Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1 Assistant professor of Urban Planning, Allameh Tabataba’i University, Tehran, Iran
2 PhD in Cultural Sociology, Allameh Tabataba’i University, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
Utilizing successful models of work value in different cultures that are compatible with our culture, will improve organizations. Non-governmental organizations were chosen because of their dynamics and Harandi neighborhood because of their importance and challenges. Adapting the field findings that were obtained through observation methods, in-depth and semi-structured interviews, as well as focus groups, with work values, which were obtained from documents, indicating the general work values such as individualism with some collectivist characteristics, idioceentric and competition. On the other hand, by comparing the work values of these organizations with the three intercultural models including the Eastern model, the Scandinavian model, and the American model, some characteristics such as the existence of inaccurate contracts, high power distance, Importance of seniority, Lack of competency criteria, Less emphasis on learning and organizational memory and the existence of cross-sectional cooperations, soulless hierarchical structure, Less emphasis on welfare, inability to reconcile traditional and modern values, rejection of the power distance, rejection of long-term plans, lack of a unified national system, and a sense of injustice especially entitle type among them were seen. Formation of an integrated management system that can increase the commonalities and also provide the individual interests of the organizations seems necessary.
Introduction
Work values include all the meanings and orientations of the organization, which are known as organizational identity with all symbolic and material elements. There is a lack of empirical investigation and presentation of the ideal type and comparison with transnational examples to take advantage of their positive points in Iran. First, we study the existing theoretical and empirical texts to create the ideal type of work value with two components: general and universal values and specific civilizational values. Then, we will put them to the test in the cooperation space of non-governmental organizations in Harandi neighborhood of Tehran, due to the dynamics of work values in such organizations and their particular challenges in this neighborhood.
Literature Review
Holt (1997) investigated the entrepreneurial values of 200 managers of public and private industrial companies in China and the United States and showed that Chinese managers are simply pragmatic, and selective in developing behaviors that reflect success, independence, choice and self-determination. Sanchez-burks & et al (2003) showed that job interns in China and Korea received more indirect messages than Americans, and this influence was mediated by independent personal interpretations. The results of Chou et al.'s research, which compared Chinese and American managers, indicate that Chinese managers shared less knowledge with other groups and this sharing was to the extent that it did not conflict with their collectivist values and collective interests.
Methodology
In the documentary section, by studying theoretical texts and previous researches, the essential dualities and the civilizational patterns of work values were extracted. In the field section, using the obtained model and using observation techniques, in-depth interviews and focused groups with managers and members of NGOs, residents of Herandi neighborhoods, clients of NGOs and managers of government offices, we sought to recognize the recognized values in the cooperative relations of NGOs in Harandi neighborhood of Tehran. Also, all the observations and the implemented text received from the interviews and focus groups were considered as the examined texts and thematic analysis was done.
Results
General work values have been created to some extent in the investigated organizations. On the other hand, they act individualistically, However, at the same time, the high context culture has caused the duality of self/other to emerge in the relations between NGOs with each other and their beneficiaries, as well as the formation of "temporary cooperation" and "sustainable competition" between them. Therefore, considering that they are getting the most benefits for themselves, they can do co-opetition with each other only with the formation of an organized cooperation environment. To be more precise, it can be said that the essential dualities of the work values have found new meanings in the Iranian cultural context, So that sometimes relatively opposite elements such as "individualism" and "being high context culture" are placed next to each other.By matching the local-civilizational values of work, it will be easier to understand these dualities, Because, as we said earlier, it is not necessarily possible to present a bipolar range of work values. By applying Eastern work values and work values that govern the cooperation space of NGOs in Harandi neighborhood of Tehran, we observed that the high context culture caused by collectivism has caused "inaccurate contracts". And on the other hand, the "lack of coordination" between NGOs has caused that despite the "high power distance" and "importance of seniority", the meaning of seniority is "interpretable" and each one should interpret it in her own favor and according to her own characteristics. The lack of training of members and the lack of organizational learning, or to be more precise, the "vacuum of organizational memory", has dealt a big blow to the cooperation space of the NGOs of Harandi neighborhood. So that they are not able to provide their information to each other to prevent parallel works, and also to transfer their knowledge and experiences to each other and the future generations. A flexible hierarchy can have positive functions for an organization, but as we said, due to the relative nature of the meaning of seniority, it is not possible to take advantage of the benefits of seniority and therefore the resulting helping other(degaryari). The senior members can, if necessary, make the less fortunate groups benefit from their resources or the more capable members, But due to the lack of a model for a flexible and efficient hierarchy, only " cross-sectional cooperations" (hamyari) are seen.
By comparing the Scandinavian work values and the ruling work values of the NGOs of Harandi neighborhood, it was observed that The "feminineness of the culture" that shows itself in the flexibility of an organization, is only seen in some of them. NGOs in this neighborhood cannot "provide welfare" for themselves and their beneficiaries because they are still meeting their basic needs and competing with other organizations. The lack of balance between the basic principles of the organization and not observing them, and then, the lack of facing the current issues has caused these organizations to not be able to establish a link between "traditional and new values" in an organization; while the basic principles of an organization are still not in them, we cannot expect transformation and respect to the today issues. The important feature of the Scandinavian culture, which is in harmony with the Iranian culture, and specifically the cooperation space between NGOs, is "equality and individual progress at the same time". Therefore, the presumption of the stereotypical dual existence of collectivist/individualist organizations with all the attributes attributed to them in Iranian organizations is questioned. In other words, in planning for Iranian NGOs, the Iranian spirit, which is based on individualism and equality, should be taken into account.
It can be seen that the previous dualities, especially when we compare Iranian and American organizations, have found an Iranian definition; The attitude towards justice in these organizations is more about being entitles, which is more consistent with individualism. "Competitiveness" and "individualism" are common features of Iranian and American teams. The combination of these characteristics with "not accepting power" has caused long-term collective plans to not be formed and on the other hand, some negative characteristics such as lack of transparency and parallelism have emerged. Only with the formation of an "integrated system" that manages the management of all organizations, we can talk about the continuation of cooperative behavior. Such a system should increase the desire for "sensitivity towards justice" that is more compatible with the essence of a NGOs instead of being entitle.
Conclusion
Through the sharing of knowledge and organizational memory, specifying an agreed basis for the meaning of seniority, formulating transparent agreements and the like, it is possible to present the fields of creating co-competition, which is similar to traditional Iranian work values such as cooperation(hamyari) and self-help(khodyari), among NGOs. They should especially be able to harmonize traditional features with organizational changes and flexibility. It seems that these goals can be achieved through the formation of a national integrated system, which includes the existing organizations and ensures their interests and able to implement the agreed and applicable organizational principles in them and prevent the interference and impositions of official organizations in their affairs.
Keywords
)