Reframing Organizations, 3rd ed.
Organizations as Political Arenas and Political Agents Chapter 11 Organizations as Political Arenas and Political Agents
Organizations as Political Arenas and Political Agents Ross Johnson, Barbarians at the Gate Organizations as arenas Organizations as political agents
Organizations as Arenas Arenas help to determine: Rules of the game Players Stakes Bottom-up political action Labor unions and civil rights movements Political barriers to control from the top U.S. Department of Education scenario: initiatives often lost to political opposition despite new resources and top-down support
Organizations as Political Agents Organizations exist in ecosystems. Organizations depend on the environment for resources, support. Organizations need the skills of a politician: develop agenda, map environment, manage relationships with allies and competitors, negotiate. Ecosystem “Organizational field” in which competitors and allies co-evolve
Pfeffer and Salancik, The External Control of Organizations Organizations are controlled more than they control their external environment. Organizations are “other-directed.” They struggle for autonomy and discretion in the face of constraints and external control. They confront conflicting demands from multiple constituents. Their understanding of the environment is often distorted and imperfect. Dilemma: alliances are essential for gaining influence but reduce autonomy by increasing dependency and obligations.
Ecosystems Business ecosystems Public policy ecosystems Apple IBM “Wintel” General Motors and General Electric Public policy ecosystems Federal Aviation Administration Schools Business-government ecosystems Pharmaceutical companies, physicians, and government FedEx lobbying clout
Ecosystems II Society as ecosystem Business, public, and government What is and should be the power relationship between organizations and society? Are organizations “instruments of market tyranny,” or are they largely shaped by social and economic forces? Jihad vs. McWorld
Conclusion Organizations are both arenas for internal politics and political agents with their own agendas, resources, and strategies. Arenas house contests and shape the ongoing interplay of interests and agendas. Agents exist, compete, and co-evolve in larger ecosystems (“organizational fields”).