Fostering Institutional Connections at “WaterNet”: Discursive Tensions of InterOrganizational Engagement

Presented at the "Social Institutions & Sustainability" symposium at Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, on September 11, 2015.

Transcript

1. FOSTERING INSTITUTIONAL CONNECTIONS AT “WATERNET”: DISCURSIVE TENSIONS OF INTERORGANIZATIONAL ENGAGEMENT RAHUL MITRA, PH.D. DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATION, WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY EMAIL: RAHUL.MITRA@WAYNE.EDU
2. RATIONALE • STEWARDSHIP OF AT-RISK RESOURCES (LIKE WATER) REQUIRES CONCERTED EFFORT BY MULTI- STAKEHOLDER INITIATIVES (MSIS) COMPRISING NONPROFITS, CORPORATIONS, AND GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS (BRUMMANS ET AL., 2008; COOREN, 2001; GANESH & ZOLLER, 2014; MITRA, 2015; MITRA & BUZZANELL, 2015; MUNSHII & KURIAN, 2015; RITTEL & WEBBER, 1973) • TENSIONS RELATED TO LOCAL/GLOBAL, PURPOSE/PROFIT, POLITICS/MARKET… • RESEARCH QUESTION: HOW ARE DIVERSE INSTITUTIONAL STAKEHOLDERS ENGAGED AROUND WATER STEWARDSHIP? • CASE STUDY: “WATERNET,” NONPROFIT BASED IN U.S. GREAT LAKES REGION, WITH MISSION TO ENGAGE STAKEHOLDERS ON “THE BUSINESS OF WATER”
3. INTERORGANIZATIONAL COLLABORATION AND COMMUNICATIVE PRACTICE • FRAMEWORKS OF DIALOGUE AND DELIBERATIVE DEMOCRACY HAVE LONG CENTERED PROCESSES OF CONFLICT NEGOTIATION, BUT OFTEN PRIVILEGED CONSENSUS OVER ONGOING TENSIONS (BACKSTRAND, 2003; BRULLE, 2010; COOREN, 2001; DEWEY, 1927; MITRA, 2015) • TENSION-CENTERED APPROACH TO UNDERSTANDING DIALOGUE AND ENGAGEMENT; ORGANIZATIONS “LIVE WITH TENSION” ON AN EVERYDAY BASIS (BRUMMANS ET AL., 2008; DEETZ, 2010; MITRA, 2013; GANESH & ZOLLER, 2012; TRETHEWEY & ASHCRAFT, 2004) • DISCURSIVE POSITIONING THEORY TO TRACE HOW ENTITIES ADOPT PARTICULAR SUBJECT POSITIONS VIS-À-VIS ONGOING DEVELOPMENTS AND IDEOLOGIES (DAVIES & HARRE, 1990, 1999) • EVERYDAY COMMUNICATION (I.E., TEXTS AND CONVERSATION) AS CENTRAL TO POSITIONING (BISEL & BARGE, 2010; FYKE & BUZZANELL, 2013; KUHN, 2009)
4. METHOD • QUALITATIVE METHODS OF DATA COLLECTION AND DATA ANALYSIS TO TRACE NUANCED TENSIONS OF ORGANIZATIONAL PRACTICE (AMIS & SILK, 2008; LINDLOF & TAYLOR, 2011) • DATA COLLECTION INCLUDED: IN-DEPTH INTERVIEWS (5 STAFF MEMBERS + 5 MEMBERS), TEXTUAL ANALYSIS (200 PAGES), PARTICIPANT OBSERVATIONS (55 PAGES) • DATA ANALYSIS GUIDED BY CONSTRUCTIVIST GROUNDED THEORY ATTUNED TO HOW THEMES INTERSECT, REITERATE AND COMPETE WITH EACH OTHER (CHARMAZ, 2004, 2006)
