A Relational Power Perspective on the Positional Shift of Peripheral Players in an Organisational Field: The Case of Mediapart in the French Press Field

Karim Ben-Slimane, Amira Laifi and Olivier Germain
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Karim Ben-Slimane: Excelia Group | La Rochelle Business School
Amira Laifi: Métis Lab EM Normandie - EM Normandie - École de Management de Normandie = EM Normandie Business School
Olivier Germain: UQAM - Université du Québec à Montréal = University of Québec in Montréal

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Abstract: Prior research in field theory has acknowledged the importance of power to the stability of field structure and to the reproduction of the benefits and advantages that powerful incumbent organizations have over powerless peripheral players. In this paper, we challenge such determinism by embracing a relational view of power in the field. We argue that when incumbents' use of power is perceived as hegemonic and in contradiction with field values and norms by peripheral players, the latter may act to contest such hegemonic power, leading them to achieve a positional shift. We conducted a qualitative study of the newspaper Mediapart in the French press field who succeeded in getting to the centre of the field by contesting the hegemony of incumbents. Our findings show three main strategies that allow peripheral players to achieve a positional shift in the field: reclaiming ownership, recentring authenticity and reaffirming legitimacy. \textcopyright 2023 Elsevier Inc.

Keywords: Field theory; Hegemony; Incumbents; Peripheral players; Power; Press (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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Published in Journal of Business Research, 2024, 173, ⟨10.1016/j.jbusres.2023.114466⟩

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:hal-04432398

DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2023.114466

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