MIS40910 - Package of 3 (Grusky, Gamson, Grusky)

Module - Skills for Business Enquiry

Class or Article - Article

Lesson or Name - 

Grusky, Oscar [1963], 'Managerial Succession and Organizational Effectiveness', The American Journal of Sociology, Vol. 69, No. 1, pp. 21-31.
Gamson, William and Scotch, Norman [1964], 'Scapegoating in Baseball', American Journal of Sociology, Vol. 70, No. 1, pp. 69-76.

Grusky, Oscar [1964], 'Reply', The American Journal of Sociology, Vol. 70, No. 1, pp. 72-76.

Additional Info - 3 readings (Grusky, Gamson, Grusky)

Precis

Oscar Grusky’s article, “Managerial Succession and Organizational Effectiveness” (1963), argues that there is a direct correlation between team performance and effectiveness with manager succession, however there are also other external factors. Grusky uses widely open data to present how team performance is impacted by manager succession and observes the post succession impacts on performance. Grusky purports to showcase the negative effects with high levels of succession and argues that long term planning can have a more beneficial outcome.

William Gamson and Norman Scotch’s response article, “Scapegoating in Baseball” (1964), argues that Grunsky done no more show clubs who are under preforming changed their field manager. Gamson, argues there is more to succession than is apparent in the data as most managers when on to secure new future roles another of which is that the potential of developing talent is not always apparent immediately. Gamson concludes stating “…it still remains to be established that the field manager has any effect on team performance” almost as if to refute Grusky’s research entirely.

In response, Grusky (1964) addresses their rebuttal of his initial work (Grusky,1963) arguing that the impact of a manager on an organisation could be argued. Grusky does so by observing and displaying data on both the success and failures of Internal vs External successors and why Internal successors may have succeed over external successors. Grunsky addresses their claim by concluding that “ Managerial effectiveness exists and that the manager’s reputation is tied closely to the fate of the system which he my not always clearly affect, and quiet another matter to claim, as Gamson and Scotch do, that the managers behaviours can have no influence at all on a organisational effectiveness except in the long run” stating Gamson and Scotches conclusion de-emphasises the position.

Reflection

While looking at empirical data, it can be sometimes too easy to draw conclusions and it required a deeper level of review to understand the complexities at play. looking at these readings to suggest that managers in effect have little or no effect on a team or performance is a very sweeping statement as until you understand the depth of role and relationship they have with the team then you are just making assumptions.

When looking at data sources they might give you obvious suggestions to look at or present but there is certainly a need to dive deeper to understand the finer elements at play in order to give a truly reflective study. While both authors had valid points I feel there was too many assumptions and it would have been better to both guest areas to explore further and back up their arguments with finer detail.

From my experience either directly or indirectly managers have an impact on a team either at a collective level or an individual level and while both can be influences separate to the other, they equally can have repercussions.

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