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Power and Politics

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Power and politics often

have negative

connotations becausepeople associate them

with attempts to use

organizational resources

for personal advantageand to achieve personal

goals at the expense of

other goals.

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Organizational Behavior: Chapter 153

Power, formal authority, and obedience. The Milgram experiments.

Designed to determine the extent to which people obey

the commands of an authority figure, even under thebelief of life-threatening conditions.

The results indicated that the majority of the

experimental subjects would obey the commands of the

authority figure. Raised concerns about compliance and obedience.

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Zone of Indifference - the range in which attempts

to influence a person will be perceived as legitimate

& will be acted on without a great deal of thought

Zone of Indifference

Z o n e o f I n d i f f e r e n c e

Managers strive to expand the zone of indifference

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Power - the ability to influence another

personInfluence - the process of affecting the

thoughts, behavior, & feelings of

another person

Authority - the right to influenceanother person

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Reward Power -agents ability to control the

rewards that the target wants

Coercive Power -agents ability to cause an

unpleasant experience for a targetLegitimate Power - agent and target agree that

agent has influential rights, based on position

and mutual agreement

Referent Power - based on interpersonalattraction

Expert Power - agent has knowledge target

needs

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Commitment

RewardPower

LegitimatePower

CoercivePower

ExpertPower

ReferentPower

Resistance

Compliance

Sourcesof Power Consequencesof Power

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(Continued)

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Expert Power!

Strong relationship to performance & satisfaction

Transfers vital skills, abilities, and knowledge within

the organization Employees internalize what they observe & learn from

managers they consider experts

http://www.microsoft.com/billgates

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Information Power -

access to and control

over importantinformation

Formal/informal position

in communication

network

Interpreting information

when passing it on

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Does the behavior produce a

good outcome for people both

inside and outside the

organization?

Does the behavior respect the

rights of all parties?

Does the behavior treat allparties equitably and fairly?

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Personal Power

used for personal gain

Social Power

used to create motivation

used to accomplish group goals

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Have high need forsocial power

Approach relationships with a communal

orientationFocus on needs and interests of others

belief in justice altruism

belief in the

authority system

preference for

work & discipline

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Control of critical resourcesControl ofstrategic contingencies -

activities that other groups need to

complete their tasksWays groups hold power over other groups

Ability to reduce uncertainty

High centrality - functionality central to

organizations success

Nonsubstitutability - groups activities are difficult

to replace

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Organizational Power

Coercive Power - influence through threat of

punishment, fear, or intimidation

Utilitarian Power - influence through

rewards and benefits

Normative Power - influence through

knowledge of belonging, doing the right thing

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Organizational Membership

Alienative Membership - members feel

hostile, negative, do not want to be there

Calculative Membership - members weigh

benefits and limitations of belonging

Moral Membership - members have positive

organizational feelings; will deny own needs

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Type of Membership

Typeo

fPower

Alienative Calculative Moral

Normative

Utilitarian

Coercive

SOURCE: Adapted from Amitai Etzioni,Modern Organizations (Upper Saddle River, N. J.: Prentice-Hall, 1964), 59-61

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Ability to intercede for someone in trouble

Ability to get placements for favored employees

Exceeding budget limitationsProcuring above-average raises for employees

Getting items on the agenda at meetings

Access to early informationHaving top managers seek out their opinion

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First-line Supervisors overly close supervision

inflexible adherence to rules do job rather than train

Staff Professionals resistance to change

turf protection

Top Executives budget cuts

punishing behaviors

top-down communications

Managers assign external attribution -

blame others or environment

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Organizational Politics - the use of

power and influence in organizations

Political Behavior - actions not officially

sanctioned by an organization that are

taken to influence others in order tomeet ones personal goals

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(Continued)

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(Continued)

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Specific Political Strategies for Power

Acquisition (continued) Make a Quick Showing

Collect and Use IOUs

Attacking and Blaming Others

Progress One Step at a Time

(Continued)

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Specific Political Strategies for Power

Acquisition (continued) Wait for a Crisis

Take Counsel with Caution

Be Aware of Resource Dependence

A Final Word on Power and Politics-

authenticity

(Continued)

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Understand Your Boss

and Her Context

Her goals andobjectives

The pressures on her

Her strengths,weaknesses, blind spots

Her preferred work

style

Assess Yourself

and Your Needs

Your own strengths andweaknesses

Your personal style

Your predispositiontoward dependence on

authority figures

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Develop and Maintain a

Relationship that Fits both your needs and styles

Is characterized by mutual expectations

Keeps your boss informed

Is based on dependability and honesty Selectively uses your bosss time and

resources

SOURCE: Information on slides 21-22 adapted and reprinted by permission of Harvard Business Review. From J. J. Gabarro and J. P. Kotter, Managing

Your Boss,Harvard Business Review (January-February 1980): 92-100. Copyright 1980 by the Harvard Business School Publishing Corporation; all

rights reserved.

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Recognize that power and politics influence allbehavior in organizations and that it is necessary todevelop the skills to be able to understand andmanage them.

Analyze the sources of power in the function,division, and organization in which you work toidentify powerful people and the organizationspower structure.

To influence organizational decision making andyour chances of promotion, try to develop apersonal power base to increase your visibility andindividual power.

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Questions