OB Politics

8/3/2019 OB Politics

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T W E L V E

Organizational Powerand Politics

Organizational Powerand Politics

C H A P T E R


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Su ggested topics

Describe a time when yo u had to deal withorganizational politics .

Describe a sit u ation where yo u saw evidenceof power or infl u ence being u sed in anorganization

Describe a time when someone infl u encedyou to act a partic u lar way or do a partic u larthing that yo u wo u ld not of otherwise done.


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PowerEmpowerment

How to get itHow to u se it

without abusing it


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Definition

A fou r letter word ?

Influ ence?

Control over others?Being able to get things done?

??????


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A shifting definition

Reflects the new reality of organizations

A new definition of employee


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Southland Times, New Zealand

The Meaning of Power

Power is the capacity of a person,team, or organization to infl u enceothers.

The potential to infl u ence others People have power they don t u se

and may not know they possess

Power req u ires one person sperception of dependence on

another person


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Why does having power matter?

With power yo u canIntercede favorably on behalf of someone in tro u bleGet a desirable placement for a talented s u bordinateGet approval for expendit u res beyond the b u dgetGet items on and off agendasGet fast access to decision makersMaintain reg u lar, freq u ent contact with decisionmakersAcqu ire early information abo u t decisions and policyshifts


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The goal?

Overcome feelings of powerlessness

Convert power effectively into interpersonal

influ

ences in ways that avoid the abu

se of power


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To empower yourself To facilitate the empowermentof others


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Relationship Among Social Infl u ence, Power,Relationship Among Social Infl u ence, Power,

and Politicsand Politics

O rganizationalpolitics

Use of power forpersonal interests

Capacity toexert influence

Social influence

Unsuccessful

Successful

Power


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Power and Dependence

PersonA

PersonBs Goals

PersonB

Person Bscounterpower over Person

A

Person Aspower over Person B


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Types of Individ u al Power: ATypes of Individ u al Power: ASu mmarySu mmary

Position Power

Legitimate powerReward powerCoercive power

Individual Power

Personal PowerReferent powerExpert power


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M odel of Power in O rganizations

Power over Others

ContingenciesOf Power

SourcesOf Power

Legitimate

Reward

Coercive

ExpertReferent


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Legitimate Power

One s str u ct u ral position

The power a person receives as a res u lt of his

or her position in the formal hierarchy of anorganization


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The Limits of Legitimate Power

The Caine M u tiny ill u strates

the limits of legitimate

power in organizations.Captain Q u eeg (H u mphrey

Bogart, seated left) asked his

crew to do more than they

were willing to follow, so

they staged a m u tiny. Archive Photos


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Reward and Coercive Power

Power that achieves compliance based on theability to distrib u te rewards that others viewas val u able

Coercive Power: the opposite of rewardpower: the power that is based on fear of negative res u lts.


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Sources of Power

Archive Photos

Legitimate Power

Reward Power

Coercive Power

Expert Power

Referent Power


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Expert Power

Influ ence is based on special skills orknowledge


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Referent Power

Influ ence is based on possession by anindivid u al of desirable reso u rces or personaltraits

The desire to please


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Information and Power

Control over information flow Based on legitimate power Relates to formal comm u nication network

Common in centralized str u ct u res (wheel pattern)

Coping with u ncertainty Those who know how to cope with organizational

u ncertainties gain powerPreventionForecastingAbsorption


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Contingencies of Power

ContingenciesOf Power

Power over others

SourcesOf Power

Substitutability

Centrality

Discretion

Visibility


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IncreasingNonsubstitutability

ControllingTasks

ControllingKnowledge

Differentiation

ControllingLabour

Increasing Nonsubstitutability


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Commitment

Consequences of Power

RewardPower

LegitimatePower

CoercivePower

ExpertPower

ReferentPower

Resistance

Compliance

Sourcesof Power

Consequencesof Power


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S exu al Harassment and Power

Harasser stereotypes the victim assu bservient and powerless

Harasser threatens job sec u rity or safetythro u gh coercive or legitimate power

Hostile work environment harassmentcontin u es when the victim lacks power tostop the behavio u r


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Office Romance and Power

Co-workers believe that employees inrelationships ab u se their power to favo u r eachother.

