Organizational Power,

Politics & Change

BY
PROF DR MOHMAD YAZAM
SHARIF, FPE, UPSI

Suggested topics
Describe a time when you had to deal with
organizational politics.
Describe a situation where you saw
evidence of power or influence being used
in an organization
Describe a time when someone influenced
you to act a particular way or do a particular
thing that you would not of otherwise done.

Power
Empowerment

How to get it
How to use it
without abusing it

Definition
A four letter word?
Influence?
Control over others?
Being able to get things done?
??????

A shifting definition
Reflects the new reality of organizations
A new definition of employee

The Meaning of Power

Power is the capacity of a person,
team, or organization to influence
others.
The potential to influence others
People have power they dont use
and may not know they possess
Power requires one persons
perception of dependence on
another person
Southland Times, New Zealand

Why does having power matter?

With power you can
Intercede favorably on behalf of someone in trouble
Get a desirable placement for a talented subordinate
Get approval for expenditures beyond the budget
Get items on and off agendas
Get fast access to decision makers
Maintain regular, frequent contact with decision makers
Acquire early information about decisions and policy
shifts

The goal?
Overcome feelings of powerlessness
Convert power effectively into interpersonal
influences in ways that avoid the abuse of
power

To empower yourself
To facilitate the empowerment
of others

Relationship Among Social Influence, Power,

and Politics
Capacity to
exert influence

Organizational
politics

Use of power for

personal interests

Power

Successful

Social influence

Unsuccessful

Power and Dependence

Person Bs
counterpower over
Person A

Person
A

Person
B

Person
Bs Goals
Person As power
over Person B

Types of Individual Power: A

Summary
Individual Power

Position Power
Legitimate power
Reward power
Coercive power

Personal Power
Referent power
Expert power

Model of Power in
Organizations
Sources
Of Power

Legitimate
Reward
Coercive
Expert
Referent

Power
over Others

Contingencies
Of Power

Legitimate Power
Ones structural position
The power a person receives as a result of
his or her position in the formal hierarchy of
an organization

The Limits of Legitimate Power

The Caine Mutiny illustrates
the limits of legitimate power
in organizations. Captain
Queeg (Humphrey Bogart,
seated left) asked his crew to
do more than they were
willing to follow, so they
staged a mutiny.

Archive Photos

Reward and Coercive Power

Power that achieves compliance based on
the ability to distribute rewards that others
view as valuable
Coercive Power: the opposite of reward
power: the power that is based on fear of
negative results.

Sources of Power
Legitimate Power
Reward Power
Coercive Power
Expert Power
Archive Photos

Referent Power

Expert Power

Influence is based on special skills or

knowledge

Referent Power

Influence is based on possession by an

individual of desirable resources or personal
traits

The desire to please

Information and Power

Control over information flow

Based on legitimate power

Relates to formal communication network
Common in centralized structures (wheel pattern)

Coping with uncertainty

Those who know how to cope with organizational
uncertainties gain power
Prevention
Forecasting
Absorption

Contingencies of Power
Sources
Of Power

Power
over others
Contingencies
Of Power
Substitutability
Centrality
Discretion
Visibility

Increasing Nonsubstitutability
Differentiation

Controlling
Tasks

Increasing
Nonsubstitutability
Controlling
Labour

Controlling
Knowledge

Consequences of Power
Sources
of Power
Expert
Power
Referent
Power
Legitimate
Power

Consequences
of Power

Commitment

Compliance

Reward
Power
Coercive
Power

Resistance

Sexual Harassment and Power

Harasser stereotypes the victim as subservient

and powerless
Harasser threatens job security or safety
through coercive or legitimate power
Hostile work environment harassment
continues when the victim lacks power to stop
the behaviour

Office Romance and Power

Co-workers believe that employees in
relationships abuse their power to favour
each other.
Higher risk of sexual harassment when
relationship breaks off.

