N46 + cuarren rive
of the symbolic consequences of their actions and by -ateempring co fo
desired values. Bur chey can never control culture inthe ese tan
management writers advocate
The holographic diffusion of culture means tha it pervades
inaway thats not direct control by any single group of
vival An understanding of organizations as cults opens ots er
other metaphors, bur these insights dono
always provide the easy ecip for ving manager pobens tat many
‘managers and management writers hope fo,
* Like an iceberg, important dimensions of culture are alvays invisible,
snd what is easly seen can be slativey unimportant
‘When anthropologis: Franz Boss entertained a Kwakiut! from
Pacific Northwest is New York Cty inthe erly twentieth cnnary.
ved most of ty forthe bras balls
Interests, Conflict,
and Power:
Organizations As
Political Systems
WHEN WE SEP ORGANIZATIONS THROUGH THE
LENS oF POLITICS, patterns of competing interests, conflicts, and power
plays dominate the scene,
1» We view organization and management
for
bbe captured by the hoopla and ritual chat deco
‘ional life rather than by the deeper and
sustain chese visible aspects. To grasp
metaphor we have to learn to go beneath the
extremely dificule task.
" Calture usually ha a deep political dimension, makingi impossible ro
‘rsp the fall significance of culture through the culture metaphor.
In seus of ergunizacional culture, the proces of enacting ong
ganna
political process
fundamental sructures that
spreciate the fact that conflice is « natural propery of every
. saestt many different sources of power and learn how they can
be sed to our advancage
nizations in political cerms allows us v0 accept
Understanding orga pol “nt
the enactment
occurs. Weall construct or enact our realities but not necesaily under cle
‘cumstances of our own choosing
underlying the enactment process
always highlight to the degree poss
the culture metaphor becomes infused with
links with the perspectives to be explored in su148 cuapren six
liv in democratic society. Why should I have co obey the
ATED BY THE GRINDING AND OPP
‘WORK LIFE captures an aspect of o
organizations where b
lines have developed berween labor and management. Typical oF not,
point of our illustrasion is thai invites us to understand organizations at
polccal systems,
che political principles employed.
ns, lke the one considered above, may be highly
admit in private that chey ae surrounded by fo
jing” through which different people atempe co
However, this kind of activi
nt us from recognizing that politics and politicking may be an essen
Sal aspect of organizational life and not necessarily an optional and dys.
functional ex
concile their differences through consultation and negoti
Greece, Aristotle adv
of organi
‘can grup important qualities of organization that are often glossed.
ignored.
ORGANIZATIONS AS SYSTEMS OF GOVERNMENT
‘scrutinizing the way bis grandson is driving the company.
‘The focus ofthe story ison the problem o
four yearsas chief exec130 + CHAPTER 1x
lacoceds dismissal was merely the most recent and controversial in 2
cofirings that had included the names of seven company presidents since
1960 lacocca was a popular and powerful figure a the Ford company but
reed to be moving toward a General
Busines Week tated that it believed
himself withthe los of personal
ppower that this kind of decentalization involved.
by no means unigue. Many organizations are ruled by
have strong autocratic tendencies and characteristics.
DIFFERENTIATING BETWEEN TYPES OF POWER AND RULE
‘When we summon rerms like autocrecy and democracy to describe the
c onganizaionl or farily
al group is characte by
sbiolue and often dicaorl pow
This power may be exercised through represe
agement, where different stakeholders are fo
hnocraric have as much pol
as join kbor-management