Power & Politics (Colg)

8/14/2019 Power & Politics (Colg)

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POWER &

POLITICS

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A Definition of Power

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Power

A capacity that A has to influence thebehavior ofB so that B acts in accordancewith As wishes.

Dependency

Bs relationship to A when A possessessomething that B requires.


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POWER/LEADERSHIP/

AUTHORITY RELATIONSHIP

Power is closely related to leadership

and authority

Leadership

Authority Power


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Contrasting Leadership and

Power Leadership

Focuses on goal

achievement.

Requires goal

compatibility with

followers.

Focuses influence

downward.

Research Focus Leadership styles

and relationships

with followers

Power

Used as a means for

achieving goals.

Requires follower

dependency.

Used to gain lateral

and upward

influence.

Research Focus Power tactics for

gaining compliance

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135

FORMALPOWER

COERCIVEPOWER LEGITIMATEPOWER

REWARD

POWER

INFORMATION

POWER


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Bases of Power: Formal

Power

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Coercive Power

A power base dependent onfear.Reward PowerCompliance achieved based on the abilityto distribute rewards that others view asvaluable

Formal Power

Is established by an individuals position in anorganization; conveys the ability to coerce orreward, from formal authority, or from control

of information.


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Bases of Power: Formal

Power

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Legitimate Power

The power a person receives as a result of hisor her position in the formal hierarchy of anorganization.

Information Power

Power that comes from access to and controlover information.


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138

PERSONAL POWER

EXPERT

POWER

REFERENT

POWER

CHARISMATIC

POWER


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Bases of Power: Personal

Power

139

Expert Power

Influence based on special skills orknowledge.

Referent Power

Influence based on possession by anindividual of desirable resources or personaltraits.

Charismatic PowerAn extension of referent power stemmingfrom an individuals personality andinterpersonal style.


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Dependency: The Key To

Power The General Dependency Postulate

The greater Bs 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 holders power.

What Creates Dependency

Importance of the resource to the organization

Scarcity of the resource

Nonsubstitutability of the resource

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Power Tactics

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Influence Tactics:

Legitimacy

Rational persuasion

Inspirational appeals

Consultation

Exchange

Personal appeals

Ingratiation

Pressure

Coalitions

Influence Tactics:

Legitimacy

Rational persuasion

Inspirational appeals

Consultation

Exchange

Personal appeals

Ingratiation

Pressure

Coalitions

Power Tactics

Ways in whichindividuals translatepower bases into

specific actions.

F t I fl i th Ch i


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Factors Influencing the Choice

and Effectiveness of Power

Tactics Sequencing of tactics Softer to harder tactics

works best.

Skillful use of a tactic

Experienced users aremore successful.

Relative power of the tactic

user

Some tactics work better

when applied downward. The type of request attaching

to the tactic

Is the request legitimate?

How the request is perceived

Is the request accepted as

ethical?

The culture of the organization

Culture affects users choiceof tactic

Country-specific cultural factors

Local values favor certain

tactics over others.

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Power in Groups: Coalitions

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Seek to maximize their size

to attain influence.

Seek a broad and diverse

constituency for support of

their objectives.

Occur more frequently in

organizations with high task

and resource

interdependencies. Occur more frequently if

tasks are standardized and

routine.

Seek to maximize their size

to attain influence.

Seek a broad and diverse

constituency for support of

their objectives.

Occur more frequently in

organizations with high task

and resource

interdependencies.

Occur more frequently if

tasks are standardized and

routine.

Coalitions

Clusters of individualswho temporarily cometogether to a achieve

a specific purpose.


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The Dark Side of Power

Power often have negative

connotations because

people associate them with

attempts to useorganizational resources

for personal advantage and

to achieve personal goals

at the expense of othergoals.

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Politics: Power in Action

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Political Behavior

Activities that are not required as part ofones formal role in the organization, but thatinfluence, or attempt to influence, thedistribution of advantages or disadvantageswithin the organization.

Legitimate Political Behavior

Normal everyday politics.

Illegitimate Political Behavior

Extreme political behavior that violates theimplied rules of the game.

t t t t


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actors re at ng to po t cabehavior

Individual Factors

Background

Personality

Experiences

Environment

Organizational Factors

Scares Resource

Ambiguity of goals

Role Ambiguity

Culture of Org.

Lack of trust

Pressure to perform

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RESPONSE TO

ORGANIZATIONAL POLITICS

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Factors Influencing Political

Behavior

power19

Low High

RewardsAvert Punishment

Favorable outcomes

Organizational

factors

Individual factors

Political Behavior


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Global 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 whichthey are to be used

Effectiveness of Power Tactics Still open to debate; too little research has been

done

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THANK YOU

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Power & Politics (Colg)

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