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Understanding and Addressing Conceptual Blocks: A Comprehensive Overview

Lisa Day
Siena Heights University
LDR 630- Organizational Culture and Communication
Dr. Loughran
December 3rd, 2023
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Conceptual Blocks: A Comprehensive Overview

Whetten and Cameron (2003) introduce a framework incorporating problems in

organizational cultures and creativity in an organizational setting called "Conceptual Blocks."

This framework ignites the complexity and importance of how professionals successfully

navigate the complexities of personal and professional interactions and communications. These

conceptual blocks obstruct effective problem-solving and thinking, falling into four primary

categories: constancy, commitment, compression, and complacency. Such blocks represent the

issues and barriers individuals and organizations typically are confronted with, which

discourages creativity, adaptation, and effective communication. These issues can be reflected in

the organizational setting in several different ways, such as strictly following the traditional order

and methods (constancy), over-dependence on a set base of knowledge (commitment),

oversimplification of complex issues (compression), and failure to recognize the need for change

(complacency) adequately. Therefore, it is essential to comprehend and recognize these

blockages, as they are profound for an organization's growth and success and personal and

professional development throughout one's career and life journey.

The recognition of these blocks by individuals will impact one's capacity for creativity,

problem-solving, and change adaptability and lead to more fulfilling and impactful professional

and personal experiences. The paper aims to delve into these conceptual blocks and explore a

sampling of organizations affected by these blocks. As important as it is to identify blocks, it is

also critical to have the ability to address and overcome these conceptual blocks for effective

communication, problem solving, creativity, and change adaptability. This paper will include a

plan of action to overcome these challenges.

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Underlying Causes of Conceptual Blocks in Organizations

According to Whetten and Cameron (2003), there are several reasons that organizations

are challenged with conceptual blocks; conceptual blocks often happen not due to bad thinking

or wrong beliefs, but because people are scared, do not know enough, feel unsure, or are just not

putting in the effort to think. Often, this shows up as individuals needing to be more inquisitive

and wanting or willing to think things through. The following are reasons that can explain why

there are conceptual blocks exist within an organization:

 Human Nature: People naturally lean towards patterns and routines, which can create

resistance to change and new ideas. They are comfortable with what they know and can

be intimidated by the unknown.

 Organizational Culture: The culture within a company can reinforce ways of thinking and

discourage deviation from established norms.

 Leadership Style: Leaders who are cautious about taking risks or resistant to change may

unknowingly create an atmosphere where innovative ideas are not given the recognition

they deserve.

 Structural and Systemic Issues: The organization's structures and processes can

inadvertently create barriers to thinking and problem-solving.

 External Pressures: Market competition, regulatory environments, and technological

advancements can compel organizations to stick with known strategies when they

become outdated.
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 Cognitive Limitations: Human cognitive biases and limitations also contribute to the

formation of blocks as individuals may struggle to see beyond their perspectives or grasp

complex systems comprehensively.

An additional point is the lack of thinking is closely connected to the presence of barriers.

As Theresa Amabile (1998) addresses in her article, conceptual blocks restrict an individual's

capacity to think beyond norms, explore ideas, and approach issues from various perspectives.

For example, constancy might cause someone to adhere to traditional approach to solutions,

while compression could result in oversimplifying matters. These blocks hinder individuals and

organizations from embracing thinking—an essential element for fostering innovation,

adaptation, and effectively tackling new challenges. Overcoming these barriers is crucial in

nurturing an imaginative thinking process (Amabile, 1998).

Conceptual Blocks and Organizational Examples

Block I- Constancy

Coca-Cola is an example of a company that encountered challenges due to being stuck in

a mindset where they remained committed to one perspective or problem-solving approach. In its

competition with Pepsi, Coca-Cola firmly believed in the superiority of its brand over all others,

which significantly influenced its decision-making processes. This mindset illustrates how

adhering strictly to a perspective can impede a company's ability to adapt and effectively respond

to market changes and competitive challenges (Smith, 2013).

