J 1 lntrod uction Despite having a peak valuation of US$970 million, the doomed Zilingo was a tech start-up in e-commerce fashion business-to-business solution designed to digitize the fashion supply chain. I will explore power and control through a contemporary lens in this essay and critically evaluate its practices and behaviours. Zilingo was founded in 2015 by 323 ecommerce veterans Ankiti Bose and Dhruv Kapoor, with a mission to digitize the $1 trillion fashion industry. The company started off as an online marketplace for fashion boutiques in Southeast Asia and quickly expanded into other areas such as payments, logistics, and data analytics. In 2019, Zilingo raised $226 million in a Series D funding round led by Sequoia Capital, valuating the company at $970 million. However, Zilingo is now in the midst of a leadership crisis, with several top executives leaving the company in recent months.(How a Celebrity CEO's Ruie of Fear Heiped Bring down Hot Singapore Start-up Ziiingo I The Straits Times, n.d.) By critically evaluating the practices and behaviours of Zilingo, we can learn about the dangers of unchecked power and control and how they can lead to the downfall of even the most successful organisations. Zilingo's downfall can be attributed to a number of factors, including the company's aggressive growth strategy, its reliance on a small group of insiders, and its culture of fear and intimidation. Zilingo's aggressive growth strategy led to the company expanding into new areas such as payments and logistics without fully understanding the complexities of these businesses. (Hatch, 2018)Power and control are dened as how the owners and managers who invested in a business dominate its workforce, who unquestioningly accepted the owners' and managers' perspectives and so ignored the plight of individuals working in awful conditions. This led to problems and inefciencies in the company's operations. The company also relied heavily on a small group of insiders, who had complete control over the company's operations. This led to a culture of fear and intimidation, where employees were afraid to speak up or challenge the status quo. The combination of these factors led to Zilingo's downfall. The company's aggressive growth strategy, reliance on a small group of insiders, and culture of fear and intimidation created a perfect storm that ultimately led to the company's demise. 2 Justification of chosen perspective and how this impacts my writing approach Instead of explanation or comprehension, the postmodern perspective focuses on appreciating the phenomena of interest.(Hatch, 2018) Postmodernists criticize the modernist claim that data-driven management control systems are required for cost containment and performance maximization. They argue that modernists disregard the human costs that monitoring activities impose on those who are governed. Postmodernism refutes the notion that modernist organization theorists are inclined to blindly adopt the perspective and interests of managers to the detriment of lower-level employees and society. Postmodern research frequently elicits sympathy for the dispossessed and disempowered or fosters an appreciation for alternative forms of organization that do not restrict, but rather honor and safeguard human freedoms. Postmodernists believe in reflexive epistemology, which holds that we can only know through self-reference; that there are no objects, only objectications; and that we only know as the subject position in conversation. Every knowledge claim is a power play; reality is a masquerade, and there is nothing behind the mask.(Hatch, 2018). In addition, Postmodernism places emphasis on a subjective understanding of evidence and the 7 f A L capacity of human consciousness to continually move beyond the bounds of social convention.(Bowden, 2019) A contemporary lens will allow for a contemporary assessment of power and control inside Zilingo. In addition, the contemporary lens will facilitate a critical evaluation of Zilingo's practices and behaviors in regard to its power and control. A crucial characteristic of a modern lens is that it enables a focus on the present. This is essential for studying power and control within the contemporary organization Zilingo. In addition, the contemporary lens will aid in the evaluation of the practices and behaviours of the Zilingo. This is due to the fact that the contemporary lens considers the current environment and zeitgeist. We can only comprehend the practices and behaviours of Zilingo if we have a thorough grasp of the existing environment. Postmodernists think that exposing suppressed or concealed components of speech modies existing discursive practices. Employing more persons of colour and more women has altered a variety of organizations and cultures. Those whose power has been endangered have, unsurprisingly, reacted politically.(Hatch, 2018) The contemporary perspective is equally essential because it considers the global situation. Given that Zilingo is a global organization, it is crucial to comprehend the global framework in which it operates. The modern lens will facilitate this comprehension. In conclusion, the contemporary lens is significant because it enables a focus on the present, considers the current situation, and also considers the global context. 3 Critical literature review on Power and Control In the past few years, people have paid more attention to studying organizational leadership and authority. Many things led to this change, but the most important ones were the increasing complexity of organizations, the spread of globalization, and the growth of the internet. It is important to see power as a social relationship, not as something that certain people or groups own. It also stresses how important it is to look into both informal and formal power structures. Modern ideas about power and control in the workplace have changed the way we think about and study organizations in a number of ways.