Organizational Politics

Attempts to influence others using

discretionary behaviours to promote
personal objectives
Discretionary behaviours neither explicitly
prescribed nor prohibited

Politics may be good or bad for the

organization

Extent to Which Political Activity is Likely (range 0-3)

Organizational Politics: More Likely at

the Top
1.3

(1.22)

Political activity
is perceived to
increase at higher
organizational levels

1.2
1.1
1.0

(1.07)

.9

(.73)

.8
.7
.6

(.50)

.5

(.54)

.4
.3
.2

(.18)

.1
Production and Clerical and Technical and
Lower
Middle
Upper
blue collar
white collar professional management management management

Organizational Level

Types of Organizational
Politics
Managing
impressions

Creating
obligations

Attacking and
blaming

Types of
Organizational
Politics

Cultivating
networks

Controlling
information

Forming
coalitions

Impression management

Conformity: agreeing with anothers opinion to get their approval

Excuses: Explanations of a predicament-creating event aimed at
minimizing the apparent severity of the predicament
Apologies: Admitting responsibility for an undesirable event and
simultaneously seeking to get a pardon for the action
Acclamations: Explanation of favourable events to maximize the desirable
implications for oneself.
Flattery: Complimenting others on their virtues in an effort to make
oneself appear perceptive and likeable
Favours: Doing something nice for someone to gain that persons
approval
Association: Enhancing or protecting ones image by managing
information about people and things with which one is associated.

It was
Johns fault

You
scratch my
back

Attacking and
blaming
I thought

you
knew
Creating
obligations

Types of
Organizational
Politics

Cultivating
networks

Look who
I know

Controlling
information

Forming
coalitions

We agreed
that

Conditions for Organizational

Politics
Personal
Characteristics

Scarce
Resources

Conditions
Supporting
Organizational
Politics
Tolerance of
Politics

Complex and
Ambiguous
Decisions

Conditions for Organizational

Internal
Politics
Perceived
locus of

alternatives?

control
Personal
Characteristics

Deceit is
appropriate

Conditions
Supporting
Organizational
Politics

Tolerance of
Politics

It works here

Scarce
Resources

Zero-sum
rewards

Complex and
Ambiguous
Decisions

Democratic
decision making

Political Antics Top the Most Unethical

Potentially
List:
Survey
Results
Situation
political
Gender discrimination
in recruitment or hiring
Arrangements with vendors
leading to personal gain
Nonperformance factors
used in appraisals
Gender discrimination
in compensation
Not maintaining
confidentiality
Using discipline
inconsistently
Gender discrimination
in promotion
Sexual
harassment
Allowing differences in pay
due to friendships
Hiring, training, or promoting
based on favouritism

behaviours

(22.6)
(23.1)
(23.5)

(25.8)
(26.4)
(26.9)
(26.9)
(28.4)
(30.7)
(30.7)
0

5
10
15
20
25
30
35
Percentage Responding with a 4 or 5 on a five-Point Scale
Measuring Degree of Seriousness (where 5=very great)

Controlling Political Behaviour

Provide
Sufficient
Resources

Remove
Political Norms

Introduce
Clear Rules

Hire
Low-Politics
Employees

Free Flowing
Information

Increase
Opportunities
for Dialogue

Manage Change
Effectively

Peer Pressure
Against Politics

POWER AND CHANGE

1. POWER CAN INFLUENCE CHANGE.
2. IF USE CORRECTLY, IT CAN SPEED
UP CHANGE IN ORGANIZATION.
3. IF USE NEGATIVELY, IT CAN HINDER
CHANGE AND CAUSE WASTAGE IN
RESOURCES.

CONCLUSION
POWER CAN BE FORMAL AND INFORMAL.
IN ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE
MANAGEMENT, WE ARE LOOKING AT
FORMAL POWER WHICH RESIDES IN
ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERS.
ABUSE OF POWER BY THESE LEADERS CAN
SPOIL GOOD INTENTIONS OF ANY CHANGE
MANAGEMENT PLANS.