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Power Dynamics in Organizational Change

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Patricia BradshawJaap BoonstraPERSPECTIVES ON POWER AND CHANGEPOLARITIESTENSIONSSTUDYING POWER DYNAMICSMANIFEST—PERSONAL POWEREXPERT POWER APPROACHCHANGEPOLITICAL/POWER APPROACHPERSONAL POSITION POWER APPROACHCHANGEMANIFEST—STRUCTURAL POWERNEGOTIATION MODELSCHANGELATENT—CULTURAL POWERDEMOCRATIC DIALOGUEMODELCHANGESEDUCTIVE MODELSCHANGESPIRITUAL/MODELSCHANGECO-THEORYCHANGELATENT—PERSONAL POWERINDIVIDUAL LEARNINGDEEP REFLECTIONAPPROACHESCHANGERESISTANCEAPPROACHCHANGEPARTICIPATORY ACTION RESEARCHCONCLUSIONREFERENCES

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... We draw on these concepts to elucidate how technology is institutionalized drawing on the institutional interactions between the coercive, normative and mimetic elements (DiMaggio and Powell, 1983Powell, , 1991. However, the novelty of the paper is that it complements neo-institutional theory with a fourth constructcovert power (Boonstra and Gravenhorst, 1998;Bradshaw and Boonstra, 2004) that unfolds through the institutional interchanges as a consequence of DI. In addition, the deinstitutionalization of established work practices signifies change or transformation in organizational practices in this paper. ...
... On the other hand, the Organization Studies literature has presented different dimensions of power that are associated with changes in structures, practices and norms (Bradshaw and Boonstra, 2004). Organizational change processes are influenced by the institutionalization of power and the behavior of interest groups in and around organizations (Mintzberg, 1983;Pfeffer, 1992). ...
... Scholars classify covert power as the type of power exerted to control organizational change processes. Initially, covert power is hidden, but becomes visible when different stakeholder groups negotiate for implementing change (Boonstra and Gravenhorst, 1998;Bradshaw and Boonstra, 2004). Thus, covert power broadly results from informal social processes and is operationalized as a diverse set of measures, such as the complexity of the organization (Barkema and Pennings, 1998). ...
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Purpose While the potential for digital innovation (DI) to transform organizational practices is widely acknowledged in the information systems (IS) literature, there is very limited understanding on the socio-political nature of institutional interactions that determine DI and affect organizational practices in social cash organizations. Drawing on the neo-institutionalist vision, the purpose of the study is to examine the unique set of institutional exchanges that influence the transition to digital social cash payments that give rise to new institutional arrangements in social cash organizations. Design/methodology/approach The paper draws on an in-depth case study of a government social cash organization in Pakistan. Qualitative data were collected using 30 semi-structured interviews from key organizational members and stakeholders. Findings The results suggest that DI is determined by the novel intersections between the coercive (techno-economic, regulatory), normative (socio-organizational), mimetic (international) and covert power (political) forces. Hence, DI is not a technologically deterministic output, but rather a complex socio-political process enacted through dialogue, negotiation and conflict between institutional actors. Technology is socially embedded through the process of institutionalization that is coupled by the deinstitutionalization of established organizational practices for progressive transformation. Research limitations/implications The research has implications for government social cash organizations especially in the Global South. Empirically, the authors gained rare access to, and support from a government-backed social cash organization in Pakistan (an understudied country in the Global South), which made the data and the consequent analyses even invaluable. This made the empirical contribution within this geographical setting even more worthy, since this case study has received little attention from indigenous scholars in the past. The empirical findings showcased a unique set of contextual factors that were subject to BISP and interpreted through an account of socio-cultural sensitivities. Practical implications The paper provides practical implications for policymakers and practitioners, emphasizing the need to address institutional challenges, including covert power, during the implementation of digitalization projects in the public sector. The paper has certain potential for inspiring future e-government related (or public sector focused) studies. The paper may guide both private and government policy-makers and practitioners in presenting how to overcome certain institutional challenges while planning and implementing large scale multi-stakeholder digitization projects in similar country contexts. So while there is scope of linking the digitization of public sector organizations to anti-corruption measures in other Global South countries, the paper may not be that straightforward with the private sector involvement. Social implications The paper offers rich social insights on the institutional interchanges that occur between the social actors for the innovation of technology. Especially, the paper highlights the social-embeddedness nature of technology that underpins the institutionalization of new organizational practices. These have implications on how DI is viewed as a socio-political process of change. Originality/value This study contributes to neo-institutional theory by theorizing covert power as a political force that complements the neo-institutional framework. This force is subtle but also resistive for some political actors as the force shifts the equilibrium of power between different institutional actors. Furthermore, the paper presents the social and practical implications that guide policymakers and practitioners by taking into consideration the unique institutional challenges, such as covert power, while implementing large scale digital projects in the social cash sector.
