2 Personality/ Groups/Organization/Community as Dynamic Systems in Development/ Planned Change

Dr. Shikha Kapur

 

Course outline

 

1. Introduction

 

2. Objectives

 

3. I. The Personality System

 

II. Face to Face Group

 

III. Organization

 

IV. Community

 

4. The Personality System:

 

a. Face to Face Group

 

b. Organization

 

c. Community

 

d. Professional help available to Dynamic Systems

 

5. Conclusion

 

Introduction

 

Nothing is static in life. Improvement is always possible and happens continuously. We are for ever improving and this gives us a potent push towards innovation. Innovation leads to improvement, it provides motive for changing ourselves, our style of working and functioning.

 

Change is a continuous, ceaseless process. Change is necessary for evolution, progress and growth. It takes place to help solve problems, learn from past and existing experiences, enable adaptation to the environment and changes, even reframe shared perceptions, improve skills and performance and influence & shape future changes. It takes place at different levels within a society, and within the different strata of society. These different levels, strata or systems are also referred as the ‘dynamic systems of society’. There are four types of dynamic systems that undergo change. They are– the individual personality, the face to face group, the organization and the community. Each of these systems can be regarded as “closed systems” and they yet have a high degree of interdependence between the smaller and the larger systems. Hence, when it comes to problem solving activities, then there is a high interdependence within each of these dynamic systems. When there are external pressures for change, each of these dynamic systems are slow to respond to the external stimuli toward change. In their problem-solving efforts, they arrive at certain patterns of process and structure that are actually stable and resistant to change. Moreover, the processes and patterns of responses that are successful in treating one problem are likely to be repeated when a new problem arises. However, those processes and patterns of responses that have been unsuccessful are discarded as they are no longer effective.

 

Objectives:

  1. To acquaint students with the concept of ‘dynamic systems’ of change.
  2. To help students understand the characteristics of each of the ‘dynamic systems’ of change viz. the individual personality, the face to face group, the organization and the community.
  3. The enable the students to focus their change efforts according to the characteristics of each of the ‘dynamic systems’ of change.

The paper here forth will examine each of these dynamic systems one by one.

  1. The Personality System:

The personality system in general term refers to the individual (Dhama and Bhatnagar, 1997). Different personality systems or individuals have different ways of solving problems. Each individual personality has a different internal pattern of behaviour and also external or overt patterns of behaviour. Some personality systems are trusting while others exhibit patterns of distrust. Some systems create a relationship of submissive dependence while there are others who strive for dominance. Some are introverted personalities while others extraverted. Largely every personality system has its accustomed patterns of interaction with its environment in order to achieve goals and satisfy needs (Lippitt et al, 1958). However, as changes occur in the internal and external environment of the personality system it is confronted with the challenge to change. The desirability of improving one’s performance or even the pain of personal maladjustment or disequilibrium caused may create a readiness for change. The desire to improve one’s performance provides challenge and readiness to change.

 

Bennis et al (1961, 1976) view that psychotherapy and education effect change in human individual. Psychotherapy deals with the treatment of pathologies and deviations from the norms. It is carried out by medical specialist-the psychiatrist. Gradually nurses, social workers, occupational, physical therapists and clinical psychologists get into the therapeutic process.

 

Education on the other hand according to Bennis et al (1961, 1976) is transmission of selected cognitive and psychomotor skills to normal human individuals who are chronologically immature to cope with adult responsibilities as citizens or as members of vocational groups. The site of education is school and classroom under supervised guidance of teachers.

 

The medical or the pathological model of individual change finds criticism as

  1. It doesn’t take cognisance of life conditions and environmental stresses that induce individual problems and pathologies. Instead of changing life conditions that induce problems this model focuses on therapies. The approach to addressing individual’s problems should be preventive rather than therapeutic. And this prevention of individual problem will require redeployment and reorganization of professional persons and resources from hospitals, institutions to families, neighbourhoods and work situations.
  2. Another important critique is that the medical or pathological model brings in stereotypes of disease such as schizophrenia, manic-depressive, character disorders etc. between the professional helper and the client. The helper treats the disease rather than dealing with the client holistically- his /her strengths, weaknesses, aspirations, limitations. This would also entail sharing of responsibility of therapy from psychiatrist to all those with whom client is in touch with- family, friends, nurses, psychologist, counsellor, social workers and paraprofessionals. This would hence redefine psychiatrist’s role as counsellor, educator and re-educator.

