Theories of organizational power explain how an entry-level employee in a
hierarchically structured organization was able to have a significant impact on
her workplace. These theories tell us that one way to gain power is by demon
strating some type of expertise that is valued within the organization. This case
study of an auditor who was an expert writer will demonstrate how her exper
tise led to changes within the organization. As a young woman at the lowest
professional level in a male-dominated bureaucratic organization, she would
not have been expected to gain power. However, her rhetorical expertise- her
awareness of the importance of audience and purpose, and her knowledge of
what to say and how to say it - gave her the power to revise the processes by
which her organization did its work, to rewrite the job descriptions of the
managers within the organization, and to create a unique role for herself within
the workgroup.
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