Ideological positioning in organizational change: The dialectic of control in a merging organization

Abstract

Organizational merger has become increasingly common in the volatile environment of modern corporate America. This case study of a merging utility company examines organizational members' discursive responses to the contradictions evolving in the condition of merger. Structuration theory provides a compelling framework for the exploration of the discursive responses of organizational members as they cope with and manage uncertainty associated with the change. The findings reveal how members position themselves as a function of the dialectic of control. Ideological positioning functions not only as a response to the merger, but also to produce and reproduce organizational structures that enhance or inhibit autonomy, identification, empowerment, and change.