Podcast
Questions and Answers
What did Crozier study in 1965?
What did Crozier study in 1965?
A French monopolistic company
What was the surprising observation in Crozier's study?
What was the surprising observation in Crozier's study?
Central strategic decisions were not made by the top managers but by service technicians
Why did hierarchical power fail in Crozier's study?
Why did hierarchical power fail in Crozier's study?
The technicians had the capacity to deal with internal uncertainty caused by machinery malfunctions
Coercion is described as getting a person to do something that they would otherwise not do.
Coercion is described as getting a person to do something that they would otherwise not do.
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Which of these are NOT features of coercive power?
Which of these are NOT features of coercive power?
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What are the bases of coercive power? (Select all that apply)
What are the bases of coercive power? (Select all that apply)
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What does the term "power through non-decisions" refer to?
What does the term "power through non-decisions" refer to?
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What are the three forms of manipulation in organizations?
What are the three forms of manipulation in organizations?
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Mobilization of Bias refers to informal decision processes that exclude alternatives deviating from the desires of powerful individuals.
Mobilization of Bias refers to informal decision processes that exclude alternatives deviating from the desires of powerful individuals.
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What is an example of Institutionalized Rule- and Norm-Making?
What is an example of Institutionalized Rule- and Norm-Making?
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What is the main difference between coercion and manipulation?
What is the main difference between coercion and manipulation?
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Which of these are forms of resistance against coercion? (Select all that apply)
Which of these are forms of resistance against coercion? (Select all that apply)
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What is the main idea behind the idea of "Voice" as a form of resistance?
What is the main idea behind the idea of "Voice" as a form of resistance?
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Trade unions and independent organizations supporting whistleblowers are examples of voice as a form of resistance against manipulation.
Trade unions and independent organizations supporting whistleblowers are examples of voice as a form of resistance against manipulation.
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What is the main difference between dominance and coercion?
What is the main difference between dominance and coercion?
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What are the sources of domination?
What are the sources of domination?
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Domination through technological rationality relies on making decisions based on efficiency, even if it contradicts social considerations.
Domination through technological rationality relies on making decisions based on efficiency, even if it contradicts social considerations.
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What is an example of domination through technological rationality?
What is an example of domination through technological rationality?
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What is the main argument against cultural management?
What is the main argument against cultural management?
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What is the concept of "Escape" as a form of resistance against domination?
What is the concept of "Escape" as a form of resistance against domination?
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Cynicism is a form of escapism that can be viewed as both a form of resistance and a safety valve.
Cynicism is a form of escapism that can be viewed as both a form of resistance and a safety valve.
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What are the two main perspectives on cynicism?
What are the two main perspectives on cynicism?
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What is "Subjectification"?
What is "Subjectification"?
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What is one example of a source of Subjectification?
What is one example of a source of Subjectification?
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What is "Creation" as a form of resistance against Subjectification?
What is "Creation" as a form of resistance against Subjectification?
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Study Notes
Principles of Management: Power & Resistance
- Anselm Schneider presented a lecture on the principles of management, specifically focusing on power and resistance.
- Crozier (1965) studied a French monopolistic company where central strategic decisions were often made by technicians, not top managers.
Introduction
- Power is inherent in businesses and organizations.
- Power is exercised in diverse ways and by various actors within organizations.
- The lecture explores different forms of power and their respective responses (resistance).
Objectives
- Understanding power as a core element of organizations
- Exploring different forms of power
- Analyzing the relationship between various power dynamics and resistance.
Coercion (1)
- Definition: compelling someone to do something they wouldn't otherwise do.
- Three key features of coercive power: causal (one party influencing another), episodic (power demonstrated through observable actions), and situational (power dependent on context).
Coercion (2)
- Bases of coercive power include: position, skills, ability to handle uncertainty, and access to crucial resources.
Shortcomings of a Narrow Focus on Coercion
- Power isn't exclusively about observable actions.
- Less visible forms of power also exist.
Resisting Coercion: Refusal (1)
- Refusal is a tactic to diminish the impact of power by weakening the dominance dynamic.
- It includes passive refusal (non-compliance) and active refusal (opposition escalation).
- Common forms of refusal include work-to-rule, strikes, theft, and sabotage.
Manipulation (1)
- Definition: "power through non-decisions" - limiting decision scope to seemingly safe issues via manipulation of values, myths, and procedures.
Manipulation (2)
- Three forms of manipulation in organizations: anticipating results (complying with expected power displays), mobilizing biases (dismissing undesirable options), and institutionalizing rules and norms (designing rules beneficial to the powerful).
