Organization Power and

Politics

Introduction
How do you perceive power?

Dark and gloomy?

Bright and cheery?

Power
Power:

ability to get something done the way a

person wants it done

Includes

the ability to gather physical and human

resources and put them to work to reach a goal

Essential

to leadership and management functions

Power (Cont.)
More

than dominance: a capacity to get

something done in an organization
Central feature of political behavior
Unavoidable presence in organizations

Power (Cont.)
Facets

of power

Potential

power: one party perceives another party as

having power and the ability to use it

Actual

power: the presence and use of power

Potential

for power: person or group has control of

resources from which to build power

Power (Cont.)
Power

relationships: moments of social

interaction where power manifests itself
Dimensions of power relationships
Relational:

social interaction between people and

groups
Dependence
Reliance

of one party on another party

High power when valued results not available elsewhere
Sanctioning:

use of rewards or penalties

Power (Cont.)
Power

and authority

Different

concepts although a person can have both

Authority

usually flows from a persons position in an

organization

Power

can accrue to people at any level

Power (Cont.)
Power

dynamics

Dynamic

not static; rises and falls for people and

groups
Shifts in environment can change power of person or
group
Marketing:

successful product--power goes up; lose market

share--power goes down

Technology:

as it increases in importance, people who know it

become more powerful. The opposite happens as importance
of technology drops

Bases of Power

Bases of power: aspects of formal manage-ment position and

personal characteristics

Organizational bases of power: sources of power in formal

management position
Personal bases of power: sources of power in a managers personal
characteristics

Accumulate to a total power base

Proposed in 1959 by sociologists John French and Bertram Raven
Bases of power looks at: where does power come from?
Bases of power refer to what power-holders control that allow
them to manipulate the behavior of others.

Bases of Power (Cont.)

Organizational
Legitimate
the

bases of power

power

power a person receive as a result

of his or her position in the formal
hierarchy of an organization
also known as positional power
Derives from position
Decision authority

Bases of Power
Legitimate
Job

power

descriptions, for example, require junior

workers to report to managers and give
managers the power to assign duties to their
juniors.
For positional power to be exercised
effectively, the person wielding it must be
deemed to have earned it legitimately.

Bases of Power
Organizational
Reward
power

bases of power (cont.)

power

based on different distribution of rewards

that others view as valuable
Arises from the ability of a person to influence
the allocation of incentives like salary
increments and promotions.
Tie positive results to a persons behavior
Organizations reward system and policies

Bases of Power
Reward
People

power

who wield reward power tend to

influence the actions of other employees.
Reward power, if used well, greatly
motivates employees.
But if it's applied through favoritism, reward
power can greatly demoralize employees and
diminish their output.

Bases of Power (Cont.)

Organizational
Coercive
power

bases of power (cont.)

power

that is based on fear

derived from a person's ability to influence
others via threats, punishments or sanctions.
A junior staff member may work late to meet a
deadline to avoid disciplinary action from his
boss.

Bases of Power (Cont.)

Coercive
Tie

power

negative results to a persons behavior

Organizations
Coercive

penalty system and policies

power helps control the behavior of

employees by ensuring that they adhere to
the organization's policies and norms.

Bases of Power (Cont.)

Organizational

bases of power (cont.)

Information

power

Information

control

Information

distribution

People

who have access to sensitive information have a

greater say in decision making

Even

a low-rank employee who interacts with many

people of all hierarchies can posses Information power

Bases of Power (Cont.)

Organizational

bases of power (cont.)

All

management positions have some

organizational basis of power

Minimally
Reward

have legitimate power

and coercive power depend on

organizational policies about rewards and
sanctions

Bases of Power (Cont.)

Personal

bases of power

Referent

power:

Identification

with a person who has

desirable resources or personal traits, the
power of being likable.

People

possess reference power when others

respect and like them.

Bases of Power (Cont.)

Referent

power

Referent

power arises from charisma, as the

charismatic person influences others via the
admiration, respect and trust others have for
them.
Referent power is also derived from personal
connections that a person has with key
people in the organization's hierarchy, such
as the CEO.

Bases of Power (Cont.)

Expert

power:

influence

wielded as a result of expertise,

special like skill, or technical knowledge
Such people are highly valued by
organizations for their problem solving skills.
People who have expert power perform
critical tasks and are therefore deemed
indispensable.

Bases of Power (Cont.)

Expert

power:

The

opinions, ideas and decisions of people with expert

power are held in high regard by other employees and
hence greatly influence their actions.

Possession

of expert power is normally a stepping stone

to other sources of power such as legitimate power.

For

example, a person who holds expert power can be

promoted to senior management, thereby giving him
legitimate power.

Power, Leadership,
and Management
- Much more than dominance
Power

is not only about influence on others.

Capacity
Power

to get things done

is the ability to get things done.

- Therefore, Power is essential in leadership and

management.

