ABSTRACT
Organizational power is sometimes naked. Several years ago, as a consultant I visited a company’s European headquarters in northern Italy. The office building, located on the shores of a beautiful lake, vividly depicted structural power in the organization. The lavish lakeside offices, replete with chandeliers and marble floors, housed high-level executives. Offices for mid-level managers were stationed on the opposite side of the building and looked out, through far smaller windows, onto a congested avenue. The cramped offices for low-level managers and technicians were located in the windowless basement. High-level executives also enjoyed privileged parking spaces for their chauffeurs, exclusive use of an ornate espresso bar on site, and a private dining room in which an eminent Italian chef prepared delightful luncheons and dinners. Other administrative personnel took their meals in a nearby factory cantina.
