Why Forgiveness

1
Why Forgiveness

• Desmond Tutu (1998)
• Forgiveness is one of the key ideas in this
  world. Forgiveness is not just some nebulous
  vague idea that one can easily dismissWithout
  forgiveness there is no futureWithout
  forgiveness resentment builds in us a resentment
  which turns into hostility and anger No one can
  be fully human unless he or she relates to others
  in a fair peaceful and harmonious wayAnything
  that subverts this harmony is injurious not just
  to the community but all of us and therefore
  forgiveness is an absolute necessity for
  continued human existence.

2
Presentation Objectives

• Explore the possibility of forgiveness as a
  collective level construct.
• Grounded Theory - Case study
• Propose definitions with properties.

3
Site Selection

• Small non-profit community-based hospital
  located in the Northeastern U.S.
• 700-800 employees
• Recent history of downsizing organizational
  restructuring.

4
The Revolution

• Dec 1997 The VP Operations Mr. Weight suddenly
  announces his resignation after 15 years of
  service.
• Within a week employees conclude that he was
  forced out by the two principal leaders of the
  organization Mr. Marinaro the CEO and Mr. Hyde
  the Executive V.P.

5
The Revolution

• Employees organize a grass-roots effort to
  express dissatisfaction with the action
• Physicians Organization unanimous vote of no
  confidence.
• Employee letters of concern written to the
  Board of Directors
• The formation of an underground newsletter.
• Peaceful storming of a board meeting by 100
  employees
• A yellow ribbon campaign that moves into the
  community.

6
The Revolution

• Feb 12 1998 Mr. Marinaro resigns. Mr. Hyde
  takes an administrative leave and officially
  resigns one month later.
• Feb 23 1998 Mr. Weight is rehired

7
The Revolution

• Organization in a state of offense
• Collective perception of the leaders as immoral
• The collective perception that the leaders posed
  an existential threat
• The collective general state of fragmentation
  with respect to the leaders

8
Leaders as Immoral

• Sweeping assertions that the leaders were morally
  suspect.
• My perspective was that Mr. Marinaro and Mr.
  Hyde were just corrupt and not interested in
  supporting a hospital
• Distrust in the leaders vision for the future
  and claims about the hospitals current condition
• There were so many rumors flying around all the
  time that you never knew what was real and what
  was not .... we constantly thought the hospital
  was being bought and we never did know what was
  the truth because nobody up there would tell
  you.
• Perception that former administrators acted based
  on self-serving morally indefensible intentions.
  
• The former president would do things because it
  was directly related to one of his personal
  interests.

9
Leaders as Existential Threat

• Description of actions as posing a fundamental
  threat to the existence of the organization.
• Given the firing of Mr. Weight the
  administrative structure as it now stands
  places the hospital in financial jeopardy... We
  believe that unless the board takes action to
  resolve this crisis our jobs the hospital and
  the quality of health care in the Valley the
  community are at risk.
• Perception of the leaders as violating norms
  fundamental to the identity of the organization.
• Mr. Weight was exposing a lot of the issues
  that were going on albeit in a very tactful
  manner. He was conveying information in regard to
  the losses you cant hide... A lot were
  fundamental.But chopping Mr. Weight out of the
  picture was like taking the ax and swinging right
  at the heart of the hospital. It was basically
  fundamentally the worst blunder he Mr. Marinaro
  could have ever done! It was! It was termination!
  That was the last final straw.

10
Collective Fragmentation

• The clear identification of the leaders as
  outsiders to the main body of the hospital
  collective.
• Never in 23 years have I taken a stand against
  something at this institution. But this is
  dangerous. We cant just stand still. We are
  concerned about saving our hospital.
• Disagreement within the collective over the
  propriety of being offended.
• Wake up! I dont understand how any employee
  who has worked hard and contributed to the
  success of the hospital would want to destroy
  all that we have achieved. Lets act like a team
  and be supportive of Mr. Marinaro.

11
The Downsizing

• Apr-Jun 1998 Mr Weight. begins meetings with
  members of management about the hospitals
  financial situation. They consider alternatives
  and frame a plan.
• 25 Jun 1998 Mr. Weight announces a 10 layoff
  and hospital reorganization.
• 29 Jun 1998 Headline Job cuts irritate Valley
• 27 Jul 1998 Headline Layoffs painful needed
• Three years later Very few employees remembered
  the layoffs.

12
Financial Performance
The Revolution
The Downsizing
13
The Downsizing Comments

• People trusted Mr. Weight even though it the
  downsizing was difficult.
• We trusted him. This was the last resort. If
  thats what he felt like he had to do then we
  were behind it.
• A lot of people left with hard feelings after a
  while they could understand things and a lot of
  them came back.

14
The Downsizing

• Organization in a state of forgivingness
• Collective perception of the leader as having a
  strong moral character
• Collective perception that the leaders presence
  appreciates the organizations identity
• Collective solidarity with respect to the leader.

15
Leader as Morally Legitimate

• Perception of the leader as having concern for
  the organization.
• He cares so much about it the hospital. It is
  not for his gain.
• Mr. Weight was not dedicated for himself. He
  is dedicated to the organization.
• Perception of the leader as moral and trustworthy
• Hes just a wonderful person has lots of
  integrity has lots of credibility.
• There is an understanding that the top-level
  officials are ethical and will not do anything to
  hurt the employees or the organization.

16
Leader as Existential Appreciator

• Perception of the leader as appreciating the
  wholeness of the organization.
• He knows practically everyone by name it makes
  you feel like youre all one family.
• The leaders presence is seen as enhancing the
  value of the organizations identity.
• Sit with him in a budget its tough. Hes very
  intelligent and hes a real terrific mentor and
  you really look up to him. On the flip side
  hell... do the stuff hes embarrassed with and
  be very human. And you feel like youre part of
  something you cant replace.
• The leader is seen as representing the ideal
  organizational member the essence of
  participation in the organization.
• now its not just Mr. Weight because you have
  your other manager youre vice-president like
  Mr. J hes all over...talking to staff and all
  thatI think if you dont have that kind of
  approach. Youre not going to make it here.

17
Collective Solidarity

• The leader is viewed as an integral part of the
  collective whole.
• With Mr. Weight gone the medical staff has lost
  the one member of the administration we could
  count on Certainly we did not always agree with
  him but we could count on him.
• Demonstration of willingness to sacrifice for the
  leader.
• Had it not been for the Revolution the
  downsizing would have been much different.

18
State of Offense

• Proposition Collective offense is a socially
  constructed state in response to an event(s) or
  action(s) that are attributable to a definitive
  actor or set of actors.

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State of Forgivingness

• Proposition Collective forgivingness as a state
  is a dispositional condition characterized by the
  collectives tendency not take offense at the
  actions of identifiable others.

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Forgiveness

• Hannah Arendt (1958)
• Trespassing is an everyday occurrence which is
  in the very nature of human actions constant
  establishment of new relationships within a web
  of relations and it needs forgiving dismissing
  in order to make it possible for life to go on by
  constantly releasing men from what they have done
  unknowingly.

21
Forgiveness

• Hannah Arendt (1958)
• Forgiving is the only reaction which does not
  merely re-act but acts anew and unexpectedly
  unconditioned by the act which provoked it and
  therefore freeing from its consequences both the
  one who forgives and the one who is forgiven.

22
Collective Forgiveness

• Proposition Collective forgiveness is the
  process of transforming an organization from a
  state of offense to the state of forgivingness
  with respect to a definitive actor or set of
  actors.