Kaarten: C&O Week 4 | Quizlet

Power

Is intangible and exercised through a dynamic process in which relations of interdependence exist between actors in organisational settings; it cannot be possessed, it IS that relation between actors - Socially constructed - resides where ppl believe it resides

Downwards influence of Power

Power moves down and is an overt form of power - top layer has accumulated power (pyramid); however not static but subjected to change through upwards efforts - change depends on ignorance and resistance

Power used to stimulate societal change

Celebrities such as Leonardo DiCaprio focusing on climate change has power to persuade and influence peoples mindsets and behaviours - can also lobby certain laws

Sources of power

1. Tangible - quantifiable and measurable such as money or group size (more demonstraters the better)
2. Intangible - role of values and social norms is also a source of power; reusing hotel towels increase by hotel clarifying it's a social norm to do so

Tested knowledge

People know more than they can articulate - expressed through peoples actions; difficult to communicate and to copy

Notching

Power exercised in subtle (subliminal) ways; without knowledge or freedom to make our own choices; used by companies e.g happy smiley if in speed limit and vice versa

5 Sources of Social influence through Power (French & Raven)

1. Reward power - power through providing or denying rewards
2. Coercive power - applying negative influence or punishment
3. Legitimate power - recognised authority and power based on position
4. Referent power - influence through charisma
5. Expert Power - unique knowledge and expertise / skill

Agency (Giddens)

The ability to act otherwise, to choose a course of action different from the one prescribed by the situation or by another person

Community Power Debate

Debate of who holds power in society between pluralists (Dahl) and Elitists (Bachrach & Baratz)

Pluralist view (One-dimensional)

Overt conflict: Power is equally distributed throughout society and no particular group had more influence over decision-making processes (A controls B to do something B wouldn't normally do - direct & measurable influence e.g working overtime instead of anything else after your boss tells you)

Conflict as a condition for the exercise of power (Dahl)

Two people or groups bring two different perspectives or agendas to an issue, with each party having a preferred course of action - individual with most power is the one that has issues resolved in their favour

Elitist view (Two-dimensional)

Covert conflict: Power is concentrated in hands of a privileged few who control political agendas (A controls B to prevent B from doing something B would normally do)

Mobilisation of bias

Power is exerted when A is able to shape discussion to serve their own needs and limit dissenting opinions e.g Walmart execs shaping discussion in public meeting that were not threatening to Walmart - don't talk about damages to local businesses, environment and traffic.

Three-dimensional model of power (Lukes)

Introduces ideological form of power, when no form of conflict (overt /covert) is present - A has power through influence or shaping B's very wants

Ideology

The link between meaning and power - functions as an interpretive lens through which people come to understand the world

Three functions of ideology

1. Represents particular group (more powerful groups) interests as universal
2. Obscures or denies contradictions in society - include ideas of American dream and everyone has same equal opportunity
3. Reifies social relations - social relations are not objective and static but are subjective and can change; We constantly shape relations - power and ideology are never stable but always negotiated

Process of struggle (ideology)

Ideology involves a process of struggle, in which dominant meanings and realities are resisted and sometimes transformed e.g social protests

How ideology obscures contradictions

Americans redistributing wealth among poor and underestimating wealth of top 20%

Organisational identity

unobtrusive form of power - is shielded by sense of belonging and active participation in an organisation, resulting from company values and beliefs; centers on characteristics that are
1. Central to organisation (mission statements; 'About' page)
2. Distinctive from other organisations
3. Characteristics that are enduring in the organisation

How are values internalised

1. Self-selection effect - employees choose company that aligns with their belief already
2. Companies hire employees that match with their organisational identity (Southwest Airlines)
3. Institutional socialisation - Organisation instills values in members e.g sitting in on meetings/ socialising with longer-working coworkers who know values
4. Differential attrition - voluntary / involuntary exit from organisation when employees don't fit in or contrast to norms and values

Organisational identification

The perception of oneness or belongingness to an organisation, where the individual defines themselves in terms of the organisation to which they belong e.g I'm a bartender / chef

Advantages to good organisational identification

1. Boost of self-esteem
2. Sense of pride
3. Sense of belonging
4. Stronger commitment to your job
5. Organisational citizenship behaviours

Organisational citizenship behaviours

Behaviours by employees outside of formal job description e.g working beyond working hours, helping out colleague on day off e.g Laura

Disadvantages to bad organisational identification

1. Sacrificing own time for work
2. Expected for extra work among nearly all employees.

How organiastional reality gets defined

1. Stories
2. Rituals
3. Metaphors
4. Humour
5. Everyday talk

Hegemony

Ways a dominant group is able to get other groups to consent actively to the former's conception of reality; operates when taken for granted meanings that everyone shares functions in the best interests of the dominant group

