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Crazy versus Epoxy Glueing: Control and Trust in the Merger of Human Service Organizations.
Abstract
Based on a case study of a merger between four agencies working with
youth in trouble, this paper argues that the building of trust can be
hindered by managers' attempt to tighten organizational control. It
describes the cultivation of distrust by workers, and the
trust-control dynamics played out with the introduction of a new
treatment philosophy through the integration of professional
counselors into residential care teams. The metaphor of crazy and
epoxy glueing is used to analyze these organizational dynamics. Trust
and control can be viewed as the resin and the hardener of the epoxy
glue: They must be effectively balanced when bringing together two
organizations. The joint development of this balanced approach, taking
into consideration the needs of managers and workers, is an essential
step toward building trust within merging organizations. (PsycINFO
Database Record (c) 2007 APA, all rights reserved) (journal abstract)
Journal
(2005)
vol29
no1
pages45-61
Categories
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Managing External Relations
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Other Inter-organizational relationships
