From mandate to conscience: the ethical dimension in the reconfiguration of organizational power post-conventional

Abstract

This research examines the reconfiguration of organizational power under the post-conventional management paradigm, transcending modern bureaucracy toward the ethical and relational complexities of the 21st century. The purpose is to analyze the evolution of power from Weberian legal-rational  authority to postmodern discursive constructions; to identify   the ethical dimensión as legitimizing command in the eyes of the collective conscience; and to demonstrate how integrated moral theories generate organizational sustainability through trust, axiological coherence, and self-control. The theoretical framework integrates legal-rational domination (Weber, 1978); capillary power as discourse and representation (Foucault, 1975; Clegg, 1990; Mumby, 1988); post-conventional moral development (Kohlberg, 1981); the Kantian categorical imperative (Montoya & Cendrós, 2007); and discourse ethics with dialogue within Habermas's theory (Cortina & Martínez, 2001). This study, in conjunction with the ethics of relational care (Gilligan, 1982) and classical Platonic roots linking politics and virtue (Tomar, 1998), employed a hermeneutic theoretical-conceptual analysis methodology through a systematic review of philosophical, sociological, and managerial sources, triangulating ethical approaches to construct an integrative framework. The main finding is that post-conventional management resolves the legal-legitimate dichotomy by prioritizing universal principles of justice, relational empathy, and dialogical validation over normative coercion. It transforms repressive power into generative power, aligning formal structures with human dignity and replacing fear with ethical commitment, thus fostering sustainable innovation in transparent environments. The coherent moral authority between discourse and action surpasses normative imposition as the ultimate driver of collective purpose, lasting prosperity, and humanized leadership.