Papers by Alice MacGillivray
Showing Theory Press eBooks, Feb 28, 2022
Showing Theory to Know Theory: Understanding social science concepts through illustrative vignettes, 2022
Many organizations are data rich and information poor. In a case study, Oracle business intellige... more Many organizations are data rich and information poor. In a case study, Oracle business intelligence tools were used to help British Columbia Parks staff set management priorities, by transforming data into information tailored to particular decisions. Through this work and parallel research, a list of success factors for business intelligence projects has been compiled. Many factors including metacontent and a collaborative culture are important; business issues are more significant than technical ones. Because business intelligence tools encourage integrative thinking and shared decision making, their use raises issues about organizational “silos, ” over-arching organizational goals or needs, collaboration, information sharing, and empowerment of front line staff. If used as a catalyst for open dialogue and enhanced understanding, BI tools have the potential to build bridges from mechanistic organizational structures of the past, to the more systems-based approaches of the future....
Journal of Public Affairs, 2018
The goal of this paper is to help leaders in all parts of knowledge-intensive organizations (KIOs... more The goal of this paper is to help leaders in all parts of knowledge-intensive organizations (KIOs) rethink leadership and knowledge to enhance creative potential. KIO contexts are dynamic, and their work is steeped in social complexity. Global trends impact organizational norms; crosscultural interactions surface value dilemmas; and constant change elevates the value of agility over stability. Traditional ways of viewing leadership and knowledge can accentuate stability. By reframing leadership and knowledge generation and sharing as natural parts of knowledgeintensive practices, leaders can enhance creativity and agility. Rather than associating leadership with powerful individuals, it can be seen as distributed or an emergent property of collaborative knowledge work. Embedded in this more dynamic and fluid view of knowledge-intensive work is the assumption that governance needs to focus on networks, communication, and trust. This paper presents new ideas to guide leadership in complex, KIOs. Case studies illustrate how these new perspectives can lead to enhanced creative potential.
Emergence Complexity and Organization, Oct 1, 2009
A Review of Digital Habitats: Stewarding Technologies for Communities written by Etienne Wenger, ... more A Review of Digital Habitats: Stewarding Technologies for Communities written by Etienne Wenger, Nancy White and John D. Smith reviewed by Alice MacGillivray published by CPsquare ISBN 9780982503607 (2009) Digital Habitats is the fourth book authored or coauthored by Etienne Wenger about communities of practice. Communities of practice (CoP) are selforganizing groups with blurred boundaries. Members who are passionate about a topic or field interact so they can learn from others and improve their work. Digital Habitats is the first published, collaborative effort by Wenger, John D. Smith and Nancy White. It also marks CPsquare's entry into book publishing (Wenger has also published through Cambridge University Press). CPsquare (www.CPsquare.org) is a community in which people explore their work with communities of practice. The name "CPsquare" reflects its meta-community nature and the metaphor of a town square in which people can interact. Before reviewing Digital Habitats, I want to acknowledge that I know the authors and am a member of CPsquare. They are longterm collaborators who bring different backgrounds and perspectives. As I read the book, I hear their distinctive voices as well as syntheses of their voices. Etienne brings a deep understanding of social learning theories and their relationships to communities of practice. The roots of his expertise include a degree in Artificial Intelligence from the university of Geneva and a decade with the Institute for Research on Learning in Palo Alto. Nancy brings a commitment to social justice and an actionoriented passion for helping groups, often through her facilitation of online interactions. In recent years, her work has become much more international. John adds long-term experience with both technical and social elements of community support with CPsquare, the University of Colorado and other forums. His degree in planning and architecture makes him sensitive to habitat in all its different meanings and influences his appreciation of good graphic representation of concepts. John grew up in Puerto Rico and now lives in Oregon and believes his Buddhist/Puerto Rican background has enhanced his cross-cultural sensitivities. Digital Habitats focuses on the intersection of learning in communities and supportive technologies. It is neither an academic book, nor a consumer's guide to the rapidly changing marketplace of platforms and tools. It subtly draws on scholarly thinking to support practitioners. Technology stewardship is a relatively new phrase, and the authors have set out to develop a new literacy for this role. An October 2009 Google search for "technology stewardship" revealed about 104,000 hits; it will be interesting to monitor the uptake. The authors produced this book because of the changing landscape of community work, given the growing potential of social media and other technologies. It is positioned as a "guide for understanding how technology