The Implications of Multiple Perspectives on Power for Organization Development

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Abstract
This article presents the implications for organization development of examining power from multiple perspectives, particularly those associated with the functionalist and interpretive paradigms. To illustrate how the construction of reality and illusion making can enhance a person or group's power, data are presented from an empirical study of a hospital in Ontario. Using a grounded theory methodology, the author determined that hospital administrators had created the illusion of a fiscal crisis so as to increase their control over scarce financial resources, and thus increase their power. The author urges OD consultants to recognize such power dynamics and to choose consciously whether to accept, change, or withdraw from organizations in which these dynamics occur. The skills needed to diagnose such dynamics and alternative interventions are explored.

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