Enable Commitment: G7

Values Bind

In this final perspective, all seven Levels are indivisible. The Grouping forms one single Heptad group that defines the work-to-be-done to fulfil the mission of the organization. Membership of any organization is conditional: based on a contract-compact to ensure this occurs.

Every member of staff is equal in the sense that they have all voluntarily agreed to being employed and all are needed by the organization. This aspect of membership means that ideas of democracy in the workplace will never die. In this perspective, the organization is a large social group, much like a community, and its staff need to have a voluntary commitment to its values.
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In a purely informal way, all staff voluntarily reinforce (or reject) explicit or implicit decisions at higher and lower levels, whatever their own kind and level of work, and they do so principally on the basis of their personal values. So all could potentially contribute to a greater or lesser degree if enabled to do so.

ClosedProblems for Professionals

The potential for contribution is most evident within a function where staff work-identity gets defined by others. Professionals are different. They are expected to accept a whole range of encircling higher level assumptions: assumptions which they are perfectly capable of reflecting upon and will feel strongly about. These include what constitutes acceptable methods (WL3), what mix of services is required (WL4), where the boundary of the field lies (WL5), how professionals in other fields should be handled (WL6), and basic definitions and ethical standards in the profession (WL7). Given that choices affecting these matters may well be made directly or indirectly by higher level managers in a large organization, some participation is requisite—and this is what the Heptad enables.

The Heptad is about enabling the commitment of all as a voluntary matter i.e. quite apart from formal mechanisms provided in the various lower Groupings.

Internal Structure

The internal structure of the Heptad reveals:

  • g7: At WL7, commitment to the work-to-be-done must be enabled voluntarily within the organization—which depends on recognizing that community life can develop if there is a focus on personal values, equality and staff willingness to get work done well.
  • g6: At WL6, commitment to the work-to-be-done must be enabled naturally within the organization—which depends on translating ideas into policy frameworks suited to the mission and vision in ways which foster a positive climate.
  • g5: At WL5, commitment to the work-to-be-done must be enabled realistically within a field of operations—which means ensuring a suitable culture and providing a variety of cross-level participative arrangements.
  • g4: At WL4, commitment to the work-to-be-done must be enabled comprehensively within services in the division through a suitable work ethos.
  • g3: At WL3, commitment to the work-to-be-done must be enabled systematically so that morale is high and everyone is involved.
  • g2: At WL2, commitment to the work-to-be-done must be enabled appropriately to the concrete situation in the specific area so that there is team-spirit.
  • g1: At WL1, commitment to the work-to-be-done must be enabled prescriptively in the concrete situation so that staff experience satisfaction and develop good work-attitudes.

Features

Function: The Heptad ensures that the totality of the work to be done is unified through staff identifying with the values of the organization, and committing to its mission, vision and culture as appropriate to their role.

Quality: Commitment is an active process that must be voluntary, and this depends on how equality is respected and identification is facilitated.

Integrationwithin the Group: The recognition, acceptance and fostering of common aims and values supports a communal inter-dependence of each on all.

Integration across all Groups: Not applicable because only one Group.

Psychological Correlate:  A natural desire for autonomy in holding and expressing values, especially those that directly impact on personal identity at work.

Personal Tension: Identification with the organisation's needs versus personal needs and private interests. Cf. employee tensions in employment-PH'1CsHK.

Social Correlate:  Community is built on shared values and all members desire to shape a community to which they have committed themselves.

Organisational Tension: Wishes to treat the workforce equally versus needs to discriminate staff in terms of usefulness and power. Cf. management tensions in employment-PH'1CsHK.

Practical Implications: Organise facilities and arrangements that are value-based and foster a sense of equality and informal community. For example: enable representative and consultative systems, recruit with values in mind, survey staff and act on needs relevant to working, make employees actual members of the association that set up the organization (e.g. shareholders).

Originally posted: 26-Mar-2014