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Chapter

FOURTEEN

Power and Politics

2007 Prentice Hall Inc. All rights reserved.

AADefinition
Definition of
of Power
Power
Power
A capacity that A has to
influence the behavior of B so
that B acts in accordance with
As wishes.
Dependency
Bs relationship to A
when A possesses
something that B
requires.

2007 Prentice Hall Inc. All rights reserved.

Contrasting
Contrasting Leadership
Leadership and
and Power
Power
Leadership
Focuses on goal
achievement.
Requires goal
compatibility with
followers.
Focuses influence
downward.
Research Focus
Leadership styles
and relationships
with followers.
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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.

Bases
Bases of
of Power:
Power: Formal
Formal Power
Power
Formal Power
Is established by an individuals position in an
organization; conveys the ability to coerce or
reward, from formal authority, or from control
of information.
Coercive Power
A power base dependent on
fear.
Reward Power
Compliance achieved based
on the ability to distribute
rewards that others view as
valuable.
2007 Prentice Hall Inc. All rights reserved.

Bases
Bases of
of Power:
Power: Formal
Formal Power
Power (contd)
(contd)
Legitimate Power
The power a person receives as a
result of his or her position in the
formal hierarchy of an
organization.

2007 Prentice Hall Inc. All rights reserved.

Bases
Bases of
of Power:
Power: Personal
Personal Power
Power
Expert Power
Influence based on
special skills or
knowledge.
Referent Power
Influence based on
possession by an individual
of desirable resources or
personal traits.

2007 Prentice Hall Inc. All rights reserved.

Source: Drawing by Leo Cullum in The New Yorker, copyright 1986


The New Yorker Magazine. Reprinted by permission.

2007 Prentice Hall Inc. All rights reserved.

E X H I B I T 141
E X H I B I T 141

Dependency:
Dependency: The
The Key
Key To
ToPower
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
2007 Prentice Hall Inc. All rights reserved.

Power
Power Tactics
Tactics
Power Tactics
Ways in which
individuals translate
power bases into
specific actions.

Influence
InfluenceTactics
Tactics: :
Legitimacy
Legitimacy
Rational
Rationalpersuasion
persuasion
Inspirational
Inspirationalappeals
appeals
Consultation
Consultation
Exchange
Exchange
Personal
Personalappeals
appeals
Ingratiation
Ingratiation
Pressure
Pressure
Coalitions
Coalitions

2007 Prentice Hall Inc. All rights reserved.

Preferred
Preferred Power
Power Tactics
Tactics by
by Influence
Influence Direction
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 142
E X H I B I T 142
2007 Prentice Hall Inc. All rights reserved.

Factors
Factors Influencing
Influencing the
the Choice
Choice and
and
Effectiveness
Effectiveness of
of Power
Power Tactics
Tactics
Sequencing of tactics
Softer to harder
tactics work best.
Skillful use of a tactic
Relative power of the
tactic user
Some tactics work
better when applied
downward or upward.
The type of request
attaching to the tactic
Is the request
legitimate?
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How the request is


perceived
Is the request
consistent with the
targets values?
The culture of the
organization
Culture affects users
choice of tactic.
Country-specific cultural
factors
Local values favor
certain tactics over
others.

Power
Power in
in Groups:
Groups: Coalitions
Coalitions
Coalitions
Clusters of individuals
who temporarily come
together to achieve a
specific purpose.

Seek
Seekto
tomaximize
maximizetheir
their
size
sizeto
toattain
attaininfluence.
influence.
Seek
Seekaabroad
broadand
anddiverse
diverse
constituency
constituencyfor
forsupport
support
of
oftheir
theirobjectives.
objectives.
Occur
Occurmore
morefrequently
frequentlyinin
organizations
organizationswith
withhigh
high
task
taskand
andresource
resource
interdependencies.
interdependencies.
Occur
Occurmore
morefrequently
frequentlyifif
tasks
tasksare
arestandardized
standardized
and
androutine.
routine.

2007 Prentice Hall Inc. All rights reserved.

Sexual
Sexual Harassment:
Harassment: Unequal
Unequal Power
Power in
in the
the
Workplace
Workplace
Sexual Harassment
Unwelcome advances, requests for sexual favors,
and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual
nature.

