Interdependence and the Tragedy of the Commons

Chapter 4: The Systems Perspective on Organizations and Communication

The oft-maligned theory on the "Tragedy of the Commons" by Hardin holds especially true for our purposes in organizational communication. I have written in comments that it is nearly impossible to avoid (and for many reasons we should embrace) a division of labor in the workplace but as with most things, with highly divided labor there comes a price. As the author's of our textbook suggest, with highly divided labor comes the clouding of perceptions regarding the "interdependent nature of their work." I have argued that workers who have shown the capacity for quality work should be given more responsibility and relative autonomy but it is also just as necessary to be able to reign this autonomy in when it conflicts with the overall goals and general communal nature of the office or workplace. It is of the utmost importance to communicate to employees the interdependent nature of their work; their is no factory without the venture capital to build it, no assembly line without the researcher who designed the product, and no product to market without the employees who work the line. By constructing an atmosphere in which people understand their the interdependent nature of their tasks but also retain relative autonomy you can avoid the "Tragedy of the Commons" but also continue to respect the individuality and independence of your employees.