... Several articles have enough critical service, but views vary. However, everything focused on the importance of understanding the role of power (Ogar & Ude, 2020;Theory et al., 2008), politics (Remi Alapo, 2017;Somoye, 2016), and change in context organization (Bradshaw & Boonstra, 2004;Kulikowska-Pawlak, 2018). ...
... The sixth article, in a consistent way, highlights the critical role of power and politics in the context of modern organizations. The research also emphasizes that change in an organization is a complex and demanding process that requires understanding the dynamics of power and politics (Bradshaw & Boonstra, 2004;Kulikowska-Pawlak, 2018). The article highlights the impact of political organizations that do not have Healthy productivity and well-being of employees (Ogar & Ude, 2020;Somoye, 2016). ...
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This article comprehensively analyses role dynamics, power, political organization, and change organization in the literature on modern management. Six articles were studied critically to highlight various perspectives on various topics. Although every article offers unique insight, they emphasize the importance of understanding dynamics, power, behaviour politics, and management change in context organization. Based on this outlook, a holistic approach in management, focusing on building culture and reducing organizations' conflict politics, is not healthy. By adopting this approach, an organization can balance its employees' effectiveness, performance, and well-being, enhancing productivity and sustainable success.
... Their integrated skills, knowledge, expertise and well-trained staff connected to create what indicates the company and differentiate it from others. Also business world is more challenging than before and in order for an organization to survive it needs to remain steady and maintain its competitive edge to do so it has to face difficulties to keep with the pace of changing surroundings and enhance their performance (Stephens and Russell, 2004;Boonstra, 2004). ...
... For organizations to keep steady and maintain its competitive edge, it should be equipped with knowledge and well-trained staff. Business world is more challenging than before and in order for an organization to survive, it has to face the difficulties by preparing and equipping the staff with the required knowledge to keep with the pace of changing surroundings and enhance the organizational performance (Stephens and Russell, 2004;Boonstra., 2004). Other drivers towards employees' engagement include the Human Resource Practices applied in the company. ...
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This research explains the effect of human resource management practices (HRM) on employees' engagement in the Egyptian context. Egyptian organizations need to have more attention to the importance of employee's engagement that plays a major role in enhancing organizations' sustainability, profitability and developing of their employees. The objective of this study is to develop a more in-depth understanding of the concepts of organizations' practices and its impact on employees' engagement. The contribution of this thesis it is one of the few studies that examine this relationship. This study is a quantitative in nature, using a sample of 226 managers, through using survey questionnaire as a tool to collect their perceptions and opinion. The findings showed that there was a strong positive relationship between HRM and engagement. Since HRM practices selection and hiring, job design additionally reward and payment were empirically found to have a dynamic role in the improvement of employees' engagement in most of its dimensions.
... Moreover, few scholars seek to address issues of power in a pragmatic manner (Gergen, 1995;Göhler, 2009;Boonstra & Bennebroek Gravenhorst, 1998). However, for power and its implications to be more fully understood, researchers and practitioners need to recognize the tensions inherent in, and between different perspectives on power (Bradshaw, 1998;Bradshaw & Boonstra, 2004). Examples of such power-related tensions are: tensions between power relations and rationalities in projects (Flyvbjerg, 1998), compliance versus resistance (Biggart & Hamilton, 1984;Jermier, Knights, & Nord, 1994), individual agency versus structure (Lukes, 1974), domination versus self-determination (Romme, 1999) and personal versus collective power (Bradshaw, 1998). ...
