DISCUSSION AND EVALUATION OF THE THORETICAL AND CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORKS
7.3 REVIEWING THE THEORETICAL AND CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORKS In this section, I review the usefulness of both the theoretical and conceptual frameworks
7.3.1 Evaluating the theoretical framework
The theoretical framework adopted for this study needs to be evaluated as it has implications on the validity and relevance of the study findings. In assessing the usefulness of the framework, it is important to retrace the steps on how the various theories were brought together. The process of developing the theoretical framework began in the review of literature where I started with a generic review and narrowed this down to critical perspectives on organizational culture. To further clarify the critical perspective, I outlined my theoretical framework in which I discussed hermeneutics, and critical theory, focusing on structuration theory and the notion of critical self-reflexivity by Kondrat. This is how far, in my opinion, the theoretical framework could be used. I needed then to find a mechanism of uncovering the hidden assumptions which individuals hold and use as instruments for critical self-reflectivity. I found Schein's framework instructive in this regard. Below I explain my reasons for this view.
This respondent has a professional interest in the activities of EKZNW due to his organization's reliance on tourism operations in KZN.
Based on the understandings from all these perspectives, I adopted Schein's conceptual framework, the reason being that not only does Schein address the notion of organizational culture, but also he outlines a research methodology that conforms to hermeneutics, critical theory, structuration and critical self-reflectivity. In essence, although he does not explicitly state it himself, Schein operationalizes and elaborates these theories. The importance of critical self-reflectivity is illustrated in the emphasis Schein puts on basic assumptions and the need to make them explicit, in other words, to bring them into the discursive domain as Giddens and Kondrat would argue. Below, I offer a perspective of my assessment of the application of the theoretical and conceptual frameworks.
Hermeneutics, critical theory, structuration and critical self-reflectivity
The above four theories formed the framework of this study. The question, however, is did these collectively provide a credible theoretical framework? My answer is in the affirmative. While the hermeneutic perspective on constructed meaning served as a basic foundation, the more specific concepts relative to individual agency and the constitution of society served as the 'interpretive logic' for understanding how individuals express meanings as they reflect on social processes.
Four implicit questions arise from adopting the above quartet of concepts as the theoretical premise of this study. First, how is the context for human experience with regard to conservation management strategy processes and understanding structured?
Second, how do individuals of the executive staff at EKZNW negotiate amongst multiple meanings about conservation? The closeness of these two questions compels me to treat them simultaneously to avoid repetition. For both questions, critical theory and especially Giddens' theory of structuration would bring to the fore the notion of knowledgeable social agents. An implication of this reasoning encourages us to examine how individuals reflect on and use meanings of conservation to define themselves and negotiate tensions within social structures (and reproduce certain structures in the process). How meanings are differently used as shown by the behaviour of conservation staff, has been demonstrated in both results chapters of this study. Kondrat and Giddens would also
suggest that the negotiation of multiple meanings occurs through critical self-reflection and strategic conduct. This study has validated the notions of knowledgeable social agents, critical self-reflection and strategic conduct. Below, I explain, drawing on the two results and analysis, chapters how each, of these concepts has been validated in the findings.
Knowledgeable social agents
This concept implies that individuals are not passive objects of organizational life. They exhibit certain deeply held values as a result of their being enmeshed in the broader socio-cultural contexts in which they exist and have been socialised. The findings of this study seem to support this view. In chapter 6, titled 'Analysis of basic assumptions and strategic objectives' we learned that the NPB was simultaneously united and divided over time due to a polarization in the interpretation of its mission. Unity was largely due to an enduring conservation ethos which remained a firm feature of the organizational mission.
Division arose due to additional components to the mission. Because there was no consensus, divisions started to emerge and grew with time. In other words, the mission did not stay the same over time but evolved in response to external pressures. Respective leaders, drawing on their beliefs and interpretation of the environment influenced the mission variously in terms of emphasis. As knowledgeable social actors, employees responded by drawing on their personal beliefs to help them to choose to either support or oppose the new aspects added to the mission.
Critical self-reflection (and strategic conduct)
In chapter 4 titled 'Theoretical and conceptual frameworks', we learned from Giddens and Kondrat that agency, i.e. the "transformative human action" (Wilshusen 2003: 43) usually takes the form of routine activity. They also posited that agency might also occur in the form of 'strategic conduct' which denotes the intentional, self-reflexive activity of knowledgeable social actors. Kondrat, drawing on the work of Giddens, further extended the notion of self-reflectivity to encompass the notion of critical self-reflectivity. In terms of applicability to this study, I would argue that this concept has been demonstrated in the findings of this study. Although Kondrat and Giddens use this concept at the individual
level, in the context of this study, it is very much relevant at the organizational and or institutional level. Respondents questioned both the established and emerging meanings about conservation, for example in terms of the commercialism agenda.
... in terms of eco-tourism, I think it was largely due to the personalities involved, rather than a strategic refocusing. It was partly saying that we need to bolster eco-tourism up in terms of budget, but it also related to the personality of the person who ended up heading that eco-tourism division" (EKZNWinterviewee # 13).
If you are dealing with eco-tourism as a business, you should be watching your customers very carefully, and make sure you don't enter duplicate customers in the database. We are making the necessary changes and we are definitely better than we were a few years back (EKZNW interviewee 20).
The above quotations depict the critical stance adopted by some of the interviewees.
Critical self [organizational] reflectivity was also demonstrated by some respondents who noted that the commercialism inspired by the government led to a huge increase in the eco-tourism and marketing division at a time when other departments were facing staff retrenchments. Along with the new staff came a deliberate focus on commercialism.
While other departments were shrinking in terms of staff numbers, the eco-tourism division grew and received more funding. And this was, in the same light that tourism and public recreation was perceived during the Geddes-Page era.
As this study has shown, individuals are not passive objects of organizational life.
Individuals continue to hold certain values that are deeply held which are largely the result of the broader socio-cultural context in which they exist and have been socialized.
Thus, we see in the previous chapter a diversity of views being expressed by the executive staff who one would ideally expect to have a shared understanding about strategy since they are under one institutional setting. But as this study shows, diversity of meanings is underpinned by various basic assumptions about many aspects of life.
Again, it would appear that the focus of most of the critical reflection was on commercialism. This is not particularly strange especially if we consider the fact that the notion of commercialism is presently on the agenda of the evolving mission. It is as much a contentious issue, as was the issue of attempts to mainstream tourism and recreation under Geddes-Page's leadership.
Another question to consider is: Why do some meanings persist over time? The theoretical framework I adopted would point to many reasons, but most importantly, to inevitable power imbalances, routinized actions, and the unintended consequences of social actions. Again, all these aspects are illustrated in this study. The fact that each leader in the NPB tried to follow a different approach to realizing the mission speaks to the power dimension. The policy of enforcement, which became entrenched over time, exemplifies routinized actions. Unintended consequences of intentional actions are exemplified by certain groups within the NPB in regard to opposition to changes in the mission. For example, Vincent did not anticipate the acrimony and tensions that arose between managers and scientists nor did Geddes-Page anticipate that his attempts at mainstreaming public recreation were going to polarize a once united organization.
Logic from applying these theories enabled me to depict the respondents as knowledgeable social actors. In other words, despite the existence of an institutional framework, for example, policies and missions, individual respondents, as shown in both results chapters were able to enact their personal interpretations. To a lesser extent, they did this under a command and control regime as explained in chapter 6. Through their opposition to the evolving mission, they were in fact asserting their deeply felt perspectives on what they saw as the fundamental mission or purpose of conservation, and from that flowed the interpretations of stakeholders, the environment and competencies.