Power and Influence in the
Workplace
Chapter 10
10-2Copyright © 2013 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty LtdMcShane, Olekalns, Travaglione, Organisational Behaviour, 4e
Learning Objectives 10.1 Describe the dependence model of power and
describe the five sources of power in organisations
10.2 Discuss the four contingencies of power
10.3 Describe eight types of influence tactics, three consequences of influencing others, and three contingencies to consider when choosing an influence tactic
10.4 Explain how people and work units gain power through social networks
10.5 Identify the organisational conditions and personal characteristics that support organisational politics, as well as ways to minimise organisational politics
10-3Copyright © 2013 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty LtdMcShane, Olekalns, Travaglione, Organisational Behaviour, 4e
Managing Your Manager
Managing your boss is the process of improving the relationship with your manager for the benefit of both of you and the organisation.
It includes developing bases of power that enable you to influence the manager and thereby achieve organisational objectives
10-4Copyright © 2013 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty LtdMcShane, Olekalns, Travaglione, Organisational Behaviour, 4e
The Meaning of Power
Power is the capacity of a person, team or organisation to influence others
– Potential, not actual use
– People have power they don’t use and they may not know they possess it
– A perception
10-5Copyright © 2013 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty LtdMcShane, Olekalns, Travaglione, Organisational Behaviour, 4e
Power and Dependence
Resource desired by Person B
Resource desired by Person B
Person B’s countervailing
power over Person A
Person APerson A Person A’s control of
resource valued by Person B
Person BPerson B
Person A’s power over Person B
10-6Copyright © 2013 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty LtdMcShane, Olekalns, Travaglione, Organisational Behaviour, 4e
Model of Power in Organisations
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Sources of Power• Agreement that people in
certain roles can request certain behaviours of others
• Based on job descriptions and mutual agreement
• Legitimate power range (zone of indifference) varies across national and organisational cultures
Legitimate
10-8Copyright © 2013 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty LtdMcShane, Olekalns, Travaglione, Organisational Behaviour, 4e
Sources of Power continued
• Ability to control the allocation of rewards valued by others and to remove negative sanctions
• Operates upward as well as downward
Legitimate
Reward
10-9Copyright © 2013 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty LtdMcShane, Olekalns, Travaglione, Organisational Behaviour, 4e
Sources of Power continued
• Ability to apply punishment
• Exists upward as well as downward
• Peer pressure is a form of coercive power
Legitimate
Reward
Coercive
10-10Copyright © 2013 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty LtdMcShane, Olekalns, Travaglione, Organisational Behaviour, 4e
Sources of Power continued
• The capacity to influence others by possessing knowledge or skills that they value
• More employee expert power over companies in knowledge economy
Legitimate
Reward
Coercive
Expert
10-11Copyright © 2013 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty LtdMcShane, Olekalns, Travaglione, Organisational Behaviour, 4e
Sources of Power continued
• Occurs when others identify with, like or otherwise respect the person
• Associated with charismatic leadership
Legitimate
Referent
Reward
Coercive
Expert
10-12Copyright © 2013 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty LtdMcShane, Olekalns, Travaglione, Organisational Behaviour, 4e
DeCourcy’s Trendspotting Power
Colleen DeCourcy has developed a reputation as a trendspotter, giving her considerable information power in the advertising industry. ‘Her knowledge of the digital landscape, grounded in creativity, makes her an invaluable addition to TBWA’, says DeCourcy’s boss.
10-13Copyright © 2013 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty LtdMcShane, Olekalns, Travaglione, Organisational Behaviour, 4e
Information and Power• Control over information
flow– Based on legitimate power– Relates to formal
communication network
• Coping with uncertainty – More power to those who
can help firms cope with uncertainty Prevention Forecasting Absorption
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Power Through Control of Information Flow
10-15Copyright © 2013 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty LtdMcShane, Olekalns, Travaglione, Organisational Behaviour, 4e
Contingencies of Power
10-16Copyright © 2013 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty LtdMcShane, Olekalns, Travaglione, Organisational Behaviour, 4e
Increasing Non-substitutability• Few or no alternatives to the resource• Increase non-substitutability by controlling
the resource– Exclusive right to perform medical procedures– Control over skilled labour– Exclusive knowledge to repair equipment
• Differentiate resource from others
10-17Copyright © 2013 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty LtdMcShane, Olekalns, Travaglione, Organisational Behaviour, 4e
Centrality• Degree and nature of interdependence
between powerholder and others• Centrality is a function of:
– How many others are affected by you– How quickly others are affected by you
10-18Copyright © 2013 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty LtdMcShane, Olekalns, Travaglione, Organisational Behaviour, 4e
Discretion and Visibility• Discretion
– The freedom to exercise judgment– Rules limit discretion, limit power– Also a perception—acting as if you have discretion
• Visibility– Symbols communicate your power source(s)
Educational diplomas Clothing, etc. (stethoscope around neck)
– Salience Location—others are more aware of your
presence
10-19Copyright © 2013 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty LtdMcShane, Olekalns, Travaglione, Organisational Behaviour, 4e
Influencing Others• Influence—any behaviour that attempts to
