Power And Politics Organization Theory

Power: the political power is the ability to shape and control the political behavior of

Often time power can be understood as control of material resources and wealth, control of politics and the institutions that make up society (Hutchison,2015). It is important to recognize and identify the core concepts of power or lack of power with individuals in society. The conflict theory allows examination within the text of those who hold power and lack power. The end result of power to hold dominance over another person, group, or society. As a result of the control and power is causes those who lack power to be devalued or alienated from a setting or even society (Hutchinson, 2015).

Modern day power originates from the mind in that we give certain figures power based upon man-made forms of value or worth like money. The definition of power has fluctuated throughout time, and while the past may have emphasized the more violent aspects, today, we have shifted towards a more control based interpretation. Both Michael Foucault and John Berger delve into the idea of power and its functionality. Based on their texts, in our current socio-cultural setting, power is best exploited when the concept behind the power is deindividualized for many purposes, internalized by the people, and integrated throughout society to the point that its origins is mystified.

In examining the definitions that were provided to us in class, power was defined as “control, money, influence, government, authority, dominance, military, the right vote, a person being able to choose someone else’s status” and said to be “made from the weakness of others.” A good example of power would be if you asked everyone to close their eyes and think of an individual who has true power in the world, or to think of a person with power that they would like to become. White men will probably think of a different type of person than black women. When I envision the general stereotype of ‘power,’ I most likely have a different image in my head than another UNC-Charlotte student of a different race, or of my father who is in the military,

The third frame we are looking at is the Political Lens which looks at the power within an organization. Organizations for this lens are looked at as arenas so to speak, in that the people working within the company compete for power and scarce resources. The actions of bargaining, coercion, compromise, and negotiations are a part of everyday life within these establishments. If power is too concentrated inside a workplace, it can result in having a problem or problems. However, the same thing goes if power is too delegated in an organization, it can cause problems because it can result in nothing getting done. Making decisions within an organization involves assigning the scarce resources among the individuals who work for the company. Decision

Power is a very common theme represented in the novels : The Island of Dr.Moreau by H.G. Wells and Maus by Art Spiegelman. Power is the capacity to influence the behavior of others. It is seen in both novels as a dictator in control of the “country”. Throughout both novels it can see that the people segregated and used fear to enforce power. Although you can also see that both dictator's reign with different goals such as wanting to kill all the jews for Maus and wanting to make himself a god for The Island of Dr.Moreau.

No government can enforce or make laws, provide security, regulate the economy, conduct foreign policy, or wage wars without Power. Power can be used in two ways. Hard power the use of brute force, and soft power, which is attractive rather than coercive. Power is the currency of all politics.

I conceive power as something magnificent. However, along with the great joys of obtaining power, there comes a great chance for evil. It’s as if there is a menacing wolf lurking behind the powerful person, just waiting to corrupt them. To obtain power one most either do something important, or be someone important. Many times power is acquired by just being born into a certain family.

Power is defined as the capacity that A has to influence the behavior of B so B acts in accordance with A’s wishes (p.198). Being a collaborative organization, Stryker’s power resides in four key teams: accounting, human resources management, information technologies management, and a cross functional team known as the steering committee. Power resides within these teams because they control the things that the organization needs to function. The relationships that these teams have with the organization are based upon dependence, these departments can influence the distribution of resources in the organization. These teams exercise their power to help the organization generate a profit, respond to changes, to limit the number of errors,

For centuries scholars, social scientists, philosophers and political theorists have tried to understand the nature and mechanisms of power that structure how social life functions. Karl Marx although he never specifically developed a theory of power, his work constantly addresses it. Max Weber’s definition of power in society remains the starting point for many sociologists (Cole, 2017). Michel Foucault on the other hand theorises the question of power and his theorisation is possibly not only the most known but widely used in the present day (“The “How” and “Why” of Power: From Marx to Foucault to Power today”, 2017).

The definition of power varies depending on who wields it, but it can primarily be conceptualized as the ability to exert one’s will, whether as force with which to maintain the status quo, or as a creative tool to effect radical change or revolution. I argue for the latter by first outlining the ideas of the thinkers I am citing and then exploring and critiquing their definitions of power. Before proceeding though, I would like to note that power dynamics are deeply embedded into every aspect of society and shape our perceptions and thoughts in a way from which we can never fully extract ourselves. Instead, we can only seek to critically examine and analyze these relations, and I will discuss this at greater length in the last section.

Power and authority organize people in bureaucratic structures. The hierarchical structure of these organizations dictates the scope of authority that each individual has relative to their respective position. Standardized rules, methods, and procedures within the bureaucratic structure stimulate strict discipline as an essential element for success. The organizations are impersonal places to work and do not conform to the needs of the workers. Historically, power and authority in bureaucratic structures have limited individual personal decision-making, restricted individual opportunities for

The power exercised by these new powerful claimants and their influence generally produce results that are beneficial to the organization through improved performance. However, the successful inception of a new power base, created to address the organization’s critical problems, leads to the diminishing influence of these same new powerful claimants. The elimination of environmental challenges lessens the dependency of other sub-units and their reliance on the new claimants, just as earlier changes weakened the previous regime. Should the organization not evolve and continue to rely upon dated methods or policies, it will lose competitive strength through decreased profits and the attrition of quality personnel. Consequently, power may be described as transitory; that is, influence and control continually shift among power brokers realigning to meet the challenges of ever-changing environments, both internal and external, and of varying complexities.

According to Michael Barnett and Raymond Duvall, power is production, in and through social relations of effects on actors that shape their political fate. Moreover, they argued that the concept of power has two dimensions that form it core principles; first, are the social

Children for example need guidance and protection, therefore being a perfect example of the power dynamic legitimate power. Legitimate power can be found within our culture and society from our education system to our own respective family lives. Although many situations are different there is likely someone seen in a position of power based off nothing more than their position in your life. This can be seen in the movie crash where the little girl (Lara) believes and inherently trusts her father (Danial). He has a right of power based on the fact he’s her father which allows a level of trust, and feeling of safety for the little girl. Furthermore legitimate power can also be found in work place environments where employer and employee relationship are in continuous power struggles. This happened when Cameron Thayer was approached by his superior to re-do a scene when the producer did not think the scene was done