Leadership-Interview-Transkript - Sozialpsychologie - Goethe ...

technologically, intellectually abstract entities called work organizations are somehow
separate from the nature of human communities is feasible healthy for the people who work
within them neither in the sort or the long run.
Rolf van Dick: Yes I agree and more I think that is exactly what we observe in the world
around us. When we look at issues like CEO-Compensation or when we look at the recent
financial crisis, where the failure of values became so clear. So how can we change this where
would you see kind of a role model where it works that you can use and try to adopt in other
areas?
Michael West: What I have done in my work life is taking our research out into organizations
and try to talk to people as much as possible so that you can create the kind of organization
that you and I know are much more effective and what I found remarkable is, that when I
talked in organizations people get it you know the intuitively get it. They know that that’s the
way we need to go and I think the onus is on us – who are working in the discipline to keep
taking that message out there to try to engage senior policy makers with government officials
with the leaders of organizations and with people at the front line of organizations not just
sharing with them our knowledge about what makes for effective work organizations and with
effective communities and leadership but picking up on some questions you asked me
showing them the simple steps which can be taken to bring that about. So that it does not feel
some unattainable nirvana that it is a practical reality we can create. I think there is a big
responsibility for us, and that’s why I think centers like your Center for Leadership and
Behavior in Organizations can do an enormous amount of good both by deepening our
knowledge of what makes for effective leadership and effective organizations but also
translating that for people who work within those organizations and showing them the steps
that we can take to build more effective human communities at work.
Rolf van Dick: Thank you very much Michael.
Michael West: Pleasure.