The Nature of Organizational Dynamics - Essay Example

The Nature of Organizational Dynamics Organizational dynamics is the totality of the behaviors and interactions of the individuals in a group or organization. The paper is aimed to discuss the different organization theories and their applications to be able to understand the dynamics of an organization. The main application of the said theories is determined through the experiences of Ernest Shackleton and his crew in their journey onboard Endurance to the Antarctic. Analysis of Endurance and Ernest Shackleton’s Antarctic Adventure The story is about the journey of Ernest Shackleton to the Antarctic with a 27-man crew onboard the ship Endurance in 1914. He is a known explorer with a life-long objective to reach the pole. He is also the leader of the British Imperial trans-Antarctic Expedition. The journey to reach the south pole had been planned and he handpicked the crew members from the number of people who applied in response to his advertisement that described a need for men who would want to be employed in a dangerous journey, with small wages, without the assurance of safe returns and the disadvantage of the extremely cold weather conditions and complete darkness through most of the time. The only perceived advantage he indicated was the recognition awaiting their return (“Endurance: Shackleton and the Antarctic.” You Tube). Even before the beginning of the adventure, the characteristics of the people in the journey can already be analyzed. The leader, Sir Ernest Shackleton can be perceived as a straightforward man. In the advertisement that he posted for interested crews, he honestly and objectively presented the odds that the workers shall face. By doing so, he prevented any forms of misunderstanding during the journey that can lead to conflicts. In addition, this also prepared the men mentally and emotionally by facing the possibility of not being able to return to their families. Their families and loved ones were also conscious of the dangers of the journey. This action undertaken by Shackleton is an intelligent way to screen the men of their dedication to the objectives of the journey and their desire to be members of the crew. It can then be considered that the men who applied for the position have the capabilities and the courage to survive the journey. The main objective of the journey was to cross the Antarctic continent, the location of the South Pole. The first part of the journey was planned to pass through South Georgia in the Subantarctic region, then through the Weddell Sea to the Vahsel Bay. A journey through the land passing the South Pole was the next planned phase which shall end when Ross Sea was reached (“Endurance: Shackleton and the Antarctic.” You Tube). In the analysis of the objective of the expedition, the clear plan is important in any task at hand. As a leader, Shackleton was able to lay out the different phases of the journey. The different stages represented careful planning. An example is the stop at South Georgia which enabled the crew to gather needed provisions, send messages to their family and to review the plans made for the rest of the trip. In addition, this part of the journey had been an important stage of determining the unexpected weather that brought about dangerous ice packs in the Antarctic. But due to Shackleton’s confidence on his capabilities as an explorer he pursued the journey. After 3 days of sailing, the ship Endurance and the crew encountered patches of ice which went on for 6 weeks. After perceived difficulty and lack of progress, Shackleton decided to save fuel and turn the engine off. The first action was to manually dig ice for the ship to pass. In this event, the perseverance of the whole group had been observed for 48 hours of digging. Each member of the group showed their cooperation but the ship cannot move. After the digging had been halted, there had been no way to stop the next event. The ship had been trapped in the ice. The next decision then was to wait for the spring when the ice would thin out and the ship can continue the journey (“Endurance: Shackleton and the Antarctic.” You Tube). During the following months, the importance of organizational dynamics had been observed. As a leader, Shackleton was able to impose his authority while maintaining the morale of the group. He was aware of the importance of the morale of every member of the group in the achievement of the set goals. He became successful in maintaining the morale of the group by keeping them busy with assigned tasks. These tasks also kept them strong through the winter. Different activities with the participation of the whole group were undertaken such as sing-alongs, hair cutting sessions and toasts. Shackleton always reminded the men of the importance of unity for the achievement of the goals (“Endurance: Shackleton and the Antarctic.” You Tube). He exhibited the will of the leader specifically in the time of trials. As a result, the crews returned his good leadership with trust in terms of his decision making and authority. Ernest Shackleton’s authority, leadership and decision making faced more tests when the ship was crushed during the spring by moving ice instead of being able to move. At such a disaster everyone expected lost of hope since the whole crew was trapped in the giant ice raft and moving away from the Antarctic. On the other hand, Shackleton displayed extraordinary optimism when he declared that they need to move on and aim on going home safety. At that moment his open-mindedness had been revealed based on his move to give up his dream of reaching the Antarctic to be able to save his crew. Consequently he decided to walk to the edge of the ice to catch the last chance of reaching land in the west. Before leaving the 70 sled dogs were shot to maximize the remaining food supply. Such decision required firm authority for the leader and cooperation of the followers. But the greatest test to his authority occurred when one member of the crew questioned Shackleton’s judgment in moving the camp since most of the supplies