Analysis Essay of the IBA, University of Dhaka

Based on the Metaphorical Paradigms introduced by Gareth Morgan

Prepared for

Dr. Khair Jahan Sogra

Professor

Prepared by

Dewan Sazzadul Karim

DBA 4th Batch

March 10, 2017

Institute of Business Administration

University of Dhaka
Introduction

Different images of organizations and management have been discussed by Gareth Morgan
in his book Images of Organization where he used several metaphors to describe different
management practices of organizations. The metaphors include machine, organism, and brain
among others. The objective of this essay is to analyze the case of Institute of Business
Administration, Dhaka University (IBA) using a selection of two metaphorical paradigms from
either the: machine, organism, or brain metaphors.

In my essay, I will analyze IBA using organism and brain metaphors.

Description of IBA

IBA is the leading business school in Bangladesh. Since its inception in 1966, it is committed
to highest educational standards which distinguishes it among the educational institutes of
Bangladesh. This reputation has been achieved through a tradition of excellence and
dedication to quality education and research. IBA graduates are highly sought after by the
industry and IBA is proud of its students who have made outstanding contributions to various
fields, both at home and abroad.

IBA began its journey by launching its flagship MBA program. In the 1970s, the MPhil and PhD
programs were introduced. In response to the growing demand for business education at the
undergraduate level, the BBA program was started in 1993. In 2007, the Executive MBA
program was launched to cater to the growing demand for quality education among mid-
career executives. DBA program was introduced in 2013. IBA also offers several certificate
courses.

A degree from IBA is the most sought after business degree in the country. So, it is the most
successful business school in the country. Its management practices is worth taking a deep
look into.

The first Metaphorical Paradigm: Organization as Organisms

The term organism is used to refer to any system of mutually connected and dependent
parts constituted to share a common life and it focuses the nature of life activity. An organism
is typically seen as aa combination of elements, different yet integrated, attempting to survive
within the context of a wider environment (Spencer, 1873). The main emphasis of the open
system approach is the close interactive relationship between organization and its
environment. The survival of organization depends upon achievement of an appropriate
relationship. The emphasis is placed upon

1. The task environment or direct interactions and general environment or

environmental suprasystem
2. Interrelated subsystems: strategic, technological, managerial, cultural, structural
3. Establish conformity between different subsystems
Many management theories and studies have been developed based on this approach
towards organization. The general systems approach (Katz and Kahn, 1966), contingency
theory (Burns and Stalker, 1961; Lawrence and Lorsch, 1967) etc. are prominent.

The contingency theory states that

1. Different kinds of organizations are needed to deal with different market and
technological conditions.
2. Organizations operating in uncertain and turbulent environments need higher degree
of internal differentiation and interaction among departments: styles of organization
may vary between organizational subunits because of difference in their sub
environment.

Based on level of stability of environment (strategic, technological, human/cultural,

managerial philosophy, etc.), Burns and Stalker developed a Machinistic-Organic Continuum
and identified the following five type of organizations where the first is most machinistic and
the last is most organic.

1. Machine bureaucracy
2. Divisionalized form
3. Professional bureaucracy: more autonomy to staff
4. Simple structure
5. Adhocacy

This approach toward organizational analysis also gave rise to two more theories. One of
them is Law of natural selection which highlights that the environment selects which
organization survives. This also highlights on the importance of resource limitations in shaping
the growth, development and growth of an organization and the role of successful
innovations in shaping new species of organization. The other is the theory of Organizational
Ecology which states that evolution always happens in the ecology level, not in the
organism/organization level and organization and the environment shapes each other.

Relevance of the organism metaphor to IBA

IBA is an organism comprising of many interdependent elements which include different

functional areas as well as task areas. It has it faculty as well its other functional areas and
functional staffs. Also, it has different programs attuned to different segments of the society.
All these parts are inter related and support each other to survive in the wider immediate
environment and general environment.

IBAs different subsystems which include different programs has a relationship which support
each other. The general curriculum of the programs are developed in a gradually incremental
way. Also, the junior level programs are the stepping stones for the senior level programs.
IBA also interacts with the environment. Looking at the requirements of the organizations
and changing business environment, the curriculum needs to be updated.
Another thing, which IBA has already done is introduction of few courses in response to
competition and demand from the community. So, the interaction with the environment is
evident.

Lets look at IBA from the Contingency theory point of view. This theory states that different
organizations need to be at different point of machinistic-organic quantum based on the
environment they operate on. IBA, due to its nature of work and the industry, is best suited
for a professional bureaucratic model. This model gives a general guideline and work
structure, but gives a lot of autonomy to the staff. IBA should operate best if it gives a basic
guideline of teaching and allow the teaching staff the autonomy to design their course work.
From my observation, IBA is already following this approach which has helped it to its current
position.

IBA is also leading the way with innovation as they were the first to introduce MBA program
in Bangladesh, among the first to introduce BBA program. Although they were followers to
introduce EMBA program, again they are the pioneer to introduce the DBA program.

The Second Metaphor: Organization as Brain

This metaphor is based on human brain which is viewed as an open system which closely
scans the environment, judge own situation against the environment, and takes corrective
action. This also views organizations as information processing centers which are capable of
learning, and learning to learn.