... Since the 1970s, power started to appear in publications reporting studies of organizational change. Organizational development (OD) academics initiated the debate about topics like the lack of resemblance between Lewin's training groups and real (organizational) life, who could be considered as the clients of OD interventions, and the power implications of those interventions (Bradshaw & Boonstra, 2004). Organizational change was observed to inevitably involve power (Hardy & Clegg, 2004), because when employees resist change programs, managers must use power to get what they want. ...
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This paper explores power-related tensions that arise when organizations shift from ‘power-over’ top-down change approaches towards ‘power-to’ change approaches that are grounded in empowerment, self-determination, and related notions. We explore how tensions between power-over and power-to emerge and how they influence organizational change processes. We draw on an in-depth case study of a Dutch military organization, a setting in which power can be studied in a rather straightforward matter. Our study shows how power tensions between and within actors may arise and inhibit the organization to accomplish organizational change. In contrast with previous research in this area, we demonstrate that the power-over versus power-to tension is not merely relational in nature (involving others), but may also emerge when individual cognition differs from action.
... From some teachers' point of view, there is no point arguing since all orders are a certainty. They perceive power as what Bradshaw & Boonstra (2004) described as manifest-personal power, where the Ministry has the power to force teachers to conform to their demands, which in turn helps to develop new types of behaviour characterised by surrendering the will to participate in higher-level planning, not believing in the ability of their voices to change, and adopting a passive resistance stance. As one teacher stated: ...
... After investigating this response thoroughly, the interpretations tie in with the abovementioned perceptions. The combination of fear of expressing oneself openly and the latent-cultural power in the school, as Bradshaw & Boonstra (2004) described it, encouraged a "hiding in the corner" attitude and increased passive resistance. ...
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Since "educational change depends on what teachers do and think - it's as simple and as complex as that" (Fullan, 2007:129)*, teachers. version of any change story matters. This paper is an attempt to voice out teachers. perceptions on change in a centralised educational system like the one in Bahrain to improve the current and future reforms. It focuses on the perceptions of the teachers on one school who was pioneering secondary educational system reforms that took place in 2005 in Bahrain. The findings from teachers presented in this case study are a result of field notes, focus group, 5 interviews, and 56 questionnaires with a 65% return ratio. The data collected from these methods was triangulated in a thematic structure in a way that presents the perceptions of teachers about the change process from their points of view. The main themes of analysis are the perceptions of teachers about the creation, preparation, and the implementation of reform initiative recently introduced by the government. Teachers have little control over the decision-making process and emphasised their perception that current reform was affected by its relation with their academic life. Several issues relating to the quality and quantity of training, leadership and motivation were raised. In addition, their ambitions and expectations about how any reform should change things in the classroom played a crucial role in shaping their reactions. Chronic problems when it comes to the implementation stage existed and, most of the time, were identified even before the implementation. Nevertheless, the lack of empirical evidence contributed to the continuity of these problems. Therefore, this paper constitutes a step forward in the educational change literature in Bahrain that is available and accessible to the public. (C) 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Selection and/or peer-review under responsibility of Dr. Zafer Bekirogullari.
... Actions. The central role of power in OC is widely acknowledged, yet many questions and challenges remain (Bradshaw and Boonstra, 2004). For example, there is relatively little (deliberate) engagement with the notion of power in studies of empowerment (Maynard et al., 2012), participative change (Löhr et al., 2020), appreciative inquiry (Bushe and Paranjpey, 2015), and shared leadership (Wang et al., 2014). ...
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... The role of power in organizational change has been widely studied (Bradshaw & Boonstra, 2004), but many questions remain. For example, there is relatively little (explicit) engagement with the notion of power in studies of empowerment (Maynard et al., 2012), participative change (Brown & Isaacs, 2005), appreciative inquiry (Whitney & Cooperrider, 2000) or shared leadership (Pearce & Conger, 2002). ...
... Although these learning champions may be physically present, their ability to influence learning may be limited by various contextual barriers. It is known that surrounding social structures shape individual agency (Bradshaw & Boonstra, 2004). In Kristianstad, the absence of policy entrepreneurs is linked to the lack of a higher authority that is both capable and willing to take the lead in implementing river basin management for flood prevention. ...
