About
PATHWAY
Identifying and Combating Cultures of Dysfunction
Organizational cultures usually aren’t created with the intent to do wrong, but it’s easy for them to get caught in vicious cycles where harm is the only outcome. Often, malfunctioning groups are allowed to run amok for years, and when they’re caught the damage has already been done. The main challenge for any group charged with oversight is to recognize the signs of dysfunction and stop them before they spiral out of control. This is the goal of my Pathway: identifying and combating cultures of dysfunction.
I first became interested in organizational dysfunction through the study of history. During the European witch hunts, the Inquisition created a no-win situation for those accused of witchcraft: refuse to confess and be tortured to the point of death, or confess and be executed anyway. Although this example may seem obscure and irrelevant, there are many parallels today; “witch hunt” is a common metaphor for a reason. Whether it be the harassment women face for coming forward or staying silent about sexual assault, the criminal justice system railroading defendants into plea deals or unpayable legal fees, or even the way taking down false information can lead to a reinforcement of that falsehood, there are far too many examples of dysfunction in organizational cultures today.
My main interests in organizational studies are the ethics of organizations and organizational wrongdoing. I’m also interested in the formation of organizational cultures, and whether or not we can see dysfunction in their origins. Within history, I’m most interested in Early Modern witchcraft, although anything odd and obscure can hold my attention. Through my minor, Quantitative Methods in the Social Sciences, I have the ability to collect, clean, and analyze data relating to broader social science topics and more specific organizational issues. After graduating, I hope to work in an administrative or human resources position, but I’m also interested in learning more about archival science.
