Organizational Change, Resistance, and Power Transformations
Chapter from the book: Ağraş, S. (ed.) 2025. Power Struggles and Political Behaviours in Organizations.

Zümrüt Hatice Şekkeli
Kahramanmaraş Sütçü İmam University

Synopsis

Organizational change has become an unavoidable process for institutions striving to sustain their existence amid the accelerating pace of global competition, digital transformation, and evolving social expectations. Change reshapes not only the structural design of organizations but also their strategies, cultural codes, communication patterns, and interpersonal relationships. Yet every transformation generates uncertainty, loss of stability, and perceptions of threat to the existing order, which often give rise to resistance among individuals and groups. Resistance, frequently interpreted as a barrier, in reality functions as a mechanism through which organizations protect their identity, reassess their direction, and generate feedback that supports the adaptation process.  The interaction between change and resistance continuously reconstructs the distribution of power within organizations. Resistance is not merely an act of opposition but a form of inquiry into how authority, legitimacy, and control are exercised. While some actors attempt to preserve their established positions, others—those who possess knowledge, relational capital, or symbolic influence—develop new forms of authority. Technological innovation, flexible work structures, and learning-oriented cultures diversify the foundations of power, steering organizations away from rigid hierarchies toward more participatory and network-based systems of interaction. In this context, organizational power ceases to be a fixed domain of authority and instead emerges as a dynamic process continuously reproduced through access to knowledge, social interaction, and cultural legitimacy. Understanding this transformation is essential for maintaining balance and effectiveness in the management of organizational change.

How to cite this book

Şekkeli, Z. H. (2025). Organizational Change, Resistance, and Power Transformations. In: Ağraş, S. (ed.), Power Struggles and Political Behaviours in Organizations. Özgür Publications. DOI: https://doi.org/10.58830/ozgur.pub892.c3676

License

Published

October 21, 2025

DOI