Enacting skilful performance in organizations: (the practice of turning theory into practice)

Abstract

Pointing out flaws and errors can be a risky pastime for employees, when the information therein conflicts with rules, practices and theories held dear by management. However, skilful performance is not about strictly adhering to established practice when seeking ways out of problem situations. Instead, it is shown that skilful performance arises out of shared meaning rather than accuracy. Particularly in the event of uncertainty, equivocation and doubt, people in organizations should not just follow given rules, practices and theories, but jointly classify, interpret and transform observed data into new knowledge that feeds back, so that subsequent action and its justification can tap into the prevailing business climate, reduce ambiguity, and offer more exciting prospects. A systemic approach is applied to generalize the construction, processing and justification of knowledge to establish meaning within an organization in order to sustainably improve its performance. Finally, the presuppositions for an appropriate actualization of this approach within an organization are discussed.