They did it their way. functional diversity or dysfunctional chaos

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They did it their way.functional diversity
ordysfunctional chaos?

• John Swinton
• Associate Director (Organisation Development)
• Office of Human Resource Management

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Campuses
Nathan
Logan
Gold Coast
South Bank
Mt Gravatt
3
Pre 1997

• 14/15 Facultiesfiefdoms
• Mirrored decentralised administration
• Well, now quite mirrored!

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2007

• Arts/Education/Law
• (includes Conservatorium of Music, College of
  Art, Film School
• Science/Environment/Engineering/Technology
• Health
• (includes Medicine and Dentistry)
• Business

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• Background of change
• Change upon change
• Things never stay the same
• even when they are the same!

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The heros journey (Joseph Campbell)

• Ordinary world..call to adventure.
• refusal of the call...meeting with the
  mentor..crossing the first threshold.tests,
  allies, enemies..approach to the innermost
  cave..ordeal.seizing the sword.the road
  back..resurrectionreturn with the elixir

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• They thought that it would be a disgrace to go
  forth as a group. Each entered the forest at a
  point that he himself had chosen, where it was
  darkest and there was no path. If there is a path
  it is someone elses path and you are not on the
  adventure.
•  

8

• Structure only a way of getting things done
• Diversity supports flexibility and local
  relevancy
• Is context boundBUT
• Accessibility/understanding/consistency can be
  impacted

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• When does functional diversity
• topple into dysfunctional chaos?

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• Organisational noise
• or
• early warning systems?

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• Do we have a role in all of this?
• What actions can we take?