Rumbling on performativity_Frits Simon

ding’ power is present. In social interactions power defines, constitutes and shapes the
moment; power is a classical subject within organization and management theory.
Accordingly power is an important and first subject for my reflection regarding this
project.
6.3 Dissent within discourses on power and control
The appreciation of dissent is intertwined with the way the realization of policy in an
organization is approached. Are dissenting voices appreciated? Is there something to
learn from how dissent is appreciated during strategy development within organizations?
Building on recent research regarding participation in the development of organizational
strategy (Mantere and Vaara, 2008) it is possible to explore different appreciations
of dissent. I use their research as a means for reflecting upon dissent and power.
Strategy as such is not my object of reflection.
Current discourses on policy development
Mantere and Vaara’s research is about the formal development of strategy as a blueprint
for the deliberate policy of an organization. Apparently the strategies are developed
during special organized processes in the organizations. Mantere and Vaara
distinguish 6 different discourses about strategy development, of which 3 impede and
3 promote participation. They emphasize that in reality discourses in coexist and
overlap. Discourses support the legitimizing and naturalizing of the way ‘things’ are
organized and thus the way the participation of different organization members is
appreciated. In table 2 (page 156) their findings are summarized. To illustrate I have
completed their findings by connecting the discourses with current topics regarding
change management.
With the discourses promoting participation Mantere and Vaara highlight recent practices
of involvement of organization members in the design of the strategy. However,
by suggesting that these discourses do not produce some sort of resistance within the
organization, they overlook the existence and impact of power differences. More
specifically according to them these participatory discourses “… can provide effective
means for resistance against hegemony and exclusion.” (Mantere and Vaara, 2008:
355). Apparently these participatory discourses are supposed to restrict managerial
hegemony and exclusion.
From their emancipatory point of view organizing engagement appears as a panacea
for quite some organizational processes. Their research suggests that dissent is absent
if engagement is provided for. Apparently, for Mantere and Vaara engagement incorporates
dissent.
Experiences in my wiki-project (mentioned in chapter 3) in which I promoted engagement
with the development of our strategy through the use of social media, oversha-
6. A case of consent about dissent | 155