ORGANIZING FOR SOCIAL-CHANGE WITHIN CONCERTIVE CONTROL-SYSTEMS - MEMBER IDENTIFICATION, EMPOWERMENT, AND THE MASKING OF DISCIPLINE

The Grameen (''rural'') Bank organizes grassroots micro-enterprises fo r productive self-employment and social change among the poorest of th e poor in Bangladesh. It provides collateral-free loans and various so cial services for the poor, but maintains a 99 percent loan recovery r ate. Many of the bank's more than two million members, 94 percent of w hom are women, attribute their Present well-being to its ameliorative qualities. Using the theory of concertive control, we gained insight i nto why members and workers identify so strongly with the Grameen, how participation within this organization offers opportunities for empow erment, and how control systems operative within the bank account for its success. This theory also enabled us to examine how member and wor ker identification with the Grameen influences their evaluation of the disciplinary techniques that are part of the system. By examining the Grameen's organizational processes in terms of the theory of concerti ve control, we identify some of the Paradoxes associated with democrat ic practices in organizations, and we draw insights about theory and p raxis in organizing for social change.