can help a community do what it wants to do" http:// technologyforcommunities.com/about-thebook/ (emphasis added). The following review has two components: an overview ofthe book followed by insights through the lens of complexity thinking. An Overview of Digital Habitats After telling the story of how the book came to be, the authors present Digital Habitats in four parts titled Introduction, Literacy, Practice and Future. This framework is introduced in an intriguing reader's guide. Readers are encouraged to think about whether they identify as a "deep diver," "attentive practitioner" or "just do it-er" and whether their orientation might shift in the future. Of course each author spans these categories, but I cannot help but see these categories as representations of the three authors' unique strengths. The reader's guide suggests approaches for each style. With my deep diver identity, the authors directed me to Chapter 1 1 (among other places) where I savored questions such as: . …
The Learning Organization, 2010
PurposeCanada's Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Research and Technology Initi... more PurposeCanada's Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Research and Technology Initiative (CRTI) uses an operating model that is unusual in government. It is created to enable cross‐boundary capability and capacity building and learning. Some consider it a model for other federal science initiatives. The purpose of this paper is to explore the nature of leadership – and its relationship to perceived effectiveness – in this complex network of counter‐terrorism communities, where parts of the network are functioning better than others. At a more academic level, it explores whether complexity theory can inform leadership theory.Design/methodology/approachThis qualitative, empirical study uses phenomenography and elements of ethnography as methodologies. Data are gathered through interviews and observation.FindingsCRTI personnel refer to their initiative as a counter‐terrorism network of communities. The leader of each community works – without positional authority – with p...
EMERGENCE-MAHWAH-LAWRENCE ERLBAUM-, 2006
This paper focuses on one theme from complexity and new science literature: the theme of bound-ar... more This paper focuses on one theme from complexity and new science literature: the theme of bound-aries. It responds to requests from complexity theorists to bring organizational perspectives into dialogues about the use of complexity think-ing by managers and leaders. The ...
EMERGENCE-MAHWAH-LAWRENCE ERLBAUM-, 2007
This is the second segment of a two-part paper, which attempts to strengthen a bridge between the... more This is the second segment of a two-part paper, which attempts to strengthen a bridge between theoretical and practical worlds by bringing information from or-ganizations to complexity theorists. It is written as a boundary object to encour-age further research, dialogue and ...
Emergence Complexity and Organization, Apr 1, 2008
A Review of Managing Uncertainties in Networks: A Network Approach to Problem Solving and Decisio... more A Review of Managing Uncertainties in Networks: A Network Approach to Problem Solving and Decision Making written by Joop Koppenjan and ErikHans Klijn reviewed by Alice MacGillivray published by Routledge ISBN 9780415369411 (2004) In this 2004 book (reprinted in 2006), Joop Koppenjan and Erik-Hans Klijn set out to describe the application of network theory to management. These authors have collaborated before and since. Koppenjan studied, lectured and worked as a research manager at Erasmus University of Rotterdam. He then moved to the Department of Public Administration Policy and Management of the Delft University of Technology. Klijn studied Public Administration at the University of Twente, worked at the Technical University in Delft, and then moved to the department of Public Administration at Erasmus University. The authors divided the book into two parts. In the first, they explore analysis of uncertainties. They categorize uncertainties as relating to content, process, institutions and governments. In the second part, they address management of uncertainties and complex problems in networks. Here, they present ways of mapping uncertainties (analysis of actors, games and networks) as well as managing content, the game, networks and uncertainties. Intent of the book The driver for this book is familiar to anyone who studies the application of complexity theory to management. Koppenjan and Klijn acknowledge the increasing complexity and high degree of intractability or "wickedness" in current problems such as health care restructuring. They understand uncertainty as a characteristic of complex systems. They also state their case in familiar terms: "We will argue that traditional approaches [to management] are no longer adequate..." (2006: 2). Throughout the book, the authors and publisher state and imply that the book is of value to many audiences including scholars, fellow scientists, practitioners, students, businesses, public sector workers, representatives of civil society, policy makers, advisors, managers and research shops. This makes a book review challenging. However, the book is labelled as a "text" on the back cover, and at one point the authors emphasize students over other audiences. Koppenjan and Klijn list academic or professional objectives. They have written individually and collectively about policy networks, network management and wicked problems in networks. Over many years of engagement with these topics, they perceive