Intentions, behavior, culture

Intentions, behavior, culture

Management research would often explore, from an individual unit of analysis, how intentions and behaviors are formed. From an organizational perspective, we attempt to explain how culture is formed or maintained in terms of endorsed behavior by influential groups.

In practice, it is tricky to study these because oftentimes, our stated intentions may contradict actual actions; what is written in policies or formal documents may not necessarily endorse the kind of culture we want our organizations to cultivate.

The burden of responsibility is heavier moreso with professors, because we preach certain values. But are we always consistent? And in times when we find that we are not, do we correct ourselves or do we fool ourselves into thinking we are correct all the time?

We come to realize that there are so many forces at play – structures and cultures – that our best bet to really flourish is to be aware of our limited agency. The least we could do, no matter how hard, is to keep on practicing what we preach.

As I reflected yesterday and as Adam Neely emphasized: repetition legitimizes.

Luke 4:38-44. Preaching in the synagogue

[DAILY GOSPEL INSIGHTS AND REFLECTION FOR MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION 243: AUGUST 31, 2022]