“To fully appreciate organisations you must understand the nature of power and politics within organisations”. Critically evaluate this statement.

The beauty of a prism lies not only in its ability to refract light, but also in the varying perspectives each angle offers. Likewise the analysis of organisations is often encapsulated in three differing viewpoints. They are namely, the structural-rational, symbolic-cultural and the political approaches. Each approach individually though lacks an element or two that inhibits our ability to understand organisations fully. An integration of all three frameworks provides a fuller picture as attractive as a prism in its full glory.

The structural framework focuses on the rational and formal aspects of organisations. This approach is usually associated with excessive bureaucracy and rigidity. According to the structural framework, conflict, if and when it occurs, is due to a lack of differentiation in responsibilities. The result is a highly structured Weberian system, with a clear cut division of labour among positions which enables a high degree of specialisation. Also, the scope of a...