Gareth Morgan
Envisioning the Political
 If you were to look at Nipissing University as a political
institution, what aspects would you say are
authoritative? What aspects would you say are
democratic?
 Do you think Nipissing University Administrators and
Faculty would share your views?
What is an Autocracy?
 Absolute government where power is held by an
individual or small group and supported by control of
critical resources, property, or ownership rights,
tradition, charisma, and other claims to personal
privilege.
 Can you give an example of a situation where you have
seen/could see this form of rule?
What is Bureaucracy?
 Rule exercised through use of the written word, which
provides the basis for a rational-legal type of authority,
or “rule of law”
 Can you give an example of a situation where you have
seen/could see this form of rule?
What is a Technocracy?
 Rule exercised through the use of knowledge, expert
power, and the ability to solve relevant problems
 Can you give an example of a situation where you have
seen/could see this form of rule?
What is Codetermination?
 The form of rule where opposing parties combine in
the joint management of mutual interests, as in a
coalition government or corporatism, each party
drawing on a specific power base.
 Can you give an example of a situation where you have
seen/could see this form of rule?
What is a Representative
Democracy?
 Rule exercised through the election of officers
mandated to act on behalf of the electorate and who
hold office for a specified time period or so long as
they command the support of the electorate
 Can you give an example of a situation where you have
seen/could see this form of rule?
What is a Direct Democracy?
 The system where everyone has an equal right to rule
and is involved in all decision making...It encourages
self-organizing as a key mode of organizing.
 Can you give an example of a situation where you have
seen/could see this form of rule?
Analyzing Political Systems
 What are the three intersecting relations Morgan states we
are to focus on in order to analyze a particular
organization’s politics?
 Hint: Morgan states: “Organizational politics arise when
people think differently and want to act differently. This
diversity creates a tension that must be resolved through
political means.”
 Answer: Morgan states we can analyze organizational politics
by focusing on relations between: interests, conflict and
power.
Relations of Interest and Conflict
 How do different interests play a part in organizational
politics?
 What are some ways in which conflict may arise? Is
conflict always negative?
What does Morgan Identify as the 14 most
important sources of power? Explain Each
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Formal authority
Control of scarce resources
Use of organizational structure, rules, and
regulations
Control of decision processes
Control of knowledge and information
Control of boundaries
Ability to cope with uncertainty
Sources of power cont’d
8. Control of technology
9. Interpersonal alliances, networks, and control of
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
“informal organization”
Control of counterorganizations
Symbolism and the management of meaning
Gender and the management of gender relations
Structural factors that define the stage of action
The power one already has
Managing Organizations
 What does Morgan define as pluralist, unitary, and
radical organizations? How are interests, conflict and
power relations different in each?
 What suggestions does he put forth for managing
pluralist organizations?
What are the 5 Pluralist Management Styles?
Avoiding:
1.
Ignoring conflict and hoping they’ll go away
Invoking slow procedures to stifle the conflict
Appealing to bureaucratic rules as a course of conflict
resolution




In what situation would this style be useful?
Compromise:
2.
Negotiating
Looking for deals or trade-offs
Finding satisfactory or acceptable solutions




In what situation would this style be useful?
Cont’d...
Competition:
3.
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
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Creating win-lose situations
Using rivalry
Forcing submission
In what situation would this style be useful?
4. Accommodation:

Giving way

Submitting and complying

In what situation would this style be useful?
Cont’d...
Collaboration:
5.
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Problem-solving stance
Searching for integrative solutions
Seeing problems and conflicts as challenging
In what situation would this style be useful?
Critical Thinking
 What are the strengths and weaknesses of the political
metaphor?