Higher risk of sex u al harassment whenrelationship breaks off.


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Organizational Politics

Attempts to infl u ence others u singdiscretionary behavio u rs to promotepersonal objectives Discretionary behavio u rs neither explicitly

prescribed nor prohibited

Politics may be good or bad for the

organization


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Organizational Politics: More Likely at theOrganizational Politics: More Likely at theTopTop

E x t e n t t o W h i c

h P o

l i t i c a l A c t i v i t y i s L i

k e l y ( r a n g e 0

E x t e n t t o W h i c

h P o

l i t i c a l A c t i v i t y i s L i

k e l y ( r a n g e 0 - - 3 ) 3 )

Production andProduction andblue collarblue collar

Clerical andClerical andwhite collarwhite collar

Technical andTechnical andprofessionalprofessional

LowerLowermanagementmanagement

M iddleM iddlemanagementmanagement

UpperUppermanagementmanagement

1.31.3

1.21.2

1.11.1

1.01.0

.9.9

.8.8

.7.7

.6.6

.5.5

.4.4

.3.3

.2.2

.1.1

O rganizational LevelO rganizational Level

(.18)(.18)

(.50)(.50)(.54)(.54)

(.73)(.73)

(1.07)(1.07)

(1.22)(1.22)Political activityis perceived to

increase at higherorganizational levels


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Types of Organizational

Politics

Managingimpressions

Attacking andblaming

Creatingobligations

Cultivatingnetworks

Types of O rganizational Politics

Controllinginformation

Formingcoalitions


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Impression management

Conformity: agreeing with another s opinion to get their approvalExcu ses: Explanations of a predicament-creating event aimed atminimizing the apparent severity of the predicamentApologies: Admitting responsibility for an u ndesirable event andsim u ltaneo u sly seeking to get a pardon for the actionAcclamations: Explanation of favo u rable events to maximize thedesirable implications for oneself.Flattery: Complimenting others on their virt u es in an effort to makeoneself appear perceptive and likeableFavo u rs: Doing something nice for someone to gain that person sapproval

Association: Enhancing or protecting one s image by managinginformation abo u t people and things with which one is associated.


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Types of Organizational

Politics

Attacking andblaming

Creatingobligations

Cultivatingnetworks

Controllinginformation

Formingcoalitions

It was John sfau lt

I tho u ght yo u knew

We agreedthat

Look who Iknow

You scratch my

back


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ConditionsSupporting

OrganizationalPolitics

ScarceResources

Complex andAmbiguousDecisions

PersonalCharacteristics

Tolerance of Politics

Conditions for O rganizational Politics


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ConditionsSupporting

OrganizationalPolitics

ScarceResources

Complex andAmbiguousDecisions

PersonalCharacteristics

Tolerance of Politics

Conditions for O rganizational Politics

Deceit isappropriate

Zero-sum rewards

Internal locus of control Perceived

alternatives?

It works here

Democratic decisionmaking


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Political Antics Top the Most UnethicalList : Su rvey Res u lts

Gender discriminationin recr u itment or hiringArrangements with vendors

leading to personal gain

Nonperformance factorsu sed in appraisals

Gender discriminationin compensation

Not maintainingconfidentiality

Using disciplineinconsistently

Gender discriminationin promotion

Sexu alharassment

Allowing differences in paydu e to friendships

Hiring, training, or promotingbased on favo u ritism

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

S itu ation

Percentage Responding with a 4 or 5 on a five-Point Scale

Measu

ring Degree of S

eriou

sness (where 5= very great )

(22.6)

(23.1)

(23.5)

(25.8)

(26.4)

(26.9)

(26.9)

(28.4)

(30.7)

(30.7)

Potentiallypolitical

behavio u rs


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Controlling Political Behaviour

Peer PressureAgainst Politics

RemovePolitical Norms

Free FlowingInformation

Manage ChangeEffectively

ProvideSufficient

Resources

IntroduceClear Rules

HireLow-PoliticsEmployees

IncreaseOpportunitiesfor Dialogue

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