(Haveman & Watts, 2019) One important thing is that it shows how important it is to see power as a social connection. This means that we need to learn more about how organizations give and use power. As a second point, this point of view stresses how important it is to look into both "formal" and "informal" types of authority. Formal forms of power, like those given by a formal organizational structure, are usually easier to spot and understand. In addition to formal structures of power, though, personal relationships and other forms of informal power are also very important in society.(Hatch, 2018) Lastly, the approach stresses how important it is to look into how power shows up in different ways. The right and wrong ways to use power must be looked into. Given how people think about power and control in organizations today, this line of inquiry can go in a number of different directions. The rst is that it emphasizes how important it is to study things from different elds. Power has many different sides, so to really understand it, you need to look at it from different angles. Second, because of the point of view, qualitative research methods are emphasized. Because social connections are so complicated, qualitative methods like interviews and participant observation work well when studying power. Third, this point of view emphasizes 7 K J L how important comparative studies are. Comparative analysis is needed to study how power works in different kinds of organizations. Modern ideas about power and control in the workplace have a big impact on how we think about organizations. It shows how important it is to look into both formal and informal forms of power and how important it is to understand power as a social link. This point of view gives a good framework for understanding the subtleties of power in institutional settings, and it also has a number of implications for future studies. 3.1 Disciplinary Power Modern jails, according to Foucault, are analogous to the open executions and oppressive practices that prevailed in cultures ruled by sovereign power (e.g., monarchy). His comparison emphasized the distinction between overt oppression and the covert and covert forms of power that contemporary societies rely on to maintain social order. According to Foucault, discipline is at the core of contemporary authority.(Hatch, 2018). Michel Foucault, Max Weber, and Emile Durkheim are three notable thinkers who have investigated the nature of disciplinary authority in organizations. All of these authors stress how crucial it is to maintain order in the workplace, and many of them even indicate that this approach is more effective than more overt authoritarianism. This is a critical factor that needs to be taken into account when thinking about solutions to issues with authority and control in organizations. Research has demonstrated that disciplinary power is more effective than more overt forms of oppression in producing the intended results, which is why the great majority of organizations rely on it to control the behaviour of their members. 3.2 The inter-unit conict model The inter-unit conict model was developed by American organization theorists Richard Walton and John Dutton. At several stages of study, the model nds probable conict origins. Observed occurrences of conict can be understood by referencing the local conditions and setting in which they occurred. Figure 1 depicts an analytical approach that begins with local conditions and then considers the contextual variables of strategy, organization, and environment.(Hatch, 2018) Context > Local conditions > Observableindices 0 environment 0 interpersonal differences 0 open hostility 0 strategy 0 group characteristics 0 distrust/disrespect 0 technology 0 goal incompatibility 0 information distortion 0 social structure 0 task interdependence 0 'we-they' rhetoric 0 culture 0 rewards and performance criteria 0 lack of cooperation 0 physical structure 0 common resources 0 avoidance of interaction 0 status incongruity 0 jurisdictional ambiguity 0 communication obstacles Figure 1. A model representing possible sources of inter-unit conict in organizations. 4. Critical evaluation of the practices/behaviours of Zilingo in relation to Power and control through critical application of the reviewed theories. 4.1 Corruption, Financial Irregularities and the Need of strong corporate governance The business neglected to submit annual financial statements for a period of two years, which is a requirement for companies of its size in Singapore. In less than two years, the US$226 million that Zilingo had raised from investors had been squandered. (How a Celebrity CEO's Rule of Fear Helped Bring down Hot Startup Zilingo, Garage - THE BUSINESS TIMES, n.d.) The following concern concerns financial irregularities. According to one source, the corporation provided $14 million in book loans to Indian and Indonesian vendors. Nonetheless, no risk assessment was performed on these loans, and the full sum was written off as bad debt. Furthermore, in December 2019, Zilingo paid $15.5 million in cash and shares to acquire the Sri Lankan software start-up ncinga. Negotiations with ncinga are said to have begun in May 2019 at a valuation of $5 million to $7 million. According to a source, Bose's hasty purchase of Zilingo ended in Zilingo spending more than twice as much seven months later. (Zilingo's House Of Cards: How Founders Mismanaged It To The Ground, n.d.) (Desender et al., 2020)In a shareholder-oriented system, organizations are viewed as economic entities whose purpose is to maximize shareholder value, and corporate governance mechanisms are designed to minimize agency issues resulting from the separation of ownership and control. Corporate governance aims to reduce agency problems. In this system, shareholders are likely to view an increase in CSR engagement as a means of gaining a competitive advantage and creating value by mitigating risks associated with firms' stakeholders.4.2 Interpersonal Conflict The strained relationship between Ms. Bose and Mr. Shailendra Singh, head of Sequoia India, a long-time supporter, is at the core of the company's demise. According to the sources, the dispute got so heated that Sequoia's attorneys ordered that Ms. Bose stop making accusations that would damage the company's reputation in a court notice issued in May.