5. DOMINANT DISCOURSES OF WATERNET’S ENGAGEMENT PROCESS “EARLY ON, WE WENT THROUGH AN ANALYSIS OF WHAT WERE THE CORE INDUSTRIES HERE IN THE REGION, AND THEY HAD FOUND ADVANCED MANUFACTURING AND BIOMEDICAL INSTRUMENTS, FINANCIAL SERVICES, BUT THEY HAD THIS DISCOVERY OF THE WATER INDUSTRY, AND IT WAS REALLY FASCINATING, IT JUST WAS SO OFF THE RADAR SCREEN FOR SO MANY PEOPLE! THIS CONCENTRATION – ALL THESE WATER COMPANIES AND THEN THERE IS THE RESEARCH GOING ON AT THE ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS – WE JUST SAID, WELL, WE’LL TAKE THIS ON – THIS PARTICULAR AREA – AND SEE IF WE CAN MAKE SOMETHING OF IT, AND SO, WE STARTED LITERALLY FROM SCRATCH, GETTING A LOT OF INFORMATION ON WHO WAS OUT THERE, WHO WASN’T, AND IT JUST GREW FROM THERE.” (AARON) 1. EN/INTREPRENEURSHIP FOR CLIENTS AND STAFF (RESPECTIVELY) 2. NETWORKING ACROSS LOCAL AND SYSTEMIC LEVELS
6. 1. EN/INTREPRENEURSHIP FOR CLIENTS AND STAFF (RESPECTIVELY) • CONSTANT ADAPTATION TO SHIFTS IN ENVIRONMENTAL AND INSTITUTIONAL SETTINGS, AS WATERNET CHANGED “TO A DIFFERENT ANIMAL.. SO WE HAD TO INVENT AND TRY NEW THINGS” (AARON) • NEWER PARTNERS, MEDIA CHANNELS FOR ENGAGEMENT, LOCATIONS FOR OPERATIONS • WORK ROLE AND SKILL FLEXIBILITY, DESPITE DEMARCATED AREAS OF EXPERTISE • DISCOURSE PRIVILEGING ENTREPRENEURSHIP AS DESIRABLE FOR WATERNET MEMBERS (NONPROFITS AND ACADEMIA, NOT JUST CORPORATIONS AND STARTUPS)
7. 2. NETWORKING ACROSS LOCAL AND SYSTEMIC LEVELS • BRAND FOCUSED ON “MARRIAGE BROKERING” AMONG NGOS AND CORPORATIONS (WILMA) • CONSTRUCTION OF NEW GLOBAL WATER CENTER IN [CITY], AS THE “EMBODIMENT” OF WATERNET’S GOALS, “MERGING THE ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT AND LARGE BACKING, TO ENABLE [CITY] TO COMPETE WITH OTHER CITIES” (CONFERENCE) AND “PROVIDE RESOURCES AND EXPERTISE THAT ARE NOT PRESENTLY AVAILABLE” (NEWSLETTER) • STRATEGIC LINKS WITH ACADEMIA AND INDUSTRY TO DEVELOP TALENT AND EXPERTISE FOR FLEDGLING WATER INDUSTRY (BOTH LOCAL AND WORLDWIDE TIES) “OUR JOB IS TO BE ABLE TO CONNECT PEOPLE WHO’VE GOT IDEAS WITH THOSE WHO ARE LOOKING FOR ANSWERS. THAT’S A BIG PART OF THIS WHOLE THING – MAKING CONNECTIONS” (AARON)
8. KEY TENSIONS OF ENGAGEMENT DISCOURSE 1. INDIVIDUAL (TECHNICAL) EXPERTISE VIS-À-VIS COLLECTIVE WORK (AND MISSION) 2. BROAD GLOBAL DRIVERS VIS-À-VIS LOCALIZED (APPLIED) ISSUES AT STAKE 3. APOLITICAL BIPARTISANSHIP VIS-À-VIS INTENSELY POLITICAL WORK
9. 1. INDIVIDUAL (TECHNICAL) EXPERTISE VIS-À-VIS COLLECTIVE WORK (AND MISSION) • “THERE REALLY IS THIS FEELING OF, IF THERE’S SOMETHING THAT NEEDS DONE, IT NEEDS TO GET DONE, AND SOMEONE NEEDS TO DO IT, IT DOESN’T MATTER WHO. TAKE THE CONFERENCE, FOR INSTANCE – [X AND Y] ARE THE ONES RESPONSIBLE FOR PULLING THIS WHOLE THING TOGETHER – MANY TIRELESS NIGHTS – BUT I ALSO GET PULLED INTO THAT. I WILL ALL OF A SUDDEN BE WORKING ON ONE THING AND THEN HAVE TO LOAD A BUNCH OF MEMBERS INTO REGISTRATION. SO, IT’S CONSTANT FLUX AND RESPONSIBILITY SHARING. TEAMWORK IS A MUST FOR SURVIVAL.” (MORT) • WE ALSO CONSISTENTLY FIGHT THE PERCEPTION THAT WE ARE AN ENVIRONMENTAL ORGANIZATION. A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK THAT WE’RE OUT THERE CLEANING UP LAKES AND RIVERS, WHICH WE WHOLEHEARTEDLY SUPPORT, BUT IT’S NOT OUR CORE MISSION. (WILMA)
