Organization and Power
- aims to deepen your knowledge about organizations, organizational processes and power.
- sets the stage for researching, analyzing and theorizing processes of organizing in a variety of
contexts.
- raises the awareness that power in, outside and between organizations is important to
understand how they function, and what role they play in society.
- builds on original texts and their application through the analysis of classic, contemporary
and critical texts (and some case studies).
Hoorcollege 1 – 03/09/2024
Organizations
Joel Baum: Although most of us know an organization when we see one, the diversity and complexity
of organizations and their activities is difficult to capture in a single formal definition
Tim Rowley: As a result, multiple, sometimes contrary, conceptions of organizations exist, each one
highlighting particular features of organizations, but necessarily providing only partial and incomplete
views
Meer gericht op de day to day life van de medewerkers
Daft: Organizations are social entities that are goal-oriented; are designed as deliberately structured
and coordinated activity systems, and are linked to the external environment
Chester Barnard: Organization is “a system of consciously coordinated personal activities or forces”
Proces gerichte definitities:
Maguire en hardy: organizations are arenas of power where discursive struggles take place
Tsoukas en Chia: Or authors deny the existcense of ‘organisations’ and prefer to talk of processes of
organizing
Theory
Theory: a set of interrelated constructs definitions, and propositions that present a systematic view of
phenomena by specifying relations among variables, with the purpose of explaining and predicting
the phenomena.
Vertaald: een verzameling van onderling samenhangende constructies, definities en stellingen die
een systematisch beeld van verschijnselen geven door relaties tussen variabelen te specificeren, met
als doel de verschijnselen te verklaren en te voorspellen.
Grounded theory is a complex iterative process
The research begins with the raising of generative questions which help to guide the research but are
not intended to be either static or confirming. As the researcher begins to gather data, core
theoretical concepts are identified. Tentative linkages are developed between the theoretical
concepts and data
,Organization and power as a social sciences discipline
- The focus is not much on efficiency and effectiveness, but on understanding
o Different social scientific themes, methods and theories are useful
o Embedding inn social phenomena and developments is crucial
- Common sense, various definitions, biases
, Hoorcollege 2 – 05/09/2024 – Bureaucracy efficiency and forms of control
Control as power
Power ligt nooit bij 1 iemand, er is altijd een vorm van autonomie bij de anderen. Als er power is, is er
ook resistance
Power: someone is able to influence the behavior of others. Capacity of A to influence the behavior
of B so that B does things he/she would not otherwise do. B is dependent upon A.
Social control refers to societal, organizational (and political) mechanisms or processes that regulate
individual and group behavior in an attempt to gain conformity and compliance to the rules of a given
society, state, or social group - and in our case: an organization
Not only influence behavior. A depends on the compliance of B
Forms of control:
- Hard coercion - dwang (formal control): regulation, sanctions
- Soft coercion – dwang (informal control): socialization, norms, values harder to enforce
Rationalization (hard control)
Max Weber (1864-1920): “The fate of our times is characterized by rationalization and
intellectualization and, above all, by the disenchantment of the world.”
Processes of modernization. To understand what are the modern mechanisms of organizations this
day. Theoretical constructs: ideologisch
- Weber’s theory is a wider theory of rationalization (legal systems, capitalism)
- Weber's typology of three authority-based organizations:
o traditional forms based on social precedent, ritual, rights (external arbitrariness and
internal loyalty) Mafia
o those based on charismatic elements, the power of the person (trait theory,
domination, narcissism)
o modern rational-legal systems and 'formal rationality’ (bureaucracy)
Modern rational-legal systems and ‘form rationality’ (bureaucracy)
- Bureaucracy is the exercise of control on the basis of knowledge. It is about rational legal
hierarchical power: not the leader is important but the bureau.
- A bureaucratic official is personally free and appointed to the position on the basis of
conduct.
- The official exercises the authority delegated to them in accordance with impersonal rules.
The legacy of Max Weber for Organizational Theory
- Not efficiency but rationality is central
- He was interested in social theory and the ideal type: (thoughtful) construct of a hypothetical
concept
- Organizational forms, intended and unintended consequences
Henri Fayol: span of control
What is span of control?
, - Number of people who report to one manager in a hierarchy
- The more people under the control of one manager, the wider the span of control
- Less means a narrower span of control
Example:
Negative image (bureaucracy): There is no escape
Frederick Taylor (1856-1915) – Taylorism
Weber was aware of Taylor’s ideas (but not vice versa)
The Scientific Management perspective: It is a theoretical approach to organizations that emphasizes
organizational design, worker training for efficiency, chains of command, and division of labor.
The perspective rests on the assumption that work and organizations can be rationally or
“scientifically” designed and developed.
Studies: time and motion (Hawthorne) – soft control – counter reaction Max Weber
Hawthorne: the organization can be seen as a natural, human system.
Scientific management is about hard control. Hawthorne studies are about soft control
Mary parker Follet: leadership is not defined by the exercise of power but by the capacity to increase
the sense of power among those led. The most essential work of the leader is to create more leaders.
Douglas McGregor
Theory X: the assumption that employees dislike work, are lazy, dislike responsibility, and must be
coerced to perform
Theory Y: the assumption that employees like work, are creative, seek responsibility and can exercise
self-direction
Critical theory
- Critical theory is what the name implies: a criticism, a critique of society, organizations, and
social constructions. Critical theory studies power and power abuse in organizations and
society.
- Critical theorists seek understanding of organizational life nested in the broader context of
society through understanding of power and political relationships.