increased complexity in decision making and increased interest horizontal entities such as networks. Network-related research has also deepened. Therefore, they set out to articulate a conceptual framework and tools for work in uncertain environments. How they approached their research The consistent voice and flow suggest the authors have developed a sound, reflective relationship. The book is conceptual. They explore the implications of complexity in a networked society, and suggest ways of moving forward using frameworks and tools. Case studies punctuate the text. However, the book leaves the reader guessing whether they used particular research methodologies to generate their conclusions, and whether the case studies are more than interpretations of past events through a chosen lens. In other words, have they used retrospective coherence to support their thesis? Literature, assumptions and argument As described above, the authors argue that new approaches are needed for the many wicked problems we face in complex decision-making environments. They describe how organizations cannot independently solve problems. Governments, for example, typically work with groups including citizens, experts and judicial bodies. Because of the increased emphasis on cross-boundary work, hierarchies have become less relevant. In their introductory chapter, they assert that isolated policy formation and the idea of "government at the apex of the social pyramid" are obsolete (p. …
Abstract
The goal of this paper is to help leaders in all parts of knowledge-intensive organizati... more Abstract
The goal of this paper is to help leaders in all parts of knowledge-intensive organizations (KIOs) rethink leadership and knowledge to enhance creative potential. KIO contexts are dynamic, and their work is steeped in social complexity. Global trends impact organizational norms; cross-cultural interactions surface value dilemmas; and constant change elevates the value of agility over stability. Traditional ways of viewing leadership and knowledge can accentuate stability. By reframing leadership and knowledge generation and sharing as natural parts of knowledge-intensive practices, leaders can enhance creativity and agility. Rather than associating leadership with powerful individuals, it can be seen as distributed or an emergent property of collaborative knowledge work. Embedded in this more dynamic and fluid view of knowledge-intensive work is the assumption that governance needs to focus on networks, communication, and trust. This paper presents new ideas to guide leadership in complex, KIOs. Case studies illustrate how these new perspectives can lead to enhanced creative potential.
Abstract: This paper discusses a case study in which a university and a self-organizing community... more Abstract: This paper discusses a case study in which a university and a self-organizing community of practice collaborated in an e-learning endeavor. Independently, these organizations challenge traditional assumptions about education. Together they designed a virtual learning ...
Many organizations are data rich and information poor. In a case study, Oracle business intellige... more Many organizations are data rich and information poor. In a case study, Oracle business intelligence tools were used to help British Columbia Parks staff set management priorities, by transforming data into information tailored to particular decisions. Through this work and parallel research, a list of success factors for business intelligence projects has been compiled. Many factors including metacontent and a collaborative culture are important; business issues are more significant than technical ones. Because business intelligence tools encourage integrative thinking and shared decision making, their use raises issues about organizational "silos," over-arching organizational goals or needs, collaboration, information sharing, and empowerment of front line staff. If used as a catalyst for open dialogue and enhanced understanding, BI tools have the potential to build bridges from mechanistic organizational structures of the past, to the more systems -based approaches of t...
The project ran over a three-week period as one component of a seven-week online workshop on Foun... more The project ran over a three-week period as one component of a seven-week online workshop on Foundations of Communities of Practice, second trimester 2003. The project leader initiated the project topic and members of the workshop were invited to join the project team and participate in the planned activities and goals. Each team member contributed to the discussion (which was open to all workshop participants) and nominated to prepare final summary documents. Bronwyn Stuckey facilitated the project operation and also took part in the finale preparation of the project report. A project summary was prepared by the project leader.
This exploratory, conceptual paper looks at perceptions of results through the lens of gender. L... more This exploratory, conceptual paper looks at perceptions of results through the lens of gender. Leadership implicitly focuses on results. Leadership takes many forms, some of which can be thought of as more masculine or feminine than others. The authors suggest that both feminine and masculine approaches to leadership have value, and that feminine approaches are currently hidden and undervalued in Western society. By embracing a greater diversity of leadership approaches, and by thinking of results in more varied ways, we can become more agile and innovative in our work with complex challenges.
