Dynamics between Organisational Change Processes and Facilitating Dissensus in Context Inquiring Dialogues

Abstract

Abstract

The article examines the dynamics between organisational change processes and facilitating dissensus in a dialogic organisational action research project. The article has two purposes. Firstly, it shows how earlier organisational change processes become present in the social interaction between partners and action researchers as tensions between different interests and voices. Secondly, based on underststanding facilitating as enactment of power, it discusses if and how dissensus can be facilitated as context inquring dialogues where dissensus becomes the vehicle of future changes. This discussion shows that facilitation of dissensus even at team level deals with a complex situation. The article presents these two purposes in relation to co-operation with the joint team in the Citizen Service of the Municipality of Silkeborg (CSMS) in Denmark from August 2008 to September 2009. In dialogue with different theories, the article defines theoretical concepts as complexity and organisational change, power and facilitation, participation and voice, and dissensus approach.

Keywords: dialogue, power, participation, organisation, facilitation