POWER & POLITICS

POWER & POLITICS

Power and Political Influence

Power: The ability to control or otherwise motivate the Lukes: Three Faces of Power
behavior of others.
The way that power can be
Political influence: Power that is exercised over others on used falls along a spectrum
the basis of actual, attributed, or assumed superiority in at from direct to indirect. Decision-
least one of the following areas: making is the most direct, while
• Expertise: relevant knowledge or skills preference shaping is the most
indirect.
• Legitimacy: formal position or rank
Decision-Making Agenda Setting Preference Shaping
• Access: timely resourcefulness
Direct Indirect
• Reputation: informal social status
• Rewards: the authority to incentivize performance
• Coercion: the authority to use force or threats

G
Gaining, Keeping, and Growing Power
Power is typically acquired interpersonally in two ways:
1. Impression management, or by strategically applying
social skills to relate to others and exhibit bases of
power.
2. Networking, or by developing and maintaining
strategic relationships with diverse, resourceful, and
complementary individuals and groups.
Power is typically acquired positionally through formal
authority and rank.

Exercising Political Influence

The main threat to political influence is reactance, when Remember: More direct,
individuals recognize, reject, and actively oppose influence coercive measures are likelier
they perceive as threatening or illegitimate. to cause reactance. The more
Reactance damages commitment, or the level of indirect methods of preference
psychological attachment that employees have to their unit shaping and incentivizing are
or organization and its goals. likelier to enhance commitment.

©2021 QUANTIC SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY

POWER & POLITICS

Networking
Employees with well-developed networks enjoy the network Networking
effect, whereby they become more valuable to their
organizations as their relationships increase. Node Elise
You can increase the value of a network with: Lisa
• High tie volume, or a large amount of total relationships,
Fiona
which makes a network more efficient.
• High tie variety, or relationships with individuals ranging Aabid
widely in expertise and access to resources, which Tie Omar
makes a network more effective.
• Balanced “strong” and “weak” ties, where fewer
high-effort (strong) ties make networks robust against Homophily is the tendency of
disruptions, and a numerous low-effort (weak) ties make like nodes to form relationships
networks adaptable. with each other.
Developmental networks, or strong ties with sponsors, Homophilous groups may
mentors, and allies, are cultivated to provide two forms of need a broker to faciliate
ongoing career support: communication with other
• Instrumental support, provided by sponsors and groups.
mentors, includes advocacy and actions that directly
advance your professional interests.
• Psychosocial support, provided by mentors and allies,
includes advice that helps you thrive, personally, while
navigating professional challenges.

Group Dynamics
Group dynamics: Behavioral patterns within groups that Mediation
result from how members interact and influence each other.
1. Estabilish procedures that
Fostering cohesion, or a sense of belonging and mutual work toward consensus.
attachment between group members, can mitigate conflict.
2. Monitor for candor and
Conflict between group members takes one of two forms: understanding, and curb
1. Task-based conflict involves debate over the best hostility, to build trust.
course of action, and it is often productive. 3. Formulate an action plan.
2. Relationship-based conflict involves personality
clashes, and it is generally detrimental.
The problem-solving approach to conflict resolution is best
mediated by a neutral party, where the task is to seek partial
solutions that address the root causes of the present conflict.

©2021 QUANTIC SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY