Managers start to withdraw from their strategies to ensure their personal survival, and, in that sense, to initiate forms of resistance of their own (mirroring non-managers), which they do by an increasing emphasis on their power:
‘Managers and shareholders have the power here [at Laurens] because they own the land’ (9.9.3).
Employees are not expected to become more competent in performing collective tasks (Reid and Barrington 2004, 2007; Jakupec and Garrick 2000; Harrison 2005; Simmonds 2003). Their existing skills are downplayed. Management responses to problem-solving do not, in employees’ views, address the longer-term difficulties (e.g. providing sustainable education and counselling services to young adults).
