Power and Organisations

Power - what is it? Importance of Power - positive Defining power - Weber, Inextricably part of groups Power s a resource

Sources of Power Based on inequality - unequal dependence e.g. parent/child or employer/employee French and Raven's 5 Bases - Reward, Coercive, Legitimate, Expert, Referent

Power and Individuals3 Bases of Power Legitimate Power - power of the office/position Expert Power - possession of needed skill Referent Power - charisma Only one view of Powermainly used Politically

Power of the Organisation Michael Foucault Organisations control and discipline people Secures compliance to standards and norms 3 Functions of Labour  Productive - Producing something Symbolic - place or status  Dressage - display or compliance

Power and Identity Subtle exertion of power - self identity bound up with organisation (internalize surveillance) Modern Corporate Practices - Team leaders not supervisors? (new use of language, semantic) Identify with culture and values of company - Guarantees 'correct' behavior

Aspects of Power and Control Rhetoric of empowerment Criticisms - compulsory sociability Career as a disciplinary device - non compliance jeopardizes career 

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