The Analysis of Power in Organisations: Strategies for Research

Abstract

Though greater attention has been paid recently to the notion of power in organisations it has been treated an additional, rather than integral, part of organisational analysis. This paper examines how the main developments in the theory of power have informed, not always explicitly, the strategies employed in power research in organisations. The theory of power is explored in terms of its definition, its identification and measurement, and its explanation, though it is recognised that these are interdependent. The paper elaborator the research strategics which have developed from the different approaches to power, particularly the issues approach and the reputation approach. Strategies which emphasise organisation structure are compared with those emphasising the perceptions and orientations of organisation members. The comparative method and strategies to develop teleological explanations are examined, and the paper concludes with the argument that research into power in organisations needs to take greater cognisance of the dynamics of power, that is, the processes whereby power is accumulated or diminished over time.