I have always worked with rhythm in whatever corporate or organizational
cultural programming, meeting or communication I have been involved in
creating and producing regardless of length of time - minutes, hours, days
or months - sometimes years!!!

There is an internal rhythm that accompanies each piece/sequence/stanza - a
rush today, a pause for two weeks as the rhythm moves to another field,
another place, another moment... perhaps another instrument of production!!!

There is a returning to the original theme or stream within the piece and a
new rhythm kicks in....This internal rhythm is recognized instantly by those
who work in or are experienced in project management. They very much
understand the notion of organizational rhythm!

And I think there is always a structure to this internal rhythm

For example, ever organizational communication has to have an opening - the
curtain goes up...

"another opening...
another show....
another meeting
here we go..."

and this applies equally to a moment or to an event for 10,000 delegates...

And to sustain this momentum, this rhythm, each communication/sequence/act -
verbal, kinaesthetic or multi-media or all of these media combined has to
have a series of movements/sequences that build a sense - a completeness of
the circle of a sense of communication if you will...

The concern here is how should each act be placed to recognize and establish
the rhythm.... Editors know. So does an audience intuitively know.
You can see people twitching and fiddling because the meeting, the
presentation has gone too long...the presenter has not been in touch with
the internal rhythm of the medium or language used to communicate

In this ever evolving rhythm of sense making, there has to be
intervals...reprises. There has to be a FINALE before the music starts all
over again.....

I hope this contributes to this fascinating discourse. I would love to enter
into a dialogue around this topic with anybody....it has an endless
fascination for me both theoretical and as a prime driver in my work as an
artist/producer working primarily in the live medium...

The rhythm is the internal heart beat of all creative work!!!

Ralph

ralph kerle
chief executive officer
the creative leadership forum
100 mowbray road,
willoughby. nsw australia 2068
p 612 9967 8611
m 612 (0)412 559 603






-----Original Message-----
From: Aesthetics, Creativity, and Organisations Research Network
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Ken Parry
Sent: Friday, 10 November 2006 9:29 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: call for help_rhythm and organizing

I take students through the rhythm (and riff) vis-à-vis the lyrics of music,
then ask them to tell me what might be the rhythm and lyrics of an
organisation.
Here is some of what they tell me:

Rhythm is culture.  Lyrics are policy statements Rhythm is action.  Lyrics
are talk Lyrics are policies and strategic plans.  Rhythm is the emotion
that they generate Lyrics are the message.  Rhythm is the vehicle Rhythm is
inspiration-vision.  Lyrics are mission Lyrics are the agenda.  Rhythm is
how I run the meeting

There are many more, and an article in there somewhere.
Thank you for the article citations.
Cheers,
Ken.
_______
Ken Parry
Griffith Business School







             "Bathurst, Ralph"
             <R.Bathurst@MASSE
             Y.AC.NZ>                                                   To
             Sent by:                  [log in to unmask]
             "Aesthetics,                                               cc
             Creativity, and
             Organisations                                         Subject
             Research Network"         Re: call for help_rhythm and
             <[log in to unmask]         organizing
             AC.UK>


             10/11/2006 06:18
             AM


             Please respond to
             "Bathurst, Ralph"
             <R.Bathurst@MASSE
                 Y.AC.NZ>





Hi Enrico

Yes we have spent time talking about this issue.  Our critique of Albert and
Bell was fairly muted.  Our reserve about their analysis was based on the
notion that musical rhythm is much more complex than A & B indicated.
The trouble is that it requires much more sophisticated musical knowledge to
tease out those complexities.

It seems to me that to do this within the organisational studies discipline
is going to involve devising a language that retains musicological integrity
while at the same time is accessible to non-musicians.

For instance even defining rhythm is tricky.  We could think of it at the
level of pulse (or beat) which is where A & B focus, or we could go deeper
and think of elements like harmonic rhythm which are more complex but much
more interesting.  Our critique of A & B signalled this latter notion of
harmonic rhythm but this is where musical knowledge is crucial.

I am happy to engage in conversation about this with you and other
interested people if you want.

Cheers

Ralph (Bathurst)

From: Daved Barry [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Friday, 10 November 2006 1:52 a.m.
To: 'enrico maria piras'; [log in to unmask]
Cc: Bathurst, Ralph; [log in to unmask]
Subject: RE: call for help_rhythm and organizing

Ralph (Bathurst) and Lloyd (Williams)—didn’t we talk about this at Krakow?
Seems to me there were some rhythm discussions there. Anyway, in addition to
the work that Ralph Kerle suggested, you should look at Cadences at
Waco: A critique of “Timing and Music” by Stuart Albert and Geoffrey Bell
(2002) Academy of Management Review, 27(4): 574–593. (as well as the
original Albert and Bell piece). They really started the whole idea of
rhythm and organization and are the only ones I know who’ve gotten very far
with the concept. Hope this helps! Daved


From: Aesthetics, Creativity, and Organisations Research Network
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of enrico maria piras
Sent: Tuesday, November 07, 2006 7:08 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: call for help_rhythm and organizing


Dear Acorners,

I'm right in the middle of writing a book section on an aesthetic
perspective on workgroup cohesion.
The key concept in my analysis will be "rhythm", which I will use to explore
how micropractices are built. So far in my literature review I haven't found
many references. I mean, many articles and authors use the word "rhythm" but
only on an evocative level and there seems to be not much theory attached to
this word. At the moment I'm referring to some reflections on art and
especially music. I'd like to find out how this concept has been used in
organizational theory.
I'm sure some of you has come across this concept or something similar to it
in your research. Could you help?

best
Enrico