and the equipments had to be moved. In such case, majority of the tools and materials cannot be carried with them. He resolved the problem by reminding the men that cooperation of every member of the crew was needed and that regardless of the fact that the ship was gone, they were still employees, thus, they were entitled for wages until they reach home. This halted the antagonism raised by one of the men (“Endurance: Shackleton and the Antarctic.” You Tube). But the movement of the ice resulted to terrain impossible to pass and walk through. For the second time, the men made camp in what was referred to as the Patience Camp due to the fact that the group can only wait for the ice to move. Through the period of five months Shackleton and his team worked together and gave each other courage and strength. And when the ice thinned, they sailed with the three lifeboats. This had been a harder feat to accomplish since after 15 months of being trapped in the ice, they need to overcome the dangerous sea in search for land (“Endurance: Shackleton and the Antarctic.” You Tube). The events of great difficulty were even accomplished by the group. Shackleton’s inspiration and positive thinking gave his men courage. His leadership gave his men clear objectives to pursue. In addition, his great trust to the capabilities of the whole group enabled them to reach the nearest land, the Elephant Island. Captain Frank Worsley’s capability to navigate the extreme conditions and the hard work of every members of the group saved them through the days that they were dangerously sailing the open waters (“Endurance: Shackleton and the Antarctic.” You Tube). At a single look on the dynamics of the whole group, it can be considered that they had successfully established a successful understanding of the capabilities and attitudes of each other. For that matter, they trusted that every member of the group was doing what’s best for the group. They knew that they have an able leader who never even in a single moment entertained the thought that they would not come home. Each member of the group was also commendable in their contributions. Regardless of the small conflicts that can be considered normal in organizational dynamics, the group had been successful in interacting with one another. When the group reached Elephant Island, Shackleton decided to get help from South Georgia Island. He viewed this attempt as the only way to save the whole group. He and five men from the group set sail on one of the 3 boats to the 800 miles of the roughest seas to be able to reach the whaling station. But due to difficult weather, the boat was so damaged and the group was left with no choice but to dock on the side of the island far from any whaling station. Thus, Shackleton with two of his men had to walk across the glacier mountains which had not been done before to be able to reach the whaling station where they can ask for help. Armed with boots modified with wood screw, 3 days of provisions, compasses, rope and carpenter’s adze, they marched 30 miles and after 36 hours reached the Stromness whaling station. This became the mark of their safe return. They were able to borrow a ship, pick up the 3 men on the other side of the island and start the journey to Elephant Island (“Endurance: Shackleton and the Antarctic.” You Tube). The whole group was saved and returned home on August 30, 1916 with the honor of surviving one of the most amazing stories of survival in history. Organizational Dynamics in Shackleton’s Group The application of the different organizational theories can be observed in the accounts of Shackleton’s adventure. There are two factors that can be considered essential in the successful interactions within the group namely the characteristics of the leader and the attitudes of the members of the group or the organization. In the different types of organizational theories, then, it is important to present the perspective of both the leader and the followers. In general, Shackleton’s leadership was exemplary and very effective that he and his men were able to survive a dangerous 2 yrs of journey at sea. There are different organizational theories that can be applied in the different aspects of the organization and can be applied in the events related to Shackleton’s group. 1. Classical Organization Theory The earliest organization theory is the classical organization theory which was established in the earlier half of the 20th century. It is the synergy of the principles on scientific management, bureaucratic theory and administrative theory. The scientific management theory developed by Frederick Taylor in 1917 can be considered as one of the most observed and applied theory in the story of Shackleton since he can be classified as a very organized leader. The scientific theory has 4 basic principles. The first one is determining the best way of performing a particular task (Walonick 1). In the story, Shackleton in decision making always chose the best ways of performing the tasks at hand. There are different occasions that can be sited but getting the help and leaving the rest of the group in Elephant Island is an example. He knew that his expertise as an explorer was important in navigating the open sea. He left his second in command who also knew how to manage the people to be able to continue the leadership. The second principle in the scientific theory is the assignment of task to the member of the group suited to perform such task (Walonick 1). One example that can be sited is the capability of Captain Frank Worsley to navigate, thus, he was given the task to guide the group to Elephant Island. He was also with Shackleton through the 800 miles to South Georgia Island. Close supervision is the third principle which can be defined as the close supervision and guidance of the leader and the use of reward and punishment systems to motivate the members of the group (Walonick 1). This can be considered as one of the most practiced principle of Shackleton. He motivated the group through the discussion of the wages. Through the journey he also never ceased