Conflict of Perceptual Complexity Dr John H.S. Craig

the research all the managers in 13 large factories: 7 in China 5 in Poland 1 in Lithuania

the data 20 item Likert questionnaire expert benchmarking for each question formal interviews with 13 top managers informal interviews with other managers

a selection of the variables

socio-cultural groups – core or fringe membership ideational coherent groups informal coherent groups informal differentiated groups fragmented groups fringes and token memberships

human characteristics perceptions interpretations beliefs values imaginary realities conformity or conflict contingent actions

decision variables locational realities temporal realities meaningful communication incoherent communication motivation fear and revolt self-interest

inter-relational decision map

fringe dynamics individualistic mores token core-group memberships antithetic drivers different beliefs and values different or aberrant realities subjective cognitive models

changing situations China – rapid expansion, de-skilling Poland – rapid retrenchment, redundancy market threats and opportunities behaviour changes value changes language changes learned meanings & interpretations

linguistic variables social class education social peer groups factory peer groups management peer groups interface communication irrationalities

conflicts and contexts profit v. commons (resources) production v. environment (output) resources v. waste (material) design v. sustainability (process) space v. commands (management) dominant ideologies (culture)

societal drivers for conflict international national global market society community family factory socio-cultural groupings

mediation of decisions China: fear of job loss Poland: fear and punishment culture job boundary restriction decision risk space understanding

contexts of dominance leadership style personal relationships language symbols meaning

contexts of language imagined-reality based meanings societal based meanings situation based vagueness deliberate or hapless ambiguity situation cross-cultural misunderstanding cognition barriers

summing up there are many variables there is very little commonality of perceptions less commonality = ambiguity of decisions fragmented realities = multiple complexities imaginary realities = little predictability little predictability = unbounded complexity unbounded complexity = likely conflict

thank you for listening QUESTIONS!