Like the medical model, education too effects change in human. However, the transmissive model of education comes under criticism. The greatest critique is that

 

  1. the transmissive model of education diverts the attention of the teacher or the educator from the client that is client’s uniqueness and wholeness and introduces standardization and rigidity in curriculum that is unable to cater to variegated learning and individual needs of the client and curtails opportunities of unanticipated learning.
  2. The critics of this approach put forth an alternative school removed from the traditional school approach that encourages a holistic development of cognitive, conative and affective domains along with intertwining feelings, values and interpersonal relations with facts, concepts and intellectual skills (Bennis et al, 1961, 1976).
  3. Like in the medical or the pathological model of individual change which questions both psychotherapy and the psychiatrist, here too the traditional centrality of the teacher-pupil relationship has been questioned. The emphasis here too is a shift from teacher-centric teaching-learning process to pupil-centric where learning is shared with peers, younger and older students, community persons and most surely the student themselves are involved in the purpose, planning and evaluation of learning projects.
  4. Another strong criticism of the transmissive model of education is a deep segregation of schools from the ongoing life around the schools. Students bring large and varied experience to classrooms. But these experiences are ignored and not expected to be part of the learning experience.

At present several new methodologies for aiding, stimulating and supporting individual change have emerged both in therapy and education. These methodologies are being utilized in health centres and clinics and alternative schools to usher change in individual.

The individual first disengages from what was or the confusing-ambiguous place. Then he/she becomes familiar the new reality or the changed state and accepts it. It is only after this that the individual becomes comfortable again. Bridges (2011) describes three stages in individual’s transition through change.

 

 

C. Beginnings—is the third or the last stage in transition wherein the individual move forward and embrace the new change.

Many times, certain changes are desired changes. When such changes occur individual’s, morale is high. Initially excitement and optimism fill the individual. But as one encounters problems in effecting change as resistance both internal from self and external from others to change crops, or time and money constraint crops individual’s morale may drop. Many individuals give up being part of change but those who persist reach their goal and make change process successful.

 

II. Face to Face Group

 

Face to Face Group occupies a strategic place in planned change. It is the small group that forms a link between the individual and the larger social system. Army is a good example to illustrate this relationship. The individual soldier belongs to a small group of a squad, or a tank or a bomber crew. This in turn is part of a battalion in turn a part of the Army. Army in turn is part of a nation’s defence system. Similarly, a student in a classroom is a part of a school and the school in turn is part of the education system. Hence, the small face to face groups have the potential to not only influence the person but also the larger social systems of which their group is a part (Bennis et al, 1961, 1976).

 

Face to Face Group includes family, work groups, clubs, committees, staff associations, etc. (Dhama and Bhatnagar, 1997; Lippitt et al 1958). A coterie of individuals having

 

common goals and objectives regulated by certain norms of behaviour and rules form a group. Groups have premeditated norms of interaction with the larger environment. When groups are faced with situations where they find their old or existing procedures of operation or problem solving as defunct, they change. Moreover, as compared to individual personality it is much easier to visualize the internal dynamics of such systems. The interactions and conflicts between sub-parts can be easily watched e.g. the conflicts or comradeship between the employer and employee or that between chairman and members of a committee or the subgroups-cliques, factions and the like. Within groups certain amount of division of labour is warranted if they have to continue to go on intelligently making decisions and taking actions.

 

Groups have a great influence on the individual personality and also on the larger social system. Human individuals develop value orientation through the process of socialization and internalization of the norms of small group that they are a part of e.g. a child acquires the language, culture, religion of the group (Family) to which they belong. More over the small face to face group represents an organized social system. The individual members acquire the general characteristics of the larger social system by becoming aware of the characteristics and norms of the face to face group or small group to which they belong (Bennis et al, 1961, 1976).

 

Although Groups are a small part of the larger social system yet they yield great influence on them. The larger social systems depend on smaller groups for the formulation and maturing of the policies and programs. When any interpersonal difficulties arise in the group they can disrupt the functioning of groups and even lead to their disintegration. Any changes in composition and functioning or value orientations within the groups effects the functioning of the larger social system. Thus, the small groups have to continuously sustain themselves, try and excel when in competition with other groups and even attempt to bring reforms in themselves and the larger community or social system per se of which they are a part. So, the face to face group has to continually confront conflicts, modify their old patterns of behaviour since they become obsolete in new situations and circumstances. This results in emergence of a desire to change so that the conflicts may be resolved and harmony, stability and equilibrium restored in the group (Dhama and Bhatnagar, 1997).

 

III. Organization

 

Organization means any larger social systems which comprise of the community. Organization have clearly defined and specialized function that requires both loyalty and labour of a group of people who are organized in a relatively systematic relationship and whose efforts are coordinated by some kind of formal leadership structure. These include

 

various business organizations, welfare agencies, educational institutions, government bureaus, farmers’ organization, religious associations, political parties, women’s associations, youth clubs etc. The internal processes of such systems usually involve interactions among officially defined sub-parts such as various departments of the corporate social responsibility unit of a business organization; the students, teachers and administration of a school system, a volunteer unit of a welfare agency.

