Organizations and Unusual Routines: A Systems Analysis of Dysfunctional Feedback Processes

Cover......Page 1
Frontmatter......Page 2
Contents......Page 6
List of figures......Page 9
List of tables......Page 10
List of boxes......Page 11
Preface......Page 12
Acknowledgments......Page 15
Two stories of mundane complexity and dysfunctional feedback......Page 18
Crazy systems......Page 22
Unusual routines......Page 34
The rest of the book......Page 36
2 - Causes, symptoms, and subroutines of unusual routines in six computer information/communication systems......Page 38
Causes of unusual routines in three ICTs......Page 39
Causes, symptoms, and subroutines of unusual routines in three ICTs......Page 57
Conclusion......Page 77
3 - Getting personal: unusual routines at the customer service interface......Page 84
Customer service, dissatisfaction, and complaining......Page 85
Examples and analysis of unusual service subroutines, routines, and organizational (non-)response......Page 98
Conclusion......Page 123
Five foundational theories for a preliminary model of unusual routines......Page 124
Developing a preliminary model of unusual routines......Page 156
Five propositions......Page 166
Conclusion......Page 169
Method......Page 172
Proposition One......Page 177
Proposition Two......Page 184
Proposition Three......Page 190
Proposition Four......Page 194
Proposition Five......Page 208
Conclusion......Page 216
Proposition One......Page 217
Proposition Three......Page 218
Proposition Four......Page 219
Proposition Five......Page 220
Discussion......Page 221
Conclusion......Page 232
7 - Individual and organizational challenges to feedback......Page 234
Feedback challenges inherent in human communication behaviors......Page 235
Feedback challenges inherent in organizations......Page 244
Conclusion......Page 266
Cognitive and social processing errors......Page 269
Social traps and dilemmas......Page 283
Organizational complexity......Page 286
Organizational paradoxes......Page 291
Organizational deviance......Page 297
Technological complexity......Page 304
Conclusion......Page 322
Encourage customer service feedback from all stakeholders......Page 323
Apply socio-technical systems theory, involve stakeholders from design through walkarounds......Page 327
Reduce blaming and defensive approaches to cognitive dissonance......Page 329
Manage paradoxes and sensemaking......Page 331
Foster learning through feedback......Page 334
Heighten awareness of predictable surprises and avoid overreacting to worst-case scenarios......Page 336
Understand and resolve social traps and social dilemmas......Page 337
Discuss and resolve conflicting goals, vicious cycles, and workplace deviance......Page 338
Avoid simple and individual approaches to complex technology and system error......Page 339
Apply and combine linkage and routines analysis......Page 342
Conclusion......Page 346
The allure of unusual routines......Page 348
Our preliminary models......Page 350
A proposed integrative model of unusual routines......Page 353
Conclusion......Page 359
References......Page 361
Index......Page 390