Power Relations and Resilience: The Implications of Calls for Justice Among the (Un)Resilient
Journal
Academy of Management Proceedings
Type
conference paper
Date Issued
2024
Author(s)
Abstract
This paper examines the implications of asymmetric power relations on resilience. Organizations located in developing regions are affected by the unequal distribution of resources. In extreme cases, such as for those located in small island developing states (SIDS), where the conflux of resource import dependencies and climate change pose existential threats, organizations rely on the ability of their host governments to negotiate favorable policies and resource redistribution outcomes in order to resolve distributive injustices and guarantee their long-term survival. This paper uses a multiple streams approach to examine how SIDS leverage narratives at the United Nations (UN) to combat asymmetric power relations, realize positive policy outcomes, and obtain climate financing. We first analyze argumentation across all dimensions of the discourse with a focus on obtaining resources to reduce their vulnerability and associated distributive injustices. We then explore the validity of our discourse analysis through a quantitative analysis of 2,922 UN General Assembly resolutions from 1975 to 2022. We find that SIDS narratives insufficiently realize positive resource redistribution outcomes, that many SIDS members situationally defect from cohesive voting actions, and that power asymmetries were not remediated. We extend organizational theory by exploring the relationship between extreme asymmetric power disparities and resilience.
Number
1
Start page
13507
Event Title
84th Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management