And hard labor of thousands of people were used to serve and glorify a privileged elite
In the view of some Organizations theorists this combination of achievement and exploitation is a feature of Organizations throughout the ages. Whether we talking about the building of the pyramids or the running of an army , multination corporation or even a family working in the interests of the few. Of course , important difference in practice can be observed, and over the ages much of the labor power required to build pyramids and empires have given way to use of paid employment where employees have the right to leave. Slave drivers have given way to use of paid employment where employees have the right to leave. Slave drivers have given way to managers, and employees now typically work in the interests of shareholders rather than of pharaohs emperors or absolute monarchs. However in all cases pursuit of the goals of the few through the work and labor of the many continues.
The domination aspect of Organizations has been made a special focus of study by radical Organizations theorists inspired by the insights of max Weber is famous among Organizations theorists for his work on the nature of bureaucracy. However his main concern was to understand how defend societies and epochs are characterized by different forms of social domination. He viewed bureaucracy as a special mode of social domination and was interested in the role of bureaucratic Organizations in crating and sustaining structures of domination
Weber’s views of domination
For Weber domination can occur in several ways. First and most obviously domination arises when one or more persons coerce other through the direct use of threat or force . But domination also occurs in more subtle ways as when a ruler imposes his or her will on other while being perceived as having a right to do so. This is the kind of domination become legitimized as normal socially acceptable power relation : patterns of formal authority in which rulers see themselves as having the right to rule , and those subject to this rule see it as their duty to obey.
- Charismatic domination occurs when a leader rules by virtue of his or her personal totalities that are perceived by followers to be extraordinary, such as prophetic or heroic. followers are often described as falling under the leader’s spell
- Traditional domination occurs when followers accept the leader’s rule as the custom or a given right, such as in inherited ruler ship
- Rational-legal domination occur when laws, rules, regulations, and procedures legitimize the leader’s the rule, such as in bureaucracy Followers give leaders the right to rule within the confines of the laws and regulation