Power, mastery and organizational learning.

Blackler, Frank; McDonald, Seonaidh

Abstract

The topic of power has not featured strongly in debates about organizational learning, a point that is illustrated in a discussion of influential studies of teamworking. Despite the insights that such studies have provided into the nature of expertise and collaboration they have tended not to explore the relevance of issues of hierarchy, politics and institutionalized power relations. The paper addresses the problem by exploring the links between power, expertise and organizational learning. Power is analysed both as the medium for, and the product of, collective activity. The approach emphasizes how skills and imaginations are intertwined with social, technical and institutional structures. While studies of teamworking have concentrated on situations where imaginations and structures are tightly linked, unexpected developments may occur when these relations are loosened. Such situations occur when the needs of the moment overshadow normal routines and relationships and there is no single overview or centre of control. It is suggested that organizational learning can be conceptualized as the movement between familiar and emergent activities and between established and emergent social relations. Events in a two-year action research project are used to illustrate the approach and explore episodes of decentred collaboration.

Citation

BLACKLER, F. and MCDONALD, S. 2000. Power, mastery and organizational learning. Journal of management studies [online], 37(6), pages 833-852. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-6486.00206

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Sep 30, 2000
• Online Publication Date: Dec 16, 2002
• Publication Date: Sep 30, 2000
• Deposit Date: Jun 9, 2015
• Publicly Available Date: Jun 9, 2015
• Journal: Journal of management studies
• Print ISSN: 0022-2380
• Electronic ISSN: 1467-6486
• Publisher: Wiley
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 37
• Issue: 6
• Pages: 833-852
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-6486.00206
• Public URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10059/1215