Power and Politics in Grievance Resolution: Managing Meaning of Due Process in an Organization

This paper studies the relatively less exploredissue of the actual process of grievance resolution froma political perspective. In a steel plant in India, sixgrievance cases were analyzed from the filing of a grievance to its final resolution. Caseswere reconstructed through semistructured interviews andanalyzed from a political perspective. The sources ofpower of the key actors and their influence tactics vis-a-vis one another were found to determinewhether the case would be decided in favor of or againstthe grievant. The understanding of the dynamics ingrievance resolution was enhanced when we analyzed cases as episodes nested in the ongoingpolitical process of the organization. A comprehensiveunderstanding of political behavior required analysis attwo levels: the explicit dealing with apparent behavior; and the implicit exploring the underlyingconcerns and intents of the actors often manifestedthrough symbols. Implications of multiple levels ofpolitical behavior for institutionalizing due processare discussed.