Power, Leadership,
and Management (Cont.)
Behavior

of powerful leaders and managers

Delegate

decision authority

See

peoples talents as a resource

Can

change peoples working conditions

Get

resources and information for work group

Take

risks

Power, Leadership,
and Management (Cont.)
Behavior

of powerful leaders and managers

Press

for innovations
Share power widely
Help develop people

Results
Highly effective
Increases total power of the work group
Increases peoples promotion opportunities

Power, Leadership,
and Management (Cont.)
Behavior

of powerless leaders and managers

Supervise
Do

closely

not delegate decision authority

Often
See

distrust subordinates

peoples talents as a threat

Stick

to the rules

Power, Leadership,
and Management (Cont.)
Behavior
Do

of powerless leaders and managers

not take risks

Strongly
Protect

focus on the work

his or her territory

Results

Ineffective
Low total power of work group
Decreases peoples promotion opportunities

Building Power
Six

major sources of power

Sources

are related to bases of power described

earlier
Political

diagnosis, described later, is an

important step in building power

Building Power (Cont.)

Knowledge,

skill, reputation, professional

credibility (expert and information power)
Political network
Formal

or informal
Often based on position in a communication channel
Important in lateral relationships
Create

perception of dependence: control of

scarce resources

Building Power (Cont.)

Work

activities (legitimate power)

Extraordinary
Visible
Successful

Charisma

at high-risk activities

(referent power). Especially important

in lateral relationships

Building Power (Cont.)

Power

base of the work unit

Coping

with uncertainty

Unique

function

Changes

in external environment

Centrality

in work flow

Human resource management departments that become

expert in affirmative action, equal employment opportunity,
and workforce diversity can increase their power.

Attribution of Power
Ascribing
May

power to people at any level

not be same as actual power

Attribution

based on

Personal

characteristics

Context

of the person

Attribution of Power (Cont.)

Personal
Formal

characteristics
position: status and authority

Technical
Central

Context

position in a communication network

of the person

Physical
Group

knowledge

context

or project membership

Member

of a coalition

Political Behavior
Getting,

developing, and using power to reach a

desired result

Often

appears in situations of uncertainty or

conflict over choices

Often

happens outside accepted channels of

authority

Political Behavior (Cont.)

Unofficial, unsanctioned behavior to reach a goal

Build bases of power

Use political behavior

Affect decisions

Get scarce resources

Earn cooperation of people outside direct authority

Political Behavior (Cont.)

Ebbs and flows with the dynamics of power

Two characteristics: power and influence

Directed at reaching organizational goals or individual

goals

Plays an important role in lateral relationships

Rarely have formal authority in such relationships

Political Behavior (Cont.)

Characteristics of political processes

Power

Political
process

Influence

Political Behavior (Cont.)

Political

behavior and lateral relationships

Line-staff
Many

entry positions

Marketing
Human

resource management
Information systems
Competition

for resources: money, people, equipment, office

space
Interdependence in work flow. Especially modern
manufacturing

Political Maneuvering
in Organizations
Political

maneuvering

Political

strategy

Plan

to reach a goal using specific political tactics

Goal: organizational or personal
Political
Builds

tactics

power base
Uses power

Political Maneuvering
in Organizations (Cont.)
Astrategyis

a larger, overall plan that can comprise

severaltactics, while tactics are small plans to
achieve smaller goals so as to achieve a larger goal.
Example

Strategy

=> Planning where to send the troops to

win the war.

Tactic

=> How soldiers should run in a zig-zag

pattern to decrease the chance of being shot.

Political Maneuvering
in Organizations (Cont.)
Ethical

Political Strategies and Tactics

=>Strategies and Tactics Aimed Directly at

Gaining Power.
Develop

Power Contacts and Relationships:

Cultivating friendly, cooperative relationships with
powerful organizational members and outsiders can
make the leader's cause much easier to advance.
These contacts can benefit a person by supporting
his or her ideas in meetings and other public forums.

Political Maneuvering
in Organizations (Cont.)
Make

an Early Showing: A display of dramatic results

can help gain acceptance for one's efforts. Once a
person has impressed management with his or her
ability to solve an important problem, that person can
look forward to working on problems that will bring
greater power.

=>Strategies and Tactics Aimed at Building

Relationships.
Develop

a Reputation as a Subject Matter Expert:

Expertise is one of the major sources of power. Others
come to ask help from an expert.

Political Maneuvering
in Organizations (Cont.)

Consult With and Ask Advice of Others: Consulting with

others, even when not required, helps build support for a
decision or action. Asking another person for advicesomeone whose job does not require and asking advice
transmits a message of trust in the other person's
judgment.

Political Maneuvering
in Organizations (Cont.)

Unethical Political Strategies and Tactics

Back Stabbing: A frequent form of back stabbing is to

initiate a conversation with a rival about the weaknesses
of a common boss, encouraging negative commentary
and making careful mental notes of what the person
says. When these comments are passed along to the
boss, the rival appears disloyal and foolish.

Set a Person Up for Failure: The object of a setup is to

place a person in a position where he or she will either
fail outright or look ineffective.

Political Maneuvering
in Organizations (Cont.)

For example, an executive whom the CEO dislikes might

be given responsibility for a troubled division whose
market is rapidly collapsing. The newly assigned division
president cannot stop the decline and is then fired for
poor performance.

