This article presents some of the problems that need to be resolved if organization is to be developed to its full potential. Our central argument is that both management and staff typically act on the basis of a false understanding of the nature of power. Power is typically treated as if it were an individual possession, rather than as a relationship between people. Consequently, managers ignore or attempt to deny their ultimate dependence on staff, and use their power coercively. Staff respond with various coun tercoercive strategies. The result is a series of vicious circles which seriously undermine the productive potential of the relationship between management and staff.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Bachrach, P., and M.S. Baratz1962 'Two faces of power'. American Political Science Review56:947-952.
2.
Bachrach, P., and M.S. Baratz1970Power and poverty: theory and practice. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
3.
Banfield, E.1961Political influence. New York: Free Press.
4.
Benson, J.K.1977 'Innovation and crisis in organisational analysis' in Organisational analysis critique and innovation. J. K. Benson (ed.). London: Sage.
5.
Bittner, E.1965 ' The concept of organisation' in Ethnomethodology. Turner (ed.)Harmondsworth: Penguin.
6.
Bradshaw, A.1976 'A critique of Steven Lukes' power: a radical view'. SociologyX:121-127.
7.
Braverman, H.1974Labour and monopoly capital. New York: Monthly Review Press.
8.
Burrell, G., and G. Morgan1979Sociological paradigms and organisational analysis. London: Heinemann.
9.
Child, J.1969The business enterprise in modern industrial society. London: Collier-Macmillan.
10.
Clegg, S.1979The theory of power and organisation. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul.
11.
Clegg, S., and D. Dunkerley1980Organisation, class and control. London : Routledge and Kegan Paul.
12.
Crozier, M.1973 'The problem of power'. Social Research40/2:211-228.
13.
Cyert, R.M., and J.G. March1963A behavioural theory of the firm. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall.
14.
Dahl, R.1961Who governs. New Haven: Yale University Press.
15.
Drucker, P.1955The practice of management. London: Heinemann.
16.
Dubin, R.1957 'Power and union-management relations'. Administrative Science Quarterley2:60-81.
17.
Durkheim, E.1964The division of labour. New York: Free Press.
18.
Fayol, H.1949General and industrial management. London: Pitman.
19.
Fox, A.1966Industrial sociology and industrial relations. Research Paper No. 3 Royal Commission on Trade Unions and Employers Association. London: HMSO.
20.
Fox, A.1973 'Industrial relations: a social critique of pluralist ideology' in Man and organisation. J. Child (ed.)London: Allen and Unwin.
21.
Fox, A.1974Beyond contract: work, power and trust relationships. London: Faber.
22.
French, R.P., and B. Raven1959 'The bases of social power' in Studies in social power . Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.
23.
Giddens, A.1976New rules of sociological method. London : Hutchinson.
24.
Giddens, A.1979Central problems of social theory. London: Macmillan.
25.
Goffman, E.1959 . The presentation of self in everyday life. Harmondsworth: Allen Lane.
26.
Goffman, E.1961Encounters. New York: Bobbs-Merrill.
27.
Goffman, E.1968Asylums. Harmondsworth: Penguin.
28.
Goldman, P.1976'Ideology, bureaucracy and sociology: a critique of bourgeois organisational theory and research'. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Americal Sociological Association, New York, (August).
29.
Goldthorpe, J., D. Lockwood, J. Platt, and F. Bechoffer1970The affluent worker, 3 vols. London: Cambridge University Press .
30.
Gouldner, A.W.1954Patterns of industrial bureaucracy. Glencoe, Ill.: Free Press.
31.
Gouldner, A.W.1970The coming crisis of western sociologyLondon: H.E.B.
32.
Habermas, J.1971Toward a rational society. London: H.E.B.
33.
Habermas, J.1972Knowledge and human interests. London: H.E.B.
34.
Heller, C.S.1969Structured social inequality. Ontario: Collier-Macmillan.
35.
Hertzberg, F. et al. 1967The motivation to work. London: Wiley.
36.
Heydebrand, W.1977 'Organisational contradiction in public bureaucracies: toward a Marxian theory of organisations' in Organisational analysis critique and innovation. J. K. Benson (ed.). London: Sage.
37.
Hickson, D.J., C.R. Hinings, C.A. Leed, R.E. Schneck, and J.M. Pennings1971 'A strategic contingencies theory of intra-organisational power'. Administrative Science Quarterly16/2:216-229.
38.
Lenski, G.1966Power and privilege. New York: McGraw-Hill.
39.
Likert, R.1961New patterns of management. New York : McGraw-Hill.
40.
Lukes, S.1974Power: a radical view. London: Macmillan.
41.
March, J.G., and H.A. Simon1958Organisations. New York: Wiley.
42.
McGregor, D.1960The human side of enterprise. New York : McGraw-Hill.
43.
Merton, R.K.1949Social theory and social structures. New York: Free Press.
44.
Parkin, F.1971Class inequality and the political order. London: McGibbon & Kee.
45.
Parsons, T.1963 'On the concept of political power'. Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society107: 232-262.
46.
Perrow, C.1970 'Departmental power' in Power in organisations. M. Zald (ed.)Nashville: Vanderbilt University Press.
47.
Polsby, N.1963Community power and political theory. New Haven: Yale University Press.
48.
Rus, V.1980 'Positive and negative power: thoughts on the dialectics of power'. Organization Studies1/1:3-20.
49.
Salaman, G.1979Work organisations: resistance and control. London: Longman.
50.
Schumpeter, J.S.1943Capitalism, socialism and democracy. London: Allen and Unwin.
51.
Smith, A.1970The wealth of nations. Harmondsworth : Penguin.
52.
Vroom, V.H.1964Work and motivation. London: Wiley.
53.
Vroom, V.H., and S.L. Deci1975Management and motivation. Harmondsworth : Penguin.
54.
Weber, M.1968Economy and society, vol 1. New York: Bedminster Press.
55.
Wrong, D.H.1979Power: its forms, bases and uses. Oxford : Blackwell.
