The Power of the Weak’: ‘Strategies’ of Power and ‘Tactics’ of Resistance in Organization

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The Power of the Weak’: ‘Strategies’ of Power and ‘Tactics’ of Resistance in Organization

Journal Title: Theory and Practice of Social Systems Management - Year 2017, Vol 3, Issue 2

Abstract

The paper is about forms of power in different, traditional and contemporary, organizations. The inspiration behind our work is the concept of ‘strategies’ and ‘tactics’ by Michel de Certeau. The most important idea is that ‘weak’ people could be ‘strong’ and gain control of the organizational space. It can be done in many brilliant and witty ways, e.g. by ‘playing’ with the meanings. The article presents the extracts of stories which show the power of ‘the weak’ in different organizations. From time to time in different organizations we can encounter situations in which people who have power want to capture some ‘weak’ people’s ‘tactics’ and use them for their own goals. Conversely, ‘the weak’ have the possibility of capturing ‘the strong’s ‘stategies’.We also discuss which theoretical and methodological perspectives can deepen ‘stategies’ of power and ‘tactics’ of resistance. To illustrate: ‘microhistory’, ‘the new cultural history’, ‘anthropology of literature’, ‘literary anthropology’, ‘anthropology of experience’, ‘humanistic management’ and ‘critical management studies’.

Authors and Affiliations

Kinga PAWŁOWSKA

Keywords

‘power of the weak’ resistance ‘strategies’ ‘tactics’ Michel de Certeau organization

EP ID EP332524
DOI -
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