Conflict & Resistance

Question 1

Reed (2010)

Answer 1

Hybridization of two forms of control:

• traditional, structured, rational
• cultural, emotion, hidden

Question 2

Marx

Answer 2

1. Alienation - Organizations under regime, workers experience estrangement to:
   - oneself, product of one’s labor, one’s species, others
2. Commodification: sell our labour to buy other commodities
3. Conflict is inevitable: management minimize labour costs and employees maximize payment

Question 3

Blauner (1964)

Answer 3

Alienation is subjective:

Some people might not feel alienated in regimented environments

Question 4

Pfeffer (1981)

Answer 4

Organizational politics involves activities to acquire, develop and use power (& other resources) in order to achieve desires outcomes in a situation where there is uncertainty and dissensus

Question 5

Burawoy (1979)

Answer 5

‘Making out’

Finding loopholes in rules in order to reassert control

Question 6

Fleming and Spicer (2003)

Answer 6

‘Disidentification’
with organizational values enables workers to distance themselves (cynical distance), doesn’t challenge working practices and thus it isn’t a resistance that disrupts organization (form of consent)

Question 7

Collinson (1994)

Answer 7

Resistance by distance is not effective (doesn’t challenge status quo), resistance by persistence is much more effective

Question 8

Donald Roy

Answer 8

Restriction of output

• goldbricking and quota restricting
• gravy and stinker jobs

Question 9

Townsend

Answer 9

Call centre: time theft

Co-workers bought each other time by acting as if they were ‘on a call’ but actually taking breaks