Commentary on Conscientiousness and Work Roles

Abstract

My first suggestion to a conscientious reader of this article is that to get your money's worth you should read it twice! By mastering Ranken's arguments, you can participate in it for yourself. One reading may not be enough. At its core, Ranken's essay describes the vibrant push-and-pull of one's self and one's role in the corporation in determining ones degree of conscien tiousness. She concludes, I believe, that individuals are mostly driven by self with the mantle of role influencing secondarily. Her presentation and de fense of an individualist thesis is orderly, scholarly and largely persuasive. One is reminded of Polonius's advice, To thine own self be true! But, what else! While reading this article, a voice sounded in my inner ear, There's more to And, the word shimmering recurred. Let me explain. The day-to-day corporate life is more complex and dimensional than self and role. At a minimum, it includes the impact of significant others, (in dividually and in groups), a distinctive institutional culture and an endless chain of situations which flow through the years in the different economic and political environments. Most of what is experienced has a familiarity about it. Occasionally, something entirely unexpected occurs. Emergencies disrupt routines! Even those events are not unfamiliar, in that unfamiliar events occur with regularity, and are not unexpected. That's why the word shimmering is relevant. Life in the corporation is always in motion. Situations are never exactly the same. Even similar si tuations are always different. People in work groups change and patterns shift...sometimes a little, sometimes a lot. The work changes. A job description (role) can be precise or general. However, roles cover a lot of ground. An engineer helping to start up a new plant, or marketing manager introducing a new product might be doing something quite different from the usual routine work pattern. Regular environments change. Testing procedures acceptable one day