The Construction, Enactment, and Maintenance of Power-As-Domination through an Acquisition

Abstract

Organizational scholars tend to operate under the assumption that power is domination. This assumption may spring from the fact that domination is the primary form of power used in U.S. organizations. Given the pervasiveness of the power-as-domination assumption guiding both researchers and practitioners, it is important to understand how power-as-domination works in organizations. This interpretive study explores how domination was created, enacted, and maintained in the acquisition of Ozark Airlines by TWA. Results of the analysis reveal how communication practices were used by TWA to effectively dominate Ozark employees. These results are discussed in terms of theoretical and practical implications.