A study used the frameworks of Rogers (1977) and Giddens (1977, 1979, 1995) to study the experiences of 10 adult distance learners enrolled in one or both of two online undergraduate business management courses. Rogers proposed that, when viewed through perspectives on power relationships, freedom and choice suggest that power is not just a matter of obtaining control over others but also sharing or surrendering power. Giddens described a relational sense of power that can include both domination and agency simultaneously and suggested that people seek routines in their lives as a way to maintain control. Participant interviews were taped and transcribed; separate thematic analyses using both transcripts and tapes were performed by all three team members and compared. Findings supported Giddens' assumption that people seek out routines that are influenced by power structures involving resources such as time, proximity, authority, and material or economic resources. The structure, not just the flexibility, of the courses helped learners manage daily routines that were described in part as a system of relational power that involved their instructors, employers, families, and, to a lesser extent, fellow learners. (15 references) (YLB)