10. 2. BROAD GLOBAL DRIVERS VIS-À-VIS LOCALIZED (APPLIED) ISSUES AT STAKE • FOCUS ON WATER INDUSTRY GLOBALLY, BUT STILL ROOTED TO HOME [CITY] “I REALLY LOOKED AT IT [LOGO], AND I SAID, NO WE NEED TO KEEP THAT JUST AS IT IS, AND IT REALLY IS THAT TIE BACK TO OUR HEADQUARTERS AND OUR BASE BEING HERE IN [CITY], AND THAT’S IMPORTANT TO US, BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS KEY IS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WITHIN THIS REGION.” (AARON) • FOCUS ON “CAPACITY BUILDING,” RATHER THAN JUST INFRASTRUCTURE, IN TERMS OF “INTEGRATED WATER MANAGEMENT… [THROUGH] SMALL SCALE NETWORKS” ATTUNED TO LOCAL PARTICULARITIES AND STAKEHOLDERS (CONFERENCE KEYNOTE) • WATER CONSERVATION VIS-À-VIS GROUND REALITY OF WATER AVAILABILITY; “IT DEPENDS ON WHERE YOU’RE LOCATED, BUT ULTIMATELY IT’S THE RESPECT OF THAT RESOURCE” (AARON)
11. APOLITICAL BIPARTISANSHIP VIS-À-VIS INTENSELY POLITICAL WORK • EMBRACE POLITICAL CONNECTIONS, WHILE RESISTING BEING A POLITICAL ACTOR “THE POLITICIANS THAT WERE [AT THE CONFERENCE] – IT IS BIPARTISAN; THEY ALL UNDERSTAND THE VALUE OF WATER BOTH AS A RESOURCE, BUT THEY ALSO SEE IT AS A VALUE FROM AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STANDPOINT FOR NOT ONLY [CITY] BUT THE ENTIRE STATE.” (AARON) • “SLIPS” OF PARTISANSHIP EVIDENT – WITH IMPACTS FOR LEGITIMACY “WATER SEEMS TO BE ONE OF THOSE ISSUES WHERE EVERYONE CAN COME TOGETHER. IT DOESN’T MATTER IF YOU CARE ABOUT IT FROM AN ENVIRONMENTAL PERSPECTIVE OR AS A BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY… I WHOLEHEARTEDLY BELIEVE THAT’S A WAY EVERYONE CAN WIN POLITICALLY, BUT SHE WAS GOING ON ABOUT ALL THE DEMOCRATS IN THE ROOM AND THE BLEEDING HEARTS, AND I THINK, HONESTLY, THIS EMAIL SHE SENT OUT – THAT’S WHY SHE WROTE “I’M DISAPPOINTED.” (JENNA)
12. IMPLICATIONS • NEGOTIATION OF LOCAL “ROOTS” AND PARTICULARITIES, VIS-À-VIS GLOBAL NETWORKS AND RESOURCE FLOWS • WHERE DO THEY “BELONG”? WHAT IS THE TRUE SCOPE OF ACTION? • “BALANCING ACT” FOR ORGANIZATIONS (LIKE WATERNET) THAT ARE ALIGNED WITH ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY, BUT NOT NECESSARILY FOCUSED ON IMPLEMENTING IT • EN/IN-TREPENEURSHIP VIS-À-VIS ENVIRONMENTALISM (FOSTERING AND ADAPTING TO GROWTH, BRANDING, COMMITMENT, ETC.) • POLITICAL CONNECTIONS VIS-À-VIS POLITICAL INTERESTS
13. QUESTIONS/CONTACT • CORRESPONDING EMAIL: RAHUL.MITRA@WAYNE.EDU • FULL SLIDES POSTED ONLINE VIA TWITTER AT WWW.TWITTER.COM/RAHULMITRA