Power without glory : a genealogy of a management decision / Kenneth Mlbjerg Jrgensen.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Jrgensen, Kenneth Mlbjerg.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Foucault, Michel, 1926-1984.

Foucault, Michel.

Organizational change.

Organizational change--Case studies.

Power (Social sciences).

Physical Description:

1 online resource (288 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Copenhagen : Copenhagen Business School Press ; Portland, OR : International Specialized Book Services, 2007.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Power without Glory demonstrates the use of Foucault's conception of power in organizational analysis. It does this in two ways: first by developing a method for studying power in organizations, namely genealogy; and secondly by conducting a case study according to the principles in this method. The purpose is to highlight some aspects of Foucault's conception of power, which has not been sufficiently explored in organizational analysis. Most studies using a Foucauldian framework have focused on the relations between power and surveillance in organizations. This book takes a different approach and claims that a sufficient understanding of power is only possible by exploring the links between archaeology, genealogy, and power. This is supported by the fact that Foucault claimed that his conception of power was not really a theory of power, but the analytics of power, where the aim was to show how power works in practice. This point is crucial in that the most exciting aspects of Foucault's concepts and methods have to do with the ways in which they allow one to gain new understandings of reality. Such new understandings depend on showing how power works both in constructing truth and in excluding other truths. The book discusses how a decision made in a bank is subjected to genealogical scrutiny. The research presented covers change processes over a period of more than six years. The defining moment of these changes is when management decides to implement a new functional and a new geographical division of labor. The case study unravels the history of this decision and its effects on the workforce. The case study also shows how the change process evolved, the feelings and actions of those involved at the various stages, and the different ideas, concepts, strategies, and techniques.

Contents:

""Power without Glory""; ""Acknowledgements""; ""Preface""; ""References""; ""CHAPTER 1 Power without Glory- A Genealogy of a Management Decision""; ""CHAPTER 2 Power and Language""; ""Language Games""; ""Understanding""; ""Power""; ""The Need for Power Analysis""; ""CHAPTER 3 Writing History and Relations of Power""; ""Discourse and Practice""; ""Archaeology""; ""Genealogy""; ""Genealogy and Power""; ""CHAPTER 4 Power in The Bank: Introduction and Methodology""; ""Case Introduction""; ""Guidelines for the Study of Power""; ""CHAPTER 5 Emergence of Information Technology (IT) and Power""

""The Rolling Department""""The Emergence of Information Technology""; ""The Project Gains Support""; ""Science""; ""Preparations for the Test""; ""Products and Tools""; ""CHAPTER 6 Power Constructs Reality: The Language Games of The Value Project""; ""The Emergence of Information Technology""; ""CHAPTER 7 Power Constructs Truth: The Value Project Breaks Down""; ""The Test in the Test Departments""; ""Recommendation of The Steering Committee""; ""Group-2's Recommendations""; ""Evaluation of the IT-Systems""; ""CHAPTER 8 Power Constructs Work Conditions: The Shaping of Bank Work""

""Academics and Bank Work""""Surveillance in Bank Operations""; ""The Impact of IT on Work Conditions""; ""Summing Up: Relations of Power in The Local Departments""; ""CHAPTER 9 Power Reorganizes: The Language Games of The Technology Project""; ""The Technology Project""; ""The Basic System Sets the Agenda""; ""The Work in the Subprojects""; ""The New Division of Labour""; ""The Test of the Division of Labour""; ""What Did the Test Show?""; ""Organization and Information Technology""; ""Summing Up""; ""CHAPTER 10 Power Separates: Creating a New Hierarchy and New Standards of Work""

""The Implementation of the New Division of Labour""""Workers Are Scored""; ""Creating New Routines""; ""Sales Culture""; ""Measurement PointsThe Number of Customer Meetings/Unrequested Contacts""; ""The Dark Horse in the Change Process""; ""Implementation Status""; ""Use of PC�s in the Customer Meeting""; ""Implementation Follow-Up""; ""A Sales Administration Tool""; ""Segmentation""; ""CHAPTER 11 Writing History and Relations of Power - Conclusions""; ""Emergence of Information Technology (IT) and Power""; ""Power Constructs Reality - The Language Games of The Value Project""

""Power Constructs Truth - The Value Project Breaks Down""""Power Constructs Work Conditions - The Shaping of Bank Work""; ""Power Reorganizes: The Language Games of The Technology Project""; ""Power Separates: Creating A New Hierarchy and New Standards of Work""; ""The Power of the Author: Constructing an Alternative Memory""; ""References""

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references (p. [275]-288).

ISBN:

87-630-9984-5

OCLC:

769018161