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Rationalizing the promotion of non‐rational behaviors in organizations

Peter A.C. Smith (Peter A.C. Smith is President of The Leadership Alliance, Ontario, Canada.)
Meenakshi Sharma (Meenakshi Sharma is a Consultant with Sharma Consulting, Stroud, UK.)

The Learning Organization

ISSN: 0969-6474

Article publication date: 1 December 2002

1617

Abstract

Contends that organizations designed according to current theories require that traits of leadership and personal responsibility be developed in employees at all levels of the organization, not just the formal leaders. Asserts that to develop these traits, organizations must strike an adequate balance between rationality/technical efficiency and non‐rational factors such as emotion. States that organizations currently operate with a facade of rationality, ignoring emotional reality. Argues that leverage for such change lies in working at team/group level meetings, changing the quality of interactions to enhance authenticity and create emotional openness. Maintains that action learning has so far proven the best vehicle for releasing emotional energy into the workplace if facilitators are utilized who can enrich the action learning process with skills drawn from disciplines such as counseling, Gestalt, psychodynamics, and psychoanalysis. Claims that familiarity with the principles of Eastern philosophies is also helpful.

Keywords

Citation

Smith, P.A.C. and Sharma, M. (2002), "Rationalizing the promotion of non‐rational behaviors in organizations", The Learning Organization, Vol. 9 No. 5, pp. 197-201. https://doi.org/10.1108/09696470210442132

Publisher

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MCB UP Ltd

Copyright © 2002, MCB UP Limited

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