Political Diagnosis
Help

understand the loci of power

Identify

type of political behavior likely to happen

in an organization

Usually

done unobtrusively by observing behavior

and making subtle inquiries

Political Diagnosis (Cont.)

Areas

of diagnosis

Individuals
Identify

powerful people and politically active people

Assess

amounts of power

Assess

ways they likely will use their power

Assess

their political skills

Political Diagnosis (Cont.)

Areas

of diagnosis (cont.)

Coalitions
Alliance
Widely
Try

of people who share a common goal

dispersed in organization

to affect decisions

Political Diagnosis (Cont.)

Areas

of diagnosis (cont.)

Political

networks

Affiliations,

alliances, coalitions

Control

information flow and resources

Identify

major influences in the network

The Dark Side of

Organizational Politics
Lying

Deception
Organizational
politics

Intimidation

The Dark Side of

Organizational Politics (Cont.)
Deception
See

the Machiavelli quotation on page 293

Trick

another party into picking wrong decision

alternative

Personal

goals more important than organizational

goals
Manager does not want change and
asks for an endless series of studies

The Dark Side of

Organizational Politics (Cont.)
Lying
Intentional
Trying

to mislead other party

Distorts
Can

misstatement of the truth

information in favor of the liar

have long-term negative effects if discovered

There will be no layoffs.

The Dark Side of

Organizational Politics (Cont.)
Intimidation
Direct

or indirect pressures on a person by someone

with power over the person

Restrict
Isolate

communication of person with others

from others

Includes

sexual harassment of anyone

Imply withholding a promotion unless . . .

International Aspects of Political

Behavior in Organizations

People from different cultures hold different beliefs about

power and power relationships
Some cultures see a directive and autocratic use of power
as correct
Other cultures define a consultative or democratic
approach as correct
Different individuals within those cultures have different
beliefs about power relationships

International Aspects of Political Behavior in

Organizations
(Cont.)
The

Philippines, Mexico, India, Singapore, Hong

Kong: value a directive use of power. Hence
people in these countries prefer that the power
should be exercised by those people who give clear
orders
Workers ascribe power to a directive manager and
weakness to a consultative one (a consultative
person is one who prefers to give advice rather
than giving orders.)
Thus in these countries, a manager who gives clear
instructions to subordinates receives more respect
than a manager who consults subordinates.

International Aspects of Political Behavior in

Organizations
(Cont.)
Scandinavian

countries, Israel, Switzerland,

Austria, and New Zealand
Expect

managers to involve workers in decision-making

process
Thus a directive manager from India or Singapore, for
example, would not be well accepted by workers in
Scandinavian organizations
Manager has high power in home culture; little power
in Scandinavian cultures

International Aspects of Political Behavior in

Organizations
(Cont.)
Cultural

orientation to uncertainty and power

Workers

in Greece and France expect managers to

maintain low levels of uncertainty. Thus managers who
have doubts or are even a bit uncertain about their
decisions are not respected by the workers in these
countries

Manager

who cannot keep uncertainty low have little

power and influence over his workers

Workers

in Denmark and the United States have higher

tolerance for uncertainty

International Aspects of Political Behavior in

Organizations
(Cont.)
Cultural

(cont.)

orientation to uncertainty and power

Nonmanagers

in those countries expect managers to

make risky decisions
Ascribe high power to risk-taking managers; low power
to those who avoid risk
Degree of power ascribed to managers affects their
ability to affect others with political tactics

International Aspects of Political Behavior in

Organizations
(Cont.)
Individualistic

orientation and power

High

individualistic: United States, Australia, Great

Britain, Canada, the Netherlands
Low individualistic
Many

South American countries

They value family ties and conformity to social norms
South American workers expect managers

to look

after them
Managers who show interest in subordinates'
private lives enjoy high power

Ethical Issues About Political Behavior in

Organizations
Utilitarian

view: using power and political

behavior to serve only one's self-interest is
unethical

Political

behavior that uses excessive

organizational resources to reach a personal goal
is also unethical

Ethical Issues About Political Behavior in

Organizations
(Cont.)
Suggest

any political strategy is unethical

Does

not serve goals of the organization or

A larger group of people than the single political actor

Ignoring equipment maintenance to push products through

a manufacturing process for personal gain is behaving unethically

Ethical Issues About Political Behavior in

Organizations
(Cont.)
Using

power and political behavior that violates

another person's rights is unethical

A political

tactic such as co-optation can violate

others' rights

Co-opted

individual, unless he or she understands

the goal of the political actor, has not consented
to such influence

Ethical Issues About Political Behavior in

Organizations
(Cont.)

Sense of justice strongly argues for fair treatment

Giving preferential treatment to someone to build a sense

of obligation is unethical

Ethical Issues About Political Behavior in

Organizations
(Cont.)
Guidelines

for ethical political behavior

Distinguishes

organizational statesmanship from "dirty

politics"
Behavior

should serve people outside the organization,

beyond the single political actor

Individuals

should clearly know intent of actor; give

free consent to be influenced