What you seem to be referring to sounds very much like ROLE CONFLICT
and ROLE AMBIGUITY. Even in undergraduate Organisational Behaviour
textbooks you find reference to the part that role conflict and role
ambiguity play in both work stress and dysfunction in organisations.
Remember too, that the term stress has been borrowed from engineering
and refers to events such as the forces that create metal fatigue in
aeroplane wings.
I can't help but think that there are a number of parallels to be
found in PCP. Maybe through the fragmentation corollary, as Tim
points out. I also can't help but think that Hinkle's resistance to
change concepts might have something to do with this. I've also had a
hunch, gut feeling, that ability to handle change (and surf chaos) has
something to do with cognitive complexity and construct
connectedness. However, every time I sit down and try to nut that
one out, I end up confusing myself and throwing it back in my bottom
draw. I think it has something to do with psychological threat and
the need to rebuild one's construct system should a forced change
affect a construct with many implicative linkages to other constructs
or result in the loss of a key linkage between constructs.
Maybe if anything does come of this fatigue line of enquiry, too much
organisational change could be listed among the sources of Occupational
Overuse Syndrome. Just like too much work at a keyboard produces
Repetitive Strain Injury, maybe too much adapting to rapid change
contributes to Repetitive Brain Injury.
I think this posting of mine is probably fairly superficial, but
Harry, it may give your student a couple of lines of enquiry to think
about.
Dr. Robin Hill
____________________________________
Principal Lecturer & Research Leader
Department of Business Studies
The Waikato Polytechnic
Private Bag 3036
Hamilton 2020
New Zealand
email: BSRAH@twp.ac.nz
Fax. NZ (07) 834-8802
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