Political processes in grievance resolution: managing meaning of due process in organization

Abstract

This paper studies the actual process of grievance resolution from a political perspective in one of the largest integrated public sector steel plants in India. Six grievances case were analyzed from a political perspective. It is found that sources of power of the key actors and the influence tactics they use on one-another finally determines whether the case is decided in favor or against the grievant. Resolution of a particular grievance is only an episode in the ongoing political processes in an organization. Moreover, a proper understanding of political behavior involved in grievance resolution requires analysis at two levels: one, the explicit-apparent behavior of the actors: and two, the implicit-underlying behavior, which lies beneath what is apparent and manifests itself as symbols.