What is the social construction of the faculty assessment system at Unival University, and how can it be explained? This dissertation used interview data from thirty members of faculty from a commercialized non-profit public university in Ghana to induct a substantive theory to describe and explain the particular social construction. The findings indicate that "organizational blackmail" is the dominant view held by the faculty about the faculty assessment system. The first part of the findings indicates that the phenomenon of organizational blackmail has seven important dimensions: causes, process, structures, strategies, manifestations, effects, and responses. The second part integrates the findings into a conceptual model of "triggers," "enablers," and "suppressors" of organizational blackmail and "change." The dissertation concludes that "organizational blackmail" is a management control tool, and that reforming the faculty assessment system to embrace principles of multiple scholarships in Unival University's faculty assessment, faculty retention, and faculty promotion regimes would reduce if not nullify the conditions that give rise to the phenomenon of organizational blackmail. Theoretical as well as practical implications of the findings are outlined. This research has brought blackmail into the mainstream of organizational studies. Further exploration of this phenomenon in other organizational contexts is merited. In particular, the seven dimensions identified for the phenomenon need to be more clearly specified in order for them to gauge organizational blackmail in other organizational contexts. NB: The organization used for this research is disguised for the entire presentation. Both the name Unival University and the names of the respondents were chosen for purposes of anonymity. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]