Proceedings of the 53rd Annual Meeting of the Isss 2009 Brisbane Australia, May 7, 2009
This paper draws from a recent, larger study that explored ways in which respected, boundary-span... more This paper draws from a recent, larger study that explored ways in which respected, boundary-spanning leaders understood and worked with boundaries. These participants were selected through a referral process in which nominators described how nominees fit the ...
One under-explored element of positive deviance is that of boundary work. In this paper, I use Mi... more One under-explored element of positive deviance is that of boundary work. In this paper, I use Midgley’s Theory of Boundary Critique to look at the importance of boundaries and boundary decisions as choices with ethical and practical implications. I go on to explore three of many boundary-related strategies inspired by natural systems for positive deviance work, which can be powerful for work in complex systems: hybrid vigour, mutualism and the edge-effect. The paper concludes with observations about strategies for change.
This paper explores the question of whether people involved with a successful watershed policy in... more This paper explores the question of whether people involved with a successful watershed policy initiative embraced and/or negated the complexity with which they worked. The setting was Lake Simcoe, in central Canada: an area important for fisheries, agriculture, tourism, recreation and citizens’ identities. Human activities had impacted water quality, and planned development posed further threats. Although government had supported considerable scientific data collection, citizens became frustrated by what they saw as a lack of regulatory and enforcement work. Citizens embarked on a range of creative pressure tactics for change.
In early stages, citizens felt marginalized, but over time they were included in increasingly meaningful ways. This paper explores several complex system themes in interview transcripts, including initial starting conditions, attractors, and boundaries. A key finding is that citizens used scientific data as an attractor to enable their inclusion for a more complex range of agendas and benefits.
Purpose – Canada’s Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Research and Technology Initia... more Purpose – Canada’s Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Research and Technology Initiative (CRTI) uses an operating model that is unusual in government. It is created to enable cross-boundary capability and capacity building and learning. Some consider it a model for other federal science initiatives. The purpose of this paper is to explore the nature of leadership – and its relationship to perceived effectiveness – in this complex network of counter-terrorism communities, where parts of the network are functioning better than others. At a more academic level, it explores whether complexity theory can inform leadership theory.
Design/methodology/approach – This qualitative, empirical study uses phenomenography and elements of ethnography as methodologies. Data are gathered through interviews and observation.
Findings – CRTI personnel refer to their initiative as a counter-terrorism network of communities. The leader of each community works--without positional authority--with participants from many
organizations and locations. The paper reveals qualitatively different ways of understanding leadership. Even though CRTI groups have much in common, participants’ ways of understanding that work vary greatly. Some understand their work environments as complex systems rather than as traditional government structures; this way of understanding is associated with perceptions of effectiveness. This finding can change the ways in which science and technology professionals make sense of their work in complex, trans-disciplinary fields such as counter-terrorism and global warming.
Originality/value – This qualitative, empirical research complements and supports some of the conceptual work about leadership and learning in complex environments.
Keywords Leadership, Networking, Learning, Complexity theory, Terrorism, Canada
Paper type Research paper
The review begins: "Digital Habitats is the fourth book authored
or coauthored by Etienne Wenger ... more The review begins: "Digital Habitats is the fourth book authored
or coauthored by Etienne Wenger about communities of practice.
Communities of practice (CoP) are self-organizing groups with blurred boundaries."
The 5+ page review provides an overview of the book, and then examines it through a complexity lens.
Members who are passionate about a topic or
field interact so they can
Uploads
Papers by Alice MacGillivray
The goal of this paper is to help leaders in all parts of knowledge-intensive organizations (KIOs) rethink leadership and knowledge to enhance creative potential. KIO contexts are dynamic, and their work is steeped in social complexity. Global trends impact organizational norms; cross-cultural interactions surface value dilemmas; and constant change elevates the value of agility over stability. Traditional ways of viewing leadership and knowledge can accentuate stability. By reframing leadership and knowledge generation and sharing as natural parts of knowledge-intensive practices, leaders can enhance creativity and agility. Rather than associating leadership with powerful individuals, it can be seen as distributed or an emergent property of collaborative knowledge work. Embedded in this more dynamic and fluid view of knowledge-intensive work is the assumption that governance needs to focus on networks, communication, and trust. This paper presents new ideas to guide leadership in complex, KIOs. Case studies illustrate how these new perspectives can lead to enhanced creative potential.
