Chapter 6

1. Chapter 6 Critical Approaches

2. Overview • Political frame of reference • Unitary-common org. goals/conflict is rare • Pluralist-org. consist of groups w/ diverse interests/conflict is inherent & positive • Role of theorist from the Critical Approach • Prescriptive-finding effective techniques for organizing • Descriptive-explaining relationships to understand • Sites of domination-raise awareness of people involved

3. Roots of Critical Approach • Karl Marx & Fredrick Ingles • Inherent imbalance of power • Leaders prone to abuse • Critique leads to revolution-should not be afraid of retaliation • Critical theory • Societal structures and imbalances lead to fundamental imbalances of power • Imbalance of power leads to alienation and oppression • Role of critical theorist is to uncover imbalances and bring to the attention of the oppressed

4. Pervasiveness of power • Definition of power (what is power?) • What are sources of power in an org? (p. 103) • Traditional approach • Hierarchy, structure • Symbological approach • Views power as a product of communicative interactions and relationships • Radical-critical approach • Concerned with “deep structures” that produce and reproduce relationships in org. life • Contribute to hostile work environment-lead to exclusion

5. Pervasiveness of power • Control of modes of production • Economic conditions that underlie the production process • Control of means of production • Actual work process • Control of gender issues • Focus on patriarchy • Stereotypical female characteristics are devalued (emotion, empathy, intuition) • Control of org. discourse • The way we comm. can empower power

6. Ideology and hegemony • Ideology • Taken for granted assumptions about reality that influence perceptions of situations and events • Hegemony • Process in which a dominant group leads another group to accept subordination as the norm

7. Emancipation • Liberation of people from unnecessarily restrictive traditions, assumptions, ideologies and power relations • Not everyone always wants to be liberated • Even in the most hegemonic culture, employees still have some ability to “resist” management control • Dialectic of control • “Relations of autonomy and dependence (power relations) are never fixed; that is, subordinates can always exercise some degree of control over the conditions of hegemonic reproduction” (awareness)

8. Critical Approaches Theory • Concertive Control Theory • Theory predicts that power relations (control) still exist with a team based environment • Concertive means mindful effort • Power is embedded in a system of identification, rules, & discipline • Workers self-regulate & identify with mang. values thinking it is there own decision!

9. Critical Approaches Theory • Three components of Concertive Control • Control • Identification • Discipline (self monitoring)

10. Critical Approaches Theory • Feminist theories • Org.’s are inherently patriarchal • Traditional vs. feminist characteristics “bounded rationality” (logic vs. emotion) • Different view points toward male domination • Liberal feminists • Radical feminists • Case in Point - “Using the F Word” (p. 113) • Sexual harassment • Framing devices & Policies still tend to oppress (Table 6-2/p. 115) • Hostile work environment-degree of exclusion

11. Research methods • Quantitative • Demonstrates how resources are distributed in organizations or how individuals perceive their lives within org’s • Interpretive • Similar to those used by cultural scholars • Deconstruction (Table 6.3-p. 117) • Involves “taking apart” a text in order to reveal social and political meanings

12. So What? Ponder these questions! (These might be good questions for the discussion board ) • What does this mean to you? • Are we taking things too seriously? • Do you feel like you have ever been marginalized, been put at a disadvantage, or missed an opportunity because of certain cultural characteristics? • What’s the role of communication? • How can we make change?