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chapter 2: information and knowledge - Coggle Diagram

- - - - Core Questions
        
        How do organisational systems (rules, structure, communication) affect individuals?
        
        How do individuals and groups contribute to organisational goals?
      - Key Ideas
        
        People are not purely rational; they have emotions, motives, and biases.
        
        Perception may be subjective — employees interpret messages differently.
        
        Learning and memory shape how information spreads and decisions are made.
        
        Motivation and trust influence how information is shared or hidden.
        
        Commitment (loyalty) can reduce the need for monitoring — if people identify with the organisation, they act in its interest even without close supervision.
  - - - Core Question
        How do social structures (rules, culture, authority) control and coordinate collective action?
      - 1) Max Weber’s Bureaucracy: Weber’s classic model shows that modern organisations achieve control by:
        
        Formal rules and procedures
        
        A clear hierarchy of authority
        
        Defined roles and responsibilities
      - A bureaucracy is like a machine — each part follows a rule or algorithm.
      - But, as the guide explains, real organisations face uncertainty (incomplete information). Therefore, rules cannot cover every situation — discretion and judgment are necessary.
      - 2) Incomplete Information → Discretion
        
        When rules or contracts are incomplete:
        
        People must interpret or fill in the gaps.
        Discretion becomes essential, but also risky (it can lead to inconsistency or abuse of power).
      - Information and Power
        
        Sociologists argue that unequal access to information creates power structures: “Those with the relevant information are more powerful than those without.”
        
        That’s why knowledge management systems and transparency policies are seen as power-balancing tools.