AA Definition

Definition of
of Power
Power

A B
Contrasting
Contrasting Leadership
Leadership and
and Power
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.
Bases
Bases of
of Power
Power
Bases
Bases of
of Power
Power
Personal
Personal Power
Power
Personal
Personal Power
Power
Dependency:
Dependency: The
The Key
Key To
To Power
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
– No substitutability of the resource
Power
Power Tactics
Tactics

Tactical
TacticalDimensions
Dimensions: :
• • Reason
Reason
• • Friendliness
Friendliness
• • Coalition
Coalition
• • Bargaining
Bargaining
• • Assertiveness
Assertiveness
• • Higher
Higherauthority
authority
• • Sanctions
Sanctions
Power
Power consequences
consequences && faces
faces of
of power
power
 Costs of using power – Use of legitimate power –
cost of loosing an employee, cost of stoppage of
work etc.,
 Balance of power - exercised judiciously
 Mc Clelland – Two faces of power
– – Negative- personal power – win – loose situation
– & positive – Social power – on behalf of
Exchange
Exchange theory
theory vs
vs power
power
 Exchange theory – efforts and returns
– Referent power – satisfaction, profit to control others,
compliance for a return.
– Legitimate power – conformity to standards and
procedures
Power
Power Structure
Structure and
and Blocs
Blocs
 Power Structure –
– Direct power / Organizational chart
– Power elite/ Indirect power- Eg: All managers of an
organization

 Power Blocs - coalitions

Power
Power in
in Groups:
Groups: Coalitions
Coalitions

• • Seek
Seektotomaximize
maximizetheir
their
size
sizeto
toattain
attaininfluence.
influence.
• • Seek
Seekaabroad
broadand
anddiverse
diverse
constituency
constituencyforforsupport
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.
Process
Process of
of power
power
 Function of interaction
 A two way process
 Personal feature - Power motive
Power
Power Balance
Balance
 Balance --- dependency
 Imbalance ---- Tactics to deal with imbalance
– Withdraw relationship
– Form alternative relationship
– Form coalition
– Regular interations
Power
Power Sharing
Sharing
 Increase in power  Reduction in power
Power
PowerPloys
Ploys––Techniques
Techniquesto
toattain
attainand
andretain
retainpower
power

 Upward strategies
 Downward strategies
 Lateral strategies
Contingency
Contingency approaches
approaches to
to power
power
 Interdependence and influence ability
– Degree of dependency
– Uncertainty
– Personality Traits
– Intelligence
– Age
– Culture
Compliance – Reward- means to end
Identification- Referent – attractiveness
Internalization – Value system
Politics:
Politics: Power
Power in
in Action
Action
Factors
FactorsThat
ThatInfluence
Influence
Political
PoliticalBehaviors
Behaviors
Employee
EmployeeResponses
Responsesto to
Organizational
OrganizationalPolitics
Politics
Organizational
Organizational Factors
Factors
 Scares resources
 Ambiguity of goals
 Role ambiguity
 Performance
 Defensive
Defensive
Avoiding
AvoidingAction
Action: : Behaviors
Behaviors
• • Over
Overconforming
conforming
• • Buck
Buckpassing
passing
• • Playing Avoiding
AvoidingBlame
Blame: :
Playingdumb
dumb
• • Stretching • • Buffing
Buffing
Stretching
• • Stalling • • Playing
Playingsafe
safe
Stalling
• • Justifying
Justifying
• • Scapegoating
Scapegoating Avoiding
AvoidingChange
Change: :
• • Misrepresenting
Misrepresenting • • Prevention
Prevention
• • Self-protection
Self-protection
Is
Is Political
Political Action
Action Ethical?
Ethical?

Utilitarianism
Utilitarianism Rights
Rights Justice
Justice

EXHIBIT 13-8