- aims to deepen your knowledge about organizations, organizational processes and power.
- sets the stage for researching, analyzing and theorizing processes of organizing in a variety of
contexts.
- raises the awareness that power in, outside and between organizations is important to
understand how they function, and what role they play in society.
- builds on original texts and their application through the analysis of classic, contemporary
and critical texts (and some case studies).
Hoorcollege 1 – 03/09/2024
Organizations
Joel Baum: Although most of us know an organization when we see one, the diversity and complexity
of organizations and their activities is difficult to capture in a single formal definition
Tim Rowley: As a result, multiple, sometimes contrary, conceptions of organizations exist, each one
highlighting particular features of organizations, but necessarily providing only partial and incomplete
views
Meer gericht op de day to day life van de medewerkers
Daft: Organizations are social entities that are goal-oriented; are designed as deliberately structured
and coordinated activity systems, and are linked to the external environment
Chester Barnard: Organization is “a system of consciously coordinated personal activities or forces”
Proces gerichte definitities:
Maguire en hardy: organizations are arenas of power where discursive struggles take place
Tsoukas en Chia: Or authors deny the existcense of ‘organisations’ and prefer to talk of processes of
organizing
Theory
Theory: a set of interrelated constructs definitions, and propositions that present a systematic view of
phenomena by specifying relations among variables, with the purpose of explaining and predicting
the phenomena.
Vertaald: een verzameling van onderling samenhangende constructies, definities en stellingen die
een systematisch beeld van verschijnselen geven door relaties tussen variabelen te specificeren, met
als doel de verschijnselen te verklaren en te voorspellen.
Grounded theory is a complex iterative process
The research begins with the raising of generative questions which help to guide the research but are
not intended to be either static or confirming. As the researcher begins to gather data, core
theoretical concepts are identified. Tentative linkages are developed between the theoretical
concepts and data
,Organization and power as a social sciences discipline
- The focus is not much on efficiency and effectiveness, but on understanding
o Different social scientific themes, methods and theories are useful
o Embedding inn social phenomena and developments is crucial
- Common sense, various definitions, biases
, Hoorcollege 2 – 05/09/2024 – Bureaucracy efficiency and forms of control
Control as power
Power ligt nooit bij 1 iemand, er is altijd een vorm van autonomie bij de anderen. Als er power is, is er
ook resistance
Power: someone is able to influence the behavior of others. Capacity of A to influence the behavior
of B so that B does things he/she would not otherwise do. B is dependent upon A.
Social control refers to societal, organizational (and political) mechanisms or processes that regulate
individual and group behavior in an attempt to gain conformity and compliance to the rules of a given
society, state, or social group - and in our case: an organization
Not only influence behavior. A depends on the compliance of B
Forms of control:
- Hard coercion - dwang (formal control): regulation, sanctions
- Soft coercion – dwang (informal control): socialization, norms, values harder to enforce
Rationalization (hard control)
Max Weber (1864-1920): “The fate of our times is characterized by rationalization and
intellectualization and, above all, by the disenchantment of the world.”
Processes of modernization. To understand what are the modern mechanisms of organizations this
day. Theoretical constructs: ideologisch
- Weber’s theory is a wider theory of rationalization (legal systems, capitalism)
- Weber's typology of three authority-based organizations:
o traditional forms based on social precedent, ritual, rights (external arbitrariness and
internal loyalty) Mafia
o those based on charismatic elements, the power of the person (trait theory,
domination, narcissism)
o modern rational-legal systems and 'formal rationality’ (bureaucracy)
Modern rational-legal systems and ‘form rationality’ (bureaucracy)
- Bureaucracy is the exercise of control on the basis of knowledge. It is about rational legal
hierarchical power: not the leader is important but the bureau.
- A bureaucratic official is personally free and appointed to the position on the basis of
conduct.
- The official exercises the authority delegated to them in accordance with impersonal rules.
The legacy of Max Weber for Organizational Theory
- Not efficiency but rationality is central
- He was interested in social theory and the ideal type: (thoughtful) construct of a hypothetical
concept
- Organizational forms, intended and unintended consequences
Henri Fayol: span of control
What is span of control?
, - Number of people who report to one manager in a hierarchy
- The more people under the control of one manager, the wider the span of control
- Less means a narrower span of control
Example:
Negative image (bureaucracy): There is no escape
Frederick Taylor (1856-1915) – Taylorism
Weber was aware of Taylor’s ideas (but not vice versa)
The Scientific Management perspective: It is a theoretical approach to organizations that emphasizes
organizational design, worker training for efficiency, chains of command, and division of labor.
The perspective rests on the assumption that work and organizations can be rationally or
“scientifically” designed and developed.
Studies: time and motion (Hawthorne) – soft control – counter reaction Max Weber
Hawthorne: the organization can be seen as a natural, human system.
Scientific management is about hard control. Hawthorne studies are about soft control
Mary parker Follet: leadership is not defined by the exercise of power but by the capacity to increase
the sense of power among those led. The most essential work of the leader is to create more leaders.
Douglas McGregor
Theory X: the assumption that employees dislike work, are lazy, dislike responsibility, and must be
coerced to perform
Theory Y: the assumption that employees like work, are creative, seek responsibility and can exercise
self-direction
Critical theory
- Critical theory is what the name implies: a criticism, a critique of society, organizations, and
social constructions. Critical theory studies power and power abuse in organizations and
society.
- Critical theorists seek understanding of organizational life nested in the broader context of
society through understanding of power and political relationships.