(H0w a Celebrity CEO '5 Rule of F ear Hebed Bring down Hat Singapore Start-up Ziiingo | The Straits Times, n.d.) (Bundy et al., 2018) contend that cooperation between an organization and its stakeholders is greatest when relational partners have the same basic values and strategic aims. This focus on two aspects of 08 compatibility: value congruence and strategic complementarity. Additionally, postmodernists believe that conflict may be productive if managed well. A well- functioning team is comprised of members who engage in healthy and productive conflicts. This describe how positive interactions can be generated with fit along only one dimension, and how negative relationships can come from misfit. Furthermore, the study (Halevy et al., 2013) looked at the association between conict mental models and various types of dysfunctional social relationships in businesses. It discovered that people's perceptions about their best and worst conflict resolution strategies are related to their personality, impact their workplace conict experiences, and influence others' behavioural intentions toward them. 7 f A 4.3 Formal and informal sources of power inside the organization Weber suggested that formal authority is inherent in hierarchy and that its inuence flows from top to bottom through hierarchical position-dened connections. Institutional theorists contend that power crystallizes into an organization's formal authority structure at the organizational level of analysis. Informal power accounts for lateral influence that can have an impact on teamwork, cross-functional friction, and cooperation.(Hatch, 2018). Former employees paint a picture of a CEO who dominated through fear within the organization. Because of her signicant connections, she allegedly told certain employees they would not have a second opportunity in the start-up industry. According to one source, she would publicly humiliate staff and declare that she had to do everything herself to preserve the company. Another called her a narcissist who would throw anyone under the bus to protect her own reputation.(Zf}r'ngo-Backer Sequoia Scws Fraud Allegations \"Deeply Disturbing, \" 11.d.; Zilingo '5 House QfCards: How Founders Msmanaged It To The Ground, n.d.) This is a modernist approach; Bose's managerial style which aimed at control harmed the corporation and alienated employees. (Lambert, 2021 )The question of whether shareholders have greater authority than CEOs cannot be reduced, from a Foucauldian perspective, to the discipline project in corporate governance. According to that viewpoint, corporate governance can be seen as a process of normalization in which "excellent" executives are rewarded and "misbehaving" ones are disciplined and retrained. The particular hierarchical structure is where the disciplinary power is located. It is important to take into account the Panopticonlike arrangements that could expose business executives to a constant eld of vision. According to Foucault, the AGM is an evaluation in which the shareholders evaluate a company and its executives. Individuals are subject to disciplinary authority through this ritualized evaluation of individuals. The AGM is an annual event that is followed by formal customs, with business leaders studying in preparation for that inspection. 5. Conclusion Given the ambiguity of postmodernism, it is difcult to make recommendations regarding necessary changes. Postmodernism emphasizes a subjective understanding of evidence and the capacity of human consciousness to transcend social conventions continuously. Contemporary notions of power and control in the workplace have a signicant influence on how we view organizations. It demonstrates the signicance of viewing power as a social relationship. This perspective provides an excellent framework for comprehending the nuances of power in institutional settings. It also has several implications for future research. Self-regulation and disciplinary power are more effective than overt forms of oppression in producing the desired outcomes. This is a crucial factor that must be considered when considering solutions to authority and control problems in organizations. Strong leaders are required to inspire and motivate employees. Additionally, they must be responsible for their actions and able to make difcult decisions when necessary. Zilingo should invest in leadership training and development programs. Corruption within the organization is the rst issue. In many businesses, corruption is a serious issue that can have a significant impact on the exercise of authority and control. Transparency and strong corporate governance are required to combat corruption. Establishing a solid authority structure for discipline is one approach to achieving this objective. This will guarantee that employees are held accountable and that a transparent and accountable mechanism is in place. 7 5T Ineffective leadership can result in a lack of direction, poor decision-making, and a lack of responsibility within an organization. To combat this, businesses must have leaders who can inspire and motivate their employees. In addition, these leaders must be held accountable for their actions and be able to make difficult decisions when necessary. Strong leaders are required to inspire and motivate employees. Additionally, they must be responsible for their actions and able to make difficult decisions when necessary. Zilingo should invest in leadership development and training programs to ensure that it has qualified leaders in place In order to prevent corruption and financial irregularities, organizations must be transparent and employ efficient anti-corruption methods. Establishing a robust power structure for discipline is one method for achieving this goal. This will ensure that employees are held accountable for their actions and that a clear mechanism to ensure transparency and accountability is in place. Zilingo is suggested to increase the transparency of its business practices. Strong corporate governance and transparency are needed in order to combat corruption and ensure that employees are held accountable for their actions. Zilingo should ensure that their budget and financial reporting techniques are concise and that all of their financial data is accessible to stakeholders. In addition, they should have a well-established system for managing financial inconsistencies