The capacity of a person, team, or

organization to influence others

Potential to change attitudes and
behavior (not actual change)
People may be unaware of their power

Perception target perceives

powerholder controls a valuable
resource
Power involves unequal dependence
Person Bs Person A is perceived as
countervailing power Person A controlling resources that
over Person A
help or hinder Person Bs
goal achievement.

Person Bs
Person B Goal

Person As power
over Person B
Sources Power
of Power over others

Legitimate
Reward
Coercive
Expert Contingencies
of Power
Referent

4
 Agreement that people in certain roles
Legitimate
can request certain behaviors of others
Based on job descriptions and mutual
agreement
Legitimate power range (zone of
indifference) varies across national and
org cultures.
 Agreement that people in certain roles
can request certain behaviors of others
Zone of indifference -- range of
behaviors for deference to authority
Norm of reciprocity -- felt obligation
to help someone who has helped you
Information control -- right to
distribute information to others
Creates dependence
Frames situation
Legitimate

Ability to control the allocation of rewards

Reward
valued by others and to remove negative
sanctions
Operates upward as well as downward
Legitimate

Reward Ability to apply punishment

Exists upward as well as downward
Coercive
Peer pressure is a form of coercive power

10-8
Legitimate

Reward

Coercive
The capacity to influence others by
Expert possessing knowledge or skills that they
value
More employee expert power over
companies in knowledge economy
 Coping with uncertainty
More power to those who can help firms cope
with uncertainty
Prevention
Forecasting
Absorption
Legitimate

Reward

Coercive
Occurs when others identify with, like, or
Expert otherwise respect the person
Associated with charismatic leadership
Referent
Sources Power
of Power over others

Contingencies
of Power

Substitutability
Centrality
Discretion
Visibility

12
 Substitutability availability of alternatives
More power when few/no alternatives

Reduce substitutability through:

Monopoly over resource
Controlling access to the resource
Differentiating the resource

13
 Centrality
Degree and nature of interdependence with powerholder
Higher centrality when (a) many people affected and (b) quickly affected

Visibility
You are known as holder of valued resource
Increases with face time, display of power symbols

Discretion
The freedom to exercise judgment
Rules limit discretion
Discretion is perceived by others

14
 Social networks people connected to each other through forms of
interdependence
Generate power through social capital -- goodwill and resulting resources shared
among members in a social network
Three power resources through networks
Information
Visibility
Referent power

15
 Strong ties:
Close-knit relationships (frequent interaction, high sharing, multiple roles)
Offer resources more quickly/plentifully,
but less unique
Weak ties
Acquaintances
Offer unique resources not held by us or
people in other networks
Many ties
Resources increase with number of ties
Limited capacity to form weak/strong ties

16
 Persons importance in a network
Three factors in centrality:
Betweenness extent you are located between others in the network A
Degree centrality -- Number of people connected to you
Closeness stronger relationships

Example: A has highest centrality due to all three factors; B has

lowest centrality B

17
 It can create a formidable barrier to those who are not actively connected to it

Example: Women are excluded from informal management networks because they
do not participate in male-dominated social events like golf games.
 When people feel empowered
People believe they have power over
themselves and freedom from being
influenced by others.
Tends to increase motivation, job
satisfaction and performance
Increases automatic rather than mindful
thinking (rely on stereotypes, have
difficulty empathizing)
When one has power over others
This kind of power is accompanied by a
sense of responsibility and duty
People who have power tend to be
more mindful of their actions and
engage in less stereotyping.
 Influence is any behavior that attempts to
alter someones attitudes or behavior
Applies one or more power bases

Essential activity in organizations

Coordinate with others
Part of leadership definition
Everyone engages in influence
Silent Authority Following requests without overt influence
Based on legitimate power, role modeling
Common in high power distance cultures

Assertiveness Actively applying legitimate and coercive power (vocal

authority)
Reminding, confronting, checking, threatening

more

21
 Manipulating others access to information
Information Control
Withholding, filtering, re-arranging information

Coalition Formation Group forms to gain more power than individuals alone
1. Pools resources/power
2. Legitimizes the issue
3. Power through social identity

more

22
Upward Appeal Appealing to higher authority
Includes appealing to firms goals
Alliance or perceived alliance with higher status person

Logic, facts, emotional appeals

Persuasion
Depends on persuader, message content, message
medium, audience

more

23
Impression Actively shaping or public image
Management Self-presentation
Ingratiation

Exchange Promising or reminding of past benefits in exchange for

compliance
Negotiation, reciprocity, networking

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 people oppose the behavior desired by the influencer

motivated by external sources (rewards) to

implement request

identify with and highly

motivated to implement
request

Resistance Compliance Commitment

25
 Hard Influence Tactics Soft Influence Tactics

Silent authority Persuasion

Upward appeal impression mgt
Coalition formation Exchange
Information control
Assertiveness

Resistance Compliance Commitment

26
 Soft tactics generally more acceptable than hard tactics
Appropriate influence tactic depends on:
Influencers power base
Organizational position
Cultural values and expectations

27
Behaviors that others perceive as self-serving tactics for personal
gain at the expense of other people and possibly the organization.
Need to minimize scarce resources, ambiguity, reinforced political
behavior
Tolerance of Scarce
Politics Resources
Conditions
Supporting
Organizational
Politics
Complex and
Organizational
Change Ambiguous
Decisions
1. Introduce clear rules for scarce resources
2. Effective organizational change practices
3. Suppress norms that support or tolerate self-serving behavior
4. Leaders role model organizational citizenship
5. Give employees more control over their work
6. Keep employees informed