You have probably heard the phrase “paradigm shift” used to describe every new technology imaginable, from AI to electric cars to “k-cup” coffee machines. But what exactly is a “paradigm shift”? The prolific buzzword, popularized in the 1960s by Thomas Kuhn’s book “The Structure of Scientific Revolutions”, is defined as a widely agreed-upon example upon which science operates from.1 Essentially, paradigms are the popular ideas and models that guide the everyday work of professionals, and a paradigm shift occurs when the dominant models begin to break down.
For example, in the field of human resource management, HR professionals must have some understanding of how humans are motivated to do work. This is a highly complex problem, but rather than give up in the face of complexity, HR professionals use various simplifying models to help explain and predict the behavior observed in their organizations. These models, such as the operant conditioning theory or the expectancy theory of motivation, are not perfect, but they are still useful for guiding decision making and designing organizational structures.2 Useful, at least, until they are not. When the dominant theories and models run into cataclysmic problems, such as encountering disgruntlement where there should be cheerful motivation, the field of study is in what Kuhn describes as a “crisis”. What follows the crisis is a revolution, brought about by the introduction of a new paradigm that resolves the crisis. As the new idea gains traction, it eventually dominates the field and gets formalized in textbooks, policies, and procedures. New professionals then go about their work, blissfully unaware of the struggle that previous professionals endured.
Today, the field of HR management in the US is, to put it mildly, in crisis. As we all know, the COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically changed the culture of work, rapidly digitizing processes and normalizing working from home.3 And during the upheaval of the pandemic, the relentless focus on increasing profit has led to perverse and short-sighted decisions, such as laying off the labor force while giving executives massive compensation packages. This “penny-wise but pound-foolish” behavior is counter-productive, but completely rational according to our current accounting methods.4 As a result, the wealth gap has increased dramatically, causing general discontent and a whole host of social maladies.5 There is something deeply wrong with business-as-usual. New ideas are needed for a new era of work.
One promising idea that may drive the next HR revolution is to leverage Organizational Network Analysis (ONA) to identify and uplift the informal leaders in an organization. Studies have shown that these highly central individuals, who may be invisible on traditional organization charts, are uniquely positioned to spark cultural change and increase collaboration.6 This is because the more relationships someone has, formal or informal, the more people they can effectively reach. Unfortunately, social connectivity, despite being a basic human need and a valuable asset to organizations, is not often reflected in the incentive structures that we live and work in. Perhaps, through tying incentive structures to connectivity metrics using ONA, we can increase the salience of human connection and feel more motivated and empowered at work.
At Harmonic Reciprocity Systems, we are committed to helping organizations not only identify these informal leaders using ONA, but also to help craft incentive structures that uplift these unsung heroes and encourage others to be like them. In this way, we aim to create a positive feedback loop that can transform the culture in our workplaces, communities, and the world.
- Thomas S Kuhn, The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, 4th ed. (University of Chicago Press, 2012). ↩︎
- David S Bright, Principles of Management (OpenStax College, 2019). ↩︎
- Lea S Müller et al., “Long-Term Effects of COVID-19 on Work Routines and Organizational Culture–A Case Study within Higher Education’s Administration,” Journal of Business Research 163 (2023): 113927. ↩︎
- Peter Cappelli, Our Least Important Asset: Why the Relentless Focus on Finance and Accounting Is Bad for Business and Employees (Oxford University Press, USA, 2023). ↩︎
- Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett, The Spirit Level: Why Greater Equality Makes Societies Stronger (Bloomsbury Publishing USA, 2009). ↩︎
- Andras Vicsek, “The Power of Trustmapping: Transforming Culture via Internal Influencers,” OrgMapper, September 2023, https://orgmapper.com/case-study-the-power-of-trustmapping/; Gerardo Fortea-Cabo and Aurora González-Teruel, “Culture of Information and Information Exchange in a Public Hospital: A Study Based on the Information Orientation Model and Social Network Analysis,” El Profesional de La Información 31, no. 6 (2022): 1–18, https://doi.org/10.3145/epi.2022.nov.15. ↩︎