The Success of high performing companies and organizations results as much from what happens behind the scenes as from leaders’ more visible actions.

Premise…

POWER AND POLITICS

What is power?

Power is…

The capacity of team, person or

an organization to influence

others.

The potential to influence others.

It requires one person’s

perception of dependence on

other.

Influenceablity of power…

Dependency.

Age.

Gender.

Personality.

Culture.

Dependency - the key to power

Importance.

Scarcity.

Non substitutability.

Power and Dependence

PersonA

PersonB’s Goals

PersonB

Person B’s counterpower over Person A

Person A’s power over

Person B

Bases of power in organization.

1.Formal (positional).

2.Informal (personal) .

1. FORMAL POWERReward power.Coercive power.Legitimate power.Process power.Information power.Representative power.

2.INFORMAL POWER

Expert power.

Rational persuasion.

Referent power.

CONSEQUENCES OF POWER

Commitment

RewardPower

Legitimate Power

CoercivePower

ExpertPower

ReferentPower

Resistance

Compliance

Sources of Power

Consequences of Power

POWER TACTICS• Legitimacy• Rational persuasion• Inspirational appeals• Consultation• Exchange• Personal appeals• Ingratiation • Pressure• Coalitions

ORGANIZATIONAL POLITICS

Involves Intentional acts of influence to

enhance or protect the self interest of

individuals or groups.

Politics is a necessary function resulting from

differences in the self interests of individuals.

FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE POLITICS

1. Individual factors.

2. Organizational factors.

1.INDIVIDUAL FACTORS

Authoritarian(Machiavellianism).

Self-monitoring.

High risk propensity.

Internal locus of control.

High need for power,status,security or

autonomy.

2.ORGANIZATIONAL FACTORS.

• Competition.

• Level in organization.

• Low trust.

• Role ambiguity and counter norms.

• Unclear evaluation systems.

• Democratic decision making.

FACTORS INFLUENCING POLITICAL BEHOLDER

Individual factors

Organizational factors

Political BehaviorLow High

Favorable outcomes• Rewards•Averted punishments

POLITICAL TACTICS

• Attacking or blaming others.

• Using information as a political tool.

• Creating a favorable image.

• Developing a base of support.

• Association with influential people.

• Creating obligations.

Response of politics in organization.

Organization politics may threaten

employees…

Decreased job satisfaction.

Increased anxiety and stress.

Increased turnover.

Reduced performance.

Positive aspects of organizational politics.

• Overcoming personnel inadequacies.

• Coping with change.

• Substituting for formal authority.

Defensive behavior.•Avoiding action. overconforming, Buck passing, playing dumb, stretching, stalling.

•Avoiding blame. Buffing, Playing safe, Justifying, Scapegoating, Misrepresenting.

•Avoiding Change. prevention, self protection.

Ethical Guidelines for Political Behavior

Question 1Is the action motivated by self-serving

interests whichexclude the goals of the

organization?Question 2

Does the politicalaction respect

individual rights?

Question 3Is the political

activity fairand equitable?

Yes

NoYes

No

Yes

No

Unethical

Unethical

Unethical

Ethical

IMPRESSION MANAGEMENT.

•The process by which people attempt to

control or manipulate the reactions of

others to images of themselves or their

ideas.

•It is a behavior that people direct toward

others to create and maintain desired

perceptions of themselves.

Impression Management Techniques.

• Conformity.

• Excuses.

• Apologies.

• Self-promotion.

• Flattery.

• Favors.

• Association.

Harvard Business

Review

“Power and Politics in Organisational Life”

By – Abraham Zaleznik.

• Companies undergo critical conflicts in

organizational politics.

• The competition for power is characteristic of all

political structures.

• A political pyramid exists when people compete for

power in any economy.

• Characteristics of all political structures is the

incessant need to use whatever power one

possesses.

The Issue…

Power relations

• Organizational life within a political frame is

a series of contradictions.

• It deals with sources of authority and their

distribution.

• The formal organizational structures

implements a coalition among key

executives.

Knudsen’s case…• Knudsen –new comer was named the

President of the company.

• His power structure was dependent on

forming an alliance with Iacocca.

• Knudsen and Iacocca competed for power.

• Knudsen’s case coalition failed.

Problem-solving approach

• Organization structure is an instrument rather than an

end.

• Organization structure can be changed but should not be

tinkered with.

• Organization structure expresses the working coalition

attached to the chief executive.

• Organization structure represents a blend of people and

job definitions.

• Organization structure is a product of negotiation and

compromise among executives who hold power bases.

JOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT

Perception of organizational politics.By - Christopher P Parker

Stacy L Jackson.

• Factor analysis of data from an organizational climate survey suggest that organizational politics is an important dimension of peoples' perceptions of the work environment.

• Measures of perceived intergroup cooperation, clarity of roles and responsibilities, and fairness of rewards / recognition were most predictive of politics perceptions.

• Gandz and Murray (1980) reported that 60% of their survey respondents agreed with the statement that "most casual conversation appears to be about things I would consider as workplace politics" .

REFERENCES

• ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR 11th edition by Stephen P. Robbins

• ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOUR 4th edition by Steven L McShane, Mary Ann Von Glinow & Radha R Sharma.

• HBR – May-June 1970 , (Executive Power – Its use and misuse)

• Article – journal of management,sept-oct 1995(perception of organizational politics).

By –Karthiga. DMakhzoom Razi