Our intuitive understanding of power and resistance is rather strange. We often draw a strict contrast between the diabolic world of power and the liberating world of resistance. This division has almost religious dimensions. On one side of the pearly gates is a devilish realm of power where employees are directed by dark-suited overlords. This is Dante's inferno, where sinners are meted out excruciating punishment by a complex hierarchy of devils. On the other side of the pearly gates we have a world of sweetness and light, where emancipated employees frolic in a corporate playground overflowing with opportunities for naughtiness.

Like most intuitive understandings, this stark contrast between power and resistance is naive. It is a bedtime story of baddies (presumably the powerful manager) and goodies (presumably the oppressed worker). In such stories the baddies are always unfailingly bad and will not cease to exercise their diabolic power to achieve their dastardly plans. The freedom-fighting goodies will, of course, be resolutely good and endeavour to further their noble struggle at every turn.