tendency of the rich to get richer, often at the expense of the poor.”
Provided that we see, understand and recognize the desperation of our times, such desperate times require earnest and compassionate response. A response to bring lasting change is required.
Change grounded in a soulful commitment and social awareness must be considered to keep the heart beat of organizations beating for its people. We as concerned global citizens must agree that “sick organizations need an overhaul” to design, develop and deliver organizations that are concerned and committed to doing the work of social change. Organizations in minor and major forms - and people leading and influencing these organizations have the power to affect society positively. Organizational power brokers must consciously work toward such an end.

"Implementing Diversity" -by Seth Naicker

Implementing Diversity (Marilyn Loden, 1996) is a valuable resource and handbook for implementing diversity and building inclusive work place culture, which calls the reader to go beyond just light reading, or even in depth study. It calls the reader to action and pursuit of a ‘….vision that must be fulfilled and a goal that must be accomplished. For those of us who welcome change, it is now time to plot a course that will help assure ultimate success” (Loden, 1996, p.x).

Loden is clearly writing from a visionary standpoint, which in the light of current world circumstances, one may be prone to proclaim that Loden’s visionary call out, has been achieved in the political life of America due to president elect Barack Obama. The Obama factor is symbolic of success, but exclusive and power base cultures of dominance go far beyond race and ethnicity. Therefore as much as diversity is being enhanced in global trends, we must ensure that diversity work is authentic and not just a negotiated settlement of compromise. The work of diversity must go beyond the colorizing game.Diversity implementation must grapple with creating a culture of inclusivity, where diversity reaches the heart, the mind and spirit of people, where the separation gap between the I and the other is continually shrinking.

I have been apart of, seen and witnessed people who are passionate about the implementation of diversity, end up being in conflict and distress with each other, based upon their different approaches to implementing diversity, and a culture of inclusivity. I am of the viewpoint that organizations, people and departments designated or charged by an organization to manage diversity implementation, must seek to work in collaboration with several departments within the organization without always the visible the lead role. Instead the work of managing diversity implementation becomes the work of support and encouragement of people and offices going about implementing diversity in their segmented and unique ways. Diversity implementation is therefore encouraged by casting the vision and allowing people to realize the dream!

Loden (1996) in providing concluding remarks explains,
“It simply means that diversity implementation must become more segmented and experimental as opposed to one-size-fits-all. Instead of benchmarking and reinventing a status quo implementers need the skills, insights, and, at times, the counsel of professional consultants required to customize implementation for the particular needs of their organization and the diverse needs of each segment” (1996, p. 178).
I agree with Loden that implementing diversity cannot be a one-size-fits-all approach. I recognize organizations having need for cohesion, but over application of cohesion will ultimately result in the creation of another status quo.

Loden (1996) explains, “Instead of “doing to others as you would have them do unto you,” we must now develop the understanding and empathy required to truly know others. With this greater knowledge, we can then “treat others as they would have us treat them” (1996, p. 179). People and offices who are responsible for managing and directing diversity implementation must seek to treat others as they would have you treat them, especially in allowing autonomy and a diversity of approaches to achieving organizational cultural change.

Take an office like Human Resources for e.g., which may be responsible for tracking diversity learning and the creation of a culture of inclusivity within an organization, they should seek to capture different efforts at different strata in the organization. The key is to bring these segmented efforts together by drafting and capturing a segmented approach that ultimately mobilizes and demonstrates how the implementation of diversity and change in organizational culture is taking place, through individual efforts which affect a communal purpose.

In words of Teton Sioux, " ...I have seen that in any great undertaking it is not enough for a man to depend simply upon himself," (Native American Wisdom, Running Press, p. 51), I am mindful about going about the work of implementing diversity in the spirit of remembering where it is that I come from, and choosing to embrace and live for the inclusivity and diversity, justice and reconciliation, where ever it is that I will go!

Blessings and 'alutta continua', "la lucha continua," the struggle continues. Shalom, Shanti, La Paz sea contigo, As-Salamu'Alaykum - Peace be upon you!