There are three theories relating to this metaphor. One of those is Cybernatics. Cybernatics
highlights four steps in organizational work flow and ability:

1. Capacity to sense, monitor, and scan significant aspects of their environment

2. Able to relate this information to the operating norms
3. Able to detect significant deviations from these norms
4. Able to initiate corrective action

The second theory, which is most highlighted in this context is the organizations ability of
learning to learn. This adds another step in the cybernatic pattern described above, which is
ability to question the established norms and if required, make correction in the standard
procedure. This is also termed as Double loop learning.

The third theory describes the organization as a holographic brain. The metaphor of a
hologram represents systems where qualities of the whole are built into all the parts so that
the system has an ability to self-organize and regenerate itself on continuous basis (Bentov,
1977). This theory compasses five major principles, (Morgan & Ramirez, 1984). The first
principle represents the essential one, which emphasizes on building the whole in all essential
parts. According to the principle, this can be incorporated by focusing on four key practices,
including corporate culture, information system, structure, and roles. The second principle
rests in the importance of connectivity and redundancy, especially in information system and
functions (Emery, 1969, 1976). The third principle could be seen as supplementary to
redundancy. It is called requisite variety, which highlights the importance of internal diversity
to match the environmental diversity. Minimizing critical specifications is the fourth principle,
where teams are encouraged to get free of blueprints and managerial manuals and generate
their own forms (Herbst, 1974). The last considered principle rests in learning to learn, which
involves double-loop learning mode and scan of environmental change (Argyris & Schn,
1978). The five principles could draw concrete guidelines of how to turn into holographic
organization.

Relevance of the brain metaphor to IBA

IBA needs to be vigilant of its environment and changes to the environment. Also, it needs to
relate these changes and react to those changes, at the same time keep a track whether these
moves conform to its standards and norms and if there is significant variations from the
norms, IBA needs to initiate corrective actions. It is evident that IBA has these capacities. IBA
has shown its ability to monitor the environment by identifying the requirements of the
industry and also has moved towards meeting those needs. Probably IBA delayed its
introduction of EMBA course and other certificate courses as it was not conforming to its
norms. Then, to IBA has corrected its norms and introduced these courses which enabled
more learning scopes for the society as well as more business option for IBA. This also
highlights IBAs ability of Learning to learn. Also high the course fees of some courses,
including this DBA course shows that IBA has the capacity of learning to learn as they have
changed their norms in this case.

Referring to the holographic design, IBA obviously has redundancy of functions where
different faculty are capable to teach different subjects. But there is scope to improve in the
area of requisite variety. Probably IBA has more variety to meet the environmental needs
than its competitors, but IBAs main competitor is IBA itself and there is further scope to
improve here. IBA also has met the minimum critical specifications as the specifications set
by the board is not very much. There is a standard set by them, but the means to achieve
those fall to the faculty and they are very much capable to do it.

Comparison and integration of the two metaphors

To summarize, Brain metaphor is actually an advance from the organism metaphor. While
machine metaphor introduces organization as a closed system with internal control and
efficiency, organic metaphor introduces the environment to it. The organization needs to
react to its environment and shape it based on the environmental needs. The brain metaphor
takes it a step more where it introduces the organizations ability of learning to learn. It also
introduces the organizational norms and the ability to correct the norms if required.

While the organism metaphor allows a machinistic-organic continuum and allows the
organizations some liberty to operate in the continuum based on the environment, the brain
metaphor does not allow this. It looks at the organization from the view point of human brain
only, not any other animals which need less of the brain matter.

Both of these theories emphasize on innovation to sustain and to grow. But brain metaphor
introduces some other concepts like redundancy which highlights on generalization in
addition to specialization. It highlights that all the parts must contain the whole so that the
organization has the ability to self-organize and regenerate itself on continuous basis. Since
this theory emphasizes more on organic form, it does not allow the strict SOPs and
emphasizes on minimum critical specifications.

These two metaphors have their limitations too. While the organic metaphor views the
organizations as an organism leaving in a natural environment which operates in its own ways
and the parts within the organism dont compete or fight against each other, the actual
organization environment is quite different. It lives in a social environment, not in natural
environment where human factors constitute the whole environment. And human factors are
the most unpredictable of all the factors. Also, in a real organization, its elements also fight
among each other for superiority. These things have not been considered in this metaphor.

Brain metaphor has its limitations as well. It also does not consider the complications of
humans as society or unit. While the brain does not have conflict within itself, the
organizational entities do have conflict and difference of opinion. When the organizations try
to get out of bureaucratic systems and tries to give more autonomy to the people, the fight
for power and control emerges. Also, as organization moves toward self-organization, there
must be some change in attitude and values. But people by nature are resistance to change.

Implications for IBA

Both of these theories suggest that IBA must be open to its environment and scan the
environment to understand the changes that are occurring. It must adapt itself to those
changes. The developments in business studies worldwide must be followed, scrutinize, and
incorporated. IBA should also give more autonomy to its staff but keeping a specific standard
as the end goal in mind. IBA must develop its ability of learning and ability of learning to learn.
Already IBA has the ability of connectivity, redundancy, and simultaneous specialization and
generalization. This should be maintained.