Some objections to the MWT Model

The following objections may be raised (or have been raised) against the MWT Model or the principles which it is based on. A response to each of the objections is presented below - not to end the debate but to add the MWT perspective.

Objection: Isn't this just organisational anarchy?

No. 'Anarchy' would imply the absense of laws. The MWT Model is more accurately described as market-based, constitution-based, and natural law / rule-of-law -based. In the MWT Model there are plenty of laws, and the management process focuses ensuring they are explicit, known, and not in conflict with either other laws or business strategy. Another way of looking at this is to say that a MWT organisation ensures sufficent goverance is in place such that laws that do exist are of high quality.

A MWT organisation is market-based in that it specifically recognises that there are proxies to the price system within organisation and some level of property rights. It is constitution-based in that written rules of goverance are established (and that these rules may impose limits to certain 'powers'). It is natural law / rule-of-law -based in that the rules tend to apply across all classes - in the Hayekian sense of rule-of-law where the law must be applied to specific circumstances to determine how it is applicable and must not disadvantage a particular 'class'.

Lastly, the MWT Model firmly establishes The Unavoidable Heierarchy of Responsibility which determines who is responsible in the absense of laws. If you consider that most organisations effectively have the equivilant to a black-market operating where most of the real management occurs (for better or worse) the MWT organisation is more law-based than a non-MWT organisation.

Objection: Isn't this all very 'anti-management'?

No. The MWT Model recognises that management itself is a technology (see response below).

Objection: Isn't this...

Not anti-planning... pro-architecting

Objection: There are a number of refereces to technology in the MWT Model. Isn't this all very technocratic?

Firstly, the MWT Model doesn't entirely depend on technology. I think one of the drivers to a market-based organisation is the availability of cheap and ubiqutious communications technology and data processing power. However, historically property rights (which don't require any advanced technology) pre-date a global stock exchange (which would require advanced technology).

MWT uses technology effectively - and often, like any good tecnology-enabled business transformation, this means the resulting processes would be inefficient without technology. This is just a function of technology. The operation of the stock exchange would be inefficient without technology but the potential for public ownership of the means of production is still consided a key (and generally proper) component of society.

Use of technology in the the MWT Model includes the concept of technology-enabled markets and optionally tools which support specific collaboration architectures. These technologies are not used simply because they are available - they are used because they recognise the increasingly organisations are global, trade is global, and competitive advantage is obtained through collectionds of organisations operating as supply chains or eco-systems. I.e. operating within a single, over-arching, 'management' function.

Also, the MWT Model is based around establishing a collaboration architecture. By definition a collaboration architecture is a deliniated shared understanding of how to collaborate. It includes all of the information that each collaborating individual (including managers) need to know in order to collaborate.

A technocracy is generally defined as 'the control of society by an elite of technical experts' (see iBook dictionary). In a MWT organisation it is the collaboration architecture that manages the organisation. In a non-MWT organisation it is managers. As the management profession comes to rely on a specific and detailed body of knowledge it is becoming technical.

An organisation based on managerialism (and nothing else) is a technocracy. See also Management as a Technology.

No technocratic... anti-luddite

If you have another possible objection to the MWT principles please contact us. The model may be changed or a response posted here.