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The sustainable development of cities is threatened by a worldwide water crisis. Improved social learning is urgently needed to transform urban water governance and make it more integrated and adaptive. However, empirical studies remain few and fragmented. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to analyse how social learning has supported or inhibited sustainable transformations in urban water governance. On the basis of multiple case studies conducted in urban, flood‐prone areas in Colombia, the Philippines, South Africa, India, and Sweden, we study learning processes related to different aspects of water management and governance. Our results show that transformations in water governance are often triggered by crises, whereas other potentials for transformation are not tapped into. Furthermore, learning is often inhibited by “lock‐ins” created by powerful actors. We conclude that there is a need for more proactive design of governance structures for triple‐loop learning that take into account the identified barriers and supporting principles.
... Within this process of change, people in organizations try to maintain or gain control over the political agenda (Bradshaw and Boonstra, 2008;Lukes, 1974), and they selectively use a legitimate criterion to favor their own relative positions (Pfeffer, 1992). Similarly, in coaching, different stakeholders try to use power in order to advance their own agenda (Louis, 2015). ...
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Given the prevalence of instrumental and positivistic accounts on coaching, our article aims to contribute to a critical theory of coaching by articulating two under-researched topics in the field: power and space. We do so by building on the Lefebvrian political approach to space; more specifically, we show that depending on the coach’s experience of the coaching space, three types of power relationships are produced within the coach–coachee–organization triad: independent, mediated, and parallel. Accordingly, the coaching space appears to be either a generator, supporter, or analyzer of power. Overall, by approaching coaching as a political space, we call for increased awareness of the conditions that facilitate the experience of the coaching space as empowering rather than limiting and controlling.
... Within this process of change, people in organizations try to maintain or gain control over the political agenda (Bradshaw and Boonstra, 2008;Lukes, 1974), and they selectively use a legitimate criterion to favor their own relative positions (Pfeffer, 1992). Similarly, in coaching, different stakeholders try to use power in order to advance their own agenda (Louis, 2015). ...
... This stability results from a commitment to decisions concerning the realization of the business strategy, the structuring of the organization, and the distribution of power that emerged from the past." 15 Compounding this concentration of power are the tools used to variously include or exclude those seeking to influence decision-makers. Hardy and Clegg note, "A variety of barriers are available to the more powerful groups to prevent subordinates from fully participating in the decision-making process through the invocation of procedures and political routines. ...
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... Governance literature in the non-profit sector has witnessed an explosion in scope in recent years, as new theoretical traditions have been introduced and applied. Among these new approaches, the governance-diversity relationship has been considered as a function of composition (Barsade, Ward, Turner & Sonnenfeld, 2000;Fondas & Sassalos, 2000;Goodstein, Gautam & Boeker, 1994;Jehn et al., 1999;Kesner, 1988;Milliken & Martins, 1996;Oakley, 2000), a matter of representational participation (Brown, 2002;Fondas & Sassalos, 2000;Jehn et al., 1999;Moore & Whitt, 2000;Siciliano, 1996) and the intersection of multiple dimensions of power (Ashcraft, 2001;Bradshaw & Boonstra, 2004;Bradshaw, 1998;Fredette, Bradshaw & Inglis, 2006;Smith, 1979). While each of these perspectives offers tremendous insight, perhaps none have been more influential than the recent integration of the stakeholder theory in the profit and non-profit governance literatures (Brown, 2002;Cornforth, 2003). ...
... the actors need to be changed to enable an organizational change. This particular research branch is called power dynamics. Research started in 1946 when Kurt Lewin introduced T-groups in a laboratory training setting and was mainly based on group-based approaches where people learn about group dynamics, leadership and interpersonal relationships. Bradshaw and Boonstra (2004) identify several different notions of power. Firstly, manifest-personal power which takes the viewpoint that a person can have power over other people and can make them do something they would not do otherwise. Research concerning this form of power research is said to have started with the work of Dahl (1975), Emerson (1962) and Wrong ...
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