Normative control (ideological control)

The attempt to elicit and direct the required efforts of members by controlling their underlying experiences, thoughts, and feelings that guide their actions; members driven by hard internal commitment and identification with company goals, rather than economic rewards

Management by stress

How modern team-based systems have workers surveilling each other, with no intervention from management necessary

Types of resistance workers use

1. Sabotage
2. Strikes
3. Whistle-blowing
4. Workplace humour

Emotional labour

The management of feeling to create a publicly observable facial and bodily display

Hidden transcripts

Discourse and behaviour that occur offstage, outside the immediate view of those in power in an organisation

Three forms of resistance in airlines (Murphy)

1. Resistance to gender hierarchy and status - e.g employing humour against the usually male pilot
2. Resistance to the regulation of movement and space - e.g spotting undercover supervisors
3. Resistance to the regulation of appearance - wear heels only for supervisors etc

Biopower

Power over life; how organisations encourage competitive social relations and view employees as human capital

Biocracy

Organisations that operate with biocratic control

Four elements distinguishing biocracy from other previous forms of workplace power (Fleming)

1. Intersubjectivity - Social aspects of work are cultivated and are an important source of value production
2. Space - nonwork aspects like sexuality, personality and homelife are incorporated into worksite
3. Time - Pressure to work outside working hours
4. Economic valorisation - Drawing on unpaid labour e.g interns to increase surplus value; online discussion sites letting customers help each other

Presence bleed (Gregg)

Always being mentally at work

Function creep (Gregg)

Increased time devoted to work e.g answering emails while watching tv

Counterinstitutional websites

Websites outside the control of certain institutions made to oppose official institutional messages and policies e.g RadioShackSucks. com

Four options employees / customers have when faced with organisational problems

1. Loyalty -Remain loyal and hope for improvements
2. Exit - Leave the organisation / system
3. Voice - tell concerns to others to initiate corrective change
4. Neglect - passively watch the system collapse (no action)

Functions of Counterinstitutional websites

1. Gives voice to individuals normally rendered silent because they lack formal representation
2. Provide researchers with access to populations normally difficult to locate in traditional environments
3. Employees can escape restriction of traditional organisational environment and connect with coworkers
4. Employees can vent frustrations without threatening membership in organisation

Characteristics of counterinstitutional websites

1. Clear institutional focus
2. Large social network of participants
3. Active bulletin / discussion board
4. Extensive archive documenting its history

Five themes emerging from Gossett's research on Radio Shack

1. Members using the site to share information and opinions about Radio Shack
2. Members using the site to complain about Radio Shack
3. members using the site to act against the interests or policies of Radio Shack
4. Members managing and maintaining the Web site
5. Members using the site for non-Radio Shack related discussions.

How RadioShackSucks served as upward-focused communication channel

Members of RadioShackSucks perceived that management was paying attention to their postings and that they were engaging in organisational voice and communication with corporate leadership

What ways does RSS enable participants to engage in organisational efforts?

Former employees encouraged dissent and leaving RS, allowing new members to evaluate their relationship with the organisation and consider alternative employment

Hidden power employees have (Gabriel)

Fantasy offers employees a symbolic refashioning of official organisational practices in the interest of pleasure - employees could vent frustrations and reinterpret power dynamics of the organisation. - imagine what could be

Hidden transcripts (Murphy)

Informal organisational channels of critiquing employers between employees - promotes collective resistance to organisation

Example of RSS' power

Notice on RSS for signing up for a lawsuit enabled 50% of eligible employees to opt-in for the lawsuit against RadioShack, more than double the usual 10-20% of other lawsuits

Practical implications from the study

1. Organisations need to reconsider how open their 'open-door' policies are
2. Absence of member dissent is not necessarily a sign of loyal membership; it may mean members voice their opinions elsewhere - more likely to result with greater divide between workers and management
3. Organisations should consider these online forums valuable sources of feedback rather than attempting silence

Theoretical implications from the study

1. Counterinstitutional websites provide a valuable space for margianalised or geographically dispersed members to safely vent their frustrations with others
2. Members silent within internal confines of organisation may instead have external channels for voicing concerns, with more anonymity
3. Reexamines relationship between organisational exit and member voice - some RSS members are not working at RS, but still remain to some degree a part of the organisation (some loyalty) and may rejoin

What is theoretical perspective?

More about organisational resistance - (formal, overt, informal resistances)

Main findings

Found differences in articulated dissent and latent dissent; members use counterinstitutional websites as a way to overcome communication barriers