Based on personal experience in surgical technology education, I have encountered

challenges in problem-solving that can be understood through conceptual blocks. One challenge

was the leader's commitment to traditional teaching methods, unwilling to explore innovative
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approaches that could improve student outcomes. Additionally, this leader needed to be more

flexible in scheduling courses, as her unwillingness to be more flexible made it difficult for

working students to attend classes due to the hours that were scheduled for the leaders own

convenience. Despite the feedback and documented shortcomings of these practices, there was

resistance to change. This adherence to "her way" and the attitude that "we have always done it

this way" proved a barrier. Being more flexible and open to new and emerging ideas and

suggestions of different methods would have alleviated some of the challenges.

Block II- Commitment

Kotter (2013) states that one of the main reasons for Kodak's failure was the company's

refusal to see, accept, and commit to the change in technology and digital imaging in the

photography industry. This is a prime example of the commitment block. Kodak did not embrace

new technology for fear of cannibalizing their most profitable product, which was film.

Ironically, Kodak pioneered the camera and film industry but was committed to past successes

rather than the opportunities that may exist. Kodak should have had a more substantial insight

and thought critically before embarking on any business life cycle. The company also needed to

anticipate the market adaptation of and move to digital cameras and, more importantly,

smartphones with quality cameras. Kodak should have entered the market early, which the

failure to do so, contributed to its eventual failure by allowing its competitors to establish

themselves. Kodak was ultimately led to bankruptcy (Kotter, 2013).

Block III- Compression

The downfall of Blockbuster serves as an example of the dangers of oversimplifying

challenges. Despite being a market leader valued in the billions of dollars, Blockbuster filed for
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bankruptcy in 2010 due to its failure to adapt to the transformations in the media industry. While

digital platforms were on the rise, Blockbuster clung to its traditional brick-and-mortar retail

stores, underestimating potential distribution issues. This misjudgment became evident when

CEO John Antioco turned down the opportunity to acquire Netflix in 2000. In 2004, Blockbuster

finally entered the online market, but by then, it was already lagging behind more adaptable and

efficient competitors such as Netflix. This case highlights the risks of failing to embrace change

and keep up with evolving trends (Ishalli, 2023).

To correlate this block to personal experience, I witnessed an area for improvement in the

oversimplification in the addressing of student concerns. Reported and documented student

concerns were not given the appropriate attention, and critical aspects of student learning were

overlooked. By not responding accordingly and taking it seriously, student success was

negatively impacted.

Block IV- Complacency

According to Doz (2023), Nokia's downfall is an example of the effects of complacency,

where organizations or individuals need to acknowledge the urgency for change. Once a force in

the mobile phone industry with over 40% of the market share, Nokia's decline can be attributed

to blunders rooted in its lack of adaptability. Despite its successes, Nokia faced challenges due to

its systems and processes that hindered innovation. Attempts such as establishing the Nokia

Ventures Organization, which was developed to explore emerging technologies, were impeded

by short-term performance pressures. Poorly executed decisions made after 2001, including a

reorganization into a matrix structure, resulted in a decline in thinking and decision-making

efficiency. Additionally, Nokia's reliance on its operating system amidst the growing shift

towards platform and application-centric approaches further contributed to its downfall. By

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2010, it became evident that Nokia had failed to keep up with the evolving market dominated by

competitors like Apple, ultimately leading them to exit the mobile phone business (Doz, 2023).

In my personal experience, complacency played a role in the lack of student growth and

success. The program leader failed to stay current on the emerging technologies and

advancements in surgical procedures and techniques, and there needed to be urgency in

addressing emerging challenges—failure to adapt to the changing demands of both student's

needs and advancements in practice resulted in a decrease in the student experience and lower

standardized testing scores.

Now that I understand how conceptual blocks were present in my past program, I have

identified multiple areas in which we were challenged. If the program leader had been more open

to listening and taking each student's concern seriously, she could have fostered a more

supportive culture. Encouraging honest and constructive feedback and considering that feedback

to improve processes would also have contributed to effective problem-solving and growth. The

unwillingness to collaborate and communicate with the program faculty was detrimental to

retaining the best talent, and furthermore, the combination of these blocks hindered the growth of

the program, which was evident in student outcomes and student enrollment. It compromised

program effectiveness and adaptability within an ever-evolving health professions education

landscape.

