I thought I would clarify one of my points/questions ... My comments are inline preceded by MM:, responsibility for modifying meaning and context is my own... Hope I am not misrepresenting my interlocutor.
MM: > how [might we] better function collectively as a network? DMcN: I don't know. Perhaps copy other successful networks ? http://debian.org ? MM: > what is the role of good management theory in the context of a network field devoted to a public good? DMcN: I'm not sure I understand the question. "Feed strength" and "Pick one, or pick none" and "Find partners" are all good management theory. MM: "Good Management Theory" ... Guides action of managers, that is, of an organization. Whose behavior is guided and how, in a network context? What do we as members of the network need to learn? Are some parties in the network (individuals or organizations) more critical (likely yes) ... And does their behavior have (dis)proportionate impact on the network? (Again, I contend yes) ><< DMcN: A lot of people think that non profit management is different than public good management. I really don't know this is the case. Sure there are differences, (improving non profit efficiencies doesn't necessarily improve revenues), but there are way more similarities than differences. MM: I think yes, there would be more similarities than differences, but my aim is to shift frame to the wider field and ask how we can encourage behavior/conduct that is beneficial to the field as a whole rather than to individuals or organizations in that field... This is a different issue than how NPO good practice may be similar to for Profit sensible managerial practice... In the for profit realm the step I am reaching for might be considered anti-competitive... Collusion.. Etc... In the question of a public sector field, or possibly a movement... Competitiion meand something else... We often speak from a framework of scarcity and set ourselves up for more of the same. ><< MM: > The question is how do we generate the will to collectively manage this process in this direction? DMcN: We demonstrate success in a small network and motivate adjacent disconnected nodes volunteer to join us? MM: Yes... I like that. Practice what we preach. Showcase the value that other members bring to the field... Share resources and knowledge... Share the Intellectual Capital we accumulate... (Social Source/Open Source Model... Extend this to curricula and program models...) ######## Michael Maranda wrote: > Greetings, > > In the sense that we are a network, or persons and organizations > operating within the same field and towards similar or related positive > social ends and not principally competitors in a field as market, > (though competition for resources exists, and we are susceptible to a > competitive mindset even when not applicable) I have looked at such > papers and concepts as "Movement as Network" (which I have previously > recommended.. available at _http://www.movementasnetwork.org_) as a > conversational starting point. for an ongoing dialogue as to what it > means to be a network of the type described above, and how we might > better function collectively as a network. > > The movement as network paper looks at the Environmental Movement, and > makes the case that as a network (in the sense of their being relations > and connections of individuals and organizations in that movement) and > as a movement it is a real thing. and by approaching it from the > network perspective we are identifying those relations and formulating a > map for ourselves, and a language with which to begin discussions of > what we can do, and how we might restructure the network of relations... > > One of our esteemed colleagues characterized the paper as "good > management theory", and "perhaps not much about networks" in the sense > in which we look at networks or community networking. however, that > raises two immediate questions for me. the more difficult perhaps is > what "network and networking" mean for us, especially in context of > community networking. I wont go into that in depth, and don't think we > need restrict ourselves to one definition. In fact I take the terms to > be so fundamental to major transitions in our society, that "networking" > might well be one of the conceptual primitives of our era. not being > susceptible to a single definitive formulation, but lending itself to a > variety of valid uses and frames. > > Likewise for the concept of community. community means several things, > and we can emphasize any number of them in different contexts, and our > motive for employing the term and our community of practice generally > inform the meaning for us. and we are challenged when encountering other > communities of practice to respect the value and validity of the term in > that context, and the subtle nuances and fertility when the communities > of discourse collide or converge. > > But, to my second question. if the movement as network paper (or > approach) is simply "good management theory" what is the role of good > management theory in the context of a network field devoted to a public > good? I have made the case that one doesn't really lead a network or a > movement, one facilitates them, or helps to create conditions for the > network to flourish. But this is not the role of "one", it is the role > of many in concert without an "authority" over them. > > I've introduced the concept of "movement" again. Garth Graham > challenged the notion of our being a movement, or whether we are one any > longer. the "we" being proponents of community networking, and looking > at the end of community networking as movement, under a shift to a > "radical practice". What defines "movement"? There is of course an > analytic approach. somewhat "objectively" we can assert whether some > efforts or activity have met the criteria, but from another frame, a > movement can also be a matter of self-designation. It can be a claim or > an assertion of an identity. Whether others buy into this claim is one > aspect. but I'm more inclined to accept the folksonomy rather than the > taxonomy. I'll leave Movement aside for the moment, to anyone who would > like to engage in unfolding that idea, and return to the Network and > Management questions. > > In looking at the environmental "movement as network" where there are > real connections, relations and structure to be examined and thereby the > possibility of investment in the network with an eye to re-organizing > for better "effectiveness" of the network, what we are proposing is > (strategic) structural differentiation within the network. > > It is easy to see how this can be viewed as an analogue of good > management theory. The question is how do we generate the will to > collectively manage this process in this direction? > > I think this is related to past discussions of how we might consider > sustaining efforts for the field as opposed to sustaining individual > organizations, and to the questions of "educating the funding community" > or promoting our general value to the wider society, and inviting their > participation in our effort. > > Again, I invite comments, thoughts, etc., on this both via email and > in > the DDN group I created earlier on Movement as Network. > _http://www.digitaldivide.net/community/movement_ > > > > > > ______________________________________________________________________ > ______ > Michael Maranda > President, The Association For Community Networking (AFCN) > _http://www.afcn.org_ > Executive Director, CTCNet Chicago Chapter > _http://www.ctcnetchicago.org_ > Co-Chair, Illinois Community Technology Coalition (ilCTC) > _http://www.ilctc.org_ > Vice President, > CAAELII > _http://www.caaelii.org_ > Vice President, > NPOTechs > _http://www.npotechs.org_ > > > > Attend the* Illinois Community Technology Conference*, November 16-17, > 2005. _http://www.ctcnetchicago.org/conference_ > > > > ____________________________________________________________ You received this message as a subscriber on the list: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To be removed from the list, send any message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] _______________________________________________ DIGITALDIVIDE mailing list DIGITALDIVIDE@mailman.edc.org http://mailman.edc.org/mailman/listinfo/digitaldivide To unsubscribe, send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the body of the message.
