Jane Jacobs' book, "System of Survival: A Dialogue on the Moral
Foundations of Commerce and Politics" provides an interesting lens to
examine organizational learning for military and police forces as compared
to commercial organizations. Jacobs describes two mutually exclusive,
internally self-consistent ethical structures that exist in society.
The ethics of the Commercial Moral Syndrome include:
Shun force; Come to voluntary agreements; Be honest; Collaborate easily
with strangers and aliens; Compete; Respect contracts; Use initiative
and enterprise; Be open to inventiveness and novelty; Be efficient;
Promote comfort and convenience; Dissent for the sake of the task;
Invest for productive purposes; Be industrious; Be thrifty; Be
optimistic.
The ethics of the Guardian Moral Syndrome include:
Shun Trading; Exert prowess; Be obedient and disciplined; Adhere to
tradition; Respect hierarchy; Be loyal; Take vengeance; Deceive for
the sake of the task; Make rich use of leisure; Be ostentatious;
Dispense largesse; Be exclusive; Show fortitude; Be fatalistic;
Treasure honor.
The Guardian Moral Syndrome protects the organization's boundaries while
the Commercial Moral Syndrome promotes activities that cross the
boundaries. Moral hazard happens when the two sets of ethics are mixed,
for example, if putting the police on incentive compensation.
I assume that organizational learning must look different for Commercial
versus Guardian organizations. At a minimum, the Guardian Moral
Syndrome makes organizational learning at the individual level of the
system problematic.
Doug Merchant
--"Doug Merchant" <dougm@eclipse.net>
[Host's Note: In association with Amazon.com...
Systems of Survival : A Dialogue on the Moral Foundations of Commerce and Politics by Jane Jacobs http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0679748164/learningorg
...Rick]
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