The U.S. Supreme Court test for determining if


sexual harassment has occurred:
Whether comments or behavior
in a work environment
would reasonably be
perceived, and is
perceived, as hostile
or abusive.
2007 Prentice Hall Inc. All rights reserved.

Steps
Steps for
for Managers
Managers to
to Take
Take to
to Prevent
Prevent Sexual
Sexual
Harassment
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.

2007 Prentice Hall Inc. All rights reserved.

Politics:
Politics: Power
Power in
in Action
Action
Political Behavior
Activities that are not required as part of
ones 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.
Illegitimate Political Behavior
Extreme political behavior that violates the
implied rules of the game.
2007 Prentice Hall Inc. All rights reserved.

Politics
Politics Is
Is in
in the
the Eye
Eye of
of the
the Beholder
Beholder
Political Label
Management Label

Effective

1. Blaming others

vs.

Fixing responsibility

2. Kissing up

vs.

Developing working relationships

3. Apple polishing

vs.

Demonstrating loyalty

4. Passing the buck vs.

Delegating authority

5. Covering your rear vs.

Documenting decisions

6. Creating conflict vs.


innovation

Encouraging change and

7. Forming coalitions vs.

Facilitating teamwork

8. Whistle blowing vs.

Improving efficiency

9. Scheming

vs.

Planning ahead

10. Overachieving

vs.

Mendenhall, and J. Sendry, Doing


Competent and capable

11. Ambitious

vs.

Career-minded

12. Opportunistic

vs.

Astute

13. Cunning

vs.

Practical-minded

14. Arrogant

vs.

Confident

2007 Prentice Hall Inc. All rights reserved.

Source: Based on T. C. Krell, M. E.


Research in the Conceptual Morass of
Organizational Politics, paper
presented at the Western Academy of
Management Conference, Hollywood,
CA, April 1987.

E X H I B I T 133
E X H I B I T 133

Factors
FactorsThat
That Influence
Influence
Political
PoliticalBehaviors
Behaviors

E X H I B I T 14-4
E X H I B I T 14-4
2007 Prentice Hall Inc. All rights reserved.

Employee
EmployeeResponses
Responsesto
to
Organizational
OrganizationalPolitics
Politics

E X H I B I T 14-5
E X H I B I T 14-5
2007 Prentice Hall Inc. All rights reserved.

Avoiding
AvoidingAction
Action: :

Defensive
Defensive
Behaviors
Behaviors

Overconforming
Overconforming
Buck
Buckpassing
passing
Playing
Playingdumb
dumb
Stretching
Stretching
Stalling
Stalling

Avoiding
AvoidingBlame
Blame: :
Buffing
Buffing
Playing
Playingsafe
safe
Justifying
Justifying
Scapegoating
Scapegoating
Misrepresenting
Misrepresenting

Avoiding
AvoidingChange
Change: :
Prevention
Prevention
Self-protection
Self-protection
E X H I B I T 146
E X H I B I T 146

2007 Prentice Hall Inc. All rights reserved.

Impression
Impression Management
Management (IM)
(IM)
Impression Management
The process by which
individuals attempt to
control the impression
others form of them.

IM
IMTechniques
Techniques: :
Conformity
Conformity
Excuses
Excuses
Apologies
Apologies
Self-Promotion
Self-Promotion
Flattery
Flattery
Favors
Favors

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. 4571.

Association
Association
E X H I B I T 147
E X H I B I T 147

2007 Prentice Hall Inc. All rights reserved.

Is
Is AAPolitical
Political Action
Action Ethical?
Ethical?
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?

E X H I B I T 148
E X H I B I T 148
2007 Prentice Hall Inc. All rights reserved.

Chapter Check-Up: Power & Politics


Write down two differences
between power and leadership.
Discuss with a classmate.

Do all leaders have power? Does


everyone with power lead others?
Discuss.
2007 Prentice Hall Inc. All rights reserved.

Chapter Check-Up: Power & Politics


When you go to work, what three
things can you do to make people
in your organization dependent on
you? Write down your answers on
a sheet of paper.

Discuss your answers with your


neighbor. Do you think its bad to plan
how youll get power over others?
2007 Prentice Hall Inc. All rights reserved.

Chapter Check-Up: Power & Politics


What is the difference
between a power tactic
and an influence tactic?
Discuss with a neighbor.

2007 Prentice Hall Inc. All rights reserved.

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