Sustainable Progress in the Organization through Shared Responsibility and Social Partnership

ANTO COMETA

It has been a major dilemma in all organizations on how to deal with internal issues and conflicts arising from different values, views and interests of individuals. These disagreements more often than not become impediments or deterrents in achieving organizational objectives both internal and external. The challenge for parties concerned as well as for the organization is how to resolve internal discord in order to address the needs and interests not only of the individual(s) but also of the organization. Effective management and leadership often depend on the capacity to envision, bring about, sustain and modify valuable agreements among parties (Sebenius 1995). If we were to achieve efficiency and the sustainability of the business, we should highly take into account shared responsibility and social partnership within the organization.

Most people look for solutions by simply analyzing the matter based on what they deem is feasible, usually in the confines of their ivory towers. This may hold true to a lot of circumstances particularly those strategies that need to be imposed in order to get things done the way they wanted it to be without resistance and opposition. However, if we really wanted to recognize and address the matter effectively, we should put into operation proper consultation and negotiation between parties since these issues are of significance whether of common interests or not since it relates to organizational efficiency. Consultation is an avenue whereby parties could discuss and understand matters concerning disputes, positions and interests. Integrating consultation with negotiation puts these matters into concrete plans of action(s) in order to arrive at an agreement or partnership that would settle dissension between parties as well as possible risks for the organization. Negotiation is best understood as the process of potentially opportunistic dealings intended to move ahead the full set of individual interests by jointly decided action (Sebenius, 1995).

Responsibility entails accountability of all those involved throughout a certain process or course of action. It requires parties to be liable in all the phases of the process since these individuals comprise part of the assembly or constituent that collectively concerns the organization and that its impact affects individual interests and welfare. In order to create a just and unfeigned organization-focused undertaking, proper representation and consultation which should eventually lead to negotiation should be taken into account.