Power and Politics in Organizations

• Tutorial on Power & Politics

Activity 1: Quick Knowledge

• Looks at the Unitarian, Pluralist, and Radical views of organizations, power, politics, decision-making, conflict and resistance

Unitarist Perspective

• Managers most commonly hold this perspective.
• Organizations are an integrated and harmonious whole existing for a common purpose (Farnham and Pimlott 1991:31).
• Regards organizations as a happy family.
• Employees display loyalty, and managers are in charge.
• Politics don't (or shouldn't) exist.
• Many managers and unitarists treat politics as a ‘dirty' word, so it is denied, decried and discarded (Kanter, 1979: 65).

Pluralist Perspective

• Regards the organization as a living organism, made up of various sub-systems.
• Emphasis on the diversity of individual/group interests; the organization is a loose coalition with a passing interest in the formal goals.
• There is an acceptance of competing interests and politics.
• Conflict is inevitable, legitimate and structured into employment relationship (Knights and Willmott, 2012).
• Aims for a "negotiated order than creates unity out of diversity” (Morgan, 1986: 185).
• Conflict is manageable and resolvable for pluralists.

Radical Perspective

• Power imbalances and inequality are inherent in wider society and the organization (Jackson and Carter, 2000).
• The organization is a battleground where rival forces strive for the achievement of largely incompatible ends (Morgan, 2006: 202).
• Highlights legitimate concerns directed at the organization of work.
• Only through conflict can one begin to 'see' the inherent problematics of society.
• Conflict is often suppressed – overtly (in unitarist accounts) or covertly (in pluralist accounts)

Activity 2: Perspectives of Power

• Watch a clip noting examples and statements that represent the perspectives: unitarism, pluralism, radical

Group Activity

• Given the different perspectives what is happening in the case?
• Evaluate the situation and strike action from the different perspectives.
• How do the different perspectives view the employees on strike?
• How do the different perspectives view the managers actions in addressing the strike?
• Is the conflict resolvable from the different perspectives?

Unitarist Group Stance

• Strike action hinders productivity and undermines managerial prerogative.
• The employees are being irrational as lower profitability will hurt their earnings.
• Management needs to take a hard-line approach, to avoid consultation and rule with an iron fist to reduce resistance and dissent, to create a harmonious working environment.

Pluralist Group Stance

• Strike action and negotiations are legitimate, and a natural part of organizational life where politics and differing interests are inherent.
• A conflict can be resolved by listening, discussing and negotiating with employee representatives.
• There is a level playing field between the managers and workers and each one could get their own way.

Radical Group Stance

• Concerns about profit and productivity should be sidelined in favour of arguing against the unethical behaviour of the management and the injustice it causes.
• The conflict is unresolvable because of the interests of.