Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Who is to Blame?

The textbook says that one of the biggest issues with power in organizations is whom to blame (page 245). The textbook also refers to the novels of Franz Kafka, where the person who has taken the decision is "fuzzy", even though the decision itself is of serious consequence.

I've read Kafka's novel "The Trial", which takes us through the life of a man who is arrested, but does not have any idea why! He does ask questions about the reason for his arrest, but his questions are met with ignorance ("We are just constables, better ask your lawyer"), incredulity ("You don't know why! Come on!"), haste ("I really have to be some place, no time to explain now"), etc. It can be quite a frightful thing not knowing the reason for one being blamed!

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