Modernist and symbolic-interpretive perspectives in organizational analysis

¶ … Symbolic-Interpretive Perspectives

Understanding Organizations through the Modern and Symbolic-Interpretive Lenses

Events and phenomena that occur in people's everyday lives can be looked at and interpreted through different lenses. In the field of sociology, these 'lenses' are termed as "perspectives," which defines and describes a specific "worldview" through which people might interpret a specific event or phenomenon. These perspectives can be applied in different areas or domains of a person's life; perspectives being sociological in their nature, they are almost always reflective of realities experienced by people, even if they differ in cultural and social backgrounds. Among the well-known perspectives in understanding social events and phenomena are the modernist and symbolic-interpretive perspectives. The modernist perspective is, by extension, known to be the anti-thesis of critical theory, another well-known perspective in the field of sociology.

In the sections that follow, these perspectives will be discussed in-depth and in more detail, particularly when applied to the study and analysis of organizations. In addition to an understanding of these perspectives, a discussion of both perspectives' theoretical frameworks and a comparative analysis of each perspective's merits ensure that a broader context will be developed in understanding and analyzing organizations. The framework discussion and comparative analysis shall posit that both modernist and symbolic-interpretive perspectives complement each other in that they provide different worldviews from which organizations can be studied and analyzed. Each perspective has its own merit, advantages and disadvantages when applied in the context of organizational studies.

III. Theoretical Framework: The Symbolic-Interpretive Perspective

Symbolic-intepretive perspective strongly reflects the symbolic-interactionist tradition, wherein realities and truths are developed based on symbols and discourses produced from interactions among people (or "social actors"). It goes without saying that for this perspective, an institution or organization's identity is developed as such because of its people and the kind of interaction that they have with each other. However, the point of analysis for this perspective is to study groups, organizations, and societies based on what is, rather than what they have (Gibbs, 2009, p. 91). Thus, social realities and identities that describe a group or organization actually reflect the kind of interaction among the people/actors who belong to it (group or organization).

One of the important concepts in symbolic-interpretive perspective is that people (social actors, or members of the group or organization) play an active role in shaping the identity and even structure of organizations and societies. This process of creation is triggered by the inherent awareness of people, that their actions, behavior, and even the symbols and artifacts they exchange with each other would have an impact and affect not only the dynamics within the organization or society, but inevitably, these will also change its very nature as well. Thus, what could happen is not only creation, but a "re-construction" of organizations and institutions (in effect, of social realities) within the social space of actively interacting individuals and groups (Jokinen et al., 2006, p. 99).

In symbolic-interpretivism, individuals have a role in constructing their realities, actively so that they can actually define these realities based on the kind of interaction and exchange they choose to engage in. However, a caveat to this kind of understanding of this particular perspective is that it assumes that individuals are indeed active actors contributing to functional and productive interactions that could help develop functional construction of realities. Dysfunction in the form of passive or destructive interaction or engagement could also lead to a dysfunctional construction of social reality, causing detriment to the kind of organization or society that would be developed based on these dysfunctional forms of interaction/exchange (Racelis, 2005, p. 75).

The next section provides a comparative analysis of the two perspectives, contextualized in the understanding and analysis of organizations.

IV. Comparative Analysis of the Two Perspectives (and an Application to Organizational Studies)

From the concepts and principles that govern modernist and symbolic-interpretive perspectives, they can help understand and analyze organizations based on their own merits -- that is, how each perspective will help organizations understand themselves more towards further enhancement or improvement.

The modernist perspective, as discussed earlier, is rational, objective, and promotes the self-seeking nature of the individual. However, these values are subjugated by the 'macro reality' that objectivism operates through a hierarchical system, wherein control or power over rational, objective, self-seeking individuals become manifest as one approaches the top of the pyramid of hierarchy or role status in the organization or society these individuals belong to. Applied in the context of organization studies, this perspective is most appropriate in understanding organizations as most organizations exist with a hierarchical structure. Workplace settings and corporate environments are perfect examples of organizations that adhere to the principles of modernist perspective: these organizations promote rationalism, objectivism and competition (manifestation of the self-seeking culture) among its members/employees to promote organizational objectives of maximum productivity (Cooper, 1989, p. 497).

Symbolic-interpretivist perspective, on the other side of the coin, puts the individual as having the central, critical role of determining the nature and dynamics of an organization. While the modernist perspective draws its strength from people adhering to a specific set of values and traditions within a hierarchical structure, symbolic-interpretivism draws strength from the individual and the kind of interaction/exchange s/he produces with the organization or society s/he belongs to and operates in. Because individuals and their interactions with each other shape the nature and dynamics of the organization, the organization that could be developed would be primarily flat -- that is, hierarchies do not exist, as members recognize the significant role and contribution of each individual in developing the organization (Panda and Gupta, 2001, p. 5). The symbolic-interpretivist perspective, in fact, is characterized in flat organizations and societies that are developing today because of a flat structure that Internet and computer technologies (ICTs) have helped create. Using the ICT platform, people can create societies and worlds wherein every person is a contributor, and they can determine their own kind of reality, mainly that of a flat structure, an organization or society without any status roles or levels of superiority or inferiority.

V. Synthesis

The discussion and analysis on modern and symbolic-interpretive perspectives demonstrated how each perspective can help understand and analyze organizations based on their structure and culture. Characteristics and principles adhered to in the modernist worldview indicate that it is best applied when studying organizations that are hierarchical in structure and have specific role-statutes from within. Symbolic-interpretive perspective, meanwhile, will work best with organizations with flat structures -- organizations that have no structures, no status-roles to adhere to (that is, roles are fluid and ever-changing), and each individual is a significant contributor to the development and growth of the organization.