 

Internally the relationships among subparts in an Organization are formalized. Hence, face to face interaction is less feasible in an Organization as compared to a face to face group. Even if they attempt to collaborate there is difficulty in communication among the subparts of an Organization. Externally the relationship of an organization with the environment includes influencing public opinion, competing with other organizations, recruiting new members or obtaining effectiveness of its work, or marketability of its products. Organizations in the competitive environment are continually improving internal efficiency while simultaneously establishing external goodwill and hence are prepared to bring change and bring improvements in the internal dynamics and external conditions (Lippitt et al 1958; Dhama and Bhatnagar, 1997).

 

IV. Community

 

A community is defined politically or ecologically as sum total of all the individuals, groups, organizations, institutions interacting together in a particular geographic area, who know each other, communicate with each other in the same language and select leader from among themselves. According to Bennis et al (1961, 1976) this is the ideal image of a community. The stresses and strains resulting from interactions of the subparts of the organization and the necessity of maintaining community services to all the constituent units have resulted in a wide variety of stabilized structural arrangements and problem-solving procedures. The community is in constant interaction with neighbouring community systems as well as larger structures such as state governments. However, these interactions are formalized to such an extent that the community itself as a single system can do little to change them (Lippitt et al 1958; Dhama and Bhatnagar, 1997).

 

Professional help available to Dynamic Systems

 

All the four dynamic systems in the process of change continually undergo adaptation, adjustment and reorganization. This way they are dynamic that is fluid and alive. But the converse is also true. It is that inspite of being alive these systems also exhibit high degree of stability, constancy and rigidity. This stability is dangerous and threat to system undergoing change. The processes of change have to occur rapidly to keep up with the changing world. But since it is difficult for a dynamic system to snap out of stabilized condition in face of change, hence a variety of professional helpers or Change Agents emerge that help the dynamic system to steer towards the goal of planned change. A Change Agent may be a single person or a system or a team of helpers facilitating the process of change. The persons or group that is being helped is called the ‘client system’. If only the word “client” is used professional working with communities felt left out since “client” refers only to individuals. If “social system” is used then people working with and for individuals felt left out. Hence “client-system” can be used to refer to any of the four levels i.e. individuals, group, organization and community.

 

Personality system: Sources of professional help available to personality system are-psychiatrist, clinical psychologist, social worker, human relations expert, parent educator, marriage counsellor, vocational counsellor, mental hygienist and so forth. Some of these professionals are more established, enjoy more prestige than their counterparts and occupy a niche in our society. This results in difference in prestige enjoyed by these professionals and also the professional training available to each one of them who will ultimately assist the personality system in process of change.

 

Group Systems: The number of trained specialized professionals available for the group system is by far few as compared to the need. Even the pace at which a professional training curriculum has been formulated and adequate professional standards set for creating these specialists has been relatively slow.

 

Group workers, staff consultants, leadership trainers, conference experts, discussion specialists, and the like are the professional helpers available to the group systems.

 

Organisational System: When the organisational systems are faced with problems of social process and social structure they call upon productivity analysts, communication experts, labour management specialists, labour-relation consultant and supervisory and executive training consultants. A specialized cadre of Industrial consultants is available to the industries and Educational consultants are also available to the school and University system.

 

Community System: The communities are besieged with problems of change. They have also led to evolution of various kinds of professional people like Public administration consultant, community –council organizer, inter-group relations specialists, community self-survey consultants, adult educators, specialists in community and development work.

 

The professional helpers or change agent work with client system its various parts and subparts extending support and effecting change in the dynamic systems.

 

Conclusions

 

Change is a continuous, ceaseless process. Change may usher in chaos, a disarray, disorganization, pain and even confusion but it is necessary for evolution, progress and growth. Change takes place at different levels, within the different strata of society and these strata are also referred as the ‘dynamic systems of society’. The four types of dynamic systems that undergo change are– the individual personality, the face to face group, the organization and the community. Individual personality or the Personality system in general term refers to the individual. When individuals’ existing patterns of behaviour no longer work when confronted with a new/changed environment the individual undergoes change. Face to Face Group occupies a strategic place in planned change. Groups have a great influence both on the individual personality and on the larger social system. Organization means any larger social systems which comprise of the community. The relationships among subparts of an Organization are formalized hence face to face interactions are less feasible in an Organization. But they continually undergo change and bring improvements in both the internal dynamics and external conditions. The community is larger than organization comprising of many organizations, institutions, associations, parties, clubs etc. that are constantly in interaction with neighbouring community systems and larger structures such as state governments. However, these interactions are formalized to such an extent that the community itself as a single system can do little to change them as per Lippitt et al & Dhama and Bhatnagar.