- Focus on manipulation, unlike coercion, is often not on observable actions making empirical support challenging.
Anticipation of Results
- Key to anticipation of results is the existing power structure/previous power exercises.
- Actors foresee future power expressions and adjust behaviors accordingly.
- This can lead to feeling powerless in some situations.
Mobilization of Bias
- Decision-making processes can be designed so that certain issues are de-prioritized.
- Informal pre-decision processes exclude alternatives that go against the wishes of powerful elites.
- Only a limited subset of potential options is subjected to comprehensive evaluation.
- Alexander (1979) studied Airport in London's 4 stage decision process as an example.
Institutionalized Rule- and Norm-Making
- Issues might not arise because rules/specifications discourage them.
- Rules and norms can systematically exclude certain groups (e.g., women in managerial roles, due to working hours/childcare constraints).
Shortcomings of a Narrow Focus on Manipulation
- Difficult to empirically verify.
- Often focuses on individual behaviors, neglecting the larger structural context.
- May overlook higher-level organizational structures & processes.
Resisting Manipulation: Voice (1)
- Voice is a way to gain access to controlling forces and participate in decisions impacting one's life.
- Focus shifts to modifying the fundamental rules of the game.
- Conditions for effective "voice" include creating a platform, demonstrating legitimacy, and presenting relevant arguments.
Resisting Manipulation: Voice (2)
- Examples of voice forms include trade unions, whistleblowing support groups, social movements, and alternative organizational structures.
- Public protests can also serve as forms of legitimate voice.
Wrap-up (1)
- Coercion and manipulation are individual-level power forms.
- Refusal and Voice are resistance methods.
- These two power forms may neglect broader systemic/structural power dynamics.
Domination (1)
- Definition: shaping preferences and attitudes through unquestioned norms.
- Sources of domination:
- Unquestioned rules shaping social reality
- Ideology (generating preferences that go against personal interests, like Technical Rationality).
- Cognitive schemas (validating certain perspectives while disregarding others).
Domination: Technology as Ideology
- Organizational decisions are often influenced by efficiency considerations (technological rationality).
- Powerful elites often benefit most from efficiency-focused decisions (e.g., mass layoffs).
Domination: The Case of Culture Management
- Since the 1980s, organizational culture has been recognized as a valuable resource.
- Organizational culture is often "engineered," attempting to increase productivity.
- There's an assumption that successful culture management can completely control employees.
Resisting Domination: Escape
- Irony and cynicism are forms of resentment and escaping cultural/ideological controls.
- This often manifests as a reaction to unchangeable power relations and organizational cultures that claim to liberate employees.
Cynicism
- Cynicism can be a form of escapism and a form of passive resistance.
- Cynicism creates a disconnect between feeling and action, thereby avoiding challenging dominating forces.
Different Approaches to Cynicism
- Managerial view sees cynicism as a problem needing fixing.
- A humanist view conversely looks at cynicism as a coping mechanism.
Cynicism as a Double-Edged Sword
- Cynicism can be a form of resistance against power.
- But it can also perpetuate or reinforce existing power structures.
- It might be tolerated by the powerful.
Subjectification (1)
- Definition: the complex process of constituting the decision-making individual.
- Focuses on the shaping of subjectivity ("the way individuals interpret/understand their circumstances & sense of self").
Subjectification (2)
- Sources of subjectification:
- Disciplinary control systems/organizational practices.
- Discourses that shape employee identity ("total quality management," etc.).
- Governmentality (individuals control themselves through auto-monitoring).
Resisting Subjectification: Creation (1)
- Resisting subjectification involves creating alternative identities & discursive systems for representing oneself; a way to participate in constructing one's own subjectivity, rethinking and reshaping how they view and experience their social realities.
Resisting Subjectification: Creation (2)
- Example: Rewriting organization’s rules to include ideas like autonomy & self-management.
- Recognizing organizational constraints on self-management and distrust.
- These insights to can lead to different self-narratives/identities and potentially new practices.
Wrap-up (2)
- Domination and subjectification are structural/systematic power forms.
- Escape and creation are resistance strategies in response to these dominating power forms.
References
- Fleming & Spicer (2007), Contesting the Corporation
- Jermier, Knights & Nord (1994), Resistance and Power in Organizations
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Description
Explore the dynamics of power within organizations through Anselm Schneider's insights on management principles. This quiz delves into how power is exercised, the forms it takes, and the responses it provokes, including resistance. Gain a deeper understanding of how these elements interact in the realm of business.