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Using the Theory

Chapter 14
Managing Tensions in Collaboration Practice
Aim of the chapter

Aim of this chapter is to reflect on the notion of


“tensions”, styles of leadership and
characteristics and types of tension.

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Styles of Leadership
Two styles of leadership are distinguished: the “romantic” style
and the “heroic” style.
1) “Romantic” style:
• It starts with the assumption that it is necessary to involve people.
The direction and content of change will emerge from the
involvement process.
• Managers work along with workers. There is an open-minded start
with less clarity on what are the key issues. There is a perception of
uncertainty about the outcomes.
• The focus in on support, development and role enlargement.
• In general, there is a personal element to the relationship in this
style. Managers and workers know about each other as people and
are concerned with other’s hobbies, family life, etc.

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Styles of Leadership
Two styles of leadership are distinguished: the “romantic” style
and the “heroic” style.
2) “Heroic” style:
• It starts with the assumption that expert knowledge can be applied
to a problem to derive solution. This should be “sold” to those who
will undertake implementation.
• Managers are involved in a catalytic intervention. S/he will assess a
problem, issue a vision of a solution or a challenge, and then judge
what other produce as the detail to implement. There is a clear vision
on the role between leader and followers. Leader set the vision,
prioritize areas for action and judging the effectiveness of action.
Followers undertake the action. There is a perception of certainty
about the outcomes
• The focus is on action and moving from problem definition to action
to outcome.

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Styles of Leadership
• Both styles have the aim of successfully engendering
change, accomplishing tasks.
• The tension is about different ways of doing things. The
feature that creates tension is that it is a choice between
two proposals of good management, and not between
one good and one bad.
• One way to resolve tension is to implement the “heroic”
style on some issues and allow involvement in others. As
such, leaders should involve followers when they have
the appropriate level of “maturity”

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Characteristics of Good Practice
Tension
• We can distinguish between 10 characteristics:
Language/Characteristic Interpretation

Extremes Alternate pieces of good practice advice or actual


courses of action
Self-defeating Good practice advice that cannot work in practice

Costs, benefits, inverses Relates to extremes where the cost (i.e. inverse of
the benefit) of one is the benefit of the other and
vice versa
Intermediate points Practical ways forward between the extremes;
many forms exist
Reformulated Reframing an extreme (removing obstacles to
achieve the extreme). A more sophisticated
reformulations increase the chance that a tension
can be a way forward but do not remove the
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tension altogether.
Characteristics of Good Practice
Tension
Language/Characteristic Interpretation
Shift the location A reformulation that resolves the original tension
but creates a new one elsewhere (moving tension
from one point in the hierarchy to another)
Contingency statements Complex “What if” formulations of extremes. They
(emergency statement) cannot be condensed into a single sound bite.
They require a complex set of statements.
Inconsistency costs A downside of behaving contingently (to have two-
faced or inconsistent way of dealing with
employees).
Multidimensional tensions Interrelated tensions which “pull” in many
directions
Portfolio A collection of identified tensions that can be used
as conceptual handle for reflection (one tension
leads to identification of another, related one).
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Developing a Practice-Oriented
Theory of Tensions / Levels of
• Tension
We distinguish 4 levels of tensions:
– Level one - the notion of tension: Need to accept that tensions lead to dilemma
and coping with these is an important aspect of the “reality” of managerial life. This
will allow practitioners to search for “good enough” solutions rather than to look at
“illusive prescriptions”.
– Level two – the notion of multiple, interacting tensions: the process of managing
is that of continually resolving dilemmas, trilemmas, multilemmas across many
dimensions. There is a need to isolate tensions so that reflection becomes
manageable. Resolutions are to be seen as ephemeral (i.e. temporary).
– Level three – the notion of tensions in specific management areas: the need to
identify tensions in various management area, defined and redefined by
management need. Any manager will need, at one time or another, to work in many
such areas. Instead of dealing with all tensions at once, s/he will identify the most
important/ predominant concerns so that reflection becomes manageable.
– Level four – the notion of deconstructed tensions: learn about specific tensions
through the process of deconstructing them and use deconstructed tensions based
on rigorous research to learn about own situation.

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