POWER

POWER AND
AND ORGANIZATIONAL
ORGANIZATIONAL
POLITICS
POLITICS

Alex
Anna
Sammy

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AA Definition
Definition of
of Power
Power
 Power
– The capacity that A has to influence the behavior of B so
that B acts in accordance with A’s wishes
– Exists as a potential or fully actualized influence over a
dependent relationship
 Dependency
– B’s relationship to A when A possesses something that
B requires
– The greater B's dependence, the more power A has

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 Contrasting
Contrasting Leadership
Leadership and
and Power
Power

Leadership Power
– Focuses on goal – Used as a means for
achievement achieving goals
– Requires goal compatibility – Requires follower
with followers dependency
– Focuses influence – Used to gain lateral and
downward upward influence
 Research Focus
– Leadership styles and  Research Focus
relationships with – Power tactics for gaining
followers compliance

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Bases
Bases of
of Power:
Power: Formal
Formal Power
Power
 Formal Power
– Established by an individual’s position in an organization
– Three bases:
• Coercive Power
» A power base dependent on fear of
negative results
• Reward Power
» Compliance achieved based on the
ability to distribute rewards that
others view as valuable
• Legitimate Power
» The formal authority to control and
use resources based on a person’s
position in the formal hierarchy

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Bases
Bases of
of Power:
Power: Personal
Personal Power
Power
 Power that comes from an individual’s unique
characteristics – these are the most effective
– Expert Power
• Influence based on special skills or knowledge
– Referent Power
• Influence based on possession by an individual of desirable
resources or personal traits

E X H I B I T 13-1
E X H I B I T 13-1

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Dependency:
Dependency: The
The Key
Key to
to Power
Power
 The General Dependency Postulate
– The greater B’s dependency on A, the greater the power A
has over B
– Possession/control of scarce organizational resources that
others need makes a manager powerful
– Access to optional resources (e.g., multiple suppliers)
reduces the resource holder’s power
 Dependency increases when resources are:
– Important
– Scarce
– Nonsubstitutable

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Power
Power Tactics
Tactics
 Power Tactics
– Ways in which individuals translate power bases into
specific actions
– Nine influence tactics:
• Legitimacy
• Rational persuasion*
• Inspirational appeals*
• Consultation*
• Exchange
• Personal appeals
• Ingratiation
• Pressure * Most effective
• Coalitions (Pressure is the least effective)

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Preferred
PreferredPower
PowerTactics
Tacticsby
byInfluence
InfluenceDirection
Direction

Upward Influence Downward Influence Lateral Influence

Rational persuasion Rational persuasion Rational persuasion
Inspirational appeals Consultation
Pressure Ingratiation
Consultation Exchange
Ingratiation Legitimacy
Exchange Personal appeals
Legitimacy Coalitions

E X H I B I T 13-2
E X H I B I T 13-2

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Factors
Factors Influencing
Influencing Power
Power Tactics
Tactics
 Choice and effectiveness of
influence tactics are moderated
by:
– Sequencing of tactics
• Softer to harder tactics work
best
– Political skill of the user
– The culture of the
organization
• Culture affects user’s choice
of tactic

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Sexual
SexualHarassment:
Harassment:AACase
Caseof
ofUnequal
UnequalPower
Power
 Sexual Harassment:
– Any unwanted activity of a sexual nature that affects an
individual’s employment and creates a hostile work
environment
• Overt actions, like unwanted touching, are relatively easy to
spot
• Subtle actions, like jokes or looks, can cross over the line into
harassment
 Sexual harassment isn’t about sex – it is about abusing
an unequal power relationship
– Harassment can damage the well-being of the individual,
work group, and organization

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Managerial
ManagerialActions
Actionsto
toPrevent
PreventSexual
SexualHarassment
Harassment

 Make sure a policy against it

is in place.
 Ensure that employees will
not encounter retaliation if
they file a complaint.
 Investigate every complaint
and include the human
resource and legal
departments.
 Make sure offenders are
disciplined or terminated.
 Set up in-house seminars and
training.

