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organization. As such, power is not a dirty secret, but the secret of success.
And that's the path power follows, until it becomes institutionalized—
which makes administration the most precarious of occupations.
SEI£CTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
The literature on power is at once both volumi- ten about power theoretically, there have been
nous and frequently empty of content. Some is few empirical examinations of power and its use.
philosophical musing about the concept of Most of the work has taken the form of case
power, while other writing contains popular- studies. Michel Crozier's The Bureaucratic Phe-
ized palliatives for acquiring and exercising in- nomenon (University of Chicago Press, 1964)
fiuence. Machiavelli's The Prince, if read care- is important because it describes a group's source
fully, remains the single best prescriptive treat- of power as control over critical activities and
ment of power and its use. Most social scientists illustrates how power is not strictly derived
have approached power descriptively, attempt- from hierarchical position. J. Victor Baldridge's
ing to understand how it is acquired, how it is Power and Conflict in the University (John
used, and what its effects are. Mayer Zald's edi- Wiley & Sons, 1971) and Andrew Pettigrew's
ted collection Poauer in Organizations (Vander- study of computer purchase decisions in one
bilt University Press, 1970) is one of the more English firm (Politics of Organizational Deci-
useful sets of thoughts about power from a so- sion-Makings Tavistock, 1973) both present in-
ciological perspective, while James Tedeschi's sights into the acquisition and use of power in
edited book. The Social Influence Processes specific instances. Our work has been more em-
(Aldine-Atherton, 1972) represents the social pirical and comparative, testing more explicitly
psychological approach to understanding power the ideas presented in this article. The study of
and influence. The strategic contingencies's ap- university decision making is reported in articles
proach, with its emphasis on the importance of in the June 1974, pp. 135-151, and December
uncertainty for understanding power in organi- 1974, pp. 453-473, issues of the Administrative
zations, is described by David Hickson and his Science Quarterly, the insurance firm study in
colleagues in "A Strategic Contingencies The- J. G. Hunt and L. L. Larson's collection^
ory of Intraorganizational Power" {Administra- Leadership Frontiers (Kent State University
tive Science Quarterly^ December 1971, pp. Press, 1975), and the study of hospital adminis-
216-229). trator succession will appear in 1977 in the
Academy of Management journal. 21
Unfortunately, while many have writ-