eleventh edition

organizational behavior

stephen p. robbins
 Chapter 13

Power and Politics

ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR
S T E P H E N P. R O B B I N S
E L E V E N T H E D I T I O N
© 2005 Prentice Hall Inc. WWW.PRENHALL.COM/ROBBINS PowerPoint Presentation
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 After studying this chapter,
OBJECTIVES

you should be able to:

1. Contrast leadership and power.
2. Define the seven bases of power.
LEARNING

3. Clarify what creates dependency in power

relationships.
4. List nine influence tactics and their
contingencies.
5. Explain how sexual harassment is about the
abuse of power.
6. Describe the importance of a political
perspective.
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 After studying this chapter,
O B J E C T I V E S (cont’d)

you should be able to:

7. List the individual and organizational factors

that stimulate political behaviors.
8. Identify seven techniques for managing the
impression one makes on others.
9. Explain how defensive behaviors can protect
LEARNING

an individual’s self-interest.
10. List the three questions that can help
determine if a political action is ethical.

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 A Definition of Power

Power
A capacity that A has to influence
the behavior of B so that B acts in
accordance with A’s wishes. A B

Dependency
B’s relationship to A when
A possesses something
that B requires.

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 Contrasting Leadership and Power
 Leadership  Power
– Focuses on goal – Used as a means for
achievement. achieving goals.
– Requires goal – Requires follower
compatibility with dependency.
followers. – Used to gain lateral
– Focuses influence and upward
downward. influence.
 Research Focus  Research Focus
– Leadership styles – Power tactics for
and relationships gaining compliance
with followers

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 Bases of Power: Formal Power

Formal Power
Is established by an individual’s 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
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 Bases of Power: Formal Power (cont’d)

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

Information Power
Power that comes from
access to and control
over information.

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 Bases of Power: Personal 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.

Charismatic Power
An extension of referent power stemming from an
individual’s personality and interpersonal style.
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Source: Drawing by Leo Cullum in The New Yorker, copyright ©1986 E X H I B I T 13–1
The New Yorker Magazine. Reprinted by permission.
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 Dependency: The Key To Power

 The General Dependency Postulate

– The greater B’s 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 holder’s 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

Power Tactics
Influence Tactics:
Ways in which • Legitimacy
individuals translate
• Rational persuasion
power bases into
specific actions. • Inspirational appeals
• Consultation
• Exchange
• Personal appeals
• Ingratiation
• Pressure
• Coalitions

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 Preferred Power Tactics by Influence 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 13–2

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 Factors Influencing the Choice and
Effectiveness of Power Tactics
 Sequencing of tactics  How the request is
– Softer to harder tactics perceived
works best. – Is the request accepted
 Skillful use of a tactic as ethical?
– Experienced users are  The culture of the
more successful. organization
 Relative power of the tactic – Culture affects user’s
user choice of tactic
– Some tactics work better  Country-specific cultural
when applied downward. factors
 The type of request – Local values favor certain
attaching to the tactic tactics over others.
– Is the request legitimate?

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 Power in Groups: Coalitions

Coalitions
• Seek to maximize their
Clusters of individuals size to attain influence.
who temporarily come • Seek a broad and diverse
together to a achieve a constituency for support
specific purpose. of their objectives.
• Occur more frequently in
organizations with high
task and resource
interdependencies.
• Occur more frequently if
tasks are standardized
and routine.

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 Sexual Harassment: Unequal Power in the
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.”

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 Politics: Power in Action
Political Behavior
Activities that are not required as part of one’s
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.

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 Politics Is in the Eye of the Beholder
“Political” Label “Effective Management” Label
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. Encouraging change and innovation
7. Forming coalitions vs. Facilitating teamwork
8. Whistleblowing vs. Improving efficiency
9. Scheming vs. Planning ahead
10. Overachieving vs. Competent and capable
11. Ambitious vs. Career-minded Source: Based on T. C. Krell, M. E.
Mendenhall, and J. Sendry, “Doing
12. Opportunistic vs. Astute Research in the Conceptual Morass of
Organizational Politics,” paper
13. Cunning vs. Practical-minded presented at the Western Academy of
Management Conference, Hollywood,
14. Arrogant vs. Confident CA, April 1987.

15. Perfectionist vs. Attentive to detail E X H I B I T 13–3

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 Factors That Influence
Political Behaviors

E X H I B I T 13–4

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 Employee Responses to
Organizational Politics

E X H I B I T 13–5

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 Defensive
Avoiding Action: Behaviors
• Overconforming
• Buck passing
• Playing dumb Avoiding Blame:
• Stretching • Buffing

• Stalling • Playing safe

• Justifying
• Scapegoating
Avoiding Change:
• Misrepresenting
• Prevention
• Self-protection

E X H I B I T 13–6

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 Impression Management (IM)

Impression Management
The process by which
individuals attempt to IM Techniques:
control the impression • Conformity
others form of them.
• Excuses
• Apologies
• Self-Promotion
• Flattery
Source: Based on B. R. Schlenker, Impression Management (Monterey, CA:
Brooks/Cole, 1980); W. L. Gardner and M. J. Martinko, “Impression
• Favors
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 • Association
Organization (Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1989), pp. 45–71.

E X H I B I T 13–6

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 Is A Political Action Ethical?

Utilitarianism Rights Justice

Source: Adapted from G.F. Cavanagh, D. Moberg, and M. Valasquez,

“The Ethics of Organizational Politic,” Academy of Management Review, E X H I B I T 13–8
July 1981, p. 368. Reprinted with permission.
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