Applying sociological thinking to the study of organizational transformation.

1. “The Sociology of Success”
Opening another window on
transitional effectiveness.
Darrell C. Rogers
CCIO – Britten Studios
Training Specialist – Northwestern Michigan College (retired)

2. The primary approaches to
the transformation of
American business since the
80s have been focused on the
technical, psychological, and
anthropological.

3. Technical:
“Here are the tools and
techniques of manufacturing,
quality assurance, continuous
improvement and problem-solving
and the concepts behind them.”

4. Psychological:
“Here’s how to motivate people,
manage conflict, manage
change, etc.”

5. Anthropological:
“You must create a culture of
continuous improvement. Here’s
what that looks like and here’s
how to do that.”

6. Technical + Psychological
+ Anthropological =
Success?
Why do we still see many
organizations struggle with
Continuous Improvement?

7. Let’s apply an additional body
of knowledge:
Sociology

8. There are three parts to
the Sociology of Success:
Social Structure
Social Capability
Social Change

9. “Social Structure”
Sociology is the study of
people in groups, the study of
social behavior.

10. Social Norms are group-held
beliefs (typically unstated,
undocumented, and invisible to
the naked eye) about how
members should and should not
behave in a given context.

11. These social norms are the
building blocks of the “Social
Structure”

12. “Social Capability”
As we learned from Dr. Deming and
his contemporaries, capability
analysis measures the ability of a
process or system to do what it is
supposed to do. Are the normal limits
of the process within the limits of
what is acceptable?

13. Does the social structure of
our organization promote the
behaviors needed to create a
Culture of continuous
improvement?

14. Is our Social Structure Fertile
Ground or Salted Earth?
Is it a constraint or a catalyst
for continuous improvement?

15. Does my organization have
“Social Capability?”

16. “Social Change”
Is our Social Structure where it
needs to be – is it capable
enough - to allow the behaviors
that create continuous and
sustainable improvement?

17. The leader’s role in Social
Change:
“Revolutionary” or
“Revelationary?”

18. “Revolutionary Leaders”
These leaders come from outside the
“core” organization. They bring social
destabilization by changing the
expectations of behavior in order to
move the social structure toward
greater social capability.

19. “Revelationary Leaders”
These leaders come from inside the
organization. They bring social
destabilization by changing their
behavior in order to move the social
structure toward greater social
capability.

20. Please contact me with questions or
comments:
Darrell C. Rogers
drogers@brittenstudios.com