Breaking the stereotypical perceptions: A critical analysis of traditional accounts of organizational resistance
Kailun Yan
Lancaster University
Xuhui Yan
South China Normal University
DOI: https://doi.org/10.59429/bam.v7i3.11341
Keywords: organizational resistance; organizational culture; management process; managerial identity
Abstract
This paper critically examines the traditional accounts of organizational resistance, which stereotypically associate managers with control and rationality, and employees with resistance and irrationality. Such views are rooted in four problematic assumptions: organizations as machines with a single set of efficiency-oriented values; control as the primary management tool; managers as always rational decision-makers; and employee resistance as inherently irrational. Through analyzing organizational theory, management meaning, managerial identity dilemmas, and the rationality of resistance, this paper argues that these assumptions are incompatible with the knowledge economy. It proposes that organizations should be viewed as cultures rather than machines, emphasizing human subjectivity and diverse subcultures. Management, rather than simple control, is a complex social process of negotiating and constructing meaning. Managers often face role conflicts and identity dilemmas, making them not fully rational. Moreover, resistance whether from employees or managers is not irrational but a rational response to organizational contradictions, serving as a specific culture that promotes organizational reflection and improvement. The study concludes that breaking these stereotypes is crucial for organizational managers in the knowledge economy to adapt to change and enhance effectiveness.
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