Authority

Authority refers to a legitimate form of power that sustains integration, predictability, and order within organizations. How authority derives its perceived legitimacy is a key issue that to some extent structures the field of inquiry. In the organizational communication literature, this issue has been addressed in different ways, broadly grouped into three themes: (1) the authority to decide and to co‐create meaning, (2) the performance of authority, and (3) authoring the organization. Discussion of each theme shows a tendency to move from static to more dynamic views of authority as well as an increased interest in authority as an organizational communication phenomenon.