In early stages, citizens felt marginalized, but over time they were included in increasingly meaningful ways. This paper explores several complex system themes in interview transcripts, including initial starting conditions, attractors, and boundaries. A key finding is that citizens used scientific data as an attractor to enable their inclusion for a more complex range of agendas and benefits.
Design/methodology/approach – This qualitative, empirical study uses phenomenography and elements of ethnography as methodologies. Data are gathered through interviews and observation.
Findings – CRTI personnel refer to their initiative as a counter-terrorism network of communities. The leader of each community works--without positional authority--with participants from many
organizations and locations. The paper reveals qualitatively different ways of understanding leadership. Even though CRTI groups have much in common, participants’ ways of understanding that work vary greatly. Some understand their work environments as complex systems rather than as traditional government structures; this way of understanding is associated with perceptions of effectiveness. This finding can change the ways in which science and technology professionals make sense of their work in complex, trans-disciplinary fields such as counter-terrorism and global warming.
Originality/value – This qualitative, empirical research complements and supports some of the conceptual work about leadership and learning in complex environments.
Keywords Leadership, Networking, Learning, Complexity theory, Terrorism, Canada
Paper type Research paper
or coauthored by Etienne Wenger about communities of practice.
Communities of practice (CoP) are self-organizing groups with blurred boundaries."
The 5+ page review provides an overview of the book, and then examines it through a complexity lens.
Members who are passionate about a topic or
field interact so they can
The goal of this paper is to help leaders in all parts of knowledge-intensive organizations (KIOs) rethink leadership and knowledge to enhance creative potential. KIO contexts are dynamic, and their work is steeped in social complexity. Global trends impact organizational norms; cross-cultural interactions surface value dilemmas; and constant change elevates the value of agility over stability. Traditional ways of viewing leadership and knowledge can accentuate stability. By reframing leadership and knowledge generation and sharing as natural parts of knowledge-intensive practices, leaders can enhance creativity and agility. Rather than associating leadership with powerful individuals, it can be seen as distributed or an emergent property of collaborative knowledge work. Embedded in this more dynamic and fluid view of knowledge-intensive work is the assumption that governance needs to focus on networks, communication, and trust. This paper presents new ideas to guide leadership in complex, KIOs. Case studies illustrate how these new perspectives can lead to enhanced creative potential.
In early stages, citizens felt marginalized, but over time they were included in increasingly meaningful ways. This paper explores several complex system themes in interview transcripts, including initial starting conditions, attractors, and boundaries. A key finding is that citizens used scientific data as an attractor to enable their inclusion for a more complex range of agendas and benefits.
Design/methodology/approach – This qualitative, empirical study uses phenomenography and elements of ethnography as methodologies. Data are gathered through interviews and observation.
Findings – CRTI personnel refer to their initiative as a counter-terrorism network of communities. The leader of each community works--without positional authority--with participants from many
organizations and locations. The paper reveals qualitatively different ways of understanding leadership. Even though CRTI groups have much in common, participants’ ways of understanding that work vary greatly. Some understand their work environments as complex systems rather than as traditional government structures; this way of understanding is associated with perceptions of effectiveness. This finding can change the ways in which science and technology professionals make sense of their work in complex, trans-disciplinary fields such as counter-terrorism and global warming.
Originality/value – This qualitative, empirical research complements and supports some of the conceptual work about leadership and learning in complex environments.
Keywords Leadership, Networking, Learning, Complexity theory, Terrorism, Canada
Paper type Research paper
or coauthored by Etienne Wenger about communities of practice.
Communities of practice (CoP) are self-organizing groups with blurred boundaries."
The 5+ page review provides an overview of the book, and then examines it through a complexity lens.
Members who are passionate about a topic or
field interact so they can