Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1
Assistant Professor, Department of Public Management, Payame Noor University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
2
Ph.D. in Curriculum Planning Studies, Educational Sciences Department, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran.
3
Ph.D. Student, Department of Public Management, Islamic Azad University of Khorasgan, Isfahan, Iran.
4
MA, Department of Public Management, Payam Noor University of Shahinshahr, Isfahan, Iran.
Abstract
Purpose: The purpose of the current research is to study power in educational organizations with a phenomenological approach. In this article, the phenomenon of power, resources, and its relative ability to explain the behavioral aspects of human resources in the organization have been investigated. Power is one of the important and necessary components in any organization, and how to acquire and apply it correctly and effectively is necessary for the survival of any system in today's world. Today's theorists consider the organization as a set of mutual relations and actions and reactions of individuals, where power is the most important factor in the nature and quality of these mutual relations. Power can be used in different parts of an organization and cause various results and consequences in that organization. Each of the sources of power and the combination of their different situations form different behavioral and conceptual models, and according to them, they create different interactive structures. The distance that those in power feel toward others makes them more likely to disobey the advice they hear.
Design/Methodology/Approach: The current research method is a qualitative phenomenological type, which is based on the lived experiences of the participants about the concept of power and its dimensions, as well as the tendency towards sources of power in the organization with the metaphor of osmotic pressure of chemistry. The participants of the research were the education experts of Semiram City, and a semi-structured interview was conducted with 13 experts using the purposeful sampling method and the theoretical saturation criterion of the findings. The analysis of the findings was done with the thematic analysis method. The evaluation criteria of qualitative research, including trustworthiness, transferability, reliability, and verifiability, were examined, and based on that, the validity and reliability of the research was confirmed.
Findings: By analyzing the findings, 122 basic themes, 25 organizing themes of the first level, and 5 organizing themes of the second level were identified and extracted, which were centered around the overarching theme of the phenomenon of organizational power. 5 organizing themes of the second level, including the concept of power, power sources, orientation to power sources, consequences of orientation to power sources, and power management solutions were identified. The participants expressed their experiences of orientation toward the sources of organizational power, including selection and appointment within the organization, individual experiences, osmosis phenomenon, organizational experiences, and gaining points. The participants expressed their experiences of the concept of power in the form of the concepts of dominance and influence, individual strength, some kind of need, being charismatic, ability and capacity, superiority, communicating, negative approach, positive approach, and position. They have also presented the themes of intercession and nepotism, individual factors, law and superiors as their experiences of sources of organizational power. On the other hand, they expressed their experiences of orientation toward organizational power sources, including selection and appointment within the organization, individual experiences, osmosis phenomenon, organizational experiences, and gaining privileges. The most important consequences of the tendency to sources of power include the marginalization of individual interests and attention to social interests, the use of violence and tyranny, and the ability to influence.
Discussion and Conclusion: The research results showed that some employees, despite weaknesses in their scientific knowledge, experience, and skills, manage to move from less powerful units within the organization towards positions of greater influence. These individuals seek to gain personal advantages through such upward mobility. To address this phenomenon, organizations should implement meritocratic selection processes, enforce regulations decisively, and foster a culture of cooperation, accountability, justice, and ethical conduct. The phenomenon of osmosis shows many legal and illegal functions in an organization. Weakness of people, flattery, unfairness, and most importantly, weakening of the rule of law in the organization are among the factors of the formation of such a phenomenon. The weakening of the rule of law in the organization paves the way for people who lack professional ability but are flattered. Many corruptions and destructions in the organization are caused by this unpleasant phenomenon. People who, without any commitment and expertise, have learned the illegal and inhumane ways of failing and failing to perform assigned duties, according to the experience and attention of some sick people, and they can make themselves respected by the heads of organizations. They place themselves as an efficient force in an organization and in some cases, they don't shy away from objections to taste, opinions and orders.
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