Beyond command and control: Tensions between power over others and power to act

Power-related tensions arise when organizational actors shift between ‘power over’ and ‘power to’ practices of organizing. In this study, we explore these practices of ‘power over’ and ‘power to’, their dynamics and how their co-existence may give rise to tensions within organizations. We draw on an in-depth case study of a military organization, a setting in which power practices can be studied in a straightforward way. Our findings show how power-related tensions between and within actors arise, as they shift between power-over and power-to practices. While existing work in this field predominantly focuses on power tensions between subjects, we demonstrate that power tensions are not merely relational in nature (involving others) but also arise when individual cognition differs from action. Ultimately, these power dynamics shed new light on power-related tensions and challenges within organizations.