Reframing Organizations 4 th ed Chapter 11 Organizations

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Reframing Organizations, 4 th ed.

Reframing Organizations, 4 th ed.

Chapter 11 Organizations as Political Arenas and Political Agents

Chapter 11 Organizations as Political Arenas and Political Agents

Organizations as Political Arenas and Political Agents n Organizations as Arenas n Wal-Mart as

Organizations as Political Arenas and Political Agents n Organizations as Arenas n Wal-Mart as agent and arena n Ross Johnson Barbarians at the Gate n Organizations as Political Agents n Ecosystems II n Pfeffer and Salancik The External Control of Organizations

Organizations as Arenas n Arenas shape: n n n Rules of the game Players

Organizations as Arenas n Arenas shape: n n n Rules of the game Players Stakes n Bottom-up Political Action n Labor unions and civil rights movements n Political Barriers to Control from the Top n U. S. Department of Education scenario: initiatives often lost to political opposition despite new resources and top-down support

Organizations as Political Agents n Organizations exist in ecosystems n Organizations depend on environment

Organizations as Political Agents n Organizations exist in ecosystems n Organizations depend on environment for resources support n Organizations needs the skills of a politician: develop agenda, map environment, manage relationships with allies and competitors, negotiate n Ecosystem n “Organizational field” in which competitors and allies co-evolve

Ecosystems n Business Ecosystems n Apple IBM “Wintel” n General Motors and General Electric

Ecosystems n Business Ecosystems n Apple IBM “Wintel” n General Motors and General Electric n Public Policy Ecosystems n Federal Aviation Administration n Schools n Business-government ecosystems n Pharmaceutical companies, physicians and government n Fedex lobbying clout

Ecosystems II n Society as Ecosystem n Business, public and government n What is

Ecosystems II n Society as Ecosystem n Business, public and government n What is and should be the power relationship between organizations and society? n n Are organizations “instruments of market tyranny” or largely shaped by larger social and economic forces? Jihad vs. Mc. World

Pfeffer and Salancik, The External Control of Organizations n Organizations are controlled more than

Pfeffer and Salancik, The External Control of Organizations n Organizations are controlled more than they control their external environment n Organizations are “other-directed” n n n Struggle for autonomy and discretion in the face of constraint and external control Confront conflicting demands from multiple constituents Organizations’ understanding of environment is often distorted, imperfect n Dilemma: alliances essential to gain influence, but reduce autonomy by increasing dependency and obligations

Conclusion n Organizations are both arenas for internal politics and political agents with their

Conclusion n Organizations are both arenas for internal politics and political agents with their own agendas, resources, and strategies n Arenas house contests, shape ongoing interplay of interests and agendas n Agents exist, compete and co-evolve in larger ecosystems (“organizational fields”)