1. Critical Organizational Theory
Dr. Holly Kruse
Communication in Organizations

2. Critical Organizational Theory
Critical theory overall: examines structures of power in society; questions the unfair exercise of power.
Challenges assumptions of other approaches to understanding organizations that we’ve looked at.

3. Critical Theory: Origins
19th century, Karl Marx:
Industrial capitalism creates proletariat & bourgeoisie
Class culture causes alienation & commodification
Further developed by Frankfurt School

4. Critical Theory: Ideology
To Marx: “false consciousness”
Modern definition: A culturally determined set of beliefs, values, and attitudes. It seems to be common sense, so we tend to take for granted.

5. Critical Theory: Ideology
Ideology is never neutral
It serves interests of dominant groups in society
It is often exercised unconsciously

6. Critical Organizational Theory
Notes tension between people and profits
Recognizes organizations must be profitable to survive, but
Profitability shouldn’t happen at expense of social needs of employees

7. Sources of Ideological Power
Myths, metaphors, and stories
Organizational systems characterized by:
Manufacture of consent
Concertive control
Discourse…

8. Sources of Ideological Power
Notion of “discourse”:
Sees power as a widespread network of forces,
Weaves itself into our gestures and utterances
More than a shared system of meaning: a site of power, struggle

9. Sources of Ideological Power
Discourses are signs of disciplinary power, surveillance, control
Panopticon example: Bentham’s “ideal prison.”

10. Panopticon

11. Panopticon

12. Panopticon

13. Resistance
Ways members distance/defend selves from dominant corporate ideologies
Large scale social movements, individual tactics
Goal is organizational democracy (Deetz)