alter someone’s attitudes or behaviour– Applies one or more power bases– Process through which people achieve
organisational objectives – Operates up, down and across the organisational
hierarchy
10-20Copyright © 2013 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty LtdMcShane, Olekalns, Travaglione, Organisational Behaviour, 4e
Assertiveness • Actively applying legitimate and coercive power (‘vocal authority’)
• Reminding, confronting, checking, threatening
Silent authority
• Following requests without overt influence
• Based on legitimate power, role modelling
• Common in high power distance cultures
Types of Influence
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Types of Influence continued
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Types of Influence continued
Upward appeal
• Appealing to higher authority
• Includes appealing to firm’s goals
• Alliance or perceived alliance with higher status person
Persuasion • Logic, facts, emotional appeals
• Depends on persuader, message content, message medium, audience
10-23Copyright © 2013 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty LtdMcShane, Olekalns, Travaglione, Organisational Behaviour, 4e
Types of Influence continued
Exchange • Promising or reminding of past benefits in exchange for compliance
• Includes negotiation and networking
Ingratiation/ impression
management
• Increase liking by, or perceived similarity to, the target person
10-24Copyright © 2013 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty LtdMcShane, Olekalns, Travaglione, Organisational Behaviour, 4e
Consequences of Influence Tactics
people oppose the behaviour desired by the influencer
motivated by external sources (rewards) to implement request
identify with and highly motivated to implement request
Resistance Compliance Commitment
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Consequences of Influence Tactics continued
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Contingencies of Influence Tactics• ‘Soft’ tactics generally more acceptable than
‘hard’ tactics• Appropriate influence tactic depends on:
– Influencer’s power base– Organisational position – Cultural values and expectations
10-27Copyright © 2013 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty LtdMcShane, Olekalns, Travaglione, Organisational Behaviour, 4e
Power and Influence ThroughSocial Networks• Cultivating social relationships with others to
accomplish one’s goals• Social networks are important foundations of
power for individuals and companies apply social network analysis tools to discover who has this power
• There are cultural differences in the norms of active network involvement
10-28Copyright © 2013 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty LtdMcShane, Olekalns, Travaglione, Organisational Behaviour, 4e
Social Capital and Sources of Power • Social networks generate power through
social capital: the goodwill and resulting resources shared among members in a social network
• Social networks can increase:– Expert power (gaining knowledge from others)– Visibility – Referent power
10-29Copyright © 2013 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty LtdMcShane, Olekalns, Travaglione, Organisational Behaviour, 4e
Understanding Networks• Networks benefit individuals through access,
timing and referrals
10-30Copyright © 2013 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty LtdMcShane, Olekalns, Travaglione, Organisational Behaviour, 4e
Strong Ties, Weak Ties, Many Ties • Breadth: number/diversity of people in
network• Depth: frequency of interaction, strength of
attachment, members serve more than one function
• Centrality: position within the network
10-31Copyright © 2013 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty LtdMcShane, Olekalns, Travaglione, Organisational Behaviour, 4e
Network Centrality• Person’s importance in a network• Three factors in centrality:
– Shortest path between others: you control interactions of others
– Direct access to others: less dependence on others for connections
– Number of people connected to you: more social capital resources
• Example: A has highest network centrality due to all three factors; B has lowest centrality
10-32Copyright © 2013 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty LtdMcShane, Olekalns, Travaglione, Organisational Behaviour, 4e
Building and Maintaining Networks • We often build networks according to self-
similarity and proximity • However, it is more effective to build
networks according to shared activities and apply strategic considerations (access to additional networks, key persons etc.)
• We also need to consider the dark side of our networks and how inclusive or unfairly exclusive they are
10-33Copyright © 2013 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty LtdMcShane, Olekalns, Travaglione, Organisational Behaviour, 4e
Organisational Politics• Behaviours that others perceive as self-
serving tactics for personal gain at the expense of other people and possibly the organisation
10-34Copyright © 2013 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty LtdMcShane, Olekalns, Travaglione, Organisational Behaviour, 4e
Conditionssupporting
organisational politics
Scarceresources
Complex andambiguousdecisions
Tolerance of politics
Organisationalchange
Conditions for Organisational Politics
10-35Copyright © 2013 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty LtdMcShane, Olekalns, Travaglione, Organisational Behaviour, 4e
Minimising Political Behaviour• Introduce clear rules for scarce resources• Effective organisational change practices• Suppress norms that support or tolerate self-
serving behaviour• Leaders role model organisational citizenship• Give employees more control over their work• Keep employees informed
10-36Copyright © 2013 McGraw-Hill Australia Pty LtdMcShane, Olekalns, Travaglione, Organisational Behaviour, 4e
Summary • Power is the capacity to influence others and
it can be based on five sources of power with four contingencies
• People can also gain power through social networks creating social capital
• There are eight types of influences tactics, with soft ones more likely to result in commitment
• Power is potential, influence is actual and politics is a perception
Power and influence in the
workplace
Chapter 10