Abstract
There is a common assumption in social science, that voluntary associations founded on egalitarian principles must inevitably develop hierarchical structures with centralized control, if they are to persist through time. This paper uses grid/group analysis to suggest an approach to organizational change that is less fatalistic than the iron law of oligarchy.
A case study is presented which suggests that the process of routinization in egalitarian associations is far from automatic. Indeed, the members' awareness of contradiction between egalitarian principles on which the group was founded, and principles of centralized power and hierarchy in bureaucratic organizations is a problem that must be overcome by a leader who seeks to effect such a change.
Furthermore, the case study shows that social control through a centralized hierarchy cannot simply be introduced into a voluntary association. It must first pass through a phase in which institutional memory of the founding principles is eradicated through high membership turnover, and the expulsion of rival contenders for leadership. This process creates the conditions for centralized social control and the bureaucratic exercise of power.
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