Action Plan

Whetten and Cameron (2003, p. 153–205) outline various areas that can be utilized to

address the barriers that prevent change. Their work is supported by academic research that has

identified many factors, such as psychology, organization dynamics, and external influences on
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comprehension, that disrupt the generation of ideas and solutions to problems. To overcome

these factors, some strategies ensure ideas are freely shared and a solution can be found easily in

case of any difficulty, or the same process is repeated. The following are some of the identified

strategies:

 Identifying the Blocks: Understanding that barriers like constancy, commitment,

compression, and complacency exist around us is the first step in changing them. This

can be self-assessed or facilitated through surveys, interviews, or discussions, all of

which help raise self-awareness. This step can be done through various communication

platforms, including in-person discussions.

 Embracing diversity and continuous learning: Research asserts that actively

incorporating diverse views during team meetings and incorporating training programs

that help expand creative thinking are strategies that help curb constancy and

commitment challenges while expanding understanding of how to combat

compression issues (Frigotto & Rossi, 2011).

 Promoting risk-taking and flexibility: For example, exploring lessons from failures and

providing an open forum where staff can share their thoughts as different and untested

ways of ensuring that complacency does not take control of the organization.

Additionally, reorganizing structures to increase flexibility is a method of conquering

constancy and commitment challenges (Edmundson, 1999).

 Regular evaluation: This is necessary to ensure that the strategies employed are

practical and relevant. This can be done through feedback loops, structured processes,

and frequent performance reviews.

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Organizational Culture

Edgar Schein has contributed to our understanding of organizational culture and how it

can be transformed by overcoming conceptual barriers. Schein emphasizes the importance of

leadership practices in driving shifts within organizations. His methods focus on the metrics,

rewards, and controls leaders use to allocate resources and incentives. He highlights the

significance of recruitment criteria, performance management strategies, and dismissal

procedures. These holistic approaches recognize that mere changes in directives or incentives

alone are insufficient for bringing about change. Instead, leaders must actively engage with every

aspect of the culture to bring about transformations. This comprehensive approach is crucial for

addressing obstacles as it fosters profound shifts in how organizations think, operate, and tackle

problems (Schein, 1988).

Conclusion

Conceptual blocks reveal the challenges that hinder thinking, communication and

practical problem-solving within organizations. These hurdles often arise from fear, insecurity,

and a tendency to cling to past processes. Consequently, new ideas face resistance, and complex

issues require a commitment to exploring different methods of finding solutions. These barriers

can impede innovation and adaptation, resulting in stagnation. To overcome these challenges, it

becomes crucial to cultivate an environment that values diverse perspectives, continuous

learning, and a willingness to take risks and embrace change. Recognizing and addressing these

obstacles is vital for growth as they significantly impact creativity, innovation capacity, and the

overall success of an organization.

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References

Amabile, T. M. (1998). How to kill creativity. Harvard Business Review, 76(5), 76-87.

Doz, Y. L. (2023). The strategic decisions that caused Nokia’s failure. INSEAD Knowledge.

https://knowledge.insead.edu/strategy/strategic-decisions-caused-nokias-failure

Edmondson, A. (1999). Psychological safety and learning behavior in work

teams. Administrative Science Quarterly, 44(2), 350–

383. https://doi.org/10.2307/2666999

Frigotto, M. L., Rossi, A. (2011). Diversity and communication in teams: Improving problem-

solving or creating confusion? Group Decision and Negotiation, 21(6), 791–820.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10726-011-9250-x

Kotter, J. (2013). Barriers to change: The real reason behind the Kodak downfall. Forbes.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnkotter/2012/05/02/barriers-to-change-the-real-reason-

behind-the-kodak-downfall/?sh=20b62d1869ef

Ishalli. (2023). From Industry Giant to bankruptcy: The blockbuster failure story. InspireIP.

https://inspireip.com/blockbuster-failure-story/#:~:text=Blockbuster’s%20inability%20to

%20adapt%20to,preferences%20resulted%20in%20its%20downfall.

Schein, E. H. (1988). Organizational culture. Sloan School of Management, Massachusetts

Institute of Technology. SWP-2088-24854366.pdf (mit.edu

Smith, S. (2013). Market Research Example: How Coca-Cola Lost Millions with This Mistake.

https://www.qualtrics.com/blog/coca-cola-market-research
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Whetten, D. A., & Cameron, K. (2003). Solving problems analytically and creatively.

In Developing management skills (5th ed., pp. 153–205). Prentice Hall.