Essays

Assignment question:  “Culture is a tool used by management to limit resistance”. Consider this statement in relation to how we understand and make sense of power in the post-bureaucratic era.

[Opening sentence] Due to factors such as the expansion of the services industry, managerial practices of organisations have shifted away from the traditional bureaucratic style. Consequently, different types of control have been implemented by managers in order to maintain power, such as focusing on the organisational culture. [Topic sentence] This essay will argue  that culture is certainly used as a tool by management to maintain control and hence limit resistance. [Final sentence] The  positive and negative implications of this type of control will be analysed, using specific examples from a variety of organisations.

[Topic sentence] Enforcing  organisational culture too heavily can have adverse effects on the organisation, increasing employees’ resistance (Kärreman & Alvesson, 2004). [Supplementary sentences] In  many cases, employees feel trapped by the intense focus placed on culture within their organisation. In order to maintain a certain level of personal identity, employees may become internally hostile, their loyalty to the organisation becoming only an act (Brewis, 2007). This behaviour often stems from employees with strong personal identity and individuality. Although these employees may enjoy the work they do, they also tend to distance themselves from organisational ideology (Lopez, 2017). [Concluding sentence] It  is clear that an environment that combines strict culture with employees who already maintain strong identities of their own, can cause rebellious attitudes to arise. Therefore, it is much more difficult for an organisation to maintain power in the post-bureaucratic era.

[First sentence] By examining the different aspects of organisational culture in the post-bureaucratic era, it is evident that culture can be used as a tool to limit staff resistance. [Following sentence] When done well, it can lead to a more stable and consistent organisation, while also providing a sense of identity and comfort to employees. However, this management technique is not always effective, as it can lead to rebelliousness from employees with strong personal identities, and may also allow management to abuse their power. [Final sentence] The  most effective way of reducing staff resistance is to encourage them to actively help shape the organisation’s culture. Therefore, managers should seek to use a variety of methods to allow their staff to influence the culture of their organisation.