to provide the group with optimism and positive thoughts. Shackleton also used punishment for cases wherein a person caused conflicts or questioned his authority. One example was when he demoted one of the crews due to the conflicts and the bullying he had done. The fourth principle included in the theory is the planning and control (Walonick 1). Every step of the way, the planning and control of the actions that had been undertaken were observed. The journey was well thought of. Even the plans to reach home and to ask help were planned well by Shackleton. The bureaucratic theory which was defined as the establishment and stressing of authority and control in the organization through the clear definition of the role of each individual in the group (Walonick 1). Shackleton stressed the importance of the duty of each person. In fact, it can be observed that every member of the group is good in his own work. But as a leader, it can be considered that although he was a well respected leader, he put the welfare of his men before him. He only controlled the group in times when his authority was questioned but most of the time he had given importance to the needs of each member of the group. It is important to consider that although certain points incorporated in the classical theory were applicable and were observed in Shackleton’s group, his organization cannot be solely defined by the said theory. There are other theories considered applicable to the actions and decisions undertaken by Shackleton. 2. Neoclassical Organization Theory The neoclassical organization theory followed the classical theory due to the observed ineffectiveness of the authoritarian style of organizational management. The creativity, uniqueness, individual growth and motivation were included in the main focus of the theory. The theory prioritized the human needs (Walonick 1). This theory defined the leadership and organizational management applied by Shackleton. In the decision to prioritize the safety of his group, he chose to give up his lifelong journey to reach and explore the Antarctic Continent. In addition, the unique capabilities of every member of the group had been maximized. One example is the navigator who greatly contributed in bringing the group to the first land they had stepped on after a long period of being trapped on ice. Another example is the ingenuity exhibited by the crew who made the tools for the group. This had been important in different occasions such as in making the little boat stronger for travel to South Georgia. He had also been responsible for the tools Shackleton used for the hike on the frozen mountains to reach the whaling station on the other side of the island. One important contribution to the neoclassical organizational theory is the view by Barnard that the leader has the important role of creating coherence and unity in their values and purpose (Walonick 1). Based on the accounts of the story, Shackleton exhibited a type of leader described in the said principle. He continuously created an atmosphere of cooperation and unity. He successfully maintained the morale of the group by motivating them and keeping them busy with activities that were both advantageous for themselves, the group and the organizational dynamics. This can be attributed to the reason why the whole group was able to survive. Shackleton’s group can be considered as one united unit. Lesson in Organizational Dynamics Learned from Shackleton Due to the success of Shackleton’s group as a team, the journey became a lesson of leadership and organizational interactions ad dynamics. There are different organizational lessons that can be learned in the study of Shackleton’s Antarctic journey. The first lesson in organizational dynamics is being inspired to be able to inspire the whole group (Ainsberg 17). Shackleton was a very inspired explorer based on the fact that he chose to leave his family to be able to explore more than once. As a result he was able to inspire and achieve trust from the group. Another lesson is choosing people who would help the leader. According to Ainsberg (2010) the second in command and other officials or members of the managing group should be as capable as the leader to be able to replace and continue the work of the leader just in case (p.29). In Shackleton’s group, the second in command had been the trusted leader of the 22 men left in Elephant Island when he went to sail to South Georgia island to save the whole group. The appreciation of the important role each member is contributing to the group is the next important lesson in organizational dynamics (Ainsberg 37). This is related to the lesson on the creation of optimal work environment known to be able to promote productivity (p.47). Shackleton gave important to the role of each member of the group. Even during the application process, he already mapped out all the roles needed to be filled up to be able to survive such a journey. Innovation is important. A leader cannot just go with the flow (Ainsberg 59). Although Shackleton was open to the views of the group, he had firm decisions and innovative ideas that made them through the journey alive. Another important lesson is about acting and resolving questions specifically regarding authority (p.69). This had been observed when one of the men questioned Shackleton’s decision but he was able to resolve it through motivation. Communication is one of the most important lessons in organizational dynamics to be able maintain the unity of the group (Ainsberg 75). Shackleton kept a clear line of communication with his men throughout the journey. He presented his plans and decisions clearly in every phase. Conclusion The paper was aimed to analyze the organizational dynamics of Shackleton’s group. In the process important lessons in leadership had been observed and noted. Works Cited Ainsberg, Arthur. Shackleton: Leadership Lessons from America. iUniverse, 2010. “Endurance: Shackleton and the Antarctic.” You Tube. 11 December 2008. 16 November 2010 Walonick, David S. Organizational Theory and Behavior. 16 November 2010 Read More