Soft Constraint

The post-modernist and post-bureaucratic turn in Organization Studies has contributed to shape a landscape that same seminal thinkers would probably not recognize: empowerment, autonomy and agency, entrepreneurial systems of management, decentralization, cooperation... In short, the demise of bureaucracy is viewed as the unassailable consequence of contemporary political and business dynamics. And if power is not a figure of the past, at least its classical forms and dynamics should be entirely rethought. This book seeks to understand precisely how current organizations are governed, based on the analysis of three managerial reforms: the implementation of marketing practices in the banking sector, project management, and the management of competences in the field of HRM. The author puts forward a rejuvenated nation of soft bureaucracy and despotism which might be representative of current political regimes in business organizations. Advances in Organization Studies, Vol. 15 Series editors: Stewart R. Clegg & Ralph E. Stablein Advances in Organization Studies is a channel for cutting edge theoretical and empirical works of high quality, that contributes to the field of organizational studies. The series welcomes thought-provoking ideas, new perspectives and neglected topics from researchers within a wide range of disciplines and geographical locations.