POWER AND

POLITICAL
BEHAVIOUR
Definition, Power Dynamics, Sources, Power tactics, Essence of politics, Types of political activities.
What is power
◦ Power is the potential ability to influence the behaviour of others
◦ A capacity that A has to influence the behavior of B so that B acts in accordance with A’s wishes.

◦ DEPENDENCY
◦ B’s relationship to A when
A possesses something that B requires.
Points involved in Power
potential

Dependency

Discretion

Specific

Reciprocal
Power & Dependence

Person A

Person B’s
Person B Goal

Person A’s influence on

Person B
 Power Vs Authority
Power
◦ Ability – ability to affect & influence others
◦ Leadership – associated with leadership
◦ Broad – Power includes authority, authority is
institutionalized power.
◦ Two faces – positive & negative
◦ Personal – power is personal quality
Authority
◦ Right –Right to command & extract work from
people
◦ Managership vested with manager
◦ Narrow – manager may have considerable authority
yet powerless
◦ Congruence –no marked district face of authority
◦ Positional – vested in position
◦ Legitimate power is similar to authority
Sources of Power
Power Dynamics
Determinants Distribution

Dependency
Consequences

POWER
Trappings Uncertainty

Reputations Compliances

Shifts Indicators
Power Tactics
Consultation
Rational Persuasion
Inspirational Appeal
Ingratiating Appeal
Coalition Tactics
Pressure Tactics
Upward Appeal
Exchange Tactics
Strategies to acquire more power
Networking

Coalescing

Co-opting

Accepting
Organizational Politics
◦ Political behaviour is a general way of getting and using power for personal gain.
◦ Political skills – the ability to effectively understand others at work and use that knowledge to influence
others in ways that enhance personal / organizational objectives.
◦ Organizational politics- those activities engaged in by people in order to acquire, enhance and employ
power and other resources to achieve preferred outcomes in organizational settings, characterized by
disagreement or uncertainty about choices.
Characteristics' of Organizational politics

Not officially
Self Serving Intentional Not Rational
Blessed
• Legitimate • Benefit the • Intentional • Irrational ways
Politics individual in • Designed to are used to
• Illegitimate cost of acquire power ahead the race
forms Organization
Essence of Politics

Disagreement

Interest
Diversity

Scarcity
Reasons for Political behaviour
Scarce resources

Limited Opportunities

Lack of Trust

Role Ambiguity
Continued …
Performance Evaluation

Delay in feedback

Pressure to perform well

Politicking by top management

Types of Political activities

Selectively Controlling
Association with Increasing
distributing information
line Executives indispensability
information channels

Attacking or Forming Managing

blaming others Coalitions Impressions
Thank you