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Politics:
Politics: Power
Power in
in Action
Action
 Political Behavior
– Activities that are not required as part of one’s formal role
in the organization, but that influence, or attempt to
influence, the distribution of advantages or disadvantages
within the organization

– Legitimate Political Behavior

• Normal everyday politics - complaining, bypassing,
obstructing
– Illegitimate Political Behavior
• Extreme political behavior that violates the implied rules of the
game: sabotage, whistle-blowing, and symbolic protest

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The
The Reality
Reality of
of Politics
Politics
 Politics is a natural result of resource scarcity
– Limited resources lead to competition and political
behaviors
 Judgments on quality of resource distribution differ
markedly based on the observer’s perception
– “Blaming others” or “fixing responsibility”
– “Covering your rear” or “documenting decisions”
– “Perfectionist” or “attentive to detail”
 Most decisions are made under ambiguous conditions
– Lack of an objective standard encourages political
maneuvering of subjective reality

E X H I B I T 13-3
E X H I B I T 13-3

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Causes
Causesand
andConsequences
Consequencesof
ofPolitical
PoliticalBehavior
Behavior
 Factors that Influence Political Behavior

E X H I B I T 13-4
E X H I B I T 13-4

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Employee
EmployeeResponses
Responsesto
toOrganizational
OrganizationalPolitics
Politics
 Most employees have low to modest willingness to play
politics and have the following reactions to politics:

E X H I B I T 13-5
E X H I B I T 13-5

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Defensive
Defensive Behaviors
Behaviors
 Employees who perceive politics as a threat have
defensive reactions
– May be helpful in the short run, dangerous in the long run
 Types of defensive behaviors
– Avoiding Action
• Overconforming, buck passing, playing dumb, stalling
– Avoiding Blame
• Bluffing, playing safe, justifying, scapegoating
– Avoiding Change
• Prevention, self-protection

E X H I B I T 13-6
E X H I B I T 13-6

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 Impression
Impression Management
Management (IM)
(IM)
 The process by which individuals attempt to control the
impression others form of them
 IM Techniques
– Conformity
– Excuses
– Apologies
– Self-Promotion
– Flattery
– Favors
– Association
Source: Based on B. R. Schlenker, Impression Management (Monterey, CA: Brooks/Cole, 1980); W. L. Gardner and M. J. Martinko, “Impression
Management in Organizations,” Journal of Management, June 1988, p. 332; and R. B. Cialdini, “Indirect Tactics of Image Management Beyond Basking,”
in R. A. Giacalone and P. Rosenfeld (eds.), Impression Management in the Organization (Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1989), pp. 45–71.

E X H I B I T 13-7
E X H I B I T 13-7

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IM
IM Effectiveness
Effectiveness
 Job Interview Success
– IM does work and most people use it
– Self-promotion techniques are important
– Ingratiation is of secondary importance
 Performance Evaluations
– Ingratiation is positively related to ratings
– Self-promotion tends to backfire

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The
The Ethics
Ethics of
of Behaving
Behaving Politically
Politically
 It is difficulty to tell ethical from unethical politicking
 Three questions help:
1. What is the utility of engaging in the behavior?
2. Does the utility balance out any harm done by the action?
3. Does the action conform to standards of equity and justice?

 Answers can be skewed toward either viewpoint

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 Global
Global Implications
Implications
 Politics Perceptions
– Negative consequences to the perception of politics seem to
be fairly widespread

 Preference for Power Tactics

– The choice of effective tactics is heavily dependent on the
culture of the country in which they are to be used

 Effectiveness of Power Tactics

– Still open to debate; too little research has been done

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Summary
Summary and
and Managerial
Managerial Implications
Implications
 Increase your power by having others depend on you
more.
 Expert and referent power are far more effective than
is coercion.
– Greater employee motivation, performance, commitment,
and satisfaction
– Personal power basis, not organizational
 Effective managers accept the political nature of
organizations.
 Political astuteness and IM can result in higher
evaluations, salary increases, and promotions.

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 Thank you for listening!

Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

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