Go and Say, "Wére Shutting": Ju Jutsu as a Metaphor for Analyzing Resistance

Abstract

While it is well known that employees in organizations may successfully resist managerial impositions, relatively little is understood about how resistance operates. The present study utilizes a martial arts metaphor known as ju jutsu to generate insights for understanding how resistance is exercised. The ju jutsu metaphor was chosen because it is a defensive technique whereby a physically weaker person may resist a much stronger one. Ju jutsu as metaphor suggests resistance can be exercised by systematically employing bodily movements which disturb an opponent's balance and/or strike at physiological weak points. By exploring a case study of a successful example of organizational resistance, the ju jutsu metaphor is utilized to generate new perspectives for conceptualizing and analyzing the dynamics of resistance.